Adding Interactivity to pages and Dashboards

Adding Interactivity to pages and Dashboards

Pages and dashboards become much more effective for data reporting and analysis when you add interactivity to them.
A single action in one report can cause other reports to refresh simultaneously and show the data associated with the action.You can enhance the page interactivity by

1. defining global filters
2. enabling the sharing of drill-up and drill-down actions
3. enabling the sharing of drill-through actions

Defining Global Filters:
Global filters are used to control the display of one or more reports in a single portal page or in a dashboard. For example, a global filter can be on a report that contains only prompt or prompt controls. This allows for a single selection to drive a number of reports at once. When a prompt answer is changed, all related reports refresh dynamically to show the data that answers the prompt.
For example, if you answer a prompt for a country with Brazil, all related reports on the page are filtered to show the data for Brazil. When this is used in a dashboard, the context is passed to all corresponding tabs.

Perform the following tasks to set up a page or a dashboard with global filters:
1) Prepare the Reports
2) Create the Global Filters
3) Assemble the Reports on a Page

Preparing the Reports:
Before you start creating a page or a dashboard with global filters, you must know which reports you can use, and have the reports ready. The reports can be authored in Report Studio, Query Studio, or Analysis Studio.
If you include reports from only one package, the global filters share parameters using the model item. If you include reports from different packages, the following conditions must be met:
● All reports must use the same parameter name in their filter statements.
An example of a relational filter is Country = ?pCountryPrompt?.
An example of an OLAP slicer filter is [Great Outdoors Company].[Sales Territory].[SalesTerritory].[Country]->?pCountryPrompt?.
We do not recommend using the default parameter name, such as Parameter1.
● The Report Studio reports must follow the naming convention used in one of the other studios.
For example, in Query Studio the convention is [attribute name] or [level name], such as Order_Method1. In Analysis Studio the convention is [hierarchy name], such as Order Method.

Note: If the page contains only Report Studio reports, we recommend using the p[attribute name]Prompt convention, for example, pCountryPrompt.

Create the Global Filters:
A global filter is a value that is shared across different reports. At least one of the reports that you are using for the dashboard needs to contain a prompt or prompt control. The prompted report is embedded into a page or a dashboard using the Cognos Viewer portlet and linked with other reports in the page using the global filter portlet properties.
The prompts that are used as global filters control the display of your chosen linked reports. If this functionality is implemented in a single page, the prompts control linked reports in different sections of the page. If the page is a dashboard with multiple tabs, the prompts can control the report filtering across tabs.
We recommend creating prompt reports in Report Studio. The rich editing environment of this studio gives the author access to a variety of prompt controls, such as the Next, Reprompt, or Finish buttons. These controls add more interactivity to portal pages.

Steps:
1. In Report Studio, create a prompt on a report page, not on a prompt page, of the report.
Set the Auto-Submit property for the prompt to yes.
If you want to use cascading prompts, only the last prompt in the sequence needs to be on the report page.
For some prompts, such as the value prompts, you may need to add a Finish button to signal that the prompt selection is complete.
For cascading prompts, the Reprompt button is also required to restart the prompting sequence.
2. Add other details, such as background images, instructions, or a title.
The prompt can now be added to a portal page or a dashboard Assemble the Reports on a Page:
The prompts and the target reports in a page or a dashboard create an interactive and easy way to access Cognos BI environment.
Each report is displayed using the Cognos Viewer portlet. The reports communicate with each other using the properties of this portlet.
You can use different design strategies to implement global filters in a page.
If your page includes reports from different packages, ensure that the prompt reports use the same parameter names as the target reports.

Use the following steps when defining global filters in a single page. If you want to implement this functionality in a dashboard, you must complete additional steps.
Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, click the new page button.
2. Type the name, and select a location for your page.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Set columns and layout page, set the number and width of columns.
For example, the reports that display the prompts and prompt controls can be placed in one column and the target reports in a separate column to the right.
5. Click Add at the bottom of the first column.
6. In the Available Entries box, click Cognos Content.
7. Select the Cognos Viewer portlet, click the right arrow button to move the portlet to the Selected Entries box, and click OK.
8. Repeat steps 5 to 7 for each column.
You must add the Cognos Viewer portlet for each report that you want to include in the column.
For example, if the column on the left will contain prompt and prompt controls, add two Cognos Viewer portlets.
9. Click Next.
10. Complete the remaining steps in the wizard, if needed, and click Finish.
11. Go to the folder where you saved the new page, and open it.
In the page columns, you can see the empty frames of the Cognos Viewer portlets.
12. For any portlet in the page, click the edit button in the portlet toolbar.
13. In the portlet properties page, click Select an entry to select the report you want to display in the portlet.
14. Click Edit Properties.
The Advanced Properties Editor appears.
15. For the Fragment Action property, specify the default portlet action when the portlet is invoked in a page. You can choose to show the run icon, run the report, or view the most recent saved output.
Tip: For more information about the portlet properties, click the Help button in the portlet.
16. For the Prompt the user property, specify how to execute the prompts.
17. For the Prompt values property, select the Communicate with other portlets check box. This property enables communication between this portlet and other portlets in the page that have this property set up.
● When you select Every time, if the report contains optional or required prompts, the user is prompted to enter the prompt values before the report is run.
● When you select Only when required parameter values are missing, the user is prompted if the report contains required prompts and the values are missing. Otherwise the report runs successfully.
● When you select Never and show the report only when required values are provided, Cognos Viewer attempts to run the report, but the page remains hidden until the required prompt values are provided.
● When you select Based on the prompt settings of the report, Cognos Viewer uses the prompts specified in the report.
18. If you want to set up communication between only specific portlets in the page, type the channel name in the box provided.
Only the portlets that share the same channel name can interact. By specifying the channel name, you have more control over the page. For example, you can link only the reports that have matching parameters.
For more information about this property, click the Help button in the portlet.
19. If you want to see the portlet toolbar in the page, for the Show Toolbar property, select the Normal mode and Maximized mode check boxes.
20. Click OK to close Advanced Properties Editor, and click OK again to close the general properties page.
21. Repeat steps 12 to 20 for each portlet in the page.

Creating dashboards in Cognos 8

Creating dashboards in Cognos 8

A dashboard is a visual display of the most important information that a user needs. The information is consolidated and arranged on a single screen so that it can be monitored at a glance.
Different segments of information are displayed on different tabs. To create a dashboard, you assemble the different segments of information into a single view by using the Multi-page portlet.
This portlet is linked to a source folder that contains entries that appear as tabs in the dashboard. You can make changes to the tabs in the dashboard by adding or deleting the associated entries from the source folder.

The following Cognos entries can be used as tabs in a dashboard:
● Folders and shortcuts to folders
Use folders to include a second level of tabs.
● Packages and shortcuts to packages
Use packages to include a second level of tabs.
● Reports and shortcuts to reports
Use to view or run a Report Studio report.
● Report views and shortcuts to report views
Use to view or run a Report Studio report.
● Queries and shortcuts to queries
Use to view or run a Query Studio report.
● Analysis and shortcuts to analysis
Use to view or run an Analysis Studio report.
● Pages and shortcuts to pages
Use to add a page or another dashboard
● URLs and shortcuts to URLs
Use to embed a different Web page.
● PowerPlay reports
Use to view or run a PowerPlay report
● MS Documents
Use to include a link to a Microsoft document, such as an Excel, PowerPoint, or Word document.

The general dashboard properties are the same as page properties. You can edit the dashboard layout and style modify the properties of the Multi-page portlet, set up access permissions for the dashboard, and add it to the portal tabs.

Setting up the Dashboard Folder Structure:
Before you start creating your dashboards, we recommend setting up a folder hierarchy in Public Folders to keep your dashboard resources organized. For example, create a folder for all the dashboards you plan to create. Next, create a subfolder for each dashboard to use as source folder for the entries that you want to include in the dashboard, such as reports, folders, pages, or shortcuts.

The folder structure may look like this:


1. The Sales and Marketing pages are the multi-tabbed dashboards. These are the dashboard master pages that are built using the Multi-page portlet.
2. The Sales Resources folder is the source folder for the Sales dashboard, and the Marketing Resources folder is the source folder for the Marketing dashboard.
3. The source folders can contain entries such as reports, pages, folders, shortcuts, and so on. These entries appear as tabs in the dashboard.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, click the new page button.
2. Type the name, and select a location for your page.
3. Click Next.
4. In the Set columns and layout page, set the number of columns to 1, and the column width to 100%.
5. Click Add.
A list of portlet groups appears.
6. In the Available Entries box, click Dashboard.
7. Select the Multi-page portlet, and click the right arrow button to move the portlet to the Selected Entries box.
8. Click OK, and then Next.
9. In the Set page style page, specify a meaningful title for the page, select any of the remaining properties, and click Next.
10. In the Select an action page, you can select Add this page to the portal tabs.
11. Click Finish.
The page that you created is the dashboard master page.
12. Open the page you created.
An empty frame of the Multi-page portlet appears.
13. In the portlet toolbar, click the edit button.
The portlet properties page appears.
14. In the Source folder for pages section, click the Select an entry link.
15. Browse to the folder or package that contains the resources for the dashboard, such as shortcuts, pages, or bookmarks. Select an entry, and click OK.
Tip: To add My Folders as a tab in the dashboard, create a shortcut to My Folders.
16. Specify other portlet properties as required. For example, in the Display Style section, specify how to display the dashboard tabs, horizontally at the top of the page, or vertically on the left side of the page.
17. Click OK.
You can now open and view the dashboard page.
Tip: Other users can access the dashboard through its URL. To see the URL, go to Cognos Connection, locate the dashboard master page, and open its properties page. On the General tab, click View the search path, ID and URL.

Pages and Dashboards in Cognos 8

Pages and Dashboards in Cognos 8 Cognos Connection pages and dashboards provide quick access to Cognos business intelligence and performance management information, such as reports, metrics, or news items. The information is relevant to specific users or business objectives, and can be monitored at a glance.
Dashboards are pages with enhanced functionality. The information is displayed on multiple tabs that are easy to navigate. Each tab can include different segment of information. A dashboard can be accessed as a standalone application through a URL. Users can print selected dashboard pages.
The content for pages and dashboards is provided by Cognos portlets, or supported third-party portlets. Each portlet is an independent application that adds to the page different content and functionality, such as the ability to browse folders and entries, view reports and metrics, and include custom text and images or links to other Web pages.
You can add different types of information to your pages and organize them in a way that is meaningful to you. For example, you may want to see specific Cognos reports and metrics, or have links to your favorite Web sites.
The following table shows the types of content you can add to a Cognos Connection page, and the portlets that provide this content.

Page Content	Portlet	Portlet Group
Browse Cognos folders, reports, and other entries	Cognos Navigator	Cognos Content
Search for Cognos reports and other entries	Cognos Search	Cognos Content
View and interact with Cognos reports and other entries	Cognos Viewer	Cognos Content
View and interact with different types of performance metrics, such as the metrics you want to monitor closely, or the metrics for which you are directly responsible.	Metric List	Metric Studio Portlets
Add a metric history chart that illustrates the historical performance of the metric	Metric History Chart	Metric Studio Portlets
View and interact with custom applications created using Cognos 8 Software Development Kit	Cognos Extended Applications	Cognos Extended Applications Portlet
Register and show active links to other Web pages	Bookmarks Viewer	Cognos Utility
Add and view custom images, such as logos	Image Viewer	Cognos Utility
Insert any other Web page	HTML Viewer	Cognos Utility
Add and show the content of a Real Simple Syndication (RSS) news feed specified by a URL address	RSS Viewer	Cognos Utility
Add and view custom text and images	HTML Source	Cognos Utility
Create and view a dashboard with multiple tabs	Multi-page	Dashboard
Add non-Cognos items to a page	Supported third-party portlets	Third-party content

The list of pages is cached in a Cognos Connection session. When the state of a page changes during the current session, users who have access to the page are affected. For example, when a page is disabled or deleted, it can no longer be used and its tabs are deleted or not functional. To update the portal with the most current settings, use the Cognos Connection refresh button.
When you log on to Cognos Connection for the first time, you access the pages an administrator made available to you. Later, you can create your own pages.

You can perform the following page-related tasks in Cognos Connection:
1) create pages
2) edit pages
3) share pages with other users
4) modify portlets
5) enable communication between portlets
6) add, remove, or reorder the portal tabs
7) change your home page

Create a Page:
You can create your own pages in Cognos Connection to group different types of information into a single view. The pages are saved in Public Folders or My Folders.
If you plan to share a page with other users, save it in Public Folders After you create the page, you can edit it to modify its contents, layout and style, and to set access permissions.
You can delete pages in Cognos Connection if you have the required access permissions for the pages. Deleting a page may affect your portal tabs.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, click the new page button.
2. Specify a name and location for the page, and, if you want, a description and a screen tip.
3. Click Next.
The Set columns and layout page appears.
4. Define the layout for your page by setting the number and width of columns.
Tip: If you are using multiple columns and one of the columns includes a report that is shown in Cognos Viewer, set the width to at least 50% to minimize scrolling.
5. In the column to which you want to add portlets, click Add.
6. Click the portlet group that contains the portlets you want to add.
7. Select the portlets, and click the add button to move them to the Selected entries box. If you want to remove a portlet from the Selected entries box, click Remove.
Tip: You can preview the content of the portlets by clicking the view this portlet button.
8. Click OK.
9. Repeat steps 5 to 8 for each portlet group you want.
10. Click OK, and then click Next.
The Set page style page appears.
11. Customize the appearance of your page.
● If you want, add a title and instructions for the page in the language of the product.
To hide the title or instructions, select the associated check box.
Tip: To change the formatting of the text, click Custom. To go back to the default formatting, click Return to default.
● If you want, hide the portlet borders, title bars, or the edit button in the title bar. This helps to avoid clutter and gives the page a uniform look and feel.
12. Click Next.
13. If you want to add the page to the portal tab bar, select the Add this page to the portal tabs check box. To view the page, select the View the page check box.
14. Click Finish.

Edit a Page:
You can change the page content, layout and style, and access permissions. For example, you may want to see a different report, or change the list of users who can access the page.
Page Titles and Instructions:
When you create a page, you can specify a title and instructions for the page only in the product language you currently use. For example, if you use the French version of Cognos 8, you can type the title and instructions in French only. After the page is created, you can add the title and instructions for other language versions by editing the page properties on the Page Style tab.

Steps:
1. Go to the page you want to edit.
2. Click the edit page button.
Tip: Alternatively, locate the page in Cognos Connection, and click its set properties button.
3. Change the page properties as required.

Share a Page:
You can share your page with other users by giving them access permissions for the page. You can set up the permissions so that other users can only view the page or also modify it.
To view a page, traverse and execute permissions for the page, and execute permissions for its portlets are required. To modify the page, write permissions are also required.

Steps:
1. If you did not create the page in Public Folders, copy it there from your personal folders.
2. Specify which users, groups, or roles can have read, traverse, execute, or write permissions for the page.

Cognos Reports and Cubes:

Cognos Reports and Cubes:
You can use reports, cubes, and documents to analyze data and help you make informed and timely decisions. In Cognos 8, reports and cubes can be published to the portal to ensure that everyone in your organization has accurate and relevant information when they need it.

Query Studio and Report Studio Reports:
Typically, for Query Studio and Report Studio reports, your data modeler creates models from subsets of corporate data. These models are then published as packages in Cognos 8. Query Studio and Report Studio users can create reports based on the packages and publish them in Cognos 8. In Cognos Connection, a Query Studio report is called a query and a Report Studio report is called a report.
OLAP sources do not need additional modeling.

Analysis Studio Reports and Cubes:
An Analysis Studio administrator can publish Analysis Studio reports and cubes in Cognos 8. Analysis Studio users can create reports and publish them in Cognos 8. In Cognos Connection, an Analysis Studio report is called an analysis.

Working with Reports and Cubes:
A report can refer to the specification that defines the information to include in a report, or the results themselves. For Report Studio and Query Studio, report specifications can have saved results or you can run a report to produce new results. For Analysis Studio, reports are always run against the latest data in the cube. After a report is published to the portal, you can view, run, or open it or view report output versions. You can also view the report in various formats. You can distribute reports by saving them, sending them by email, printing them, or bursting them. You can also set run options for the current run, and set advanced run options for the current run. You can create an ad hoc report using Query Studio or you can use Report Studio to define layouts, styles, and prompts for your report. You can also create Analysis Studio reports (analyses). You can schedule a report to run at a later time or on a recurring basis. You can schedule a report as part of a job or based on a trigger. You can view the run history for a report. You can add yourself to the alert list for a report so that you are alerted when new versions of the report are created. You can also specify watch rules in saved HTML report output so that you are alerted whenever the events specified by the watch rules are satisfied.
You can disable selection-based features, such as drilling up and down and drill-through.
You organize your report entries in a way that is convenient for you.

Mixed Currencies:
Mixed currency values occur when you calculate values with different currencies. When using an OLAP data source, mixed currency values use the asterisk character (*) as the unit of measure.

Accessibility for the Disabled:
Cognos is committed to assisting people with disabilities, and promotes initiatives that make workplaces and technologies accessible. Cognos 8 provides an accessible report reading solution.
This solution allows disabled users and users of Assistive Technology the ability to access and display reports in Cognos Viewer.

View, Run, or Open a Report:
You can view the most recent run of a report, run a report, or open a report in the authoring tool. The default action is to view the most recent run of a report but you can select the default action that you prefer.
You must have executed permission to run a report. You must have read and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.

Steps:
● In Cognos Connection, click the report that you want.
For more information about using PowerPlay Web Explorer, see PowerPlay Web For information about using Analysis Studio, see the Analysis Studio User's Guide.

Set Default Report Options:
You can set one of the following actions as the default when a report is run:
● view the most recent report or run if it has not been previously run (default)
● run the report
● open the report in the authoring tool that was used to create it (Query Studio, Report Studio, or Analysis Studio)
You can set default report options such as format and language. You can also set the default to prompt for values and run as the owner.
You must have executed permissions for the report. You must have read and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, click the set properties button on the actions toolbar to the right of the report.
2. Click the Report tab for a Report Studio report, the Query tab for a Query Studio report, or the Analysis tab for a Analysis Studio report.
3. Under Default action, select the default action for when the report is run.
4. If you want to override report options, under Report options, click the Override the default values check box.
You can change some or all of the options, such as format and language.
5. If you want to prompt for values to filter the data in the report, click select the Prompt for values check box under Prompt Values.
Note: You are prompted for values only if the report specification or model includes prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or signons.
6. If you want to run the report using the owner credentials, click the check box next to the owner listed under Run as the owner.
7. To set additional report options, click Advanced options.
● Under Number of rows per Web page in HTML reports, click the number of rows you want to allow.
● To allow such features as drill up and drill down, drill through, Cognos Search, watch rules, and agent notification when the report is viewed in Cognos Viewer, select Enable selection-based interactivity in HTML reports.
● If you want to allow the creation of additional output formats so that watch rules can be evaluated and saved output versions can be imported into Cognos 8 Go! Office, select Enable enhanced user features in saved output versions.
● If you want users to receive alerts when new report output is generated, select Enable alerts about new versions.
8. Click OK.

Set Report Options for the Current Run:
You can set the following options for the current run of a report:
● report output format
● language
● delivery method
● prompt for values
These options override the defaults for a report for a one-time run.
Tip: You can also force database access by clicking More next to the report, and then clicking Clear the cache.
You can change default run options for reports.
If you change the delivery method while a report is running, the run operation is cancelled. The report is run again using the new delivery method that you select. This can be time-consuming for large reports. To save time, specify the delivery method before you run the report.
To specify a time for the report to run, to choose additional formats or more than one language, or for additional delivery methods, use advanced run options.
You must have executed permissions for the report you are attempting to run. You must have read and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, click the run with options button on the actions toolbar to the right of the report you want to run.
2. Under Format, click the format that you want for the report output.
3. Under Language, click the language that you want for the report output.
4. Under Delivery, choose to view the report now, save the report, or print the report.
5. If you choose to print, click Select a printer, click the button next to the printer you want to use, and click OK. If the printer is not listed, you can type the printer information.
6. If you want to prompt for values to filter the data in the report, under Prompt Values, click the Prompt for values check box.
You are prompted for values only if the report specification or model includes prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or signons.
7. Click Run.

Set Advanced Report Options for the Current Run:
You can specify the following advanced run options for a report for the current run:
● time when the report should run
● multiple report output formats if you choose to run the report later and additional format choices for HTML and PDF
● one or more languages
● one or more delivery methods
● prompt for values
● burst the report
The report runs in the background if you run the report later, select multiple report formats or languages, select to save, print or email the report, or burst the report.
If you set your preferences to show a summary of the run options, the summary appears whenever the report is not run interactively.
The report runs in the background. When done, the output versions button appears next to the report on the Actions toolbar.
Tip: Click the output versions button to view the selected formats.
Default options are set by the report author. You can change default run options for reports "Set Default Report Options".
If you choose to save, print, or send the report by email, you can choose multiple formats. If you choose to run the report later, the delivery option is automatically changed to save.
You must have execute permissions for the report you are attempting to run. You must have read and traverse permissions for the folder that contains the report. You need the appropriate permissions to set advanced run options.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, click the run with options button on the actions toolbar to the right of the report you want to run.
2. Click Advanced options.
3. Under Time and mode, click Run in the background, and then click Now or Later. If you specify Later, set a date and time for the report to run.
4. Under Format, click the formats you want for the report output.
● The Enable selection-based interactivity check box is selected by default. For information about deselecting this option, see "Disable Selection-based Interactivity".
5. If you want to select a different or additional languages for the report, under Languages, click Select the languages and use the arrow keys to move the available languages to the Selected languages box and click OK.
Tip: To select multiple languages, use the Ctrl key or use the Shift key.
6. Under Delivery, choose the delivery method that you want:
● If you schedule a report for a future time, select multiple formats or languages, or burst the report. You cannot view the report now. Select one of the other delivery methods.
● If you choose to print, click Select a printer. Click the button next to the printer you want to use and click OK. Or, if the printer is not listed, you can type the printer information.
● If you choose to save using report view, you can change the name or destination folder of the report view. Click Edit the save as options, make the changes and click OK.
● If you choose to email the report, proceed to step 7.
7. If you select Send the report by email, click Edit the email options and set the following options:
● To display the blind copy field, click Show Bcc.
● To choose Cognos 8 recipients, click Select the recipients. Select the check box next to the names you want to include, and click To, Cc (copy), or Bcc (blind copy). The entries that you select are listed under Selected entries.
Tip: To select all entries in a list, click the check box in the upper-left corner of the list. To remove names from Selected entries, select the check box next to the name and click Remove.
To search, click Search. In the Search string box, type the phrase you want to search for.
For advanced search features, click Edit. For more information, see "Search for an Entry".
When you are done, click OK.
● To send the email to other recipients, in the To:, Cc, or Bcc boxes, type the email addresses separated by semicolons (;).
Tip: If you logged on, your name automatically appears in the To list box.
● Under Subject, type the subject of the email.
● Under Body, type a message to be included in the email.
Tip: By default, the body of the email is in HTML format, which provides advanced editing features such as font type and size, text color, text formatting and justification, numbers and bullets, indentation, and tables. To use plain text, click Change to plain text.
● To include a hyperlink to the report, select the Include a link to the report check box. To include the report as an attachment, select the Attach the report check box.
● Click OK.
8. If you want to be prompted for values to filter the data in the report, under Prompt Values, select the Prompt for values check box.
If you run the report later, the prompt values you provide are saved and used when the report runs.
Note: You are prompted for values only if the report specification or model includes prompts or if you have access to multiple data source connections or signons, even if the Prompt for values check box is selected.
9. Under Bursting, specify whether the report should be bursted.
This option is available only if the report author defined burst keys in the report.
10. Click Run.

Organising Folders in Cognos 8 BI

Create a Folder:
You can organize entries into folders. Having folders that are logically labeled and organized helps you easily locate reports. For example, you might want to create folders in My Folders or Public Folders to help you organize your entries.

You can create folders in the following locations:
● Public Folders
Entries that are placed in Public Folders are of interest to and can be viewed by many users.
When the focus is on the Public Folder tab, the content is grouped by packages or folders. Each package contains a single model and all related entries, such as folders, reports, jobs, report views, agents, metrics, URLs, and shortcuts.
● My Folders
You create personal folders and use them to organize entries according to your preferences.
My Folders are accessible by you only when you are logged on.
You must have write access to a folder to create entries in it.
Tips:
● Click More to view a full list of actions that can be performed on an entry.
● Click Set Properties to change the general properties, defaults, permissions, and job properties for an entry. Not all properties are available for each type of entry.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, go to the location for the new folder.
2. Click the new folder button on the portal toolbar.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the new folder.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, you can type a description of the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the details view.
The screen tip, which is limited to 100 characters, appears when you pause your pointer over the icon for the entry in the portal.
5. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, choose another location:
● Click Select another folder, select the target folder, and click OK. If the folder box is empty, go back one folder level using the path at the top of the dialog box.
● Click Select My Folders as the location.
6. Click Finish.
The new folder has the same permissions as the parent folder.

Specify an Alternative Icon for an Entry:
In the portal, the standard icons that appear next to entries help identify the class to which the entry belongs. To better identify an entry among several similar entries, you can replace the standard icon with an alternative icon.
When you specify an alternative icon, use a screen resolution of 16 x 16 pixels to ensure that the icon is properly aligned and spaced in the portal.
Customizations, such as alternative icons, are not maintained automatically. As a result, alternative icons must be ported manually upon upgrade.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want and click the set properties button.
2. Click the General tab and next to Icon, click Edit.
3. Click Specify an icon, and in the edit box, specify a name for the image, for example, myicon.gif
The image must exist in the folder c8_location/webcontent/ps/portal/images.
4. Click OK.
Wherever the entry appears in the portal, the alternative icon appears instead of the standard icon.

My Watch Items:
Use the My Watch Items area of the portal to view and manage watch items from a single location. Watch items include alert lists and watch rules that help you monitor business events that are important to you.
The Alerts tab shows the alert lists to which you belong. Use this tab to remove yourself from the alert list for a report or agent.
The Rules tab shows the watch rules you created in saved HTML report output. Use this tab to
● edit a watch rule
● enable or disable a watch rule.
● organize watch rules in folders.
● delete a watch rule.
● edit the My Watch Items page properties.
You can also add yourself to the alert list for a report, add yourself to the alert list for an agent, and create a watch rule for a report.
The report owner must allow report users to receive alerts and create watch rules for the report.

View Watch Items:
To view the alerts lists to which you belong and the watch rules you created, use the My Watch Items area of the portal.
You can also remove yourself from an alert list, and edit a watch rule.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, in the upper-right corner, click My Area , My Watch Items.
2. To view your alerts lists, click Alerts.
3. To view your watch rules, click Rules.

Organizing Entries in Cognos 8 BI

Organizing Entries: Organize entries such as reports, analyses, agents, and packages in a meaningful way so that you can easily find them. It is important to plan how you can best organize entries in the portal. Review the entries and attempt to group them in a logical way. Consider grouping the entries by type or frequency of use. You may decide to create a folder hierarchy by using nested folders. The folder structure should be logical and should support the chosen method of grouping. Use meaningful names and detailed descriptions to identify entries in the portal. You can copy, move, rename, or delete entries. You can create copies of entries and store them in multiple folders for easy access. You can disable entries and specify the order of entries. You can select a link for an entry. For example, if a report is deleted, you may want to link an associated report view to a different report. Remember that an entry often refers to other entries such as packages, reports, analyses, or queries. In addition, there may be references to entries in job steps, agents tasks, drill-through targets, or metrics. Reference IDs are hard-coded in the specification for each entry.

Copy an Entry: When you create a copy of an entry, you create a replica of that entry in another location in the portal. For example, create a copy if you want to use a generic report as the underlying structure for additional reports. The copy of the entry has a new ID. If there is another entry of the same name in the target location, you are prompted to replace the existing entry with the copied entry. If you choose to replace the existing entry, the ID of the existing entry is used. If you copy a folder, references for entries in the folder that reference each other are updated to reference entries in the copied folder. If you want to run an existing agent or report with some minor changes, create an agent view or a report view. For example, to change the format, language, or delivery method of a report, create a report view. You can copy multiple entries at the same time to the same location. If you want a report to appear in more than one location, create a shortcut. You must have read permissions for an entry you are attempting to copy. You must also have traverse permissions for the current folder, and write and traverse permissions for the target folder.

Steps: 1. In Cognos Connection, select the check boxes next to the entry or entries you want to copy. 2. Click the copy button on the toolbar. 3. Go to the desired location for the new entry or entries and click the paste button on the toolbar. 4. If an entry name is the same as an entry name in the destination folder, choose whether you want to replace the existing entry with the one that you are copying: ● To replace the existing entry, click Yes. ● To cancel the copy, click No.

Move an Entry: When you move an entry, you remove it from the current folder and place it in another folder. You may decide to move an entry if your folder becomes so full that it is difficult to locate particular entries. You can create a series of subfolders and move the entries to support your new folder hierarchy. For example, a folder containing weekly sales reports can be divided into sales reports by month or by author. When you move an entry, the ID stays the same. References to the entry from other entries are not broken. However, shortcuts to the entry no longer work. For example, a report has several report views associated with it. When you move the report to another location in Cognos Connection, the references in the associated report views are not broken. However, shortcuts to the entry no longer work. When you move an entry, if there is another entry of the same name in the target location, you are prompted to replace the existing entry with the moved entry. If you choose to replace the existing entry, the ID of the existing entry is kept. References to the moved entry are broken. Shortcuts to the entry no longer work. If you want to use a generic entry as the underlying structure for additional entries, make a copy of the entry. If you want an entry to appear in more than one location, create a shortcut. If you want to run an existing agent or report with some minor changes, create an agent view or a report view. For example, to change the format, language, or delivery method of a report, create a report view. You must have read permissions for the entry you are attempting to move. You must also have write and traverse permissions for the current folder and for the target folder.

Steps: 1. In Cognos Connection, select the check boxes next to the entry or entries you want to move. 2. Click the cut button on the toolbar. 3. Go to the desired location for the entry or entries and click the paste button on the toolbar. 4. If an entry name is the same as an entry name in the destination folder, choose whether you want to replace the existing entry with the one that you are copying: ● To replace the existing entry, click Yes. ● To cancel the copy, click No.

Rename an Entry: You may decide to rename an entry. Perhaps the current name for an analysis is confusing or the purpose of a report changed. When you rename an entry, the ID stays the same. However, the search path changes. References to the entry from other entries are not broken. Shortcuts to the entry no longer work. For example, a package has reports, agents, and drill-through definitions associated with it. When you rename the package, the references in the associated reports, agents, and drill-through definitions are not broken. You cannot rename an entry to the same name as another entry that already exists in the same location. You must have read permissions for the entry you are attempting to rename. You must also have write and traverse permissions for the current folder and for the target folder.

Steps: 1. In Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want to rename, and in the Actions column, click the properties button. 2. Click the Properties tab. 3. In the Name box, type a new name for the entry. 4. Click OK.

Disable an Entry: You can disable entries to prevent users from accessing them. Disabling entries is useful when you want to perform maintenance operations. For example, you may want to disable a folder while you reorganize its content. When you disable a folder, the folder content is also disabled. If an entry is disabled, the disabled icon appears beside the entry to indicate that it is disabled. If the source entry is disabled, all shortcuts to the entry appear with the source disabled icon , indicating that it no longer works. You must have read and write permissions for an entry to enable or disable it. You must also have traverse permissions on the folder that contains the entry.

Steps: 1. In Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want to disable and, in the Actions column, click the set properties button. 2. Click the General tab. 3. Select the Disable this entry check box. Tip: To enable a disabled entry, clear the Disable this entry check box. 4. Click OK. If you have only read, execute, or traverse permissions for a disabled entry, you cannot see the entry in the portal. If you have write or set policy permissions for a disabled entry, it appears in the portal with the disabled icon.

Select a Link for an Entry: Some entries are linked to other entries when they are created. For example, a report view is linked to a report and a report or agent is linked to a package. Metrics are linked to a metrics package. You can change the link for an entry. For example, if a report is deleted, you may want to link an associated report view to a different report. After you change the link, the report view reflects the content of the new report. Select a link that is appropriate for the entry. For example, the package that a report is linked to must contain a valid model for the report to run correctly. If the link associated with the entry is not available, Unavailable appears. For example, Unavailable appears if the package that a report is linked to is deleted. You must have write permissions for the entry you are attempting to select a link for. You must also have write and traverse permissions for the current folder.

Steps: 1. In Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want and click the set properties button. 2. Click the General tab and find the current link for the entry. For example, for a report, look in Package. For a report view, look in Source report. 3. Click the link. For example, for a report, click Link to a package. For a report view, click Link to report. 4. Select the new entry that you want to link the entry to and click OK.

Delete an Entry: When you delete an entry, you permanently remove it from the portal and its ID is deleted. You may decide to delete an entry because it is outdated or may no longer satisfy your requirements. Deleting the source entry for a shortcut removes only the source entry. The shortcut entries remain but have an invalid reference icon and are not accessible. Deleting a shortcut or a report or agent view removes only the selected entry and not the source entry. References from other entries no longer work. You must have write permissions or set policy permissions for the entry you are attempting to delete. You must also have write and traverse permissions for the current folder.

Steps: 1. In Cognos Connection, select the check boxes next to the entries you want to delete. 2. Click the delete button on the toolbar. A confirmation box appears. 3. Click OK.

Specify the Order of Entries: You can specify the order of folders and entries in the portal. You may decide to organize entries by level of usage and place entries that you use daily at the top of the list. By default, existing entries are sorted alphabetically. Entries added after the order is specified are shown at the end of the list. To specify the order of entries, you must have read and write permissions for all entries in the folder and read and traverse permissions for the folder containing the entries.

Steps: 1. In Cognos Connection, click the tab you want. 2. Click the order button on the toolbar. 3. Select the entries in the Shown in default order list box and click the right-arrow button to move them to the Shown first list box. Note: You specify the order of folders and entries independently. 4. Click the Up, Down, To top, and To bottom links to move the folders and entries within the list. 5. Click OK.

Cognos Connection:

Cognos Connection:
Cognos Connection is the portal to Cognos 8, the Web-based reporting solution. Cognos Connection provides a single access point to all corporate data available in Cognos 8.
You can use Cognos Connection to work with entries such as reports, analyses, queries, agents, metrics, and packages. You can use Cognos Connection to create shortcuts, URLs, and pages, and to organize entries. You can personalize Cognos Connection for your own use.
You can use Cognos Connection to create and run reports and cubes and distribute reports. You can also use it to create and run agents and schedule entries. If you use a customized user interface, you may not have access to all the features documented.

Log On:
Cognos 8 supports authenticated and anonymous user access. To use Cognos 8 as an authenticated user, you must successfully log on. During the logon process, you must provide your credentials, such as user ID and password, as required by your organization. Anonymous users do not log on.
Tip: If you want to see a summary of your logon information for the current session, in the portal, click My Area, My Preferences and then click the Personal tab. This is not available to anonymous users.

Steps:
1. In the portal, click Log On.
2. If the namespace Logon page appears, in the Namespace box, click the namespace you want to use.
3. Click OK and type your user ID and password.
4. Click OK.
Your session starts.

Log Off:
You log off to end your session. Even if you used multiple namespaces in the session, you log off only once. If you close your Web browser without logging off, your session ends.

Steps:
In the portal, click Log Off.
You are now logged out of all the namespaces you were using.
2. Choose whether to log on again:
● If you do not want to log on again, close your Web browser.
● If you want to log on as an authenticated user, click Log on again.
● If you want to log on as an anonymous user, click Open a session as an anonymous user.
This is available only if your administrator set it up.

Create a Shortcut:
A shortcut is a pointer to another entry such as a report, report view, folder, job, agent, page, or URL. You can use shortcuts to organize information that you use regularly. For example, if you frequently use a report in Public Folders, you can create a shortcut in My Folders.
If you want to make a new entry, it might be easier to make a copy of an existing entry and modify it. If you want to run an existing agent or report with some minor changes, create an agent view or a report view.
For example, to change the format, language, or delivery method of a report, create a report view.
You cannot update the source entry by clicking the shortcut. Updating the source automatically updates all shortcuts to the entry.
Tip: If the source entry was deleted or moved to another location, the shortcut icon changes to indicate a broken link.
You can change access permissions for a shortcut entry, but it does not change the access permissions for the source entry.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, locate the entry you want to create a shortcut to.
2. Under Actions, click More and then click Create a shortcut to this entry.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the shortcut.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, you can type a description of the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the details view. The screen tip, which is limited to 100 characters, appears when you pause your pointer over the icon for the entry in the portal.
5. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, choose another location:
● Click Select another folder, select the target folder, and click OK. If the folder box is empty, goes back one folder level using the path at the top of the dialog box.
● Click Select My Folders as the location.
6. Click Finish.
In the portal, shortcut entries are identified by the shortcut icon.

Create a URL:
A URL is a standard way of identifying the location for any external file or Web site. Create URLs to keep the files and Web sites you use most frequently at your fingertips. Clicking a URL opens the file or Web site in the browser. After opening a URL, click the back button in your browser to return to the portal.
The URL must contain a valid server name that is included in the valid domains list, as specified by your administrator. Otherwise, you cannot create the URL.

Steps:
1. In Cognos Connection, go to the folder where you want to create the new URL.
2. Click the new URL button on the toolbar.
3. In the Name box, type the name of the new URL.
4. If you want, in the Description and in the Screen tip box, you can type a description of the entry.
The description appears in the portal when you set your preferences to use the details view. The screen tip, which is limited to 100 characters, appears when you pause your pointer over the icon for the entry in the portal.
5. In the URL box, type the URL location.
If the URL points to a Web site address, the protocol must be included. For example, to create
a URL for the Cognos Web site, type http://www.cognos.com.
6. If you do not want to use the target folder shown under Location, choose another location:
7. Click Select another folder, select the target folder, and click OK. If the folder box is empty, goes back one folder level using the path at the top of the dialog box.
● Click Select My Folders as the location.
8. Click Finish.
In the portal, URL entries are identified by the URL icon.

Bookmark an Entry:
You can bookmark a Cognos 8 entry in your Web browser so that later you can quickly perform the default action associated with the entry. For example, using a report bookmark, you can view the most recent report output, run the report, or open it in an authoring tool.
The bookmark saves the URL of the entry and its default action at the time when the bookmark was created.
Some default actions are available only to users who
● have the required access permissions for the entries.
● have the required product components installed.
● have access to specific, secured functions and features.
For example, the capabilities to use a specific Cognos 8 studio.
● use specific Web browsers.
For example, to open an agent, users must have read and traverse permissions for the agent, have Event Studio installed and the permissions to use it, and use Internet Explorer as their Web browser.

Steps for Internet Explorer:
1. In Cognos Connection, locate the entry for which you want to create a bookmark.
2. In the Actions column, click More.
3. In the list of actions available for this entry, click Add to bookmarks.
The Internet Explorer box for adding favorites appears.
4. Create the bookmark as you normally do in Internet Explorer.

Steps for All Web Browsers:
1. In Cognos Connection, locate the entry for which you want to create a bookmark.
2. In the Actions column, click the set properties button for the entry.
3. On the General tab, click View the search path, ID and URL.
4. Right-click the link that appears under Default action URL.
The link shows the entry name and the action that will be performed. If the entry has no default actions, the link is replaced by None. The text below the link shows the URL used by the link.
A menu box specific to your Web browser appears.
5. From the menu, click the option for creating bookmarks.
For example, if you are using Internet Explorer, click Add to Favorites. If you are using Firefox, Click Bookmark This Link.
6. Create the bookmark as you normally do in your Web browser.

Models and Packages:
Models and packages use corporate business rules to define and group the data to be used for business reporting.
A model is a data structure containing imported data from one or more data sources. Cognos 8 users responsible for data modeling use Framework Manager to create models. The data modeler creates a package that defines a subset of data that is relevant to an intended group of users. For example, the data modeler may create a package that marketing managers use for information related to market research. The package can then be distributed to report authors by publishing it to the portal. When you run a report, the result set is defined by the data retrieval information defined in the package.
In Cognos Connection, you can manage packages the way you manage other entries. For example, you can organize packages in folders, create shortcuts to packages, and move or copy packages.

Entry Properties:
You can control the way an entry appears and behaves by modifying its properties. The properties for entries vary depending upon the type of entry selected and your privileges. For example, reports have properties to control run options while folders do not. If a property is not applicable to the type of entry you are customizing, it will not appear in the Set properties page.

Report properties appear on the following tabs of the Set properties page:
● the Report tab for Report Studio reports
● the Query tab for Query Studio reports
● the Analysis tab for Analysis Studio reports
● the PowerPlay Report tab for Series 7 PowerPlay reports

Introduction to Cognos 8 BI

Introduction to Cognos 8 BI
This post is intended for use with Cognos 8. Cognos 8 is a Web product with integrated reporting, analysis, scorecarding, and event management features. This document explains how to use Cognos Connection, the Cognos 8 portal, to view, edit, schedule, and distribute standard and complex reports.

What’s New in Cognos 8 BI?
This section contains a list of new and changed features for this release. It also contains a cumulative list of similar information for previous releases. It will help you plan your upgrade and application deployment strategies and the training requirements for your users.

New Features in Version 8.3
Listed below are new features since the last release. Links to directly-related topics are included.

My Activities and Schedules
You can now manage Cognos 8 activities from My Activities and Schedules in Cognos Connection. You can view a list of your activities that are current, past, upcoming on a specific day, or scheduled. You can filter the list so that only the entries that you want appear. A bar chart shows you an overview of activities. You can set run priority for entries. You can also view the run history for entries, specify how long to keep run histories, and rerun failed entries.

My Watch Items:
Use the My Watch Items area of the portal to view and manage alerts for new report versions and rules that you have set for conditional report delivery (p. 40). The My Watch Items functionality enables end users to monitor and manage business information that is critical to them from a single location. As a report owner, you must allow report users to receive alerts and create watch rules for the reports.

Report Alerts:
By enabling an alert on a report, you can now be notified when a new version is available. Whenever a report is run and saved due to a scheduled or manual run, all subscribers receive an email that a new version is available. User Guide 11 Subscriptions are saved to the Alerts tab of My Watch Items and can be maintained from that location.

Watch Rules:
A new watch rule action is available in Cognos Viewer. You can use watch rules to control when users are notified about the availability of new report versions. When a report is run and saved, a user-defined threshold condition is checked. If this condition satisfies a user's criteria, the report can be e-mailed.
To create a watch rule, a saved report must be viewable in HTML format. You can select the data to be monitored and enter the threshold condition that will trigger the delivery of the report. Watch rules are saved to the Rules tab of My Watch Items, and can be maintained from that location.
This feature lets users maintain their own report distribution preferences and avoid information overload.

Drilling Through on Multiple Values:
Drilling through is now more powerful and flexible. You can pass multiple items, such as products or countries, to a target report (p. 92). You can now use this feature regardless of the type of drill-through path that was created. Drilling through is automatically enabled when you select multiple values.
In previous versions, passing multiple values was available only within drill-through paths created in Cognos Connection.

Go Directly to Target Report When Only One Target Report Exists:
When there is only one target report available, you can now go directly to the target report when you click the drill-through link in Cognos Viewer. If there are multiple target reports available, you see the Go To page. This behavior is automatic and works the same way whether the drill-through is defined in Report Studio or in a drill-through definition in Cognos Connection.

Saving Report Outputs to a File System:
You can now export report results directly to a server file system using Cognos Connection. You decide which formats to export, and select from a predefined set of directory locations. This feature makes it easy to integrate Cognos content into other external applications.
Cognos 8 does not keep a record of the exported reports, but does prevent and resolve name conflicts that arise when the same file is saved multiple times to the same directory. You are responsible for managing the reports after export. An XML descriptor file with the same file name prefix is created, which can be used by an external application to locate and manage the exported reports. The export options appear as run options for a report provided you were granted access to this feature.

Resubmitting Failed Jobs and Reports:
You can resubmit a failed job or report (p. 121). For example, you discover that 20 reports in a job containing 1,000 reports fail due to an invalid signon. The problem is corrected and the job is resubmitted so that only the 20 failed reports are rerun. In previous versions, if you submitted a report and it failed, the run options associated with the report were lost. Now the report can be resubmitted without having to reset the run options.
Failed reports, jobs, and agent tasks can be resubmitted from the run history, accessed from the Past activities page of Cognos Administration, or accessed from the Actions page of the item.

Default Actions for Agent Items:
You can now choose a default action to use when an agent item is selected in Cognos Connection, rather than automatically opening the agent in Event Studio.
The new choices are:
● show the most recent event list
● run the agent
● open the agent in Event Studio
The default action is defined on the Agent tab of the item properties in Cognos Connection.

Resubmitting Failed Agent Tasks:
Failed agent tasks can now be resubmitted with their original data values. In previous versions, if a task failed, the data passed to the task was lost. Rerunning the agent may not solve this problem if the task is set to process new events only.

Tabbed Portal Pages:
You can now create pages with multiple tabs that are easy to navigate. The new type of pages is also referred to as dashboards. Dashboards are created by using a new portlet named Multi-page.

Global Filters and Enhanced Portal Interactivity:
You can select the dashboard context in the portal with one or more global filters. A global filter may be a prompt, a drill-up or drill-down action, or a report that is based on drill-through content. For example, you can add a prompt control to a portal page to automatically pass the selection to all reports on the page. When a prompt answer is changed, all related reports will refresh accordingly.
So, if you answer a country prompt with Brazil, all related reports on the page will be filtered to show the data for Brazil.
When these techniques are used on a tabbed dashboard, the context is passed to all corresponding sections of the dashboard. This functionality allows for a single selection to drive a number of reports at once.

Metric Studio Content in Portal Pages:
A Cognos Connection page or a dashboard can now display more types of Metric Studio metrics and a history chart. This new content can be added by using the following new portlets:
● Metric List
Use to add a watchlist, an accountability list, a scorecard metric list, or a strategy metric list to the page.
● Metric History Chart
Use add a graphical chart that illustrates the historical performance of a metric to the page.

Support for Microsoft Excel 2007:
Cognos 8 supports Microsoft Excel 2007 native spreadsheets as a report format, in addition to the existing Microsoft Excel HTML formats. The Microsoft Excel 2007 XML format, also known as XLSX, provides a fast way to deliver native Excel spreadsheets to Microsoft Excel XP, Microsoft Excel 2003, and Microsoft Excel 2007.
The use of a native Microsoft Excel format means that the spreadsheets are smaller and more usable.
Because the new Office Open XML format is a recognized industry standard supported by ECMA International, the new format provides the added benefit of an open, documented integration format that extends an open systems solution.
The new format appears in the run report user interface. Users of Microsoft Excel XP and Microsoft Excel 2003 must install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, which provides file open and save capabilities for the new format.

OverView Of Cognos 8 BI

Cognos 8 BI:

Overview Of Cognos 8 BI

Roles in Cognos:
1. Consumers:
2. Authors
3. Developers
4. Administrators

Cognos 8 BI Modules:
Each role has specific modules.
Consumer Modules:
1. Cognos Connection
2. Cognos Go!
a. Go! Office
b. Go! Search
c. Go! Mobile

Author Modules:
1. Query Studio
2. Metrics Studio
3. Analysis Studio
4. Report Studio
5. Event Studio

Developer Modules:
1. Framework Manager
2. OLAP Designer
3. Metrics Designer
4. Data Manager

Administrator Modules:
1. Cognos Configuration
2. Cognos Connection

Cognos Connection Initial Page Components:
1. Studio Toolbar
2. Utilities Toolbar
3. Tab Navigator

Studio Toolbar allows access to the suite of BI authoring tools:
1. Metric Studio
2. Event Studio
3. Query Studio
4. Analysis Studio
5. Report Studio

Goals can be placed into groups called Scorecards:
Utilities Toolbar allows access to utilities, such as search tools, advanced tools and help facilities.
Tab Navigator lets us to navigate through multiple information pages. By default only two tabs are shown
1. Public Folders
2. My Folders

New Features in Hyperion Financial Management

Hyperion Financial Management New Features:

This post describes the new features that are included in Hyperion Financial Management Release 4.0. For information on installation, see the Hyperion Financial Management Installation Guide. For information on late-breaking developments with Hyperion Financial Management, refer to the Hyperion Financial Management Readme.

Hyperion Financial Management 4.0 introduces the following five major features:
1) A new user interface, standardized for all Hyperion Business Performance Management Suite products, providing superior end user navigation and taskflow.
2) Hyperion Smart View™ for Office, which includes a new spreadsheet add-in for Hyperion Financial Management and Hyperion Planning, and a tighter integration with Microsoft Office products.
3) Intercompany Transactions module to capture and match intercompany transactions at the invoice level.
4) Web-based Task Automation module to automate and chain together Hyperion Financial Management tasks such as Load/Extract and Consolidate.
5) Point of View filtered by security enables users to see only those elements of the Scenario, Entity, ICP, Account and Custom 1...4 dimensions to which they have access. This feature makes system navigation easier.

In addition, Hyperion Financial Management 4.0 presents administration and compliance enhancements as well as Web usability enhancements such as a consolidation progress bar, document attachment capability, expanded workspaces, and new features for Web Data Entry forms.

New User Interface:
Hyperion Financial Management 4.0 introduces a new Web user interface. The new design enables the administrator to tailor the interface to more closely match how an end user interacts with the system, enabling easier navigation and customization.

Page Layout:
The new home page is divided into three main areas:
1) View Pane
2) Masthead window and top bar menu
3) Main window

View Pane:
The View Pane is displayed in the left panel of the Hyperion Financial Management Web page. You can minimize or enlarge it as needed. The View Pane window can display a Project View or Browser View, depending on the selected option. The Project View lists the collection of workspaces for each user. You can expand each workspace to show the items that make up the workspace. The Browser View lists all documents and tasks within the application that the user is allowed to access. The Browser View is a split pane. The bottom pane reflects the contents of the item selected in the top pane. You can double-click parent items displayed in the bottom pane to expand them. You can select child items, for example, document names, or tasks, with a single click, which displays the item in the main window.

Top Menu:
The new user interface provides a general top bar menu for File, View, Administration, and Help options. The menu tasks are contextual. On the Logon page, you can select from the following menu items:
1) File: After you log on to an application, the File menu enables you to create new documents as well as change user preferences, change applications, and other administrative tasks, and log out of the application.
2) View (Masthead/Pane): Enables you to show or hide components of the window. To increase the amount of space available to a task window, you can hide both the Masthead and the View Pane.
3) Administration: Enables direct access to all administrative tasks, including Managing Documents, Managing Workspaces, Managing Favorites, and audit tasks.
4) Help: Provides access to help on the selected content and to the Hyperion Internet Web site (www.hyperion.com).