COGNOS Connection

Cognos Connection. Since Cognos 8 BI is a web-based solution, reports and analyses are found on a web page. This web page is called Cognos Connection. Cognos Connection provides a single access point to applications so you can view and analyse your data.

Metadata is published to Cognos Connection via packages, for example Corporate Data Warehouse in the above diagram. Each package points to a different data source. Through the packages you can access reports (written in Report Studio), queries (written in Query Studio), analyses (created in Analysis Studio) and metrics (Metric Studio). You can also access agents, which set up alerts for various conditions relating to your data. For example, when revenue in a quarter falls below a certain value.

Because Cognos Connection is a globally scalable you can set preferences to display your personal view of Cognos Connection in your own language. You can also customise your display by adding

· shortcuts to items such as queries and reports
· links to files and web sites, and
· your own portal pages
· folders to organise entries neatly

Portal pages contain ‘portlets’ and give you a very personalised view of your data and the way it is displayed. You can add

· Cognos content – select from a menu
· A search tool to locate entries in Cognos Connection
· Extended applications, for example created by the Software Development Kit
· A metrics watchlist
· Pages from other web sites

Cognos Connection adds valuable functionality to your reports and analyses. For example

· reports can be scheduled and distributed by email if required
· access to reports and packages can be restricted

By mouse-clicking on an entry in Cognos Connection users can execute queries, reports and analyses, or see pre-run results, avoiding the need to re-create output that has recently been run.

You can also distribute output so that users from other areas of your organisation can see them.