IBM Cognos BI Interview Questions

Q. What is a Data Warehouse?
Data Warehouse is a collection of data marts representing historical data from different operation data sources (OLTP). The data from these OLTP are structured and optimized for querying and analysis in a Data Warehouse.


Q. Define Cognos Report Net?
Cognos Report Net is the web-based, dynamic, business intelligence reporting solution from Cognos.


Q. What are the tiers of the ReportNet Architecture?
The ReportNet architecture can be separated into three tiers:

  • Web server
  • Applications
  • Data


Q. Define Business Intelligence?
Business Intelligence is a broad category of application programs and technology used for query, Reporting and analyzing the business multi dimensionally.


Q. What is a Data Mart?
Data Mart is a subset of a data warehouse that can provide data for reporting and analysis.


Q. What is HPQS ?
Data Marts are sometimes also called as HPQS (Higher Performance Query Structure).


Q. What is multi dimension analysis?
It is a technique to modify the data so that the data can be view at the different levels of details.


Q. What are the responsibilities of Cognos Administrator?


Cognos Administrator is assigned with following responsibilities.

  • Installations and configurations in distributed network environment.
  • Creating the Repository (Content Store).
  • Perform back up and recovery of Meta Data.
  • Developing the user Administration.
  • Tuning the servers.
  • Deployment.


Q. Responsibility of Cognos Architect?

An Architect is responsible for designing the interface by fulfilling the user requirements.Once the interface has been designed it should be rigorously tested before distributing to the end user population.


Q. Roles of the Application Developer?


Design the Reports according to the Report requirement templates. Testing the each report with the following types of tests.

  • Unit Testing
  • System Testing
  • Performance Testing


Q. What is OLAP?

OLAP stands for Online Analytical Processing. It uses database tables (Fact and Dimension tables) to enable multidimensional viewing, analysis and querying of large amount of data.


Q. What are the types of OLAPs?


DOLAP:-The OLAP tool which works with desktop databases are called as DOLAP Ex:- FoxPro, Clipper, Dbase, Paradox.
ROLAP:-The OLAP tool, which works with Relational databases, are called as ROLAP. Ex:-Oracle, SQL Server, Tera Data, DB2.
MOLAP: – The OLAP tool, which works with Multidimensional databases, are called as
MOLAP. Ex:- ESSBASE, Power Cube

HOLAP:- The OLAP tool which works with Relational databases and Multidimensional database, are called as MOLAP.
Ex:- Cognos, Business Objects.


Q. What is OLTP?


OLTP stands for Online Transaction Processing. Except data warehouse databases the other databases are OLTPs. These OLTP databases are designed for recording the daily operations and transactions of a business.


Q. What is an Interface?


An Interface is a gateway between the user and database. An Interface contains a logical pointers which pointes to data in the Data Warehouse. An Interface is isolates the complexity and diversity if data bases. A good OLAP Interface writes an efficient SQL read on accurate data from database. An Interface needs to be designed by fulfilling the report requirement.


Q. What are the types of components installed while loading the Cognos Report Net Software?


When we install the Cognos Report Net Software there are two types of components get installed :-

Windows based components. 2. Web based components.


Q. What is the security module used in cognos?


The security module used in cognos is cognos access manager.


Q. What is report burn and where it occurs?


Report can be divided into different parts and sending these different parts of report to different users. It occurs in cognos connection.


Q. What is difference between drill through and drill down?


drill through allows u to navigate from summary to detailed information. drill down also similar kind of thing, for example will do drill down on year if we drill down on this the next level will come means year contains quaters, it contains months, months contains weeks, week contains days. so,we can view all the levels through drill down For example I developed some reports on employee package now I have to develop same reports to another package.


Q. How can I change reports to another package?


Open that report and save as that reportSelect public folder and then select package in which package u want to save then save it.


Q. How to create users and permissions in cognos?


Users and Permissions can be given in Access manager – Administration. Individual users can be created using their names or their Ids (if any) in Access manager and then be given permissions. This tool is loaded when you install Cognos 7.x in your machine. In content manager–we have one component called cognos process manager, using process manager we can integrate with third party tools like LDAP or NTLM. we cannot create users in reportnet directly. in real time we can use LDAP.


Q. What is the difference between macros and prompt?


Macro is set of instructions to run report. Prompt is just like a dialog box which will ask user to select/enter the information what he needs. A MACRO IS RUN TIME PARAMETER WHICH CAN BE PLACED IN ANY PART OF SQL SELECT STATEMENT,WHERE AS PROMPT IS USED TO GIVE CONDITIONS.


Q. What is Cognos Visualizer and Cognos Scripting?


Cognos scripting is like a language, with this we will create macros, Macro is a set of instructions to run a report. Cognos Visualizer is a tool for creating charts(bar, pie, histogram……) & maps using datasources(datafiles like mdc,iqd,csv,excel etc).


Q. What is query subject?


A query subject is the basic building block in Framework Manager. A query subject is a set of query items that have an inherent relationship.


Q. What are the Ways to Import Data into Catalog?

Create a catalog with .cat file…


Q. Report studio has two SQL tabs one native SQL and another one cognos SQL which one is get more preference? which one we need to consider?


Cognos sql


Q. When we save a report in report studio with what extn it save?


It saves as .XML It will save as .CRRWhen we save the report it save our specifications like u can choose(in report studio RUN MENU by clinking down icon) HTML,XML,CSV,OR PDF Format if u save the report HTML u can also run report different format as u like or different language also Depends on the format on which the report is being run. By default its .html format. The report can be made to run in any formats like HTML, PDF, XLS, CSV ( Comma separated format) and XML and based on that, report can be saved in either .html, .pdf, .xls, .csv or .xml When you r viewing the report in the package is shown with extension .crr


Q. How can I convert a list report/Cross tab Report in Cognos EP series into a bar chart or pie chart etc.?


This can be done in Impromptu administrator


Q. How many numbers of cubes can we create on a single model? How can we navigate between those cubes?


Using a single Model, we can create as many number of cubes u want. By using the dimension views…etc. Regarding the navigation, when we save cubes, these act as separator multidimensional databases. There wont be any relations. Navigate means opening the cubes separately.


Q. What is the difference between drill down and drill through?


Drill down means it will navigate from detail information to summary level information within report. Drill through means it will navigate from summary to detail from report to report.


Q. What is the difference between group and association?


In cognos ‘group’ is used to suppress the duplicate values. And ‘associate’ is used to suppress the values if it is one-one relationship. Group – It Eliminates the Duplicate values from the report break the columns. Its having a one to many relationship. Association-It Eliminates the Duplicate values from the report and its having one-one relationship. Both Group & Association eliminate duplicates in a column.But we cannot use Association alone.It should have one to one relationship with grouped column. Using Association is a performance enhancement technique. A GROUP IS USED TO ELIMINATE THE DUPLICATES IN DATA.WHERE A ASSOCIATION IS USED TO HIRE OR SUPPRESS THE VALUES IN 1 TO 1 RELATION.


Q. What is Cardinality?


Cardinality is nothing but relation between tables like One to One, One to Many and Many to Many. Cardinality is the nature of the relationship. 1-1,1-many relation shipsCardinality is the nature of the relation between two query items


Q. How to test reports in cognos?


Go to power play transformer, on toolbar select RUN menu. In RUN menu there is one option that is TEST BUILD you can test ur report there. You may also test the outcome of a report by writing and executing SQL Queries and comparing the outcome with the report outcome. BY USING SYSTEM TESTING, UNIT TESTING, PERFORMANCE TESTING


Q. How u create security to reports?


Basically there are two types of securities for any object Levels of Securities:

  • Database level Security
  • Row level security
  • Even we can provide LDAP security too. By setting up the
  • Governors in frame work manager also we can give the security to
  • the data accessing through the report.

Q. What are the layers available in the Framework manager model?

 There are three types of layers available in the Framework manager model such as;

· Database layer

· Logical layer

· Dimensional layer.

Q. What is a Query mode?

A query mode is used by IBM to perform predictive maintenance and quality reports. This Query model is considered to be the supported mode for all the reports.

Q. What is IBM predictive maintenance and Quality?

The important factors of predictive maintenance and quality are as follows;

This predictive maintenance and quality is an integrated solution that helps to perform many useful tasks.
Predict the failure of an instrumental asset so that users can prevent costly unexpected downtime.
Helps to make adjustments to predictive maintenance schedules and also reduce the repair costs and minimizes downtime.
Helps to repair the procedures and maintenance cycles.
Identify the root cause of asset failure faster so that you can take corrective actions.


Q. Can you brief me about message flows?

The following activities can be done with message flows;

  • Helps to acquire and store the data
  • Helps in aggregating the data
  • Supports in running the predictive models
  • Provides data back to external systems or starting the external processes.


Q. What are determinants?

Determinants are the advanced features first introduced in Cognos 8 offers control over granularity when aggregating the data. This is also used to ensure that repeating data and offers index information in a database. These determinants are used by the framework manager to determine levels in default hierarchy when auto-generates the regular dimensions from the data query subjects.

Q. What is a model Advisor?

Model Advisor is one of the useful tools used to detect the modeling issues, incorrect determinants, and cardinality issues. This advisor helps in easy configuration and import checks for areas where we need further investigation. This tool also provides direct links to the problem area and help.

Q. What is dimensional modeling for reports and analysis?

This dimensional model relational database constructs the classic query mode structures. The following activities are such;

Offers a logical dimensional layer over the top of the relational model.
Provides single measurements over multiple regular dimensions
Enables drill-up and drill-down analysis in the model studios.

Q. What are regular dimensions and explain?

The regular dimensions are used to create the model query subjects or database query subjects. This also helps to define the hierarchies to organize levels and drill paths. With the help of a regular dimension, users can specify the multiple hierarchies in a single dimension.

Q. What is SQL generation?

This SQL generation determines the model query subject and establishes the relationships between model query subjects. Here filters, macros, and calculations can be used as data source query subjects.

Q. What are all the types of indexes in Cognos?

 There are mainly four types indexed used in Cognos such as;

  • Bitmap index type
  • B-tree index type
  • Function based Index type
  • Reverse key and composite index type.


Q. What are all the types of reports?

The below are the few report types available in Cognos;

  • Blank report
  • Cross report
  • List report
  • Repeater report
  • Chart report


Q. List the types of prompt?

 The prompt types in Cognos are as follows;

  • Value
  • Text box
  • Select and search
  • Date
  • Time
  • Date and time
  • Interval
  • Generated
  • Prompt button


Q. Mention the types of studios present in Cognos?

There are five types of studios available in Cognos;

  • Query studio
  • Metrics studio
  • Analysis studio
  • Event studio
  • Report studio.


Q. What are all the types of the gateway used in Cognos?

 The list of the gateway used in Cognos such as;

  • Common gateway interface (CGI)
  • Internet service Application Interface (ISPAI)
  • Tomcat


Q. Mention the types of hierarchies used in Cognos?

The two levels of hierarchies used in Cognos;

  • Attribute Hierarchies
  • User-defined hierarchies.


Q. What is the different type of securities can we apply in framework manager?

The Cognos framework manager security helps to restrict the access of metadata and control the unauthorized access to the application.

The different types of securities we can apply in framework manager;

  • Data security: with the help of data security you can create the security filters and applying security methods to the query subject. This type of data filter controls the data when you want to use them during the time of reporting.
  • Object security: here you can secure the object directly by allowing users to access the proper data, denying the users access to the data objects, and keeping it invisible from all users.
  • Package security: Here users can apply security to the package and identify who can access these packages.

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