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  1. MattOh

    Decision Stream, including unmatched members

    The "value if null" option on the element properties is only applied on output so you could use it to replace null business keys, but only in a pre-pass build. It happens too late to help in the build where you are checking your lookup. In DS 7.0 you should be able to create a...
  2. MattOh

    Decision Stream, including unmatched members

    Hi Xantix, If you really want to do this, you can turn on template access by going to the Dimensions in the Library, select the Lookup you are useing in your fact build, open the property sheet, and select the Data Access tab. There is a checkbox that lets you use template access. However, I...
  3. MattOh

    Fact Data as Dimension

    Hi Gurudatta, What you are trying is not that uncommon. It's often used in demographic analysis and is also called "banding". Other examples include age ranges and income ranges. See pp 155-157 in Kimballs, Data Warehouse Toolkit (Second Edition) for more details on demographic (or...
  4. MattOh

    Confused about FACT tables

    Hi Blom, I'll try to avoid re-thrashing the aggregate table discussion again too. But it might creep back in. :-) My comment about the BI value of Booz's original table was based on the fact that all you could apparently get out of it was the number of meetings held each month. Nothing about...
  5. MattOh

    Confused about FACT tables

    Hi Booz, While hundreds of thousands of meetings a year may sound like a lot, in DW terms, it's still pretty small. :-) Don't assume the numbers will be a problem as long as you aren't severly limited in processing power or storage space. As far as concept of Dimensions go, don't think of...
  6. MattOh

    Confused about FACT tables

    Hi Booz, What you have just created is a VERY simple, periodic snapshot table. Technically, there is nothing else you need to put in it if all you want to know is the total number of meetings in a month, for all sites, for all attendees. But I have to wonder how much useful Business...
  7. MattOh

    Decision Stream: FTP possible?

    Hi Loukas, Me again. :-) I'm presuming you want to FTP the file from the remote machine to your local server before processing it in SQL TXT. If that is the case, I would suggest you set up a JobStream. Make the first node in the JobStream a Procedure node. In that node, you can call any...
  8. MattOh

    Decision Stream: Advanced Issues

    OK, now on the Materials tables. You are reading two data sources in, merging them(?) and delivering to one target dimension table? Only if the dates don't match, you want a new row written out to the table with a new Materials_ID? This sounds similar to the first problem but with a twist...
  9. MattOh

    Decision Stream: Advanced Issues

    Let's take the Customer one first. I'll handle the second question in a separate post. In Customer_LF and Customer_SM, is Customer_Code the key in your source system? I'm guessing Customer_ID doesn't even exist in your source system tables, is that right? If so, you don't even need slowly...
  10. MattOh

    Decision Stream: Advanced Issues

    Hi Loukas, I can answer your questions, but I want a little more clarity on what you want to do. Both of these questions sound a awful lot like Type 2 Slowly Changing Dimension support, which DecisionStream can handle with build in options. But just to confirm... First, if you are creating a...
  11. MattOh

    How OWB Manages SLOWLY Changing Dimension

    Hi TIA, Actually, I do have a suggestion for dates and nulls, but it's going to sound funny. Use characters. As you have pointed out, putting dummy dates into a date field is problematical. You typically can't put in "0" (which is illegal) and dates like 31-dec-4712 have their own...
  12. MattOh

    How OWB Manages SLOWLY Changing Dimension

    I'm not sure what OWB is or what features it supports, but if possible, I would recommend replacing nulls with some known, but not normally available value before you load them to your dimension table (e.g. "?" or "N/A"). You have to be very careful when testing for nulls...
  13. MattOh

    Decision Stream: "Delivery Module ... not authorized!"

    Hi Loukes, That message usually means that you don't have a proper authorization key for DecisionStream. Without the key, you can design builds but not execute them. Contact Cognos for a license key. I believe you can get a 30 day evaluation copy of DecisionStream at no cost on their web...
  14. MattOh

    what is data ware housing ?

    Perhaps you should look at a different tool. Check out PowerPlay and Impromptu by Cognos. Everything you describe is very common and the users seem pretty comfortable with it. If you can't change BI tools then SQL access directly against aggregate tables may indeed be your best option. Sorry. Matt
  15. MattOh

    what is data ware housing ?

    Hi T, I agree, data warehousing is not easy or inexpensive. And if you want to get your users thinking of alternatives to direct SQL reporting from OLTP, then a flashy demo of a good OLAP tool, with the users' data, is a good way to do it. As for your question on standard reporting (e.g...
  16. MattOh

    Cognos Compatibility with Data Warehousing

    I would suggest your client look at Cognos' ETL tool, DecisionStream. It's very capable and they would only have to deal with one vendor. Matt
  17. MattOh

    what is data ware housing ?

    Sidharan and T, There are many flavors of OLAP tools (ROLAP, HOLAP, MOLAP, E-I-E-I-OLAP). Not all of them require reading pre-aggregating or reading the data from detail every time. If you don't like what yours is doing, look at some other options. In my experience, as long as you use the OLAP...
  18. MattOh

    DecisionStream

    Hi Chris, Well, as soon as you get the chance, go on the class. One of the things people like best about the product is that they don't have to do much "SQL scripting". I often tell folks that if they are writing a lot of code, they probably aren't useing the product as effectively...
  19. MattOh

    Inserting performance ; how to tune

    Hi T. It looks like (from Juergen's reply) that you must do this in pre and post session commands from a script. That would seem to put it outside Powercenter's control. I'm a little surprised by this, but it is workable. As for my preferences of Cognos over BO, mostly I'm just a Cognos man...
  20. MattOh

    what is data ware housing ?

    Sridharan, You have raised a legitimate concern on aggregation. It is impractical to create an aggregate table for each level of detail (or more accurately, for every COMBINATION of dimension levels). The general workaround, as Blom suggested, is to attempt to know in advance which aggregates...

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