IBM Cognos Series 7 Impromptu - Import
Bridge Requirements
This bridge:is only supported on Microsoft Windows.
requires the tool to be installed to access its SDK.
Bridge Specifications
| Vendor | IBM |
| Tool Name | Cognos Series 7 Impromptu |
| Tool Version | 7.0.702, 7.1.116, 7.1.529, and 7.3.1413 |
| Tool Web Site | http://www.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/ |
| Supported Methodology | [Business Intelligence] BI Design (RDBMS Source, OLAP Source, Dimensional Target, Transformation Lineage) via COM API on XML File |
| Data Profiling |  |
| Incremental Harvesting | |
| Multi-Model Harvesting | |
| Remote Repository Browsing for Model Selection | |
SPECIFICATIONS
Tool: IBM / Cognos Series 7 Impromptu version 7.0.702, 7.1.116, 7.1.529, and 7.3.1413 via COM API on XML File
See http://www.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/
Metadata: [Business Intelligence] BI Design (RDBMS Source, OLAP Source, Dimensional Target, Transformation Lineage)
Component: CognosImpromptu version 11.2.0
OVERVIEW
The bridge relies on the Cognos Impromptu COM/OLE API in order to import metadata. Therefore, Cognos Impromptu must be properly installed on the machine executing this bridge.
REQUIREMENTS
WARNING: This bridge uses the COM API of a Windows based tool client and/or SDK which must be (a) properly installed, (b) licensed on behalf of a Windows user capable of running this tool, and (c) capable of accessing the tool server content. In addition:
(1) As recommended by the tool vendor, the tool server must NOT be installed/coexist on the same machine where the tool client (and the bridge) is installed/running because of potential conflicts of resources, including with respect to COM API.
(2) Windows COM API based tools are notoriously unstable after repeated failures or lack of system resources, which requires a Windows reboot to make that tool COM API work properly again.
(3) If this bridge is running as an application, then it must be logged with the same above Windows user.
If the bridge is running as a Windows service, then go to the services manager of Windows, right-click on the MIMB Application Server service, and go to the "Log On" tab to define an account by name under which the service will run.
If you just installed Cognos Impromptu on this computer, make sure to configure approprietly, otherwise the API may not work as designed:
- Start the Cognos Configuration Manager
- Under the File menu, choose Open Current Configuration
- Select Cognos Impromptu / Impromptu Administrator / General
- Press Validate (check mark icon)
- Press Apply (green dot icon) in the toolbar.
This step will register the COM API under the Windows registry, where the following key should now appear: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Impromptu.Application.
The Cognos Configuration Manager runs this command line to register the COM API: ImpAdmin.exe /regserver
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
n/a
LIMITATIONS
Refer to the current general known limitations at MIMB Known Limitations or bundled in Documentation/ReadMe/MIMBKnownLimitations.html
SUPPORT
Provide a troubleshooting package with debug log. Debug log can be set in the UI or in conf/conf.properties with MIR_LOG_LEVEL=6
Bridge Parameters
| Parameter Name | Description | Type | Values | Default | Scope | |||
| File | The import path name corresponds to the name of the Catalog file to import. | FILE | *.cat | Mandatory | ||||
| Login User Class | Provide the Catalog User Class required when opening a Catalog file in Impromptu. When opening a distributed master catalog, you must use the Creator user class. |
STRING | Creator | |||||
| Login password | Provide the Catalog password for the specified Login User Class. | PASSWORD | ||||||
| Logout (Close) after execution | Close Impromptu after importing the model. By default the tool will be closed. 'False' The Impromptu application is left open on the desktop after the bridge has run. 'True' The Impromptu application is closed after the bridge has run. Note that the Impromptu application is started on the same machine where this bridge is running. If running this bridge remotely on a distant server, this option should be set to 'True', otherwise the Impromptu application will be left running on the server. |
BOOLEAN | True | |||||
| Data model table design level | This option controls the design level of the imported tables. It is particularly relevant when exporting metadata to a target tool which supports two views of the model: a logical view and a physical view. Some Data Modeling tools support this concept, where you can decide if a table appears both as a physical table and as a logical entity. Some Business Intelligence tools also support this concept, where you can decide if a table appears both in the physical model and in the business view of the model. 'Logical and physical' If you would like the tables to appear both in the logical view and in the physical view of the model. 'Physical' If you would like tables to appear only in the physical view of the model. |
ENUMERATED |
|
Physical | ||||
| Dimensional model Folders | This option controls how the tree structure of Folders and subFolders should be imported. The bridge will import each Folder containing Items as a Dimension (as defined by the CWM OLAP standard). In addition, Folders and subFolders can also be imported as a tree of Packages (as defined by the CWM and UML standards). 'As a flat structure' No Packages are created. 'As a simplified tree structure' A Package is created for each Folder with subFolders. 'As a full tree structure' A Package is created for each Folder. |
ENUMERATED |
|
As a flat structure |
Bridge Mapping
| Meta Integration Repository (MIR) Metamodel (based on the OMG CWM standard) |
"IBM Cognos Series 7 Impromptu" Metamodel CognosImpromptu |
Mapping Comments |
| AliasClassifier | Alias Table | The link to the source table is managed by a ClassifierMap |
| Name | Alias Name | |
| AliasFeature | Alias Column | The link to the source column is managed by a FeatureMap |
| Name | Alias Name | |
| Attribute | Column | |
| DesignLevel | as defined by the "Table Logical information" bridge option | |
| Name | Name | |
| Position | In the order returned by the Impromptu API. | |
| BaseType | Column, Item | BaseTypes are created to represent the columns and Items datatype |
| DataType | See datatype conversion array | |
| Name | Derived from the datatype | |
| PhysicalName | Derived from the datatype | |
| CandidateKey | Column | A primary candidate key is created for columns part of their table's primary key |
| UniqueKey | Set to True | |
| Class | Table | |
| CppClassType | Set to ENTITY | |
| CppPersistent | Set to True | |
| DesignLevel | as defined by the "Table Logical information" bridge option | |
| Name | Name | |
| ClassDiagram | One default Diagram is created to display the tables and joins used in the catalog | |
| Name | set to <Main Subject Area> | |
| ClassifierMap | Join, Folder Items | Used to hold the traceability of Joins and Folder Items via FeatureMap objects. |
| Condition | Join, Filter | Used to hold the WhereClause statement of Joins via a FeatureMap object. Used to hold the Condition of a Filter via a FeatureMap object. |
| DatabaseSchema | Database Schema | |
| Name | Name | |
| DerivedType | Column, Item | |
| DataType | See datatype conversion array | |
| Name | Derived from the datatype | |
| PhysicalName | Derived from the datatype | |
| DesignPackage | Folder | One default Package is created to store the tables and joins used in the catalog. The folders are also imported as a tree of logical packages, or flattened into the default package, as set by the "Import Folders" bridge option. |
| DesignLevel | Set to LOGICAL_ONLY for Folders | |
| Name | Name | |
| Dimension | Folder | A dimension is created for each Folder containing Items |
| Name | Name | |
| Type | Set to Regular | |
| UserDefined | Set to True | |
| DimensionAttribute | Item | |
| Name | Name | |
| Name | Name | |
| Name | Name | |
| FeatureMap | Join, Item | Used to hold the traceability of Joins Condition and Items |
| Operation | expression | parsed SQL expression, empty if simple enough (direct mapping) |
| Filter | Item | Filter Items are imported as Filter |
| Name | Name | |
| Join | Join | |
| Type | Outer | |
| UserDefined | Set to True | |
| JoinRole | Join | 2 JoinRoles are created for each join |
| Multiplicity | OuterJoin | |
| Measure | Item | Numeric Calculation Items are imported as Measures |
| Name | Name | |
| Prompt | Prompt Item | |
| Name | Name | |
| PromptAnswer | Prompt Item | |
| Name | Name | |
| SQLViewAssociation | Views are managed as regular Tables in the tool | |
| SQLViewAttribute | Views are managed as regular Tables in the tool | |
| SQLViewEntity | Views are managed as regular Tables in the tool | |
| StoreConnection | Database Catalog | |
| Name | Name | |
| StoreModel | Catalog file | The model is built using the Catalog tables, columns, joins, folders and items |
| Description | Description | |
| Name | Catalog file name |