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EDW Graphs/Cubes Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the EDW Graphs/Cubes FAQs.
Table of Contents:
- Skip Table of Contents
- What are Phase I or Phase II cube-based graphs?
- What are cubes?
- How can I navigate prompts quickly?
- How can I search for the cube-based graph I want to view?
- When can I apply filters to a graph?
- How do I know what time period I'm viewing?
- Why are there two Printer Friendly buttons?
- What does the Go to top level link do?
- What is the maximum number of graphs and reports I can run at one time?
- What do I do if my connection times out?
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What are Phase I and Phase II cube-based graphs?
In New EDW (EDW for Administrators) on the navigation menus, green links to graphs generally denote a cube-based graph. For Phase I, we converted all of our old cubed based graphs that were created with the Cognos Powerplay tool over to Cognos Reportnet. This means that Phase I graphs should have the same general look and feel as the other reports in EDW. Phase II graphs are also created with Cognos Reportnet and will add some requested improvements to the current Phase I graphs. All information in this FAQ relates specifically to Phase I or Phase II cube-based graphs.
What are cubes?
Cubes are a special way of storing information that allows for efficient access and aggregation of summary level data. Most of the reports in EDW get their data from tables in a relational database. Most, but not all, of the graphs in New EDW represent summary level information and get that data from a cube. In New EDW (EDW for Administrators), graphs with a green colored link in navigation typically use a cube for access to data.
How can I navigate prompts quickly?
If you hit Ctrl and F simultaneously in most browsers, it will be bring up a page search option. You can then search for any words or phrases on the page you're viewing. If you know what option you're looking for in a prompt, use the browser's search function to jump to it quickly. If more than one occurrence of the word or phrase exists on the page, simply search to the next occurrence. If you know what you want to pick, this can speed up your prompt selection process. This trick should work throughout EDW.
How can I search for the cube-based graph I want to view?
Due to limitations of the product we use, you cannot search for a Powerplay graph from the previous version of New EDW graphs using the normal search feature on the New EDW navigation menus. The same is true for Phase I and Phase II cube-based graphs. However, when the Cube Prompt Page first displays, all cube-based graphs are listed under Available Reports. You can use the browser page search tip (Ctrl - F) to find any report listed on the page. Once you start making prompt selections, the number of Available Reports is narrowed down to only the reports meeting the criteria you selected. If you've already made selections and want to see all reports again, you can do so with a few clicks. Make sure you've selected enough options that Update Filters is showing in the right upper corner. Click Deselect for the Graph type prompt. Click the Update Filters button. You should see all reports listed again in the Available Reports section. You can now scroll through or search using the browser's page search capabilities.
When can I apply filters to a graph?
With graphs before Phase I and with New EDW reports that have prompt pages, you typically filter what you want to see before you reach the graph or report. With Phase I and Phase II cube-based graphs, there is a Cube Prompt Page similar to what you see with other New EDW Phase I reports. However, the Cube Prompt Page is for guiding you to the graph you want to view. It's there to help you determine what graph you want to see and how you may want to filter that graph when you reach it. All actual filtering is done while you are viewing a graph not in the Cube Prompt Page. The benefit of this is that you do not need to back up to a prompt page to change filters.
How do I know what time period I'm viewing?
Cube-based graphs prior to Phase I always required a particular time period to be selected. If the prompt had a * in it, this was a reminder that a time period must be selected before viewing the graph. In Phase I and Phase II, filters are applied directly to the graph while one is viewing it instead of prior to reaching the graph as before. By default, each Phase I and Phase II graph assumes that the time period is the very last entry in the Time Period prompt. This is denoted by Time Period set to Most Recent in the Selections at the footer of the graph. The last entry may or may not be the data you want to see. Please be sure to check the Time Period prompt and if the last item in the prompt is not the time period you desire, select the appropriate time period and click the Update Selection button. This is especially important for graphs reporting Algebra data.
Why are there two Printer Friendly buttons?
In Phase I (and Phase II) graphs, we've added the ability to display patterns in place of colors/shading levels. This should make it easier to discern sections of a graph under certain circumstances. You may want to try this new feature when printing in black and white or to a monochrome printer. You may also want to try this new option when photocopying a graph. The second Printer Friendly button on the page (colored in black and white with a blue border) lets you access this new feature.
What does the Go to top level link do?
For graphs that indicate the Locations Report - RXOOA0450 template in the top and bottom left corners, there is a Go to top level link directly under the Update Selection button. These types of graphs let you drill down in a hierarchy by clicking on a column title. For instance, you may first see a graph representing the entire District. You can drill down by school type by clicking on the column title in the crosstab table. You can continue to drill down in this manner until you reach the school level. You may also select only the schools you want to see side by side using the Columns filter. At any time while you're drilling down, you can click the Go to top level link and it will take you back to the top level of the drill down hierarchy. In the case just mentioned, it would automatically deselect any schools you've filtered on and take you back to the District level you were viewing when you first brought up the graph. Only the Columns filter is reset to deselect all. Any other filters are still active just as you set them before clicking the link. When drilling down within a hierarchy, the Go to top level link gives you a way to get back to the top level of the hierarchy quickly.
What is the maximum number of graphs and reports I can run at one time?
The maximum recommended number of reports that can be run at the same time is 2. This is a limitation of the product (Cognos Reportnet) that we use. This is true whether you are running EDW reports, prompt pages or Phase I or Phase II graphs. Most graphs and reports will display the words EDW and an animated graph drawing when they are in the process of running. If you have more than two of these going at once, the access time to display reports and graphs can seriously degrade.
What do I do if my connection times out?
If your prompt page, graph or report stays idle for a long period of time, the system temporarily disconnects you from the database. This is often referred to as your connection being timed out. In graphs prior to Phase I, if you display the graph but don't change any selections, wait for a sufficient period of time and then try to change selections, you will receive an error message. It indicates that your connection to the cube timed out. In cases prior to Phase I, you need to run the graph again from the navigation menu in order to reconnect. With Phase I or Phase II graphs, if you're viewing a graph and change a filter after an idle period, clicking Update Selection automatically reconnects you. However, there are still some occasions when accessing the Cube Prompt Page that you may time out. This only occurs when you have not changed any options on the Cube Prompt Page for a sufficiently long period of time. The Cube Prompt Page should always be responsive to your selections and should fine tune what report to display based on what you click. If the Cube Prompt Page has been idle and it is no longer responsive in this manner, then it has most likely timed out and needs to reconnect to the cube. If this is the case, one can click their desired selections for Graph Type and Columns again, even when these are already selected, to make sure that the connection reestablishes. This should be sufficient. However, one can always click Cancel on the Cube Prompt Page and open a new Cube Prompt Page through the navigation menus to make sure the prompt page is accessible with an active connection.