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Creating Rules with Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler

The website reads:

“Rule creation is greatly simplified in Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler. The Rules Editor includes Content Assist features that present contextually relevant elements or information while creating a rule. Additionally, Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler automatically generates rules and associated feeders when you define a calculation dimension or create a link.”

So, let us have a look at creating some simple rules with Modeler.

Earlier, we built a few sample dimensions (a simple Time dimension (s_Time) and Version dimension (s_Version) and then also 2 generic dimensions (s_Measure and s_Product) using Performance Modeler:

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So now I can create 2 very simple cubes – one to hold product cost information and 1 for planning the products (to create these cubes I just used drag and drop to add my sample dimensions):

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Rules

I found that it’s a simple exercise to create some rules using Performance Modeler:

 Create a “Manual Rule”

If you double-click on the cube rule file icon, the rules editor opens in Performance Modeler where you can manually create your rule. You will notice that Modeler has already added functions to the rules file like FEEDSTRINGS and SKIPCHECK.

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Of course, modeler offers you features like highlighted fonts and drop-down lists to select elements (rather than typing them).

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I added a simple rule to calculate a SALES total and then clicked SAVE. I then jumped over to Architect and viewed the file – everything looked fine.

Back in Modeler, I opened my Surfboards cube and Surfboards Costs  cube, entered some data and tested the calculations – all worked just fine.

Create an “auto generated rule”

For this step, I right-clicked in the Model Design pane on “Links” and then selected New. Then, once I provided a name for my link:

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(I named it Product Cost), the link builder page is displayed. I wanted to pull the cost of each surf board from the Surfboard Cost cube, so I selected and dropped the cube named Surfboard Cost into the source Cube side (left side) and then selected and dropped the cube named Surfboards into the target cube side (the right side)-

Modeler wanted to automatically link the product and measure dimensions, so I selected each dimension and then clicked “Break Connection”. Now I was able to manually:

Drag the product dimension from the source to the target cube (and then select Automatic as the mapping approach. This links each product in the source cube to the target cube.

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Next, I drag the measure dimension from the source to the target but this time select Manual as the mapping approach.

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Finally, I select the source cube dimension element named “Board Cost” and drag it to the target cube, creating a link on Product and Cost between the cubes.

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Now if we check the rule file again, we see both of our rules displayed:

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And as you probably already guessed, since we are pushing product costs between cubes, the cost cube should have feeders. Opening up the Surfboard Cost cube rule file, I see that Performance Modeler took care of this for me:

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And if we open our cube view we can see the results again of both of these rules:

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Jim Miller

Mr. Miller is an IBM certified and accomplished Senior Project Leader and Application/System Architect-Developer with over 30 years of extensive applications and system design and development experience. His current role is National FPM Practice Leader. His experience includes BI, Web architecture & design, systems analysis, GUI design and testing, Database modeling and systems analysis, design, and development of Client/Server, Web and Mainframe applications and systems utilizing: Applix TM1 (including TM1 rules, TI, TM1Web and Planning Manager), dynaSight - ArcPlan, ASP, DHTML, XML, IIS, MS Visual Basic and VBA, Visual Studio, PERL, Websuite, MS SQL Server, ORACLE, SYBASE SQL Server, etc. His Responsibilities have included all aspects of Windows and SQL solution development and design including: analysis; GUI (and Web site) design; data modeling; table, screen/form and script development; SQL (and remote stored procedures and triggers) development and testing; test preparation and management and training of programming staff. Other experience includes development of ETL infrastructure such as data transfer automation between mainframe (DB2, Lawson, Great Plains, etc.) systems and client/server SQL server and Web based applications and integration of enterprise applications and data sources. In addition, Mr. Miller has acted as Internet Applications Development Manager responsible for the design, development, QA and delivery of multiple Web Sites including online trading applications, warehouse process control and scheduling systems and administrative and control applications. Mr. Miller also was responsible for the design, development and administration of a Web based financial reporting system for a 450 million dollar organization, reporting directly to the CFO and his executive team. Mr. Miller has also been responsible for managing and directing multiple resources in various management roles including project and team leader, lead developer and applications development director. Specialties Include: Cognos/TM1 Design and Development, Cognos Planning, IBM SPSS and Modeler, OLAP, Visual Basic, SQL Server, Forecasting and Planning; International Application Development, Business Intelligence, Project Development. IBM Certified Developer - Cognos TM1 (perfect score 100% on exam) IBM Certified Business Analyst - Cognos TM1

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