Wondering what's up with the Cognos TM1 Data Security?

You build a model. You deploy it and you are locked out. Wondering how Cognos TM1 Data Security really works?

The ability to access Cognos TM1 cube data changes significantly once the TM1 application is deployed. While we are just starting off building our model in TM1 Performance Modeler, the cells within our cube are writable as long as they are not a calculated element. Below in our Revenue cube, we can manually enter data into any of the cells that appear white.

The cells for Average Unit Price is grayed out. We cannot enter data into the Average Unit Price because it is a calculated element. Its cell values are derived from the Unit Price and Initiative Discount cell values.

The Average Unit Price cells automatically update when we enter data for Unit Price and Initiative Discount.

We want our end users to enter data into the Revenue cube via TM1 Web, so we create an application in Performance Modeler that contains a view of the Revenue cube. We then deploy the application.

After receiving confirmation that the application has been deployed, we go back into Model Design mode in Performance Modeler. However, now all the cells in our Revenue cube are grayed out. We locked out the ability to enter data into these cells.

We see the same if we view the Revenue cube in TM1 Perspectives cube viewer. We cannot manually enter any new data.

The reason the cells are locked is the TM1 Data Security changes it when you deploy the model. Now that the TM1 application containing the Revenue cube is deployed, we need to take ownership of the cube node in TM1 Web. You will no be able to enter data until you take ownership. The fact that the TM1 Data Security automatically forces it to be greyed out before taking ownership, results in common end users calls. So, make sure your end users are train to take ownership or TM1 Data Security will lock them out.

In our example we take ownership of the Theme Parks channel node in TM1 Web.

After taking ownership, we see that we can now enter data once again either in Performance Modeler or via TM1 Perspectives.

Cognos TM1 Data Security creates a locking system to guard against unwanted intruders who could change your data. For more information or assistance with Tm1 Data Security contact us at services@lodestarsolutions.com.