IBM COGNOS TM1 Blogs
Below is a massive list of IBM Cognos TM1 blogs. To search for a specific topic, use the search bar to the right.
Revolutionize Your Financial Stability with Better Planning Models
Written by Heather L. Cole, November 9th, 2023 As a financial executive, you are constantly facing the challenge of ensuring[...]
Breaking Down Barriers: Unleash Corporate Agility with Extended Planning and Analytics
Written by Heather L. Cole, November 2nd, 2023 In the ever-evolving landscape of business, the traditional Financial Planning and Analysis[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 90
Written by Mike Bernaiche, September 22nd, 2023 Planning Analytics Workspace 90 was released on September 19, 2023, and there are[...]
Escaping the Budgeting Blues: Rolling Forecasts with IBM Planning Analytics
Written by Heather L. Cole, September 1st 2023 Budgeting – the word alone can send shivers down the spines of[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 87
Written by Mike Bernaiche, June 28th, 2023 On May 17, 2023, IBM released Planning Analytics Workspace 87. A reminder that[...]
The Power of IBM Planning Analytics for Mid-Market Companies: Leveling Up from Excel
Written by Heather L. Cole, June 14th, 2023 In the fast-paced world of mid-market companies, there's a hero waiting to[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 86
Written by Mike Bernaiche, May 12th, 2023 On April 18, 2023, IBM released Planning Analytics Workspace 86. Continuing with their[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 85
Written by Mike Bernaiche, April 4th, 2023 In March 2023, IBM released Planning Analytics Workspace 85. Updates to Planning Analytics[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 2.0.84
Written by Mike Bernaiche, February 16th 2023 It is time again to discuss what is new in Planning Analytics Workspace[...]
Docker Support – Every Planning Analytics Customer Must Read
Written by Mike Bernaiche, January 10th, 2023 If you own Planning Analytics and use Planning Analytics Workspace (PAw) on Microsoft[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 83
Written by Mike Bernaiche, January 26th 2023 It is a new year and IBM has released the first update to[...]
2023 Lodestar Solutions Services
Written by Mike Bernaiche, December 23rd, 2022 Lodestar Solutions Services team is ready to help in 2023! I wanted to[...]
New in Planning Analytics Workspace 82
Written by Mike Bernaiche, December 16th, 2022 IBM released Planning Analytics Workspace 82 on November 17, 2022. While this isn’t[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace Version 80 and 81
Written by Mike Bernaiche, November 3rd 2022 It is that time to discuss what is new in Planning Analytics Workspace[...]
New in Planning Analytics Workspace 79
Written by Mike Bernaiche, September 15th 2022 On September 1, 2022, IBM released Planning Analytics Workspace 79 or 2.0.79. There[...]
Coming Soon in Planning Analytics Applications and Plans
Written by Mike Bernaiche, July 29th 2022 Recently, I had the opportunity to see what was coming in Planning Analytics[...]
New in Planning Analytics Workspace Version 77 and 78
Written by Mike Bernaiche, July 28th 2022 It is that time again! Providing you everything new in planning analytics workspace[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 75 and 76
Written by Mike Bernaiche, May 19th 2022 Typically, once a month, IBM updates Planning Analytics Workspace. In April version 75[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace 73 and 74
Written by Mike Bernaiche, April 7th 2022 Typically, once a month, IBM updates Planning Analytics Workspace. In February version 73[...]
IBM Planning Analytics Versions Are End of Life
Written by Heather L. Cole, March 3rd 2022 Are you an IBM Planning Analytics TM1 user that has not upgraded[...]
Scenario Planning with IBM Planning Analytics
Written by Heather L. Cole, November 4th 2021Scenario Planning with IBM Planning Analytics Did the Pandemic disrupt your business? Did[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace Version 67 and 68
Written by Mike Bernaiche, October 21st 2021 Over the last couple of months, IBM has released 2 updates to Planning[...]
Forecast in Planning Analytics with AI
Written by Mike Bernaiche, October 14th 2021 Did you know that you can forecast in Planning Analytics Workspace by using[...]
Scorecards and Metrics in Planning Analytics
Written by Mike Bernaiche, September 30th, 2021Did you know that you can track your key performance indicators (KPI’s) with Scorecards[...]
What’s New in IBM Planning Analytics Workspace Version 64, 65 and 66
Written by Mike Bernaiche, August 19th 2021IBM continues to update Planning Analytics Workspace on a regular basis. The pattern has[...]
How to Burst Reports from IBM Planning Analytics
Written by Heather L. Cole on August 5th, 2021 Are you an IBM Planning Analytics client and wondering how to[...]
How to Connect TM1 to Power BI
Written by Heather Cole, May 13th 2021Have you been asked to pass the TM1 data to Power BI, Tableau, Qlik[...]
Planning Analytics Workspace – Now What?
April 30th, 2021 Recently, it came to my attention that some Planning Analytics (formerly TM1) clients are not clear about[...]
What’s New in Planning Analytics Workspace Version 61 and 62
Written by Mike Bernaiche on April 23rd, 2021IBM continues to release updates every 30 to 60 days for Planning Analytics[...]
How to Easily Move Development Changes to Production in IBM Planning Analytics TM1 with Soterre
February 4th, 2021 TM1 Administrators of the IBM Planning Analytics that follow best practices should be using a development environment[...]
Version Control and Audit Trail for IBM Planning Analytics TM1 with Soterre
January 28th, 2021 Are you a TM1 Administrator and looking for a better way to know which Modeler changed a[...]
What TM1 Licenses Include IBM Planning Analytics Workspace?
January 7th, 2021 Looking for a better user interface to your powerful Cognos TM1/ Planning Analytics data? Do your users[...]
Guide to Creating a Virtual Hierarchy
November 5th, 2020 In todays planning and forecasting world, the ability to change quickly and provide valuable data to your[...]
What Kind of Audit Trail is Available for Cognos Planning Analytics (TM1)?
October 29th, 2020 A budgeting and planning solution should always provide a good audit trail. So, what kind of audit[...]
Sandboxes in Planning Analytics Workspace
October 1st, 2020 Think back to when you were younger playing in a sandbox. Grabbing your plastic shovels and building[...]
Input and Spread Data in Planning Analytics Workspace
September 24th, 2020 Now that you have read the introduction to Planning Analytics Workspace (PAw) blog found here, it is time[...]
Benefits to Using IBM Planning Analytics Workspace
September 17th, 2020 If you are a TM1 or Planning Analytics client and you are not using Planning Analytics Workspace,[...]
Planning Analytics Excel Options
August 20th, 2020 Many of you use Excel when working with Planning Analytics. You may be creating budgets, exporting files,[...]
Why Buy TM1 Connect?
July 31st, 2020 We are often asked; how can I bring my TM1 data into other software and create reports[...]
Why is TM1 Slow?
Are you a TM1 user and frustrated with the speed? Are your perspective reports extremely slow? Does opening a cube[...]
Creating the COVID Forecast with Cognos Planning Analytics, TM1
April 30th, 2020 Wow, the world has changed in just a few weeks! Our way of life as we knew[...]
Cognos Planning Analytics for Excel
March 12, 2020Upgrading TM1, checkout Cognos Planning Analytics for Excel PAX Are you a long time TM1 user looking to[...]
Move Action Buttons from TM1 Perspectives to Planning Analytics for Excel (PAX)
March 5th, 2020Are you planning your upgrade from TM1 to Planning Analytics? After you review all the benefits, steps and[...]
IBM Let the Cognos TM1 Grandfather Clause Die Putting Old Clients at Risk!
February 20th, 2020To all you very old TM1 clients I urge you to check your IBM entitlements! I recently learned[...]
Neither Cognos BI nor Microsoft Power BI can Replace Cognos Planning Analytics (TM1)!
February 13th, 2020Recently I met with a client who owned and was using both IBM Cognos BI and TM1. Their[...]
Is it Time to Redesign Your TM1 Planning System?
December 12th, 2019As business analytics coaches it is our passion to talk about latest innovations in the financial planning and[...]
Complete Model Development in Planning Analytics Workspace
November 11, 2019As business analytics coaches it is our passion to talk about latest innovations in the financial planning and[...]
Edit Dimensions and Others Greyed Out in Planning Analytics Architect
September 20, 2019The problem - Edit Dimensions and Others are GreyWe get this question from time to time - Why[...]
What does it cost to upgrade from TM1 to IBM Planning Analytics?
September 10, 2019“Hey, I heard a rumor that after September 2019 my TM1 10.2.x will not be supported. What does[...]
Model Directly in IBM Planning Analytics Workspace. A one stop shop
1/22/2019 Are you asking yourself if it is possible to build a model directly in IBM Planning Analytics Workspace? There is[...]
7 Reasons Why You Should Purchase Workspace (PAw)
9/11/2018 7 Reasons Why You Should Purchase Workspace (PAw)You have probably heard a lot about Planning Analytics Workspace (PAw). However, like[...]
Dashboards in TM1? Legacy Users Need to Purchase Workspace Add-On.
7/10/18 Are you a Legacy TM1 shop and your users are asking about dashboards in TM1? For all of you[...]
New Hierarchy Level Behavior in Planning Analytics (TM1) Set Editor
3/20/2018Leaf Element Level naming convention is really changing...It's when I first started teaching the Performance Modeler (PM) class and showing[...]
Have You Secured Funding Yet? It’s Budgeting Season, Secure Funding Now For IBM Cognos
Have You Secured Funding Yet? It's Budget Season. Secure Funding Now for IBM Cognos!Do you need process improvement and require[...]
Lodestar Solutions is Hiring – TM1 Consultant Needed
5/11/2017TM1 Consultant OverviewAre you an expert in Cognos TM1? Do you have advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Access or SQL[...]
TM1 User Maintained Public Subsets
3/6/2017 As a TM1 Admin have you ever wished for user maintained public subsets? User maintained public subsets puts the[...]
Recreating TM1 Alternate Hierarchies
2/8/2017Cognos TM1 allows alternate hierarchies which, from a user perspective, is greatly appreciated but from a TM1 Admin perspective, probably[...]
TM1 Websheets to Simplify, Document and Organize TI Process and Tasks
12/22/2016I’m all about easy. It is a phrase I say repeatedly to my clients that are new to IBM Cognos[...]
Are Your IBM Security Certificates About To Expire?
10/4/2016The purpose of SSL certificates (Secure Sockets Layer) are for encrypting data as it is transferred around a network. These[...]
Top TM1 Automation Techniques Used by Expert Consultants
9/20/2016 As a TM1 modeler, you likely have more tasks to do in a day than there is time. You[...]
Why Backup Your TM1 Development Environment?
6/18/2016Hello… Atif Hameed here for Lodestar Solutions. As business analytics coaches, it is our passion to talk about things that[...]
How to: Deleting or Adding Dimensions to TM1 Cubes
6/1/2016Today’s topic is about deleting or adding dimensions to TM1 cubes that you are using in Production. With TM1’s introduction of Performance[...]
Creating a Flexible TM1 Allocation Model
5/3/2016This past week I had to script several TI Processes to make allocations as flexible as possible. This was done[...]
Update TM1 Contributor Views with TI Process
4/13/2016I recently had a client ask how they could go about updating the latest month for users to see when[...]
Why to Upgrade From Excel to Cognos TM1 or Express
Most people have a love/hate relationship with Excel. They love what it can do but hate when it fails[...]
Naming Conventions in TM1 – Keep Your Data Clean!
2/9/2016As business analytics coaches, it is our passion to talk about things that make your job easier. Today we are[...]
TM1 Data Export in Multiple Columns
2/2/2016In TM1 (aka Performance Management), you can use a Turbo Integrator (TI) process to not only load data, but to[...]
Cognos Command Center – True Integration Capability
1/6/2016As a business analytics coach at Lodestar Solutions, it is our passion to talk about things that make your job[...]
IBM Cognos TM1 10.2.2 Fix Pack 4 Is Available
11/17/15It's here. IBM Cognos TM1 10.2.2 Fix Pack 4 is now available and, along with a list of all the bug fixes[...]
TM1 Perspective Websheets & Active Forms
TM1 Perspective Websheets & Active FormsTM1 Perspective Websheets & Active Forms can be extremely helpful to take your TM1 data[...]
TM1 Drill Through From Cube to Cube Not Working?
9/30/15If you are going to utilize the Cognos TM1 Architect drill through functionality from one cube to another, there are some considerations[...]
IBM TM1 Applications Web: Better Tool Today
9/2/15As Business Analytics Coaches, it’s our passion and responsibility to find and talk about products that make your job easier.[...]
Understanding Cognos TM1 Licensing
8/26/15Cognos TM1 licensing - Enterprise vs. ExpressTo better understand the IBM Cognos TM1 licensing functionality and structure, we’ll break it[...]
Moving to Cognos TM1 from Transformer/Powerplay: Pros and Cons
8/4/15As a Business Analytics Coach and resident Transformer/Powerplay expert, I’m often asked about the advantages or disadvantages to moving from[...]
Cognos TM1 TurboIntegrator – Database Table Manners
7/29/15 Cognos TM1 TurboIntegrator (TI) is a great ETL tool that allows you to bring in data to TM1. It[...]
In-Memory Cube Technology = Faster Performance!
Reporting, analysis, budgeting and planning solutions for many years have leveraged multi-dimensional cubes similar to Excel pivot tables but better. [...]
Cognos TM1 TI Processes Using Cubes for Dynamic Variables
4/28/15TM1 cubes can be used for more than calculations and analysis. They can be utilized as parameter variables for TI[...]
Why Did They Add Cognos Scorecarding to TM1?
4/24/15Why Did They Add Cognos Scorecarding to TM1?IBM Cognos Metric Studio has been part of the IBM Cognos BI solutions[...]
TM1 ARCHITECT – When Do You Need It?
4/16/15As business analytics coaches, it is our passion to discuss topics that make your job easier. Today we are going[...]
TM1 Operations Console Replaces TM1 Top
3/24/15As a Business Analytics Coach at Lodestar Solutions, it’s my passion and responsibility to enlighten you about functionality that is[...]
Cognos TM1 Reporting Capabilities with BI
As a Lodestar Solutions business analytics coach, clients often ask us to help decipher the intersection of IBM Cognos licenses[...]
TM1Connect Extract Data From TM1 for Reporting & Analysis
As Business Analytics Coaches, it’s our passion and responsibility to find and talk about products that compliment your existing tool[...]
TM1 Performance Modeler – Creating Model Flow Charts
Using Performance Modeler to create TM1 Model Flow ChartsTwo of our recent blogs described the great benefits of TM1Compare and[...]
The TM1 Migration Process Understood; Can TM1Compare Help?
As Business Analytics coaches at Lodestar Solutions, it’s our passion and responsibility to find and talk about products that make[...]
Documenting TM1 with Pulse by Cubewise
Documenting TM1 with Pulse As Business Analytics Coaches, it is Lodestar Solution's passion and responsibility to find and talk about products[...]
Documenting TM1 with QUBEdocs
QUBEdocs - is this the solution to some of your TM1 challenges? One of the biggest challenges with TM1 has[...]
Publishing TM1 Aliases in Cognos BI
Have you been thinking about publishing TM1 aliases in Cognos BI? It is completely unintuitive, but if you want to[...]
New Tool for Importing Cognos Planning into TM1
Are you using Cognos Enterprise Planning and looking to move to IBM Cognos Performance Management/TM1? There is a new tool[...]
Cognos TM1 Sales Compensation Model
As much as sales people say, “I’m not a numbers person. I’ll just let you accountants handle that”, you start[...]
Do you need a TM1 application health check?
There can be many reasons a particular TM1 application has performance issues. TM1 gets its power from the in-memory engine.[...]
What is the IBM Cognos Analytics Server ICAS?
What is the IBM Cognos Analytics Server ICAS?With all the massive changes by IBM to the IBM Cognos Licensing, people[...]
TM1 Period to Date Dimensions
As Business Analytics coaches for Lodestar Solutions, we come across questions that are asked of us by our clients. A common question[...]
TM1 10.2 Security Changes
With TM1 10.2 security changes, TM1 10.2 now allows you to share/re-use the same dimension in multiple approval applications. This[...]
How to Improve Your Planning Model
For many in the Finance department, this is the time of year that you start your preparations for next year’s[...]
Cognos BI Reporting – TM1 Data Source, Levels & Alternative Options
Today, we are going to discuss Cognos BI reporting and how it relates to TM1. As many of you know,[...]
Make More Money with TM1 Skills
How can I make more money with TM1 skills? Learning Cognos TM1 on-the-job can give you the opportunity to advance[...]
TM1 Action Button Merging Parameters
TM1 Action ButtonTM1 Quirk of the Day: Parameters Merging in TM1 Action Button Properties When using TM1 10.2, I’ve encountered[...]
Cognos TM1 Turbointegrator Processes Quirks
As our Cognos Coaches come across little (and big) “gotcha’s”, we like to share them with you. Below are a[...]
TM1 Scorecarding and Cognos Metric Studio
TM1 Scorecarding and Cognos Metric Studio, a look into the future!You might ask yourself, what do I need to know[...]
Saving TM1 rules takes too long!
"What's the deal with the TM1 rules I'm writing?!?!" Why does saving TM1 rules take a long time occasionally? I[...]
TM1 Principle Element Name Dilemmas
There are dilemmas when using Skeys, ID # and Name in conjunction with creating a Principal Element Name and/or Aliases. [...]
Tricks to Working with DAYNO Function in TM1
Tricks to Working with DAYNO Function in TM1In case you encounter some frustration creating a TM1 rule to use the[...]
DimensionElementPrincipleName – What The Heck Is It?
I recently had an issue with a TM1 TI Process that did not want to load data where the data[...]
Exporting TM1 Dimensions
Exporting TM1 Dimensions - quick and easy way to do this through a TI processI was wondering aloud recently about Exporting[...]
TM1 Implementation Methodology for Success
All Cognos TM1 implementations require a strategy to deliver an appropriate reporting solution. This is the plan that will ensure[...]
Departmental Data Warehouse Options
Are you a data chaser? Are you spending hours of your time grabbing data from various data sources, throwing the[...]
Migrating IBM Cognos Planning to TM1
Are you thinking about moving from IBM Cognos Planning to TM1? Well, let me tell you, for those of you who have been using Cognos Planning, moving to TM1 will be like going from having a pot-luck dinner to a catered gourmet dinner.
The biggest difference is the cube sizes. TM1 can handle HUGE cubes of data. And yes, size does matter. If you currently have planning models where you created separate applications and use Admin Links to pull your data together because the models were too big for Planning, you will LOVE TM1. Lodestar has migrated a large number of Planning clients to TM1 and many have been able to consolidate their models to simplify maintenance. You still have the ability to limit users to what they need to view and edit, but it will all be in the same database.
TM1 Element Security Within a Dimension
SECURITY_ELEMENT
Note: If }ElementSecurity_dimensionname Control Cube does not exist this must be executed first
Assigns Security to Elements within a Dimension
Creates/Updates }ElementSecurity_dimensionname
Use TM1 Cubes as Data Dictionary & Analysis Report Usage
For many companies, the same data/metric term has different meanings for different departments. An example of this would be “Customer”. To the sales department, it may mean they have a new customer that has been entered into the system and now has an account number. To Finance, “Customer” may mean that this person has been sent at least one shipment within the last 12 months.
Cascade Cognos TM1 Security from Parent to all Children
Turbo Integrator's security cascades from parent to all children and is dimension specific. After the initial security (access) is loaded, the level of the Dept variable (1st column in the text file) is checked. If the level is greater than zero, the elements in the Department dimension are cycled.
Unable to Launch Cognos TM1 Perspectives via Microsoft?
From time to time, Microsoft updates may cause an error and not allow you to use TM1 Perspectives. If you encounter this, please follow the instructions below:
Don't Drive Blind – Incorporate Planning Data with TM1
Every company is wrapped up in their own data. How do we capture our data? How do we analyze our data? How do we report on our data? It seems like the ultimate goal in many companies is how to report on their data and get through the monthly meetings with a pretty presentation.
TM1 Dynamic Subset with Dimensional Data
You create a dynamic subset with a specific consolidated item and the next time the dimension is updated, the subset takes on a mind of its own. . .and you recreate it. Been there, done that – right? Try the following:
Creating TM1 Dynamic Subset of Individual Elements
Most of us have been there - laboriously scrolling through a dimension containing dozens or hundreds of elements. The goal is to select 3 or 4 elements for creating that one of a kind subset. A few minutes of scrolling . . .success. Then you realize you left out one item. And so the scroll and click begins once again. Ick. Here’s how to replace scroll and click. . .
IBM Cognos Express Approval Hierarchy Considerations
The same strategy works when using TM1, or in this case, Planner, within IBM Cognos Express. Unlike the Enterprise version of Cognos where the administrator can create new TM1 server instances, only a single TM1 service is allowed in Express. An approval hierarchy can be used only once on a given TM1 server. Therefore, if a dimension is assigned to a Planner application as its approval hierarchy, that dimension cannot be used again as an approval hierarchy in any other application.
Cognos TM1 Data Security
The ability to access cube data in TM1 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.
Copying a TM1 Service to Another Server
Sometimes retaining an image can be a nice trip down memory lane, but in the case of copying a TM1 service from one environment to another, it can create an error.
We recently built a simple TM1 model and deployed the TM1 Web application for use as a demonstration model. We wanted to keep a backup copy of it on another server. We copied over all of the data and log files to the second machine, including the tm1.cfg file. We then added the new service instance to IBM Cognos Configuration for TM1.
Create TM1 Dimensions in Excel Worksheet
Though the preferred method for creating dimensions in TM1 is via a Turbo Integrator Process, sometimes you may want to do this with a dimension worksheet. With a dimension worksheet, you can incorporate Excel functionality to do concatenations that will populate your attributes. This works nicely for Aliases where you would like to use the element name with a description. The example below shows you how to do this for an Accounts dimension.
Creating A New TM1 Server
I could understand the frustration of a new modeler who could not gain access to the new TM1 server he had just created. He closely followed the set of instructions he had again and again to no avail. First, he had copied the tm1s.cfg file from an existing operating model on the same network, changing the ServerName, PortNumber, LoggingDirectory and DatabaseDirectory within that new file to reflect the name and location of the new server he was setting up. Second, he created a new server instance in IBM Cognos Configuration and edited the location to point to the directory from the tm1s.cfg file resided.
Different Methods to TM1 Model Development
TM1 allows for different preferences and with the release of version 10, offers the end user yet another way of developing a model. Performance Modeler is even more user friendly than the familiar modeling tools of Architect and the Excel add-in Perspectives. Performance Modeler is an excellent path to take for the beginning modeler. Its many built-in wizards will guide the end user through the building and populating of cubes. Experienced modelers may prefer to stick with the familiar environment of Architect, instead of learning the nuances of a new tool. Many finance folks are married to Excel and want to remain in a formula driven workspace.
Stored Procedures in TM1 Turbo Integrator
As many of you know, when you use Turbo Integrator to import data and metadata into TM1, you can bring it in from many sources. You can use comma-delimited ASCII files, other TM1 cubes and views, MSAS (Microsoft Analysis Service) and relational database tables that are accessible through an ODBC connection. For this blog, we are going to concentrate on relation database tables through SQL and what you may not know is that using multiple tables and writing multiple joins query in SQL using the Turbo Integrator query box can make the pull of the data very slow!
Migrating Planning to TM1
IBM Cognos TM1 is architected very differently than Cognos Planning. Plannings distributed architecture and cube structures lead to limitation in model sizes. IBM Cognos TM1 is a powerful 64-bit, in memory solutions that has tremendous power if model are designed considering TM1s power and functionality. For Cognos Planning clients to fully realize the power of TM1, Lodestar Solutions recommends a model “Reconstruction".
What's New: Cognos Insight 10.1.1
What’s New in IBM Cognos Insight 10.1.1? 1. Percentage of Total Calculations
2. Calculations in Parent
3. Time Dimension Import
4. Chart Interaction
5. Improved Usability Features
a. Simplified Terminology
b. Access to Formatting
c. Keyboard Shortcuts
6. Guided Import
7. IBM Cognos Insight Trial Edition
Execute Multiple TM1 TI Processes with Parallel Loading
As a TM1 power user, you are aware that a Turbo Integrator process sets a lock to the cube, which is loaded in a dimension maintenance function. This lock can cause end users to wait until the TI process is complete and the lock has been released. If you have a large amount of data to load, this can be very annoying to the end users, seeing that they have to wait a long time. So, it is recommended that you separate the Metadata maintenance from the data maintenance in separate TI processes and run them as a chore.
TM1 Contributor Rights and Functionality Explained
TM1 Enterprise Planning Contributor is the primary licenses end users of TM1 utilize. It allows for end users to have read and write access to the TM1 models. Under the TM1 Contributor licensing, End users have the following access rights:
What is Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler?
IBM Cognos TM1 10 includes a component called the Performance Modeler. It’s a great step in the right direction for IBM to simplify the model building process in TM1. It’s a wizard based component that will allow less technical people to manage and maintain models. However, if you are an existing IBM Cognos TM1 user who is considering moving to IBM Cognos TM1 Performance Modeler, you should be aware of the following:
Consultant's Cognos TM1 Tricks (Part 2)
6. LEVERAGING CONTROL CUBES FOR SECURITY - Control Cubes can be useful to view attribute or security information. If migrating from Planning, it may even be possible to use an existing Excel spreadsheet to load security via a TI Process [into the Control Cube].
Consultant's Cognos TM1 Tricks (Part 1)
CREATING ALIASES - When creating aliases, use consistent attribute names. Name or Desc will usually suffice. (We frequently find that name is used on one dimension, desc is used on a couple others and description is used on a few more.) This reduces those “uh oh, what did I call that attribute” moments when creating a process or updating rules.
Incorporate TM1 Naming Conventions in Your Model Build
TM1 is great for organizing your planning models. Make the most of this and incorporate a naming convention for your dimensions, views and TI processes. This makes building, maintenance and training much easier in the long run, especially when you have more than one Admin. Design a simple blueprint of your naming convention at the beginning of your implementation and keep it in your application folder for quick reference. Another tip is to use the underscore in lieu of a space in titles, whether it be your cubes, dimensions or the title row of your data import. For example, when creating a dimension using TI, I prefer that the variable name to show up as “Element_Name”, instead of “v1” if the underscore is not used, as would be the case if the column title was “Element Name” vs “Element_Name”.
Moving from IBM Cognos Planning to TM1 Part 2
This is the second piece to the story on why an IBM Cognos Planning client would consider moving to IBM Cognos TM1.
Power User Benefits-
The power user license is the TM1 Modeler. The role is similar the Enterprise Planning Modeler in that this person typically is responsible for building, modifying and deploying the TM1 Planning model to the end users (Contributors).
Moving From IBM Cognos Planning to TM1 Part 1
There’s been a lot of discussion on why an IBM Cognos Planning client would consider moving to IBM Cognos TM1. So, I thought I would do a little brain dump on my experience with clients. Today, I’ll start with the End User.
End User Benefits-
End users can choose from a couple different user interfaces. I will focus on the TM1 Contributor user interface for TM1 as it closely resembles Planning Contributor. It includes some functionality we have been requesting for years.
8 Keys to Successful Cognos Dashboards
The purpose of Organizational Dashboards is to create clear visibility in your organization which leads to better decision making. So why do so many organization struggle with Dashboards?
Effective Dashboards require:
Reliable and timely source data
Measures should motivate behavior to achieve Key Performance Indicators
Clear definitions of measures – ie Does “Sales” include returns and allowances?
continued ...
Integrating TM1 9.5 and Cognos BI – Part 2
Integrating TM1 9.5 and Cognos BI – Part 2We continue from the previous Lodestar blog on Integrating TM1 9.5 and[...]
Integrating TM1 9.5 and Cognos BI – Part 1
IBM Cognos 10 greatly improves the performance of BI reports that use TM1 as a data source, but many clients aren’t leveraging the integration in their Cognos environment. Below are Lodestar guidelines:
Minimal IT for TM1 Implementation
We are constantly being asked by finance and other areas of the business if they can implement IBM Cognos TM1 without IT involvement and the answer is NO! However, with proper planning you can implement with minimal involvement.
The key is to use IT strategically. They are very valuable to your project as they often have insight to your data structures, sources and potential data integrity challenges. When IT is actively involved in the project and partnering with the business, success is rapidly accomplished.
Parallel Interaction in TM1 9.5.2 Improves Write Performance
Looking for performance improvement in IBM Cognos TM1? IBM added a new configuration in TM1 9.5.2 to improve write performance[...]
Improve TM1 Performance Via Cube Dependencies
During Server load, TM1 establishes cube dependencies based on feeder statements in rule files. Feeder statements that have data dependent cube references or rules files containing ATTRN or ATTRS functions will not establish Cube Dependencies during server load – rather they will be established during a first time query or data update invoking these cross-cube rules .
The result can be that a query or Turbo Integrator Process could trigger a cube dependency where the system goes out and evaluates what the dependencies are required before giving results. If this happens during periods of user activity, this could block objects and cause contention issues for concurrent readers and writers. So, the user will complain the system is slow!
How to Kill a TM1 Operation – TM1 Top
The TM1 Top utility enables you to dynamically monitor the threads/operations running in an instance of the TM1 server.
TM1 Top is a stand-alone utility that runs within a console (command) window on a Microsoft Windows system. It is designed to make minimal demands on the TM1 server and the supporting network and system.
With the exception of a user-initiated login process, TM1 Top does not use any cube or dimension resources in the TM1 server, and does not use or interact with the data or locks on the TM1 server.