Reach all information reliably and timely
The Cognos platform can access the complete mix of data sources present in most organizations today, whether they are data warehouses, technology platforms applications, OLAP cubes, legacy data sources or modern data sources.
It provides broad reach, open access to all data sources and an easy modeling environment for building access to all needed information.
Single query service
The Cognos platform accesses data using a single query service that issues both SQL and MDX queries and returns consistent and predictable results to all BI requests made through this service.
- Open access to all data
- Optimize data retrieval while ensuring consistent access
- Add new data sources quickly and easily, with data from the new source becoming immediately available to all Cognos capabilities
In-memory patented technology
The Cognos platform offers enhanced performance for complex heterogeneous data with 64-bit in-memory optimized query generation with pattern intelligence, in-memory calculations and aggregate operations, security-aware 64-bit cache facilities with 'in-memory' optimizations — hierarchies, members, facts, calculations and prompts.
Flexible data sourcing approaches
Use a variety of sourcing approaches, in any combination, to deliver data in the format and with the frequency required:
- Optimized direct access: Access data directly with a native interface using the single query service described above.
- Federated access: Combine current and/or historic data into a single, easy-to-query view, without physically building a data warehouse or data mart.
- Dimensional ETL: Build dimensional data warehouses using Cognos Data Manager, an ETL tool for high-performance transformations.
Optimize access for faster data delivery
Other key tools included in the platform help optimize data storage for access:
- Cognos Transformer helps you build and deliver OLAP cubes. The architecture ensures the resulting cube can be accessed by any capability with the single query service.
- Cognos Virtual View Manager provides the option to cache data in virtual views to both speed response times for the user and offload hits on the operational sources.
Expand traditional BI
The Cognos platform expands traditional BI capabilities with real time monitoring and what-if scenario analysis. With real-time monitoring, you can view up-to-the-second relevant information in-context with all other BI information. What-if scenario analysis allows you to model and compare scenarios as well as validate planning assumptions.
