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  • 1.  Issues using package as source for data module in v11.1.7

    Posted Wed November 11, 2020 09:53 AM
    Hi

    We have been facing problem when creating data modules using the existing DQM FM package as a source and creating reports/dashboards. 

    Scenario 1: When an alias of a data source query subject is used 
    What we found: Unless we join the alias to the original data source query subject, we get a column not found error

    Scenario 2: When we use a data source query subject in the FM model that's based on a plain sql statement that joins two tables on the common columns (essentially a view but instead of creating a view in database we created the data source query subject with sql query in FM) 
    What we found: Here again unless the tables used in the query are available in FM and joined to this query subject, we get column not found errors or Unknown errors. 

    Both cases work fine if we use the package directly to create a report or dashboard. Both these scenarios are working fine in 11.0.11 but not in versions 11.1.5 and beyond (these are the versions we tested). Ticket was opened with IBM support in May 2020 and it is going nowhere. 

    Did anyone face similar problems and found any solution?

    Regards 


    ------------------------------
    Kiran Passumarthi
    www.linkedin.com/in/kiranpassumarthi
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    #CognosAnalyticswithWatson


  • 2.  RE: Issues using package as source for data module in v11.1.7

    Posted Thu November 12, 2020 12:23 PM
    Edited by System Admin Fri January 20, 2023 04:37 PM

    Hi Kiran,

    Unfortunately I can't help with your question however especially over the last 2-3 years I've frequently been in your situation with IBM Support with tickets that are open for months and months with little to no progress.  If you haven't already, start demanding the ticket be escalated.  Many times the case engineer will wait forever till they engage engineering/development.  What severity is it?  Even if it's Development you should make it a Severity 2 - Any System is down.

    Also if you find that the engineer changes the status from "Waiting on IBM" to "Waiting on Customer" when in fact you're waiting on THEM and there's no new request for things for you to try or provide, immediately go comment on the ticket so it flips back to "Waiting on IBM".  This is a tactic I'm seeing IBM case workers use more and more to reduce the number of tickets in their queue that are waiting for them to work on.  Unfortunately it's also a tactic that shortens the average response time with the customer.  If your engineer does that more than twice (as once could be an accident), demand a new engineer be put on the case.  You might actually have to call in to support to get that done.  I had an engineer ignore multiple requests for escalation and a new case engineer.

    Here's an IBM manager you can also reach out to to try to get some movement on your support ticket:

    Cameron Barrington
    Manager
    Cognos and Planning Analytics
    Data and AI
    1-613-356-5642


    All the best,

    Wayne



    ------------------------------
    Wayne Westlake
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Issues using package as source for data module in v11.1.7

    Posted Thu November 12, 2020 05:10 PM
    Hi Kiran,

    The Support team is actively engaged with you on this.  The scenarios do seem like they will end up being product defects which need to be addressed.  We continue to interact with you via the case to successful conclusion.

    For you, and everyone else, if you have a case open with Support that you feel is not progressing or meeting your expectations there are a steps you can take:

    • Be certain to explain the business impact of your problem to the support professional working your case.
    • Ask the support professional to speak to his or her manager or contact a duty manager from the IBM Directory of worldwide contacts . An IBM Support manager will work with our technical staff to ensure your request is being handled appropriately.
    • Raise the Severity Level of the case, if applicable.

    Our teams are here to assist you and work with you to help ensure your success using Cognos Analytics.


    ------------------------------
    Laura Knowles
    Program Director, Global Cognos Analytics Support
    Data and AI
    IBM
    laura.knowles@ca.ibm.com
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Issues using package as source for data module in v11.1.7

    Posted Thu November 19, 2020 02:36 PM
    Hi Laura, 

    Thanks for the response. 

    IBM support has been engaged on this issue since May 2020 when we first observed this in 11.1.5. Only since late Aug/early September when the technical staff was involved did the ticket make progress. We even hear responses that something is an expected behavior while there is already an active APAR open for an issue!!! This is not the only ticket that has taken so many months; we constantly see these response times in multiple cases. We are really unhappy with the knowledge of the support personnel assigned to some of the technical issues and not all of them understand the business impact when explained. But we will try to follow your guidelines about escalation going forward; thanks for that information on contacts. 

    We could finally see progress (at least an APAR is created now) in the last few weeks and hopefully, we get a fix soon. 

    Quite frankly, the resolutions we are getting on the community portal (many from IBM personnel) are much faster than from IBM support which makes some of us wonder as to what value we are getting by paying IBM for the support :-) 

    Regards

    ------------------------------
    Kiran Passumarthi
    www.linkedin.com/in/kiranpassumarthi
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Issues using package as source for data module in v11.1.7

    Posted Thu November 19, 2020 02:42 PM
    Hi Wayne, 

    I can relate to the problems you mentioned with the support :-) In the past when we changed the severity they changed it back saying the severity we have selected is not applicable for that case. In any case, there is some progress made on our ticket after my post and hopefully, they will release an IF soon.  

    Regards,

    ------------------------------
    Kiran Passumarthi
    www.linkedin.com/in/kiranpassumarthi
    ------------------------------