COGNOS Business Intelligence Series 7

Chapter 5: Provide Drill-through Access
• For a drill-through request to execute properly, a copy of the .iqd file must be replicated on
the target Cognos Query server. The path must be the same relative to the folder in which
Cognos Query is installed on the target server.
• When performing a drill through, only the current dimension line settings are passed as filter
parameters to the drill-through target. Unlike PowerPlay client, where the active cell is also
passed with the dimension line setting, PowerPlay Web does not identify an active cell.
Design Queries as Drill-through Targets
The design criteria for a drill-through query are different from a cube creation query in the
following ways:
• Drill-through queries typically include many non-additive text properties that you would not
include in a Transformer source query, such as Addresses and Phone Numbers. These columns
are the objective of drilling through.
• Drill-through queries should include links to other entities for further exploration. There is no
reason to include links in .iqd files that you intend to use only for cube creation (not as
drill-through queries).
• Queries used as drill-through targets must be saved in a folder that all the drill-through users
have access to.
• Queries used as drill-through targets should contain the attributes used to define levels in the
cube. Cognos Query can only filter on attributes included in the query.
Save a Drill-through Target in Cognos Query
PowerPlay Web requires an .iqd file to drill through to Cognos Query. To create the .iqd file, you
must enable drill through for the report in Cognos Query and re-publish the report to Upfront.
The .iqd file will be created.
Steps
1. In your Web browser, open or create a Cognos Query report to which you want to drill
through.
2. On the Cognos Query toolbar, click the Design button.
3. On the Advanced tab, click Properties.
4. Select the Enable Drill-Through Access check box.
5. Click the Run Query button.
6. On the Cognos Query toolbar, click the Save As button.
7. Follow the steps in the NewsItem wizard, and click Finish.
The Cognos Query report reappears in your Web browser and the .iqd file is created on the
computer where the Cognos Query server is installed.
Note: After you create the .iqd file, you must use Transformer to specify the drill-through
targets (.iqd files) for your measures or PowerCubes and update the cubes that you want to
drill from (p. 62).
Notes
• Ensure that you use Cognos Query to create your .iqd files for drill through from PowerPlay
Web to Cognos Query. Do not use .iqd files from Impromptu.
Enable Drill Through to Cognos Query
After you set up your .iqd drill-through targets and update your cubes, you can enable drill
through in PowerPlay Enterprise - Server Administration.
Steps
1. In PowerPlay Enterprise - Server Administration, click a cube, report, or folder.
2. From the Edit menu, click Properties, and then click the Settings tab.
3. In the Cognos Query box, click Enable.
66 Cognos PowerPlay (R)