Data Tier

The IBM Cognos BI contains data tier contains-

• Content Store
• Data Sources
• Metric Store

Content Store- 

The content store is a relational database. It contains data related to report specification, published models and the packages that contain them. It also stores the connection information of data sources and information about the external namespace, cognos namespace and information about scheduling and bursting the report.

  The IBM Cognos service that uses content store is content manager. Design models and log files are not stored in content store. 

  

Data Sources- 

The data sources contains relational databases, dimensional or OLAP cubes, flat files and other physical data stores. It also contains connection information necessary for accessing data.

Application tier components use data source connections to access data sources.

Metric Store-

Metric store is also a relational database. It contains content for metric package, metric studio setting ( example- user preference) 

Content Manager

Content Manager is the IBM Cognos BI service that manages the storage of information related to many running applications in the system. Application like 

• Customer Application Data,
• Configuration Data, 
• Scheduling the Information
• Retrieving or storing the report specification
• Models, 
• Metrics, 
• Reports specifications,
• Reports output 
• Security

Content manager stored information in a content store which is a part of data tier (Tier 3). Information is maintained in a relational database.

One IBM Cognos BI installation may have more than one content manager, each on different computer. One content manager is active at one time and other are on standby.

GUI or User Interface

It is presentation or final level of Cognos which is used by end user, author or administrator. IBM Cognos BI has two type interface.

1. Web-based interfaces-

• Cognos Connection
• Cognos Administration
• Cognos Query Studio
• Cognos Report Studio
• Cognos Analysis Studio
• Cognos Event Studio
• Cognos Metric Studio
• Cognos Workspace
• Cognos Workspace Advanced

2. Windows-based interfaces

• Cognos Framework Manager
• Cognos Metric Designer
• Cognos Transformer
• Cognos Map Manager
• Cognos BI for Microsoft Office
• Cognos Insight

  

Cognos Architecture

IBM Cognos has a multi-tiered architecture. It can be divided into three tiers:

1. Web server,
2. Applications, and
3. Data.

The tiers are separated by network firewalls. IBM Cognos BI user interfaces comes above the tiers.