You can create a transformation configuration file to transform
a data model from one type to another type. For example, you can create
a file to transform a dimensional-physical data model into a Cognos
or Cubing Services-compatible data model.
Before you begin
- You must be in the Data perspective.
- You must create a data design project, and it must include a data
model that you want to transform.
- If you are transforming an XML schema, the XML schema must be
valid. If the XML schema is not valid, exceptions or unexpected results
might occur.
About this task
Transformation configurations are reusable, editable files
that you use to transform data models from one type to another type.
You use the New Transformation Configuration wizard to create the
file, and then you run the file to generate a new data model.
Procedure
To create a transformation configuration file, then run
the transformation configuration file to complete the transformation
process, complete the following steps:
- Open the data model that you want to transform:
- Locate the data model. In the Data
Project Explorer view, you can find the data model in the XML Schemas folder or the Data Models folder of your data design project.
Figure 1. Locating
data models in the Data Project Explorer view
- Open the file by double-clicking it.
- Create a new transformation configuration file by using
the New Transformation Configuration wizard:
- From the main menu, click . The New Transformation Configuration
wizard opens.
- On the Specify a Configuration Name and Transformation
page of the wizard, specify a name for the configuration, then select
a transformation type.
- If you are transforming a physical data model, on the
Source and Target page, first select a valid database, schema, or
diagram from a data model in the data design project. If you are transforming
a logical data model, on the Source and Target page, first select
a valid package, entity, or diagram from a data model in the data
design project. Then select a target data design project. For example, the following figure shows that the user selected a
dimensional-physical data model as the source. The target location
is the data design project.
Figure 2. Selecting a source
data model and target project
- On the Properties page, specify the properties that
are specific to that transformation.
- On the Common page, specify whether to generate a debug
log for the transformation configuration. If you select
this option, a log file is created or updated when you run the transformation
configuration file.
When you click Finish, the workbench
creates a reusable transformation configuration file in the Other Files folder of your data design project.The
transformation configuration file opens in the editor view. An example
transformation configuration file is shown in the next figure.
Tip: If the transformation configuration that you create is
invalid, a red "x" icon appears on the transformation configuration
icon, as shown in the next figure.
Figure 3. A sample test.tc file
The Console view shows the results of the validation. If you
see errors in the Console view, you can use the Problems view to learn
more about those errors.
- Edit the transformation configuration as needed to ensure
that the configuration is valid:
- If your configuration is invalid, or if you want to
change the configuration options, use the tabs in the transformation
configuration editor to update your file.
- Validate the file by clicking the
Validate the transformation configuration button. The file is considered to be valid when the Console view shows no errors.
When the transformation configuration file is valid, you
can run the file to generate the intended data model.
- Generate the target data model. On the Main
tab, click the Run button, as shown in the
following figure.
Figure 5. Clicking the Run button in the transformation configuration editor
Results
The data model is generated and stored in the
XML
Schemas folder or the
Data Models folder, depending on the type of transformation.
Tip: Because transformation configuration files are reusable, you can
modify the configuration file whenever you must transform a data model
from one type to another. For example, your team might maintain multiple
dimensional-physical data models. These models are shared in a Cognos
environment so that users can generate reports that are based on the
models. You create the DPDM2Cogos.tc transformation
configuration file to transform any dimensional-physical data model
into a Cognos compatible model. When you want to transform a dimensional-physical
data model, you can use the Source and Target tab to update the configuration to use the updated model.