Deploying BI to the Enterprise

Toronto Area Users Group Sept. 14 2001

Tim Quigginbusiness solutions

Overview

• inbusiness solutions•Case Study•Questions

About e-services group

• Team Partner (Highest Level) • Offices in

•Ottawa•Toronto •Projects throughout North America

• Business Partners with other Cognos Partners•CODA •Concur Technologies•Artemis

• Business Intelligence Practice•50 BI consultants in Canada and US

About inbusiness

inbusiness Portals

BI Web-based Solutions

Why web-based reporting

•Companies and customers are more global today

•Easier to Deploy•Consistent with other corporate applications•Easier to use• Improved performance•Does not require high-end client machines• Integrated Security

Case Study

•Federal Government Department •Human Resources Development Canada

•1995 – Proof of Concept•October 1998 – Client Server Deployment

•October 1999 – Web Pilot •October 2000 – 1 year later•Today

Client Overview

•Human Resources Development Canada

•11 Region Offices and 320 HRCC Offices

•26,000 Employees Across Canada•Bilingual Workforce•Process U.I., OAS, CPP payments

1995 - Proof of Concept

•Purpose was to evaluate User based Query Tool

• Impromptu•Reporting against operational data•DMSII on the mainframe via ODBC software

•Limited number of users •Financial data only

Oct. 1998 – Client Server Deployment

• Background•PP 5.21 and Impromptu 4•Database cubes in regional servers•Centralized Oracle warehouse

• Architecture•1 PowerPlay Cube server per region•Unix-based Oracle Database Server

• Size of the Application•16 Models and 60 Reports

• User Community•700 users

October 1998 - Architecture

Transfer

Loading

Data

DSS Warehouse ServerUnix

Warehouse

Impromptu ClientWindows 95

Data sources

Finance/HRDatabase

SQL*Net(TPC/IP)

DARSDatabase

PowerPlayTranformer

Server(Unix)

PowerPlay ClientWindows 95

SQL*Net(TPC/IP)

Desktop Regional UsersAcross Canada

RegionalPowerPlay Cubes

Regional UnixServer (1 of 12)

RegionalPowerPlay Cubes

Regional UnixServer (12 of 12)

RegionalPowerPlay Cubes

Regional UnixServer ( 2 of 12)

...

SQL*Net(TPC/IP)

SQL*Net(TPC/IP)

Impromptu ClientWindows 95

PowerPlay ClientWindows 95

Impromptu ClientWindows 95

PowerPlay ClientWindows 95

...Region 1 Region 2 Region 12

SQL*Net(TPC/IP)

October 1998 - Challenges

• Installing software on the desktop•Shipping database cubes to regional servers

•User buy-in (data and new tools)•Network Infrastructure•Data Quality

October 1999 – Web Pilot

•Background•PowerPlay Enterprise Server 6.5•Impromptu Web Reports 5.0

•Size of the Application•20 PowerPlay Cubes •75 IWR Reports

•User Community•75 Pilot users

Oct. 1999 – Web Pilot Architecture

IWR Web Server (NT Server with IIS Webserver)

PowerPlay Enterprise and Standard Cubes(NT Server with IIS Webserver)

Oracle DSSWarehouse

DSS Database Server(Montreal)

PowerPlayThin Client

PowerPlay Web Client(Netscape Browser)

IWR Web Client(Netscape Browser)

Drillthrough Traffic

The IWR Server will contain IISand LDAP Integrated Securitylocated in Montreal

All regions would access thesame standard cubes securedwith Authenticator

October 1999 - Challenges

• Installing software on the servers•Version1 growing pains•Shift in thinking to web-based reporting•Developer / User Training•Security and User Classes•Defining the processes (Dev to Prod)•Training the ITC security administrators

October 2000 – 1 year Later

• Architecture•PowerPlay Enterprise Server 6.5• IWR 6.0

• Size of the Application•50 Cubes •250 IWR Reports•100 GB Data warehouse

• User Community•2000 Users

October 2000 - Architecture

IWR 6.0E Web Server`

PowerPlay EnterpriseLMSS Cubes

PowerPlayThin Client

IWR & Powerplay Web Client(Netscape Browser)

Drillthrough Traffic

The IWR6 Server contains- NT 4 English- IWR6 English- IWR6 English/French Report Store- IIS Web Server-LDAP Integrated Security-PowePlay Gateway Component

All regions access the samestandard cubes on the main PPEserver. Cubes from other Serversare Mapped to this server.

PowerPlay EnterpriseDARS & Labour Cubes

PowerPlay EnterpriseFinance/HR Cubes

DSS Database ServerV-Series

Oracle DSSWarehouse

IWR 6.0E Web Server

LoadBalancing

October 2000 - Challenges

•Process from Dev to QA to Prod•Scheduling of Cube Builds, Loads•Source Financial System was replaced

•Reporting no longer part of operational system

•User Training was after the fact

Today

• Architecture•PowerPlay Enterprise Server 6.6• IWR 6.0•KPI Business Pack

• Size of the Application•100 Cubes •1000 IWR Reports•120 GB Data warehouse

• User Community•3500 Users•120 User Classes

Present Production Architecture

4 / 1Gb / 8GbIWR - English

12 IWR Report ProcessesIWR Audit

4 / 1Gb / 40GbIIS

IWR - EnglishIWR Request Server

IWR GatewayIWR Report StoreIWR Object Store

4 IWR Processes (Prompts)IWR Audit

4 / 1Gb / 8GbIWR - French

12 IWR Report ProcessesIWR Audit

4 / 1Gb / 40GbIIS

IWR - FrenchIWR Request Server

IWR GatewayIWR Report StoreIWR Object Store

4 IWR Processes (Prompts)IWR Audit

LoadBalancing

LoadBalancing

Portal4 / 1Gb / 8Gb

IIS Web Site

LDAPTicket Serve

4 / 1Gb / 8GbIWR - English

12 IWR Report ProcessesIWR Audit

LoadBalancing

4 / 1Gb / 8GbIWR - English

12 IWR Report ProcessesIWR Audit

LoadBalancing

DARS/LA2000R Cubes4 / 1Gb / 8Gb

IISPPES 6.5

TransformerCube Models / Macros

G&C Cubes4 / 1Gb / 8Gb

IISPPES 6.5

TransformerCube Models / Macros

4 / 1Gb / 8GbIWR - French

12 IWR Report ProcessesIWR Audit

LoadBalancing S

QL*

Net

FRENCHWindows NT

andIWRHMD - English

4 / 1Gb / 8GbIIS

PPES/UpFrontKPI ApplicationPP Thin-Client

Copies of CMS cubes

HMD - French4 / 1Gb / 8Gb

IISPPES/UpFront

PP Thin-Client - FrenchKPI Application

Copies of CMS cubes

Daily Daily

Daily

Once Once Once

Once Once

OnceOnce

Authentication

Once

Once

DSS Warehouse

DSS Warehouse ServerHP V-2500 (HP-UX)

LMSS/HR/ISP Cubes + Links4 / 1Gb / 8Gb

IISPPES 6.5

TransformerCube Models / Macros

FIS/CMS Cubes4 / 4Gb / 8Gb+ 16 Temp

IISPPES 6.5

TransformerCube Models / Macros

Once Once

Present Challenges

• Integrating Security between MF and Web•Development / Production Support training•User Business Knowledge / Data training•Communication between various groups

•(BI Developers, DBAs, Prod Support, Users)•Client Server functionality from the Web

Future Plans

•Optimizing the warehouse•Web-based ad-hoc querying•EP Series 7 / Upfront migration•More data / applications•Unix based Servers

Questions

•Ottawa Contact Info• Tim.Quigg@inbusiness.com

•Toronto Contact Info•Tim.Attia@inbusiness.com

•HRDC Contact Info•John.Harder@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca