21
Thu, Nov
1 New Articles

Partner TechTip: Data Retrieval Made Simple

General
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Do your users constantly ask you to write this query or that data retrieval program? Do they complain that they have no easy way to retrieve and analyze data? Does that data retrieval product you installed sit idle because your users don't know the database well enough to use it? Even when you build a query for your users, are they frustrated because they then want to see the underlying detail? Is the setup, cost, and maintenance expense of an OLAP tool just too much? Do your users need real-time data access?

At ASC, we've perfected end user data access and analysis. With SEQUEL, you can create dynamic views that enable you to drill to any of the fields in the underlying files automatically, with no prior setup. With simple SEQUEL views, you can create analysis tools for business analysts and executives who aren't familiar with your database.

Consider this sales analysis example. You have three files: sales history, customer master, and item master. SEQUEL will join these three files; calculate sales, cost, margin, and margin percent; and summarize by sales region.

http://www.mcpressonline.com/articles/images/2002/MC%20Press%20Tips%20n%20Techniques%202005-10-12V400.jpg
(Click images to enlarge.)

In the SEQUEL Viewpoint design screen, you prompt the database and define your view. This view summarizes the many records in the sales history file down to a single row for each sales region. You can output the results in various formats, including Excel, PDF, CSV, HTML, and XML.

You could get the same result with Query/400 or most any other data retrieval product. But this is a dynamic view. So, with no prior setup other than the above view definition, you can automatically drill into the fields in the underlying files (sales history, customer master, item master file) to present detail any way you need to see it. Or you can re-summarize the data with the same degree of flexibility.

Let's look at the drill-down options. By clicking on a button, you generate the following display. Suppose you'd like to know why sales region 50 has the lowest margin of all of the sales regions. Simply right-click anywhere on the region 50 line. Then, click on Show Details. The Show Details panel presents a list of the fields you can drill on. Suppose you want to see the sales region numbers broken out by state. Simply check the State field and click OK.

http://www.mcpressonline.com/articles/images/2002/MC%20Press%20Tips%20n%20Techniques%202005-10-12V401.jpg

Now you see a list of the states in sales region 50, including the same sales, cost, margin, and margin percent format.

http://www.mcpressonline.com/articles/images/2002/MC%20Press%20Tips%20n%20Techniques%202005-10-12V402.jpg

You can continue to drill into any of the other fields in the files or into a combination of fields. For example, you might drill from state to customer number, name, address, and sales rep. The margin percent figures are automatically recalculated at each level of display.

Instead of drill-down, you can also regroup the data by any of the fields in the list. You began by generating one summary row for each sales region. Now, you want to see all of the data in the files summarized by product class. Instead of clicking on Show Details, click on Regroup. SEQUEL will summarize on whatever field you select. If you select Sales Year, you would see the following display. In this figure, the margin percent column is charted.

http://www.mcpressonline.com/articles/images/2002/MC%20Press%20Tips%20n%20Techniques%202005-10-12V403.jpg

You can summarize, or group, on any field or fields. If you want to see the data aggregated by sales year and sales month, you check those fields. You can also alternate between regroup and drill-down. You might begin by showing a row for each sales year and then picking a year and drilling into month and then day. The idea is to provide the greatest possible flexibility in analyzing the data.

You can begin at the highest level of summarization and drill to the lowest level of detail. You can drill through three levels or thirty levels along any drill path you desire. The number of possible drill path combinations in this simple example is in the tens of millions. It would be virtually impossible to anticipate them all. Yet SEQUEL doesn't require you to predefine how your users can drill. With a dynamic view, the drill paths are up to the users and are predefined automatically as soon as the view is built.

SEQUEL dynamic views are scalable. They're perfect for business analysts because they require no familiarity with the database or SEQUEL syntax. You provide the business analyst with as much flexibility as possible with as little setup as possible.

Learn more about SEQUEL dynamic views by clicking here. And check out ASC's other offerings in the MC Showcase Buyer's Guide.

Charles Bernstein is Director of Database Products at Advanced Systems Concepts, Inc. He can be reached at 847.605.1311 x122 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: