DCube – An Overview

DCube is a powerful tool which allows data captured by different applications of the system, to be selectively retrieved, presented in a user-defined manner and analyzed to provide information for decision making.

You can define the basic settings required for the execution of views and create a new view or select from the existing list of views. Views once individually defined, can be linked together such that one or more child views can be called from the parent view. The child views are defined on specific columns of the parent view. The link between the parent view and the child view is established during the view configuration process in the “Configure Drill Down” activity. Links to external business components can also be provided from the parent view, using the “Define View” activity.

DCube provides an interface through which you can generate SQL queries for retrieval of data. Accordingly, those columns, on which further conditions can be applied at the time of setup / drill down, are identified as Criteria Columns. These columns are used to define filter criteria. Filter Criteria is the set of conditions specified for the selective retrieval of data, for views. Filter criteria can be viewed as well as modified for each level of drill down.

Drill Down is the process by which more detailed information pertaining to a view can be obtained from a linked child view. DCube allows for drill down to any number of levels. Run time filter criteria can be specified at every stage of drill down. Each drill down view displays data as per all the filter criteria defined for that view. An optional stored procedure is used to pre-process data before it is filtered and displayed. The stored procedure is automatically executed each time the view is launched. You are provided with the option of viewing the query generated, at the time of defining the view. This is useful while setting up views, to verify if the right data is being retrieved for the drill down. It can be also used as a query generator. You can set conditions for data alarm. Records matching the set conditions are highlighted separately.

The data visible to a user can be controlled both vertically and horizontally by appropriate restrictions applied to the role(s) mapped to the user. In the vertical restriction, the rights to view the columns of a particular view can be selectively granted or revoked for different roles using the “Set View Rights” activity. In the horizontal restriction, the data viewed by users belonging to a particular role can be controlled by specifying filter conditions. The users view only the data that match the specified filter conditions. Horizontal restrictions can be specified using the “Define View” activity.

DCube allows the viewing of information in a hierarchical way. Analysis of this information, typically starting at a summary level and moving down to a detailed level, is thus possible. In addition it supports standalone views.

DCube for users

Users execute views that are already defined in DCube. Hence, users will be provided access rights only for the “Inquiries” activity.

DCube for administrators

Administrators are authorized to define, modify, configure and administer views in DCube. Hence, administrators will be provided the access rights for all the activities.

Getting familiar with the activities