Mahboob M. Rahman

Certified Senior Cognos Report/ Dashboard Author, Modeler,

Administrator, and Oracle Certified DBA Professional (OCP)

Visa Status: US citizen since June 2012.

Professional Summary:

18+ years of experience in the IT industry as Senior BI Developer and Modeler and Cognos Architect and Tableau, MicroStrategy, and Power BI visualization and modeling expert.

I have expert level of knowledge and experience in requirements gathering, analyzing, dealing directly with the end users, power users, stake holders, business analysts, DBAs, and technical leads for creating framework models (projects) data modules, and data sets.

As certified Oracle Database Administrator Professional (OCP DBA) I have clear understanding of the database architecture, their performance tuning and maintenance.

I have great skills in developing, fixing, and fine-tuning complex SQL quires to avoid data duplication, avoid data missing and fixing cross joins and loops.

Participated in the full software development life cycle (SDLC) and worked in development, all kinds of testing like unit test, regression test, UAT, and performance test, migrating reports and dashboards from development to QA and then to production environments.,

I have expert level skills in Cognos report and dashboard development, metadata modeling, and Administration jobs like upgrading Cognos from v 10.2 to Cognos Analytics (v11.x), migrating reports and packages from development to QA and then to production environments, scheduling reports, Cognos Configuration, server load balancing etc.

I have created groups and roles for business users, granted and revoked access permissions like read, write, traverse, and execute permissions to the users.

Created Row Level (Data Security), Package level, and Object Level security in Cognos Framework Manager incorporating, Parameter maps, and Session parameter.

Scheduled reports for the off time and long running reports and distributing them to end users.

I possess expert level of skills in performance tuning of reports, dashboards, and framework manager projects and models and also in Cognos Analytica data module and data sets, and Cognos Administration jobs.

As a DBA certified professional (OCP DBA) I have great skills and hands on experience in working with RDMS databases and Big Data, Cloud data, and databases on the cloud like DB2, Snowflake etc.

I possess expert level complex SQL query writing, fixing issue, and fine-tuning query performances.

I have great skills in using macro, parameter maps, session parameters, determinant, correcting loop joins to avoid double counting and to make things work dynamically and to produce accurate data in the reports and dashboards.

As a certified DBA professional and with 18+ years of experience I have gained great skills in analyzing data, creating star and snowflax schema and retrieving accurate data from multiple cloud and traditional data sources like Snowflake, Teradata (cloud), IBM DB2 (cloud), Oracle, MS Sql Server etc.,

I have created and enhanced Transformer Cubes by doing model plan, creating levels for drill up and drill down, creating IQD files in Cognos framework manager to be used as data source.

Great experience in creating DMR models in Cognos Framework Manager to create reports in Analysis Studio with drill up and drill down capabilities and to analyze data by doing slice and dice.

Highly experienced in dealing with table joins and cardinality to ensure that data is produced accurately and performance is improved in reports and dashboards.

Highly skilled in creating complex interactive dashboards, authoring relational and multidimensional reports, transformer cubes for healthcare (Blue Cros Blue Shield), automotive (General Motors), manufacturing, power & gas distribution, retail business, etc.

I am expert in developing Drill through, drill up and drill down reports so that users can slice and dice data at different levels by different dimensions.

Great skills in doing conditional formatting in reports and dashboards to view data distinctly for analysis.

Posses’ great skills in creating documents like data dictionary, technical specs etc., for mapping source data and uploading them into SharePoint site to be used by other report authors, and business users.

Experienced in analytical Database Design and Data Modeling skills using ERWIN.

I have excellent written and communication skills and I work closely with other teams like, QA (Testing) team, ETL teams, business analysts, DBAs, End users etc.

Expert hand on Unit Testing of the reports, dashboards, and the framework models, data modules, and data sets after the development.

Helping and supporting the business users in doing UAT (User Acceptance Testing), and getting sign offs. Also helping the QA team for testing the complex part of the applications.

Experienced in creating and working with Performance recording and working with Log files

Demonstrated outstanding leadership, creative problem solving and analytical skills in the areas Business Intelligence (BI) and worked with several groups most successfully across multiple platforms at the same time having hard timelines.

Created JDBC and ODBC connection to connect data sources from framework manager to develop projects in Cognos Framework manager and Data Modules in Cognos Analytics (v11.1.7/ 11,2,3).

Scheduled reports for off hours and night time running and emailing report outputs to users.

Experienced in creating different visualizations using Bars, Lines and Pies, Maps, Scatter plots, Gantts, Bubbles, Histograms, Bullets, Heat maps and Highlight tables.

I can adapt to any diverse environments, handle critical issues, and can accept challenging assignments with enthusiasm.

I have excellent oral and written communication skills along with outstanding interpersonal skills.

Education:

Masters in Computer and Information Systems (CIS) - 2003,

University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Michigan

IBM Cognos Certifications

IBM Cognos 8/10 BI Report Author

IBM Cognos 8/10 BI Metadata Modeler

IBM Cognos 8/10 BI Administrator

DBA Certifications

Certified Oracle Database Administrator Professional (OCP DBA) – 2004

Certified Oracle Database Administrator Associate (OCA) - 2003

Oracle Corporation, USA

Full time in class training on Financial Management

Financial Management Course (525.5 Hours) Apr 02 – Jul 02

US Air Force (Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX, USA)

Technical Summary:

Reporting and Modeling Tools: IBM Cognos Analytics (v11.2.3 / 11.1.7) and series 10, 08, and 07,

Framework Manager, Report Studio, Query Studio, Analysis Studio, IBM Cognos Powerplay Studio Version 10.2.0, Access Manager, Powerplay v7.5, IBM Cognos Transformer: Tableau series 2021, 2018, 10, 9.x., MicroStrategy (v10 and 11)

Databases: Snowflake databases, MS SQL Server 2017, IBM DB2 (cloud), Teradata 16.20 (cloud), Oracle 19c, 11G/10G /9i, 2016, 2012, 2008, 2007. MySQL v6.0, MS Access), DB2 10.5

Data Integration Tool: Informatica v. 10.5.4, 10.5.2

Query Tools: Teradata SQL Assistant 16.20, Teradata Express 15.10.01.01, / dB Visualizer 9.1.6, Toad for Oracle 13.3, DBeaver 6.0.2

Languages: SQL * Plus, PL/SQL, VBScript, JavaScript, TSL, HTML, XML

Test Automated Tool : Life Cycle Manager/ Upgrade Manager

Operating Systems : Windows 10, windows 7, (NT 4.0/ 95/ 98/ 2000 / XP Professional)

Application Software : MS Office 2000/2003/2007/2010

Internet Technology : Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigation and Mozilla Firefox.

Documentation Tool : SharePoint, Scrum Master, Harvest Change Management,

Defects Tracking Tools: Test Director 9.5, HP 9.3 /10.0

Others : Slack, MS Office suite, Erwin 9.2, MS Outlook, and Lotus Notes etc.

Technical Skills:

Cognos:

Report Studio/Cognos Analytics

Different types of reports lists, crosstabs, visualizations, combinations, dashboards, active reports. Calculations, filters, aggregations, prompts, cascading prompts. Use of functions, macros. Queries, joins, set operations. Layouts and formatting, conditional formatting, conditional blocks.

Cognos Analytics Administration

Installation and configuration, setup and configure dispatchers, content store, gateway.

Drivers for data connections. Optimize usage of resources by configuring BI buses based on available memory, binding dispatchers to only associated drivers or associated processes (E.g. dispatcher 5 only for schedules). Connect to LDAP, creation of users, user groups. Upgrades, migrations, deployments, versioning. Installed and integrated third party authentication tool

Transformer

Developed Cubes, data sources (IQDs, FM query subjects), Dimensions, facts, Levels, Manual Categories. Used Python to automatically refresh the Cube view.

Query Studio/Event Studio/Analysis Studio

Ad-hoc reporting, Analyses, slicing & dicing, filters, conditional formatting. Alerts, events based on data, usage, time.

Cognos Connection/Analytics

Reports, report views, shortcuts, saving prompts on views, versions, report outputs

Scheduling and distribution, bursting, jobs.

Framework Manager

Creating data sources from one or more sources. Modelling Database layer – baseline data objects (tables/views/SPs), joins, cardinalities.

Business Layer – Complex business logics, additional joins, aggregations (if any), Complex Joins, Joins after aggregations, Order of Joins, Filters, order of filters.

Presentation Layer - DMR Model Query Subjects. Dynamic Cube.

Security – Security at Object Level, security at Row Level, Security at Column level.

Macros/Parameter Maps/Session Parameters – Macros and Parameter Maps for dynamically changing tables or columns based on user profile to implement security

Granularity – Joins at different granular level, higher level joins either using modelling or using determinants. Multi database joins, database processing & local processing. Governing setting. Standalone filters, Query Subject Filters, Custom calculations.

Packages – Vendor specific functions, Model Advisors, and Dependencies.

MS SQL Server

Performed enterprise strategic BI DW Assessment and identified the gaps.

Prepared Enterprise BI DW roadmap based on the findings from the assessment process.

Recommended tools for BI and reporting. Designed the high-level architecture of the DW BI landscape.

Installed, Configured, and Maintained SQL Server 2014, 2012, and 2008 R2 in development, test, and production environment.

Experienced in SQL Server version 2005 – 2019, BIDS, and Visual Studio.

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist and skilled in SSMS, SSIS, SSRS and SSAS.

Expert lever knowledge in Table, Views, Indexed Views, Triggers, Stored Procedures, CTE’s, Functions both system and user defined.

Created and managed different types of Indexes (Cluster/Non-Cluster), Constraints (Unique/Check)

Developed SSIS Packages from different sources like SQL Server Database, Flat file, CSV, Excel, and many other data sources supports ODBC, OLE DB Data Sources

Deployed SSIS packages to move data across server, move logins, load data from different data sources. Setup jobs from SSIS Packages.

Advance level knowledge of database design, development, and management.

Experienced in Logical and Physical data modeling.

Worked on Data Modeling projects, Backward Engineering, Developed E-R Diagram and used multiple tools like Erwin, Toad Data Modeler, and SQL Server Data Diagram (SSDD)

Expert in debugging the data issues for relational as well as dimensional solutions.

Extensive experience with SSRS, Azure Analysis Services & SSAS, Tabular Model, SQL Server Data Warehouse.

Experienced with Multi-dimensional/OLAP modelling, BI Semantic layer along with BI Reporting layer.

Well versed with Azure SQL.

Professional Experiences

Nike, Inc., Beaverton, Oregon Sept, 2021 -

Sr. BI Developer/IBM Cognos Architect, Data Modeler, and Snowflake

Nike is the No.1 manufacturer and distributor of sports items like Nike shoes, sports suits, and bunch of other items, distributing them locally in USA and worldwide making billions of dollars business. It’s reporting requirements are very high and complex. The company deploys highly skilled reporting and modeling specialists and professionals for creating complex dashboards, reports and metadata models, creating groups and roles and applying row level, Object and Package level security, and member security (in cubes) for restricting the data only to the authorized users and groups.

I had been working in the ‘Zoom in Reporting Squad’ since September 2021 gathering and analyzing business requirements, creating and maintaining complex dashboards, reports and metadata models in Cognos v11.2.3, developing cubes in Cognos Transformer and protecting the data making them available to the authorized users only. I performed Cognos Administrative jobs and gave 24/7 production support to the business users.

Environments:

Reporting Tools: IBM Cognos Analytics v 11.2.3, MS SQL Server 2017, and Tableau v 2021.2

Databases: Snowflake database, DB2 (Cloud), Teradata v16.20, Oracle 19c

Data Integration Tools: Informatica 10.5.4

Query Tools: dB Visualizer 9.1.6, Toad for Oracle 13.3. Teradata SQL Assistant 16.20

Other Tools: Scrum Master (2020), Slack, MS Office suite, Erwin 9.8, MS Outlook, Share Point etc.

I have been working with the stake holders, end users, power users, and business analysts (BI) to determine, analyze, and understand the scope and requirements of the business reporting.

I did break the requirements into pieces to create Jira stories (Scrum Master) to put them into ‘Backlog’ and then bring them to the ‘Active Sprint’ to be distributed them by the Scrum Master among the developers and analysts during the scrum meetings to fix the issues.

I performed data analysis across multiple data sources to make sure the quality, accuracy and well processed data, cleansed data are populated into the reporting metadata models, which would make data more productive, give better understanding of the business, and make the team more collaborative.

Performed Cognos Administration jobs like Load balancing, Server performance tuning, configuring Cognos servers, migrating and scheduling reports.

Creating users’ groups and roles, granting and denying access permissions users etc.

I have created documents like ‘Data Definition Documents’ (DDS), Technical Specs explaining the data sources, data location, fields to be added into the Cognos framework projects for modeling metadata, and the logic to be incorporated into different data items in FM model for achieving the desired output without missing and duplicating of any data.

I created the data sources installing JDBC/ODBC connection to connect to the data sources and imported the required database tables, objects, and views from Snowflake database, and other traditional data sources like Teradata, Oracle, DB2, MS SQL Server etc. to create the projects in Cognos framework manager.

I have developed complex dashboards and reports in report studio to meet customers’ requirements.

I developed complex SQL Tabular SQL adding optional prompts using macro in the SQL connecting directly to the data sources to develop reports in report studio.

I have created projects in Cognos (v11.1.7) framework manager importing database tables, views, Stored Procedures, from multiple data sources, following IBM best practices of metadata modeling.

I added package, object, and row level security by incorporating macros, ‘parameter maps, ‘session parameters, in framework manager to safeguard the data and to control the user access to data by the authorized users only.

I applied determinant in framework manager to avoid data duplication and double counting.

I converted the sales cube into DMR Model building required levels for dimensions, measures, and attributes to make sure that the drill and drill down and slice and dice of data works properly.

I created shortcuts and aliases to avoid ambiguous join paths, cross joins and loops between dimensions and fact tables

I created presentation layer (3rd layer) with shortcuts and then published packages into the content store in Cognos App Server, after proper validation, for creating reports by the report authors.

Integrated custom visuals based on business requirements using Power BI desktop. Delivered industry standard dashboards for data analysis.

Created various calculated columns in the reports using DAX query and published the reports to the Power BI workspace and performed testing and data validations.

Experienced with Power BI security model, performance optimization and deployment processes.

Used Power Query to acquire data and Power BI desktop for designing rich visuals.

I performed unit testing after development and worked with QA teams for their testing and helped the end users to perform user acceptance testing (UAT) and confirmed sign offs.

I performed various types of tables joins, like inner join, left and right outer joins and full outer joins between query subjects into the database layer to make sure that data is not duplicated or dropped or looped having ambiguous join paths.

Performed robust conditional formatting in crosstab and list reports using conditional styles to distinctly view the numeric values for analysis and to better identify exceptional or unexpected results.

I created and managed agents in Event Studio specifying event conditions and creating query expression in a data package as a data item to monitor data and perform tasks when the data met predefined thresholds.

Performed Unit Testing of the reports, dashboards, and the framework models, data modules, and data sets after the development.

Helped the Testing teams in testing complex issues and also helped the end users on the UAT and got sign offs.

In Event Studio I did add an Items, send an email, publish a new item, run Jobs, run import and export and many more.

I created a good number of DMR models in Cognos Framework Manager for creating drill up and drill down capabilities and to analyze data doing slice and dice

Created Data Sets and Data Modules in Cognos Analytics (V11.1.7) for creating dashboards.

I helped the junior developers in coding, creatin complex dashboards, explaining the requirements and helped them in doing data analysis.

I created SQL queries where necessary for complex Cognos reports and dashboards

I worked with cross functional teams Including Functional teams, Project Managers, DBAs and Business Stakeholders to deliver the high-Quality End to End solution.

I created user groups and roles for security purposes adding the users appropriately into them.

I did grant and revoke permissions like read, write, traverse, and execute permissions., to the business users as and when required.

I worked with the Scrum Master to pull up the backlog issue into the ‘Active Sprint’.

I developed complex dashboards incorporating different types of charts and crosstab reports.

Created views in Tableau Desktop that were published for internal teams for review and further data analysis and customization using filters and actions.

Created Heat Map showing current service subscribers by color that were broken into regions allowing business user to understand where we have most users vs. least users.

Blended data from multiple data sources to build analytical data sets to answer business questions.

Combined views and reports into interactive dashboards in Tableau Desktop that were presented to business users, and end users.

Integrated custom visuals based on business requirements using Power BI desktop. Delivered industry standard dashboards for data analysis.

Created various calculated columns in the reports using DAX query and published the reports to the Power BI workspace and performed testing and data validations.

Experienced with Power BI security model, performance optimization and deployment processes.

Used Power Query to acquire data and Power BI desktop for designing rich visuals.

Reviewed SQL queries and edited inner, left, and right joins in Tableau Desktop by connecting live/dynamic and static datasets.

Created mission critical Cognos reports in development environment and migrated them to QA environment for UAT and then promoted them to production environment for end users use.

I did performance tuning of complex and slow running reports and tremendously improved performance by reviewing and modifying the report SQL, analyzing the SQL by using ‘Explain Plan’, avoiding slow running functions like ‘Trunk, creating indexes and ‘partitioning databases.

Resolved issues both in framework projects and Cognos reports arising out of wrong coding, inappropriate use of database functions etc.

Added robust formatting for easy to visualize data distinctly by the top management and executives.

I worked with the migration team to, provided them the required documents, to get the reports and packages migrated to the test and then to production environment.

I created and enhanced cubes in transformers importing data from multiple data sources, designing the model by creating dimensions and their levels, generating and publishing the cube and distributing them to business and end users.

Added several dimensions and measures into the cubes for modeling the cube

Added member based and object security into the cube to restrict data to specific users.

Enhanced and maintained multiple cubes to add more dimension and levels

Sally Beauty, Denton, Texas Dec 2019 – Aug 2021

Senior IBM Cognos Developer, Modeler, Administrator and Snowflake

Environments:

Reporting Tools: IBM Cognos Analytics v 11.1,7, MS SQL Server 2017, and Tableau v 2021.2

Databases: Snowflake database, MS SQL Server 2017, DB2(Cloud), Oracle 19c, Teradata v 16.20 (Cloud),

Data Integration Tool: Informatica v. 10.5.2

Query Tools: Teradata SQL Assistant 16.20, Toad for Oracle 13.3

Other Tools: Slack, MS Office suite, Erwin 9.8, MS Outlook

Sally Beauty serves more than 800 stores in USA, and 12 other countries around the globe for supplying beauty products. They need to see data from top to the store level in multiple dimensions and levels by countries, regions, stores having lowest level of granularity like items at line levels doing drill up and drill downs and doing drill though data at the lowest level of granularity. I extracted data from multiple data sources to develop framework models, publishing packages and for creating Data Module, and Data Sets. Developed the OMS framework in Cognos 11.1.7 creating multiple star and snow flax schemas and the developing dimensional and relational reports with drill through capabilities with robust formatting. Worked in parallel in Cognos and Tableau administration, modeling framework models, data modules, and publishing packages, uploading dashboards having multiple workbooks onto Tableau servers and Tableau Public and developing dashboards and complex reports I also dealt with the power users and UAT teams on many different aspects and issues of reports, to confirm data accuracy, appropriate formatting, and performance.

I worked with the Business Analyst and the power users to finalize the reporting requirements

I worked with the DBAs, data modeling teams to determine the data sources and availability of the tables and objects to create the framework model/projects and I follow IBM best standards to create the project in framework manager.

I created required joins between the query subjects with appropriate cardinalities, added complex business logics and created several Star and Snowflax schima for reporting purpose.

I created connection strings installing JDVC and ODBC drivers to connect the data sources to Cognos framework manager to import database tables, views to create projects.

Developed custom visuals incorporating Power BI desktop.

Delivered industry standard dashboards for data analysis.

I performed Cognos administrative jobs like scheduling and migrating reports and packages,

I applied determinant in framework manager to avoid data duplication and double counting

Avoided loops and cross joins using table aliases and short cuts.

Developed Operational Management System (OMS) model importing objects and tables from the data sources, doing joins, adding business logics and published the package for reporting purpose.

Added conditional formatting in reports and dashboards to display measure values distinctly.

Created the DMR models with multiple dimensions and measures in Cognos framework manager.

Migrated reports and the OMS-Reporting package to production environment.

Enhanced the multiple cubes to add more dimension and levels

Added alternate path to the time dimension for better analysis of data.

Finetuned the Sales cube, added security at user and row level, and published them.

Helped the junior developers in complex codding, fixing SQL issues, and explaining complex requirements.

Converted charts into Crosstabs for further underlying data analysis in MS Excel.

ArthreX, Naples, Florida October 2018 – April 2019

Senior IBM Cognos Report Author and Metadata Modeling Specialist

Worked closely with the stakeholders, end users, business analysts, DBAs, data architects, Etl teams, testing teams to gather and analyze business requirements, analyze data for accuracy to meet the reporting requirements, to create technical documents and so on.

Created the Cognos Framework models from scratch for the ‘eSurgery’, ‘Red Heart’, and ‘Back Order’ projects.

Converted the ‘Sales’ cube modeled which was created in DMR model in framework manager to use as the data source. Added relative time into the time dimension to fulfill business needs.

Created row level, object level, and package level security in framework manager to restrict users on objects, and on data for specific dimension, and facts.

Performed unit test, and then worked with the testing teams to get the dashboards and reports passed to get them promoted to production environment from QA environments.

Created data sources in ‘CQM’ and ‘DQM’ from the Cognos Analytics (v11.0.13) ‘configuration> data source connection page to connect data to the data sources in framework manager.

Promoted packages and reports from development to test, and then from test to production environments.

Added / removed users in Cognos Analytics (v11.0.13) using administration console (Cognos administration> security> Users, groups, and roles tab) to give access and deny access to specific objects by users, user groups, and roles.

Improved performance of reports by removing the functions like ‘trunk’, taking advantage of indexing, and data base partitioning, avoiding full outer joins etc.

Resolved the loops in framework manager creating alias queries, and short cuts.

Followed the IBM best practices like creating 03 layers and so on in framework manager.

Changed the defaults governor settings in framework manager to meet and fix issues.

Fixed report errors and closed tickets created by end users in production environments.

Performed robust conditional formatting per the requirement of the end users.

Applied parameter map in framework manager for creating row level security.

General Motors Company (GMC LLC), Detroit, Michigan Nov 2011 – May 2018

Senior Cognos Developer and Framework Modeler

Gathered requirements from end users, stake holders, business analysts, analyzed the business process and logic for transforming them into report requirements for creating reports and dashboards.

Performed data analysis from multiple data bases/schemas incorporating Teradata Express, TOAD, SQL Developer to ensure data accuracy on reports.

Provided full time production support to fix the broken reports, to make sure scheduled reports are running on time, especially late-night scheduled reports,

Created Ad hoc frameworks for the GMTOPs, Aries, Isuzu, FCR, and KPI projects from scratch applying

framework best practices (IBM) and adding, determinants, resolving loops and circular joins wherever needed, created bridge table to retrieve data from multiple fact tables and also enhanced and maintained other FM models to support those applications.

Created highly complex reports and dashboards resolving data issues, doing performance tuning from these frameworks,

Gathered business requirements, analyzed business process to develop framework models and create dashboards and reports. Discussed with stakeholders, end users and Business Analysts to finalize them.

Created requirements document and technical specs and uploaded the documents into the SharePoint site for future references by team mates.

Created row level security, object level security and package level security to secure data from unauthorized access by users.

Performed Cognos administration and security (Design, implement and administering securities)

Involved in physical and logical data modeling, to ensure that the objects and views meet the requirements of frameworks and the reports.

Worked with Data Warehouse team, DBAs, Business Analysts as needed to define new data warehouse tables, new fields & attributes, additional indexing and partitioning needed for reporting.

Created Cognos Active reports for displaying interactive functionality in Cognos v11 and v10 series

Developed Dynamic Cubes in IBM Dynamic Cube Designer.

Performed in depth data analysis incorporating Teradata Express for Teradata and Toad for Oracle retrieving data from the Data Warehouse and data marts

Migrated reports from Cognos 10.2 to Cognos 11.0 (Cognos Analytics)

Worked with the QA team helping them to test the reports and getting QA sign offs.

Worked in all phases of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) from start to end.

Mentored new developers by debugging their codes, performance tuning their reports

Performed heavy conditional formatting using style variables on reports

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