With Pentaho’s new open source metadata capabilities, administrators can define a layer of abstraction that presents database information to business users in familiar business terms. Administrators identify relationships between tables in the database, create business-language definitions for complex or cryptic database tables and columns, set security parameters to limit data access to appropriate users,
specify default formatting for data fields, and provide additional translations for business terms for multi-lingual deployments. Business users can then use Pentaho’s new ad hoc query capabilities to choose the specific elements they would like to include in a given report, such as order quantities and total spending by customer grouped by region.
The new web-based query interface uses AJAX technology to provide a highly interactive, easy to use, scalable front end. The application’s metadata layer was built using the Common Warehouse Metamodel (CWM) standard created by the Object Management Group (OMG) designed to allow for interoperability with existing metadata stores as well as third-party databases, metadata repositories, and ETL tools. Pentaho’s metadata-driven query engine uses JDBC and ANSI standard SQL to allow for the broadest possible choice of proprietary and open source databases including Oracle, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL and others. Pentaho’s metadata will also be accessible in the near future from Pentaho’s open source graphical report designer, and the Pentaho Design Studio.
Pentaho Introduces Web-Based Ad Hoc Query and Reporting
November 23, 2006 · 1 Comment
Categories: BI · BI Product · Business Intelligence · Open Source BI
1 response so far ↓
Tom // December 29, 2008 at 10:50 pm
LogiXML’s Logi Ad Hoc is also a great Web-based ad-hoc reporting tool that is particularly suited for midsize firms.
Unlike open source projects, a software like Logi Ad Hoc is more “predictable” in the way it allows CIOs or CEOs to see exactly what it looks like *before* they buy. For instance, users should be able to try the ad hoc reporting solution with their data, and see how the tool fits before a commitment is made.
That’s the big drawback of open source, IMO.