Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches – Questions & Answers

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In this slide deck, Senturus experts answer nearly 100 questions raised by participants during a recorded webinar, “Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches.” Topics …


• Commonly encountered installation issues and how-to advice on streamlining a Cognos 10 upgrade.
• Cognos 10 BI Server core components
• Cognos 10 search index required post-install
• Navigating the maze of 32-bit and 64-bit.

To download the slide deck and view the original recorded Senturus webinar, “Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches,” visit You will find this and many other webinars and resources about IBM Cognos Business Intelligence and Planning and related topics.

Senturus designs and builds Business Intelligence systems to enable executives to better run their businesses. Since 2001, Senturus has been an IBM Cognos Premier Business Partner and delivered over 1400 projects to 650+ clients in a breadth of industries and applications.

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  • 1. Q&A fromInstalling Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches Webinar 5/24/2012 Helping Companies Learn From the Past, Manage the1 Present and Shape the Future
  • 2. This Q&A is from a Recorded Webinar The questions in this log were collected during Senturus’ webinar entitled Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches. After the webinar, the Senturus team answered the questions and distributed the answers shown here. Original Webinar Recording: Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches Upgrading to Cognos 10 is a lot smoother when you can benefit from tips and tricks Senturus has discovered during our hundreds of upgrades. In this webinar, Senturus shares commonly encountered issues and how-tos on streamlining an upgrade. The presentation covers Cognos 10 BI Server core components, common installation issues, Cognos 10 search index required post-install and navigating the maze of 32-bit and 64-bit. VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING AND DOWNLOAD SLIDE DECK
  • 3. Table of Contents Hardware Configuration Page 4 Virtualization Page 5 32-bit vs. 64-bit Page 6 Databases Page 9 Web Servers Page 12 Distributed Architecture Page 14 Cognos 10 Search Page 18 UNIX / Linux Page 20 General Installation/Configuration Page 21 Upgrade/Migration Page 28 Training/Miscellaneous Page 29 Other Topics Page 313
  • 4. Hardware Configuration Q: What is the most practical RAM requirement for a distributed Cognos 10 installation for each app server component? A: We usually recommend at least 2GB of RAM for each processor. A common dispatcher profile would be 4 CPU cores and 8 GB of RAM. It is practical to have at least 2 CPU cores and 4 GB of RAM per application server component. Q: Does a quad-core CPU count as one core or four? A: A quad-core CPU counts as four cores .4
  • 5. Virtualization Q: Any guidelines or best practices on Windows VMs? A: Please read the following regarding IBM guidelines for configuring virtual machines: http://www- Q: What are the advantages of installing Cognos on a Virtual Environment? A: Reduced reliance on specific physical infrastructure / maintaining multiple physical servers; ease of allocating additional resources to your Cognos environments as needed. Q: I was under the understanding that Cognos will not support the app if it is loaded on a VM. Do you know if this has changed? A: Please read the following regarding IBM Cognos and virtualized hardware: http://www-
  • 6. 32-bit vs. 64-bit Q: Other than DQM what would be the advantage to running 64 bit? A: The primary advantage of 64-bit aside from DQM is the scalability of the Java components when running on a 64-bit JVM. In large environments, this is most likely to be noticed when navigating through the Cognos Connection portal. As the number of concurrent users increases, responsiveness will be more consistent in a 64- bit implementation than a 32-bit implementation. Q: Do we need to use 64 bit only in the case of Unix/Linux? A: No. Either the 32-bit or 64-bit BI Server can be used with Unix/Linux. However, the Apache gateway must be bit-compatible with the version of the BI Server that you’re using. So if you’re using the 32-bit version of the BI Server, you must also use a 32-bit version of Apache (even if everything is running on a 64-bit Unix/Linus OS). Q: Is 64 bit report execution mode faster that 32 bit? A: Execution speed is dependent on multiple factors, including query type, query complexity and the size of the result set. Running queries in 64-bit execution mode doesn’t necessarily imply that they will run faster than 32-bit mode. However, the larger and more complex the query, the more likely it is to benefit from 64-bit mode. Q: Can we install Cognos 10 on Windows 7 (64 bit) machine. If yes, what webserver we can use? A: Please check to remain up-to-date on supported environments. Currently Windows 7 is NOT supported as a server platform. .6
  • 7. 32-bit vs. 64-bit cont. Q: With Cognos 10 on 64 bit platform, can I get rid of the 2GB limitation on OLAP time partitioned cube? A: No -- at present, Cognos Transformer is still a 32-bit tool, so it continues to be subject to the 32-bit memory limits. Q: What do you mean 64 bit client Oracle wont work with Cognos 10? We have a proof of concept installed and it works. We have reports running. Can you confirm? A: The requirement is simply that the 32-bit client libraries must be installed on the system. You can install the 64-bit Oracle client as long as you also include the 32-bit libraries during installation. (This is an option in the 64- bit Oracle installer.) Q: Are there any issues with OS 2003 64 bit? A: Windows 2003 64-bit is very stable and a good option for your Cognos server. Q: Can we run both 32-bit and 64-bit report server on the same machine? I understand that DQM runs only on 64bit server. A: Yes – you can run both 32-bit and 64-bit server on the same machine as long as they are installed in separate directories. However, if you choose to run both 32-bit and 64-bit dispatchers in a single Cognos environment, you will need to implement routing rules for any 64-bit only queries (i.e. any DQM-based queries).7
  • 8. 32-bit vs. 64-bit cont. • Q: Will a 64-Bit Cognos install on a 64-Bit OS be able to take advantage of large (>4 GB) memory even if it the reports are not running in Dynamic Query Mode? • A: For an individual report, no. The 32-bit C++ code in the report execution processes (BIBusTKServerMain.exe) is still subject to the 32-bit memory size limitations for each running report. However, if multiple reports are running concurrently, 64-bit Cognos on a 64-bit OS can run many more BIBusTKServerMain.exe processes at once, with each process using up to 4 GB of memory. The net result is that a 64-bit system is capable of running more reports concurrently than a 32-bit system. • Q: Is having one 64-bit server similar to having multiple 32-bit servers because it can handle more reports? • A: Not exactly. The scale is dictated by the hardware profile, not just the bitness (more RAM and more CPUs will support more dispatchers, equating to more capacity). For example, a 64-bit server with 4 GB of RAM will not be able to handle any more reports than a 32-bit server with 4 GB of RAM8
  • 9. Databases Q: When adding 32bit Oracle Client libraries to a 64bit Oracle Client install, can they just be copied from the install files? A: We’ve encountered one site where the Linux DBA copied the 32-bit libraries directly into place and we were able to use them successfully. However, this isn’t a supported configuration. A clean install or update using the Oracle installer is the only recommended approach. Q: Is the db client installation required even if you wanted to use type 4 connection? A: Yes. Q: Would I use ojdbc5.jar with Oracle 11 for 64 bit report execution mode? A: We haven’t configured 64-bit execution mode in an Oracle 11 environment. Please see the following note which suggests that ojdbc11 may be required in this case: http://www- Q: Can you use MySQL for content store? A: MySQL is currently not supported as a content store. Please see http://www- to obtain the most current information on supported software environments.9
  • 10. Databases cont. Q: Can I use a 64 bit database client or only 32 bits? A: You can install a 64-bit database client, but you must include the 32-bit libraries as well. When you install the 64-bit Oracle client, you must explicitly specify that 32-bit libraries should be included. When you install the 64-bit SQL Server Native Client, it includes both 32-bit and 64-bit libraries (note: on 64-bit Windows you must install the 64-bit SQL Native Client -- it won’t allow you to install the 32-bit only client). Q: We are planning to migrate to Cognos 10.1.1. It was our understanding that we should use the ojdbc6 file (a 64-Bit version of Cognos on Win 2008 R2 64-Bit). However, your slide deck says ojdbc5. Which should we use? Are there issues with ojdbc6? A: ojdbc5.jar is currently the only officially supported version for Oracle 11 in Cognos 10.1.1. Q: Do you have experience on C10 content store DB on Oracle 10g or 11g? A: Yes, we have implemented C10 content stores on both Oracle 10 and Oracle 11 databases. Q: Can newer "no-sql" databases be used? A: Yes, “no-sql” databases can be used as reporting data sources in Cognos. See the following Cognos 10.1.1 supported environments page for the list of currently supported databases: http://www-
  • 11. Databases cont. Q: We are using Oracle 11g for both our content manager and our metrics schemas. When I attempted to upgrade our metric schemas from v8.4.1. to v10.1.1, I received the message no ocijdbc10 in java.libray.path.’ Have you seen this before? We had to copy the libocijdbc file (we use Unix) to our Oracle client install to get around this. A: We haven’t encountered this specific issue before, but it is not uncommon for Oracle installations on UNIX to require some manual effort (either by copying or creating links to the required files) in order to get all of the required files into place for proper operation of Cognos.11
  • 12. Web Servers (Gateways) Q: You mentioned earlier that all Apache installation has custom settings. Can you give a couple examples please? A: Differences occur between different point-releases (and sub-releases) of Apache. The default contents of httpd.conf vary across versions, and the names and locations of other Apache configuration files (particularly for SSL) can also vary across different builds. Depending on your version of Apache and its default settings, you may have to set different parameters to properly configure the Cognos virtual directories. Q: If we are using Apache for our Gateway, do you recommend installing 32-bit or 64-bit C10? A: Either one is fine. The important thing to remember is that the gateway components are currently 32-bit regardless of whether you are running 32-bit or 64-bit C10 -- so you must run a 32-bit version of Apache in either case. Q: Are there any known issues of using Business Insight Advanced against CGI Gateway? A: Not that we know of. However, for all Cognos installations on Windows, ISAPI is recommended for best performance on the gateway.12
  • 13. Web Servers (Gateways) cont. Q: How can failover be handled for gateways? We used to use Microsoft Network Load Balancing but now we are being told that Netscaler is being used to load balance our web traffic. However, we have been having issues since doing this. Has Senturus encountered issues with Netscaler? A: The configuration requirements for load balancing vary across different environments -- troubleshooting this issue would require direct examination of the current configuration. Q: If I want to configure two dispatchers, should I have two apache run at the same server? Or it is the httpd.conf configuration? A: You do not need multiple web server instances in order to run multiple dispatchers. A single web gateway can access multiple dispatchers without any additional httpd. configuration changes. Any needed changes are made in Cognos Configuration.13
  • 14. Distributed Architecture Q: What is the relationship between the content manager, content store and dispatcher? A: Content manager is the service that manages communications between the web/app tiers and the content store database. Content store is the actual database tables that store Cognos-specific metadata, report specifications, saved report outputs, and other Cognos-related configuration data. Dispatcher is a Java process that serves as a container for running one or more Cognos sub-services. The Content Manager service runs inside a dispatcher, as do the Interactive and Batch Report Services, and many other services. All of the dispatchers in a given Cognos instance are aware of each other and can pass requests to each other for load balancing. Q: What is the advantage of a multi gateway and multi dispatcher installation? A: Multiple dispatchers and gateways allow you to distribute the load, thereby providing better overall system performance in environments where there is high-demand (lots of users, complex reports, etc.) Q: Can I have multiple gateways installed in the same server? A: Yes, you can theoretically have more than one gateway on the same physical server; however this approach is not very common. It is more common to configure multiple DISPATCHERS on single servers.14
  • 15. Distributed Architecture cont. Q: On what basis do we have to decide to use multiple dispatchers, multiple gateways and/or multiple content manager services installation? A: The decision to use multiple dispatchers, gateways, or content managers is driven mostly by the level of demand--or load--on the system. More resources give us more capacity to run more reports, queries, etc. Also, multiple instances of these processes give us greater fault tolerance in case one or more of the components fails. Q: Can I have a combination of CGI and ISAPI installation? A: Each individual gateway must be configured for either ISAPI or CGI, but you can certainly have an environment that has multiple gateways, including both a CGI gateway and a (separate) ISAPI gateway. . Q: Is there a work around to rename a Gateway URI to make it a user-friendly URL that can be accessed by the end user—something that is easy to remember, and top of the mind? A: Depending on your environment, you can generally create a user-friendly URL either through your web server admin console, through the use of HTTP redirects, or through DNS forwarding. Q: Can we have multiple Content Manager Services installed? A: Yes, you can have multiple Content Managers installed, but you always have only one active content manager. All other content managers operate in standby mode, in case the active content manager stops functioning.15
  • 16. Distributed Architecture cont. Q: What do you mean by report dispatcher? A: A report dispatcher is a Cognos dispatcher that has the Application Tier components installed on it. Most report dispatchers run both interactive and batch (scheduled) report services for Cognos. Q: In Windows, what are the pros and cons of installing multiple dispatchers on individual servers? What limits apply? What are performance implications? A: Going with a multiple dispatcher per server configuration allows you to take greater advantage of a high- capacity piece of hardware. Each dispatcher typically will only use a small % of the capacity of a large box. There are limits to the number of instances you would want to have on a single box, we typically recommend not more than two. Another thing to consider is failover--if all of your dispatchers are on the same server, and if that server fails, you are out of business. Q: What is the difference between routing methods exists in dispatchers? Which one is preferred in which case? A: Advanced routing options include package-based and group/role-based routing. When and how to use these options is very case-specific. Please see the Cognos Administration guide for details on these options.16
  • 17. Distributed Architecture cont. Q: Does the application dispatcher work the same as the content manager, i.e., will only one server be active at any given time if we have three application dispatchers? A: No. When multiple dispatchers are configured in an environment, they can all be active simultaneously. Cognos will intelligently load balance requests across all of the available dispatchers. Q: Will a single BIBus process run multiple report executions at the same time or is it a one-to-one relationship? A: The BIBus processes are multi-threaded processes, and each thread is capable of running a report-related task at any given time. Therefore, multiple reports can potentially be running in a single BIBus process, using different threads. Q: What is your recommendation on running report components on the CM primary and secondary servers - or should only CM component be installed on these? A: In a distributed environment, we recommend that the primary content manager is dedicated (no other components running there). It is fine to have one or more backup CMs running on your other report serves.17
  • 18. Cognos 10 Search Q: What is the advantage of using the Search Index? A: Faster, more powerful and more flexible search capabilities. Q: When we run index, Cognos crashes and generates dmp files. Why? A: Troubleshooting this issue would require direct examination of your Cognos environment. The best place to begin looking for clues is in the Cognos log files. Q: We are not using a distributed installation, but when weve tried to do the initial search index, it runs for hours without finishing. What are some other things I might check to troubleshoot this? A: As with the previous question, the best place to begin looking for clues is in the Cognos log files. Q: On the index service, does the C10/index directory have to be shared on multiple servers? A: No. Q: Does the index creation process have to be on the Content Manager server? Can it be done on another single dedicated server? A: No, it does not have to be on the Content Manager server. If you prefer, you can configure a dedicated server to build and update the index.18
  • 19. Cognos 10 Search cont. Q: When setting up the search index, there is a section for Content Options that contains Properties and Metadata as well as Data Values, with additional selections under that for Referenced Data or All Data. I did not see that explained when speaking about the search. Where can I get more info about that because the documentation doesnt really seem to discuss it? A: Detailed information on the search index options can be found in the Cognos Administration and Security Guide. Q: Can you use the Cognos Search for the entire Content Store in addition to the public folders? A: You can also add My Folders content to the search index. Q: How do we configure the legacy Cognos 8 Search in Cognos10? A: Search the Cognos knowledge base for “legacy search” in order to find info on this topic. Q: What is the downside to configuring the search index? Does it significantly increase the size of the Content Store? A: For smaller environments it may be overkill to configure the search index. However, configuring the search index does not significantly increase the size of the content store and it does provide considerably enhanced functionality over the legacy search capability. We typically configure the search index as a standard part of all new installations.19
  • 20. UNIX / Linux Q: For a large Enterprise level installation, is UNIX/Linux more likely to outperform Windows? Will UNIX/Linux need fewer dispatchers to be installed? A: Given an optimal configuration, it is unlikely that UNIX/Linux will outperform Windows. There are some architectural advantages to using the UNIX platform, but the best advice is to go with a platform that you can support given your IT departments skill set. If you dont have any UNIX admins, we don’t recommend building out a UNIX infrastructure! Windows is much more low-maintenance than UNIX/Linux in our experience.20
  • 21. General Installation/Configuration Q: Are there specific things to be aware of with C10 installations that include both planning and BI? A: Yes. Please see the Cognos Planning installation guide for details on integrated installations of Planning and BI. Q: I was trying to install Cognos 8.4 on my 64-bit machine which is running on Windows 7. Is this possible? A: No, Windows 7 is not supported as a server platform. Q: Can you tell me the steps to install Cognos 8.4.1/Cognos 10 in Windows 7? A: Windows 7 is not supported as a server platform. It is only supported as a browser and client platform for accessing Cognos. Q: If I have XP mode installed on Windows 7 as Virtual machine, can I install Cognos on XP? A: Depending on the version of Cognos you are trying to install, Windows XP may be a supported platform. See the Cognos supported environments page at http://www- to determine whether XP is supported for the BI Server version you are trying to install.21
  • 22. General Installation/Configuration cont. Q: Please address how to install Cognos 10.1.1 on z System / Linux OS A: Given the time constraints today, we will be focusing on details related to the Windows operating system. We wont be addressing z System or Linux today, but would be happy to set up a follow-up discussion. Just reach out to us at Q: We want to do a single server Servlet Gateway installation using AIX-->WebSphere-->IBM HTTP Server with SSL and LDAP token. How do you access Cognos Mobile in a servlet gateway installation? The /m option is not working. Do you have to configure a separate in web server for the mobile too? A: This is an uncommon configuration scenario. Troubleshooting this issue would require direct examination of the current configuration. Q: We have run into issues when configuring Content Manager on a second dispatcher to enable failover, where the content store gets corrupted. Is there a particular order of installation required? A: The primary Content Manager must be fully configured and initialized before attempting to configure and initialize the standby Content Manager. Then, when configuring the standby, changes must also be made to the primary content manager. See the Cognos BI installation guide for specific details on content manager failover configuration.22
  • 23. General Installation/Configuration cont. Q: We get this error very often in our C10 environment: java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: PermGen space. What should we do? A: This error refers to the “Permanent Generation” memory space in the Java heap. You may need to tune the Java configuration in your Cognos environment to increase the amount of memory that is allocated to the Permanent Generation space. See the Cognos knowledgebase for details on how to modify Java parameters for Cognos. Q: How much java memory should be assigned for best performance? The default is 768 MB. A: We typically assign 1152MB to the java memory. Q: We have two machines for dispatchers. When we run services, the first machine runs successfully; the second gets this error message:, pogo, Failure. DPR-DPR-1035 Dispatcher detected an error. A: This error message frequently appears in older versions of Cognos during service startup (although it can also occur in Cognos 10). This is a transient error and can usually be ignored, unless the dispatcher continually generates this error after startup has completed.23
  • 24. General Installation/Configuration cont. Q: What is the advantage of setting the Identity to "NetworkService" as opposed to "ApplicationPoolIdentity"? A: Use of the NetworkService identity instead of ApplicationPoolIdentity is a best practice recommendation to minimize the likelihood of security-related execution failures of the Cognos gateway components. Q: Why must one configure Cognos services to run as a specific named account as opposed to the default Local System account? A: Running the service as a domain account vs. the Local System is a best practice. You need this configuration in order to allow the service to send emails and communicate with other services as well. Q: Can you use the Framework Manager from version 8 for Cognos 10 or do you need to install it again while upgrading? A: You need to keep all of your components on the same version, including client components such as Framework Manager. .24
  • 25. General Installation/Configuration cont. Q: How do you install a backup Cognos installation to support failure of the Production Environment? Could you please highlight the best practice and any information on synchronizing the two environments and tell me whether a backup configuration will switch-on if the Production Environment needs maintenance or fails? A: Implementation of redundant environments with complete system failover is a complex topic. Cognos natively supports content manager failover, but this is not the same as complete environment failover. To implement full system failover requires redundancy at all levels, and the implementation of a combination of failover processes that occur both inside and outside of Cognos. Q: How do you install multiple dispatchers on the same server? A: Install the “Application Tier Components” into multiple directories (e.g., C:Program Filesibmcognosc10 and C:Program Filesibmcognosc10_disp2). There will be a separate Cognos Configuration instance for each dispatcher, and each dispatcher must be configured to use separate port numbers. Q: Given that the Content Manager does not scale like dispatchers, when are separate installs warranted? A: Separate Content Managers are only recommended for failover. You should have at least one backup/failover instance of the CM.25
  • 26. General Installation/Configuration cont. Q: How different is installing Cognos TM1 instead of Cognos 10 BI? A: Installing TM1 is very different from installing Cognos BI. Although TM1 has been increasingly integrated with BI, TM1 was originally developed as a standalone (non-Cognos) product and its installation process is quite different. Q: How does Cognos 10 installation in UNIX environment differ from Windows installation? A: The Cognos installer GUI looks almost identical in Windows and UNIX, so the initial component installation tasks are very similar. However, the OS-level configuration tasks are very different. The steps for both Windows and UNIX are outlined in the Cognos installation documentation. Q: Where can I get documentation which will show me how to install Cognos 10 on UNIX? I am looking for a document which has some screenshots that can help me to install on UNIX. Reading PDF Documentation on IBM website is too cumbersome. A: The only official documentation on installing Cognos 10 on UNIX is the documentation on the IBM website. You may want to try using the HTML documentation rather than the PDF documentation, as it is easier to navigate.26
  • 27. General Installation/Configuration cont. Q: Does exporting the entire content store include dispatcher tuning settings? A: Yes. By default, exporting the entire content store includes all configuration objects in the deployment archive. However, importing the content store by default does not include the configuration objects even if they are present in the deployment archive. You can override this behavior, but there is considerable risk in importing configuration objects from one environment into a different environment. Additional details on these options can be found in the Cognos documentation.27
  • 28. Upgrade/Migration Q: What are the common reporting issues you know that occurs after migration to Cognos 10? A: The most common reporting issues that occur in migrations are layout and formatting issues. However, these issues typically occur in only a very small percentage of reports. Q: In general, what percentage of reports will be invalid after upgrade from C8 to C10? A: Based on our experience, less than 5% of reports will generally have issues when you migrate from C8 to C10. Most upgrades have had zero issues. Q: How easy is it to move from Cognos 7 to Cognos 10? A: The complexity of migrating from Series 7 to Cognos 10 depends a great deal on the complexity and types of objects in your Series 7 environment. Migrations from Series 7 are non-trivial, because the architecture of Cognos 10 is very different from Cognos Series 7.28
  • 29. Training/Miscellaneous Q: Do you have a Cognos Administration Advanced course? A. We have a Cognos System Administration course. For course content details: Cognos-System-Administration-Course.php Q: Do you offer training for PowerPlay administration? A: We do not have a formal course for PowerPlay Admininstration, however we can certainly discuss a custom engagement to address your needs. Q: I am an intermediate-level Cognos BI System Administration and am looking for an advanced topics training course. Does Senturus offer training beyond the basics? A: Our public training is fairly general in content, as would be just about any public course. If you are looking for training covering specific topics, we usually recommend a short-term consulting/mentoring engagement that will address your specific concerns. Because every company’s environment is unique and the system administration audience is typically small, classroom training is usually not the best solution when you need to know more about advanced topics. Q: Will this webinar cover TM1 10.1? A: Todays session is focused on Cognos 10 BI. We have a number of recorded TM1 webinars on our website and we are offering a Cognos Insight for TM1 and BI on June 28 th. webinars.php29
  • 30. Training/Miscellaneous cont. Q: Can we have a copy of this presentation? A: The presentation slide deck for this webinar is available for download at webinars.php Its in the "IBM Cognos Business Intelligence" section and its titled "Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches". Just click on the Download Slide Deck link and youre set. Thank you for asking. Q: Will the recording of this webinar be available? I’m particularly interested in the Q&A at the end. A: Yes, a recording is now on our website,, in the Resources Section-> Recorded Webinars. (Same location as the slide deck described in the answer above: You will find the written Q&A answers in the same place.30
  • 31. Other Topics Q: What are your recommendations for configuring various process counts-- batch, interactive, etc. A: Report process should all be 2 times the total number of CPU cores available to that dispatcher. Q: Are you going to have a demo on performance tuning? A: No, we are not planning a demonstration on performance tuning at this time. You can find basic Cognos performance tuning guidelines by searching the Cognos knowledge base. Q: I wondered if you have any recommendations to improve system performance (e.g caching) in Cognos Connection? Im aware that the ContentManagerCacheService > Memory limit for the content manager cache service as a percentage of the total JVM heap memory default should be set to 10% of JVM in Cognos Administration. A: Please see the Cognos knowledge base for general performance tuning guidelines. Q: If we don’t have OLAP, should we disable the dynamic query service? A: You may disable the dynamic query service if you wish. However, it is not necessary to do so. Q: Can you provide some suggestions on installing Cognos Virtual View Manager (Composite server)? A: Virtual View Manager (formerly Composite Information Server) is a separate product from the Cognos BI Server. Installation guides for VVM can be found on the IBM documentation site.31
  • 32. Other Topics cont. Q: Can you provide some suggestions on installing Cognos Virtual View Manager (Composite server)? A: Virtual View Manager (formerly Composite Information Server) is a separate product from the Cognos BI Server. Installation guides for VVM can be found on the IBM documentation site. Q: We use an external load balancer. Do you know of a way to determine if a dispatcher is up? (Cognos said that SSO causes problems with using :9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch) A: External load balancing functionality varies across different environments. Troubleshooting this issue requires direct examination of the current configuration. Q: Is it possible to integrate TM1 64 bit with Cognos 10.1.1 32 bit? A: Yes, however you must use 32-bit TM1 integration components in order to accomplish this. Q: Is it possible to dump advanced settings that are set in the admin portal without navigating to each dispatcher? A: No. Q: How can I add groups and roles to an LDAP namespace? A: LDAP Groups and Roles are managed through the LDAP Administration console, not through Cognos.32
  • 33. Other Topics cont. Q: How can I assign roles for Cognos to different LDAP user ids? A: Once the LDAP namespace is configured in Cognos, you can add LDAP users as members of the built-in groups and roles in the Cognos namespace. See the Cognos administration documentation for detailed information on how to configure security in Cognos. Q: We are having an issue where large PDFs are having problems being generated when we have more than one dispatcher running. There’s no problem when we only have one dispatcher running. Has Senturus seen this issue? Cognos cant seem to figure out why this is happening. A: Troubleshooting this issue would require additional details on the failure scenario (for example, whether the reports fail completely when more than one dispatcher is running or whether they fail sporadically and/or render improperly), as well as direct examination of each of the current dispatcher configurations.33
  • 34. Senturus has over 45 Free Webinars and OtherResources to View www.senturus.com34
  • 35. Who is Senturus ? • Consulting firm specializing in Corporate Performance Management – Business Intelligence – Office of Finance • Enterprise planning & budgeting • Close, consolidate, report and file (CCRF) – San Francisco Business Times Hall of Fame -- Four consecutive years in Fast 100 list of fastest-growing private companies in the Bay Area • Experience – 12-year focus on performance management – More than 1,200 projects for 500+ clients • People – Business depth combined with technical expertise. Former CFOs, CIOs, Controllers, Directors... – DBAs with MBAs35
  • 36. A few of our 550+ Clients36
  • 37. 1.888.601.601037