Product:
Cognos Controller 10.4
Microsoft Windows 2016 server
Oracle database 12c

Problem:
New upgraded database from Controller 10.3 to Controller 10.4, then the user can not login in to Cognos Controller 10.4. He get a error message.

Error message:
Error loading Main Menu
System.ArgumentException: Item has already been added. Key in dictionary: ‘6000’ Key being added: ‘6000’ at system.Collections.Hashtable.Insert(Objet key, Object nvalue, Boolean add) at Cognos.Controller.Forms.ControllerMDI.LoadMenu()

Solution:
Something when wrong in the DBCONV upgrade steps.
Take a new backup of the cognos controller 10.3 database and restore it on the new database server.
Go into Controller Configuration.
Mark the database connection you have restored.
Click on the test icon to ensure you have access.
Click on the Run icon, to start the Database Conversion Utility.
Click on connect.
Click on upgrade.
There should be no errors.
Click close.

Restart the Cognos Controller services to make it know about the database change.
Restart Internet Information server with the dos command: iisreset
Restart the Cognos Controller Components, by going to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Administrative Tools. Open Component Services. Expand Component Services – Computers – My Computer – COM+ Applications – IBM Cognos Controller Consolidation.
Right click and select “shut down”. Start it direct thereafter.

Ask the controller users to test to login again.

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.4
Microsoft Windows 2016 server

Problem:
How do i now the number of Administration license i use in my Cognos Controller installation?

Solution:
There is a text file that list this for each controller database, you can look into this file to find out.
The number of administrators, is not the number of users that you add to the Cognos Controller Administrators role.
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg22005771
Administrative User
A Controller administrative user can have access to all menu items.

Standard User
A Controller Standard User may have access to all menus in Controller with the exception of financial change/write access to menus in the ‘Maintain’ menu.

You can go to this folder on your Controller server to check.
C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\SLMTagData\default\*.slmtag
This file is only updated on production servers. Default it is updated every 24 hours.

The initial generation of SLMT files is determined by the settings in the Web.config file at C:\Program Files\IBM\cognos\ccr_64\ControllerProxyServer. If a parameter is not specified in the Web.config file, then its default value is used.

More Information:
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21380097
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS9S6B_10.4.0/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.qrc_ctrl_inst.10.4.0.doc/c_slm_usage.html 

https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS9S6B_10.4.0/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.ctrl_ug.10.4.0.doc/t_usrunrep.html

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.4
Microsoft Windows 2016 server

Problem:
New install of Cognos Controller on server. When you open Cognos Controller Configuration, you get a error on the Client Distribution Server Configuration.

Error:

Workaround:
Close the Controller Configuration program, and start the Controller Configuration program again. Now it should look normal and you can fill in the information.

More Information:

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21347320

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.4
Microsoft Windows 2016 server
Oracle 12c database

Problem:
New installed Cognos Controller server. You get a error when you do a optimization of the Cognos Controller database from the Cognos Controller client.

Error message:

If you look into the installation log file, in folder c:\program files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\instlog\tl-CNTRL-10.4-0.101-yymmdd-hhmm.txt and search for error during install, you will find this lines:
Successfully copied file “C:\Users\L-CTRL~1\AppData\Local\Temp\COG_2\server\vfp9r.dll” to file “C:\Windows\system32\server\vfp9r.dll”.
Self registration of file using command line “C:\Windows\system32\regsvr32.exe /s “C:\Windows\system32\server\vfp9r.dll””.
Error: Failed system command “C:\Windows\system32\regsvr32.exe /s “C:\Windows\system32\server\vfp9r.dll””.
Error: Application has returned exit code “3”.
Successfully deleted file “C:\Users\L-CTRL~1\AppData\Local\Temp\COG_2\server\vfp9r.dll”.
Successfully set value “C:\Windows\system32\server\vfp9r.dll” for key “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\SharedDLLs”.

and

Successfully copied file “C:\Users\L-CTRL~1\AppData\Local\Temp\COG_2\server\vfp9t.dll” to file “C:\Windows\system32\server\vfp9t.dll”.
Self registration of file using command line “C:\Windows\system32\regsvr32.exe /s “C:\Windows\system32\server\vfp9t.dll””.
Error: Failed system command “C:\Windows\system32\regsvr32.exe /s “C:\Windows\system32\server\vfp9t.dll””.
Error: Application has returned exit code “3”.
Successfully deleted file “C:\Users\L-CTRL~1\AppData\Local\Temp\COG_2\server\vfp9t.dll”

Workaround:
Uninstall Cognos Controller from the server.
Then reinstall it again to the same directory.
Check the log file again, now the above two files are installed correct.
Update Controller Configuration with correct report server values again.

Suggestion, always install cognos controller – then uninstall it, and install cognos controller again. This to prevent this and you have to update the Cognos Controller Configuration again.

More information:
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21442198

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.4
Microsoft Windows 2016 server

Problem:
New installed Cognos Controller client on citrix/terminal server give error when open a standard report in PDF.

Error message:

Suggested Solution:
Check that the user logged in to citrix, have access rights to run the program Adobe Reader. Can be limited by group polices in Windows.

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.4
Microsoft Windows 2016
Oracle database 12c

Problem:
Get a error message when open Command Center dialog inside Cognos Controller client , in a new installation.

Error Messages examples:
Caused by: com.ibm.cognos.ccr.common.NoSuchModelException: Unable to find instance of model of type: configproperty[ConfigPropertyModel]…….
Caused by: com.ibm.cognos.ccr.common.WebServiceConnectionException: exceptionId=ERR.ANY.WEBSERVICECONNECTIONEXCEPTION.SERVICE_FAILED, …..
Caused by: com.ibm.cognos.ccr.common.ResponseException: FAIL:com.ibm.cognos.ccr.common.SQLRollbackException: Failed to rollback transaction….

Solutions to check:

Workaround is to use OJDBC5.JAR file in this locations on the Controller server:
c:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64
c:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\server\integration
c:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\server\FAP\lib
Even do CA11 can work with OJDBC7.JAR file, it may not be that Cognos Controller can it.

Check that file ccr-system-properties.properties and ccr-dbTypes.properties
in folder c:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\server\integration
are updated with Oracle information.
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21995182
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS9S6B_10.3.1/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.ctrl_inst.10.3.1.doc/t_usealternatejdbcdriver.html

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg22006798

Setup a TNS_ADMIN windows system variable to point to the TNSNAMES.ORA file
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21882992

Oracle driver OJDBC7.JAR file, will work for Cognos Controller, if you do not edit the ccr-dbTypes.properties file – leave it as default.

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg22006798

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.4
Microsoft Windows 2016

Problem:
How create one silent install package, that can install to different environments. If the install script run in DEV it should point to the DEV controllerserver (e.g. by updating the ccr.exe.config file), same script should work for PROD.

Suggested Solution:
In case your terminal servers host name point out if it is DEV or PROD, like this;
DEV servers have TT in there servername like TT2345.
PROD servers have SRV in there servername like SRV2345, and PPE have PP in the servername.
Then you can create 3 uniq ccr.exe.config files, with a predefined line for each environment;
<add key=”WSSUrl” value=”http://DEVSERVER.COMPANY.COM/ibmcognos/controllerserver”/>

Place all files in the same folder on the server. 3 files of ccr.exe.config, with the middle part replaced with the environment tag. The client ccrlocalclient64.msi file and a BAT file with below code;
REM=================replace italic with your values=========
cd /D %~dp0
msiexec /qb /i CCRLocalClient64.Msi IBM_COGNOS_CONTROLLER=”C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Cognos Controller Local Client” WSSURL=http://controllerserver.company.com/ibmcognos/controllerserver HELPURL=http://webserver.company.com/ibmcognos/documentation/en/welcome.html

@setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion
@echo off
set COGNOSVAL=NULL
call :CheckEnv %COMPUTERNAME%
call :CopyFile

Goto ScriptEND

:CheckEnv
echo %1
set str1=%1
if not x%str1:tt=%==x%str1% set COGNOSVAL=DEV
if not x%str1:pp=%==x%str1% set COGNOSVAL=PPE
if not x%str1:srv=%==x%str1% set COGNOSVAL=PROD
Goto END

:CopyFile
copy /Y ccr.%COGNOSVAL%.config “C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Cognos Controller Local Client\CCR.exe.config”
copy /Y CognosController.ps1 “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp\CognosController.ps1”
Goto END

:ScriptEND
endlocal
:END
REM=====================end of code==============

We also copy a ps1 file to the startup folder of Windows 2016.
The powershell cognoscontroller.ps1 file is run when a user logon to the terminal server, in that ps1 script you can have code to set that excel can open XLT files, and other things.

Update the BAT file with the your prod servers WSSURL and HELPURL, if the servername does not match Controller client is installed with this values.

Above show the line to update in the ccr.exe.config file.
The content of this file is copied to the users windows profile C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Cognos\ccr\ccr.config, when they start Cognos Controller Client for the first time.
To make above work, the Terminal Servers should not use a roaming profile.
Run the BAT file to install Cognos Controller, and it will copy the correct ccr.exe.config file to your program files folder.

More Information:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/folder-redirection/deploy-roaming-user-profiles
https://ss64.com/ps/push-location.html
https://www.tachytelic.net/2017/10/find-startup-folder-windows-server-2012-windows-server-2016/

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21640592

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21967963

https://allthingscognos.wordpress.com/category/cognos-controller/

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.3.1
Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 (Windows NT 6.2)

Issue:
What are the recommended settings for IIS Application Pools?

Recommendation:
For cognos controller and ICAPool that are used with Cognos Controller, recommended timeout is 600 minutes.
Login to the Cognos Controller Server.
Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager
Click on Applications Pools
Click on NET v4.5 or the one created for Controller.

Change Idle Time-Out (minutes) to 600.
Click OK.
Do the same for the other Applications Pool used by Cognos.

Cognos Controller Applications Pool should use the local system account.

Set the Cognos BI timeout value to same, open Cognos Configuration, and go to Security – Authentication, and change to 36000 seconds.

Save and restart your Cognos services in correct order. Cognos Content Manager service first.

Then you should change recycling of Application Pool for Cognos Controller to be at a defined time, and not after 29 hours.

Change this to it to be recycled at 1 AM at night, like below.

Also ensure that the logging of the recycling is active, this is not default in Windows 2012, see below to have it active.

More Information:
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21969315
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21990348

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21643735

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21692450