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Product:

Cognos Controller 10.3

Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 server

Oracle 12c database

Symptom:

Error when you try to start Cognos controller client for the first time to new Cognos Controller server.

Error message in Controller Client details:

Client found response content type of ‘text/html’, but expected ‘text/xml’.

The request failed with the error message:

—

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd”>

<html xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml”>

<head>

<meta http-equiv=”Content-Type” content=”text/html; charset=iso-8859-1″/>

<title>500 – Internal server error.</title>

<style type=”text/css”>

<!–

body{margin:0;font-size:.7em;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;background:#EEEEEE;}

fieldset{padding:0 15px 10px 15px;}

h1{font-size:2.4em;margin:0;color:#FFF;}

h2{font-size:1.7em;margin:0;color:#CC0000;}

h3{font-size:1.2em;margin:10px 0 0 0;color:#000000;}

#header{width:96%;margin:0 0 0 0;padding:6px 2% 6px 2%;font-family:”trebuchet MS”, Verdana, sans-serif;color:#FFF;

background-color:#555555;}

#content{margin:0 0 0 2%;position:relative;}

.content-container{background:#FFF;width:96%;margin-top:8px;padding:10px;position:relative;}

–>

</style>

</head>

Solution:

The WEB.CONFIG file is not correct in the cgi-bin folder on the IIS for the Cognos Controller installation.

It can have been edit and a > character is missing or the “ is not of the correct type.

Open the file in notepad and enter the value manually

Do not copy and paste it from the website. That will give errors.

Using Windows Explorer, open the cgi-bin folder (default = C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\cgi-bin)

  • Launch NOTEPAD.EXE and edit the file ‘web.config’

TIP: From Windows 2012 onwards, it is not possible to edit files directly unless logged on as the user ‘Administrator’. One easy workaround is to launch a Command Prompt ‘As Administrator’ and (inside there) type: NOTEPAD.EXE.

  • Add the text allowPathInfo=”true” after the entry: resourceType=”xxxxx”

The text should look similar like this inside the web.config file:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>

<configuration>

<system.webServer>

<handlers>

<add name=”IBMCOGNOSISAPI” path=”cognosisapi.dll” verb=”*” modules=”IsapiModule” scriptProcessor=”C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\cgi-bin\cognosisapi.dll” resourceType=”Unspecified” preCondition=”bitness64″ allowPathInfo=”true” />

<add name=”IBMCOGNOSCGI” path=”*.cgi” verb=”*” modules=”CgiModule” resourceType=”Unspecified” allowPathInfo=”true” />

</handlers>

</system.webServer>

</configuration>

After the update enter IISRESET to restart the web service on the Windows server.

Then test to start the Cognos Controller client again.

More information:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21653338

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Product:

Cognos Controller 10.3

Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 server

Oracle 12c database

Symptom:

Error when you try to check oracle database connection inside Cognos controller configuration on a new Cognos controller installation.

You have entered the values:

Database type: Oracle

Name: default

Provider: OraOLEDB.Oracle.1

User ID:  (the schema name)

Password:  (the password to the schema user in oracle)

Data source: (the oracle SERVICE_NAME)

Error message:

The ‘OraOLEDB.Oracle.1’ provider is not registered on the local machine.

Solution:

  1. Launch a Command Prompt (CMD) as the user ‘Administrator’
  2. Type the following command (or go to the folder where your oracle driver is installed)

CD C:\orarun\ora12102\client\BIN

  1. Type the following commend:

c:\Windows\system32\regsvr32.exe OraOLEDB12.dll

 

C:\orarun\ora12102\Client\BIN>dir oraole*.*

Volume in drive C is SYSTEM

Volume Serial Number is FC7D-6E96

 

Directory of C:\orarun\ora12102\Client\BIN

 

2014-07-31  21:40           744 448 OraOLEDB12.dll

2014-07-31  21:38             1 712 OraOLEDB12.tlb

2014-07-31  21:34             9 728 OraOLEDB12d.dll

2014-07-31  21:33             9 728 OraOLEDB12e.dll

2014-07-31  21:33             9 728 OraOLEDB12f.dll

2014-07-31  21:33             9 728 OraOLEDB12i.dll

2014-07-31  21:34             9 216 OraOLEDB12ja.dll

2014-07-31  21:33             9 216 OraOLEDB12ko.dll

2014-07-31  21:33             9 728 OraOLEDB12ptb.dll

2014-07-31  21:38             9 728 OraOLEDB12us.dll

2014-07-31  21:33             9 216 OraOLEDB12zhs.dll

2014-07-31  21:34             9 216 OraOLEDB12zht.dll

2014-07-31  21:38           139 776 OraOLEDBgmr12.dll

2014-07-31  21:38            15 360 OraOLEDBpus12.dll

2014-07-31  21:34            11 776 OraOLEDBrfc12.dll

2014-07-31  21:33             9 728 OraOLEDBrmc12.dll

2014-07-31  21:38           177 664 OraOLEDBrst12.dll

2014-07-31  21:33            19 968 OraOLEDButl12.dll

18 File(s)      1 215 664 bytes

0 Dir(s)  59 198 668 800 bytes free

C:\orarun\ora12102\Client\BIN>c:\windows\system32\regsvr32.exe OraOLEDB12.dll

C:\orarun\ora12102\Client\BIN>

Then start the Cognos Controller Configuration and test the connection to database again.

If above does not work, then you need to reinstall the Oracle drivers in a correct manner.

More information:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21694296

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Product:
Cognos Controller 10.1.1 and 10.3
Oracle database
Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 server

Symptom:
When you publish to DataMart from inside Cognos controller you get an error message.

You have inside Cognos Controller configuration setup a DataMart connection for you Controller database like this:

Error message:
ORA-04052: error occurred when looking up remote object FRANGO.DMTEMPLATE@DMPUBLISH.COMPANYX.COM

Possible Solution:
Start SQL Developer and connect to the controller data schema.

The connection string is not updated correct inside the database from the Controller configuration setup.
Then do this commands (you need to edit the connection for your environment)

DROP DATABASE LINK “DMPUBLISH.COMPANYX.COM”;

CREATE DATABASE LINK “DMPUBLISH.COMPANYX.COM”;
CONNECT TO FRANGO
IDENTIFIED BY <PASSWORD>

USING ‘
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = LX1234.COMPANYX.COM) (PORT = 1521))
( CONNECT_DATA =
( SERVER = DEDICATED)
( SERVICE_NAME = IT0123.COMPANYX.COM)
)
)  ‘ ;

Then after this update – try the DataMart function inside Cognos controller again.

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Product:

Cognos Controller 10.3 (CONTRL_version=CCR-AW64-ML-RTM-10.3.0.169-0)

Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Server

Oracle 12c database (version  Release 12.1.0.2.0) 64 bit

Symptom:

When connect to an Oracle Controller database you get an error during the upgrade steps inside Cognos Controller Configuration program.

Error message in DBCONV:

Running DB Step: 950

Running script batch: script/ora_950.batch

Running script: script/ora/ora_update_xmenu.sql

Running DB Step: 951

Running DB Step: 952

Running script batch: ora_952.batch

Running script: script/ora_xrclayout_add_column.sql

** ERROR: java.sql.SQLSyntaxErrorException: ORA-00904: “DBMS_LOB”.”SUBSTR”: ogiltig identifierare

ORA-06512: vid rad 12

The SQL command that give the error are:

DECLARE

sSql VARCHAR2(4000);

BEGIN

IF NOT UFNC_OBJECT_EXISTS(‘SELECT 1 FROM user_tab_COLUMNS WHERE table_name = ”XRCLAYOUT” AND column_name = ”EXCELFILEFORMAT”’) THEN

sSql := ‘ALTER TABLE XRCLAYOUT ADD EXCELFILEFORMAT number DEFAULT (0) NOT NULL’;

EXECUTE IMMEDIATE (sSql);

sSql := ‘UPDATE XRCLAYOUT SET EXCELFILEFORMAT = 56’;

EXECUTE IMMEDIATE (sSql);

sSql := ‘UPDATE XRCLAYOUT SET EXCELFILEFORMAT = 51 WHERE UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_VARCHAR2(DBMS_LOB.SUBSTR(layout, 2,1)) = ”PK”’;

EXECUTE IMMEDIATE (sSql);

END IF;

END;

Possible Solution:

There can be a setting on the Oracle database that does not allow that many connections. Please check and increase.

Please note: If you get a error during upgrade of a cognos controller database – then the database will be corrupt, because some upgrade steps will be missing. You must restore the original database and run the upgrade steps again from the beginning to ensure the database is fully functional.

It can be that you have the wrong ojdbc7.jar file in the controller folder.

Copy the correct ODBC file from the Oracle client installation on the server

Can be this folder:

C:\orarun\ora12102\Client\jdbc\lib\ojdbc6.jar

To the folders of the Cognos controller installation

that normally is these folders;

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

C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\webapps\p2pd\WEB-INF\lib

Close the Controller Configuration and start it again so it can pick up the new driver jar file you have paste into the controller ccr_64 folder.

You can also be needing to run the DBCONV.EXE program as standalone from Cognos Controller Configuration.

Go to folder /ccr_64/ and start DBCONV.EXE

Click on the button with dots to select the correct UDL file.

Then click on Connection Button.

Now you can click on Upgrade button, and it should work better.

There can also be other cause of this issue – ensure the host name in cognos controller configuration only use the servername and not .domain.com – the new code does not accept period in server name for the data source.

 

More Information:

Cognos Controller use different connection methods to connect to ORACLE databases, like this:

ODBC = Controller Consolidation part

OLEDB = Controller Applications part

JDBC = used by DBCONV and java parts, also used by Cognos BI CQM reports

OCI  = used by Cognos BI DQM reports (not found on Cognos Controller server)

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Product:

Cognos Planning 10.2

Windows 2012 server

Issue:

How install the new Cognos planning on windows server?

Some help:

Use of this information should help you get it right, ensure this things are done before you test the installation.

To integrate with Cognos BI try this  tips from ”How can I install IBM Cognos Planning in the same environment as 64-bit IBM Cognos Business Intelligence”

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21501838

Error when start Planning Analyst and other tools ”cannot find files”
Ensure to do this:

renamed adminbifs.amf to adminbif.AMF
renamed adminodbc.AMF to adminodb.AMF
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21635667

Windows supports long file names up to 255 characters in length. Windows also generates an MS-DOS compatible short file name in 8.3 format to allow MS-DOS based or 16-bit windows based programs to access these files. When the 8.3 setting is enabled only short file names are generated. Therefore the long file name of adminbifs.AMF is shortened to adminbif.AMF and adminodbc.AMF is shortened to adminodb.AMF and this causes the error on startup as the file cannot be located as it does not exist under that name and Analyst is a 32-bit program and works off the long file name only.
Error when starting Planning Analyst of type ”cannot connect libraries”
Ensure to do this:

1. Launch MSCONFIG by from the Run menu.

2. Click on the Tools tab. Scroll down till you find “Disable UAC” . Click on that line.
3. Press the Launch button.
4. A CMD window will open. When the command is done, you can close the window.
5. Close MSCONFIG. You need to reboot the computer for changes to apply.

OR

Alternate Solution:
1. Give the everyone group full control to the folder where the libraries are located.

OR
Alternate Solution: If User Account Control resolution above does not resolve issue:
1. Right-click the Analyst shortcut
2. Select Properties > Compatibility tab
3. Check the box: Run this Program as Administrator
4. Now open Analyst as the user who is receiving the error.

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21380414

To have access to the folders on the SQL server you need to do this:
Install the SQL Server Client tools (if this has not already been done).

NB For SQL Server 2005 you need to have the full SQL Client installed (comes with SQL Express) as the Native Client does not install all of the required .dll files.
For SQL Server 2008 full client tools required.

Once the SQL Server Client tools are installed, ensure that the Contributor user account used to connect to SQL Server has EXEC permissions to the following Extended Stored Procedures in the Masters Database:

xp_availablemedia
xp_subdirs
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21343839
Contributor Datastore server connection check Trusted Connection instead of login with an account

Depending on the setup you should use Trusted or SQL account login. Try the other if you have issues like “Subscript out of range”
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21986012

There are more things to configure — search google.com if you get issues.

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21991365&myns=swgimgmt&mynp=OCSSPN2D&mync=R&cm_sp=swgimgmt-_-OCSSPN2D-_-R

https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSPN2D_10.2.0/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.cp_inst_cr_winux.10.2.0.doc/c_installingcognos8planningwithcognos8businessintelligence.html

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Product:
Cognos BI 10.2.2 fix pack 7
Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Server

Symptom:
Running the installation program for Cognos BI and Cognos BI fix pack are very slow. The program stand still a long time at same step.

Cause:
If you look in task manager you will see that the process using more than 25% of the CPU are MsMpEng.exe Antimalware service Executable. The System Center Endpoint Protection program is installed and set to have real-time protection on the server.

Antivirus software will always slow down the copy of files during installation of Cognos Programs. It is recommended to turn off Antivirus software during install and exclude the Cognos program and subfolder from the real time scan on the servers.

Installation of IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Server Updates 7 took 3 hours with Microsoft anti-virus software turned on instead of a few minutes when it was turned off.

If IT department do not want to turn off Antivirus on servers, work around is that you can try to install both Cognos BI and Cognos TM1 at the same time but to different folders. This will gain you a little time.

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Product:
Cognos BI 10.2.2 fix pack 7
Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Server

Symptom:
When user surf to http://biservername.domain.com/ibmcognos they get a windows security login dialog. If they surf to only http://biservername.domain.com they get the standard IIS7 start page.
If the same user surf to http://biservername.domain.com/ibmcognos direct from inside the BI server with Internet Explorer there is no problem.

On both server and client the *.domain.com is added as local intranet in Internet Options.

Solution:
On the Microsoft Windows 2008 server start up Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager program and go to the IBMCOGNOS folder.
Select Authentication.
Select Windows Authentication (that is enabled) and click on Providers link at the right.
Move NLMT to be on top over Negotiate.
Click OK.

Test now from the client laptop computer – now SSO should work.

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Product:

Cognos Tm1 10.2.2 fix pack 6

Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Server

Symptom:

When new updated express TM1 instance start, it is named = CXMD

Cause:

In the TM1S.CFG file the servername is as Servername = CXMD, but in TM1 you need to not have a space – it should be Servername=CXMD.

 

Uninstall the TM1 instance, change the TM1S.CFG to not use space at = , then start the service again from Cognos Configuration for TM1.

If you not have uninstalled Cognos Express – then the new start of TM1 instance with same name as a existing one will make it look like the new one is installed in Cognos Configuration, but in Windows services if you check on properties on the TM1 instance CXMD it will show it use the old Cognos express engine under \program files (x86)\ that make it not work.

You notice something is wrong if no log files are created in the new folder you have setup for the new TM1 instance – then there is a different folder in use, probably the old one.

 

Solution:

How to move a Cognos Express application to a TM1 10.2.2 application.

 

Make a backup of all excel sheets used in the TM1WEB part.

You need to login to Cognos Express with Tm1 architect and do savedataall step and take a backup of the data folder, mostly there exist a TI process already written for this.

Then copy the Cognos express folder c:\program files (x86)\IBM\cognos express\xcelerator\custom\tm1data\cxmd\ to your new folder for tm1 that in most cases are c:\program files\ibm\cognos\tm1_64\samples\tm1\cxmd\.

Recommend to create a separate folder for log files like this c:\program files\ibm\cognos\tm1_64\samples\tm1\cxmd_logs.

 

To get Cognos Express BI security you need to take screen shoots how it is setup in Cognos Express and then manually add the same AD groups to Cognos BI groups inside the New Cognos Connection on the new installation.

 

Download fix pack for TM1 and Cognos BI

https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/downloadFixes?parent=Cognos&product=ibm/Information+Management/Cognos+8+Business+Intelligence&release=10.2.2&platform=All&function=fixId&fixids=10.2.2-BA-CBI-Win64-FP007&includeRequisites=1&includeSupersedes=0&downloadMethod=http

Uninstall Cognos Express program from the server.

 

Install Cognos BI and setup IIS as show here:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/infrastructure/web_servers/page599.html

Active SSO for Cognos BI with this steps

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEP7J_10.2.2/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.c8pp_inst.10.2.2.doc/t_stp_sso_active_drctry_remote_user.html

The connection to customers Active Directory must have the namespace id to be “CognosExpressActiveDirectoryID” set, to allow the users that before was setup in Cognos Express come in as the same user in the new TM1 solution.

Inside Cognos Configuration for BI,  under Security – Authentication, select New Resource – Namespace.

Set Name to domain.com and select Type to Active Directory.

Set the Namespace ID to CognosExpressActiveDirectoryID.

Set host and port to;  customer´s Domain.com:389

 

The name that you show in left for the authentication is what is shown inside Cognos Connection as the name of the namespace, the namespace ID is the Cognos BI internal ID and that should be the same as used in Cognos Express to ensure the users end up in the same rows inside TM1 security table.

Best Practices is to have this two field the same, that should mean namespace id is CognosExpressActiveDirectoryID in this case.

Install Cognos Tm1 10.2.2 and set it up as show here:

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSMR4U_10.2.2/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.express_migration.10.2.2.doc/t_express_inst_mig_install_tm1_start_servers.html

 

Install Cognos TM1 10.2.2 fix pack 6 new certs as of this page

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21991545

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21992411

 

Install SSO for TM1 applications by following this steps:

https://allthingscognos.wordpress.com/2014/08/26/configuring-performance-modeller-and-tm1-web-with-cam-security-for-tm1-10-2-n/

 

In the new CXMD data folder – remove the tm1s.cfg and TM1.lic files.

Create a new TM1S.CFG file with content like this:

[TM1S]

 CAMPortalVariableFile=portal/variables_TM1.xml

Language=ENG

IntegratedSecurityMode=5

ClientMessagePortNumber=12307

DataBaseDirectory=C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\tm1_64\samples\tm1\CXMD

UseSSL=T

PortNumber=12306

ClientPingCAMPassport=900

LoggingDirectory=C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\tm1_64\samples\tm1\CXMD_logs

ServerName=CXMD

 

AdminHost=

ForceReevaluationOfFeedersForFedCellsOnDataChange=T

DistributedPlanningOutputDir=.\tunit

AllowSeparateNandCRules=T

ServerCAMIPVersion=ipv4

IPVersion=ipv4

 

ClientCAMURI=http://BISERVER.domain.com/ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll

ServerCAMURI=http://BISERVER.domain.com:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

##ServerCAMURI=http://EXPRESSSERVER.domain.com:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

##ClientCAMURI=http://EXPRESSSERVER.domain.com:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

ParallelInteraction=T

SupportPreTLSv12Clients=T

Update the BISERVER values with your server and domain name in above file.

Inside Cognos Configuration for TM1 click on TM1 server – New Resource – TM1 server instances.  Enter CXMD as name.  then browse to the folder where the tm1s.cfg file are in our example that is in c:\program files\ibm\cognos\tm1_64\samples\tm1\cxmd.

Save and start the CXMD instance from Configuration program.

 

Start TM1 architect on the Server to see if you can access the CXMD application.

 

To get TM1 perspective to work after you have used Cognos Express the end user must do a few things;

Ensure the new Cognos BI/TM1 servers are in Internet Options local intranet zone.

Uninstall the previous Cognos Express client.

Install the new TM1 perspective from setup files you place on a share (\\TM1server\clientsetup$).

(select default options during install)

 

first run setup from

\\TM1server\clientsetup$\tm1_clt_10.2.2_32b_ml.tar\win32\iisetup.exe

 

second run setup from

\\TM1server\clientsetup$\up_tm1client_win32_10.2.5260.168_ml.tar\win32\iisetup.exe

 

Then copy all files from folder

\\TM1server\clientsetup$\NewSSLCerts\*.*

 

to this folders on your computer

C:\Program Files (x86)\ibm\cognos\tm1\bin\ssl\*.*

 

Inside Microsoft Excel 2010 add the new folder for TM1\bin to trusted locations.

Go to File – Options in Excel.

Click on Trust Center

Click on Trust Center Settings button

Click on Trusted Locations

Click on Add new location button

Browse to the folder for TM1 that is c:\program files (x86)\ibm\cognos\tm1\bin

Click OK all the way out of Microsoft Excel

Now it should work to start TM1 Perspective from icon on start menu.

 

Excel sheet you have published in TM1WEB, you may need to republish from TM1 Perspective again.

If you get the error message “STOP Failed to open the target workbook. Please make sure the file has not been renamed or deleted.”  when you open a xlsx file in Tm1web applications, then the solution is to create the xlsx-page in new Excel Workbook files and publish them again to the TM1WEB application. Hopefully you can copy the layout and code from the old xls file. The xls files previous used in Cognos Express can in many case not be working in the new Cognos TM1 10.2.2.

 

More Information:

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSMR4U_10.2.2/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.express_migration.10.2.2.doc/t_express_inst_mig_migrate_tm1_migrate_cxmd.html

To test and see error better set it up like this

https://tm1help.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/how-to-set-up-a-new-tm1-model/

Ensure that you have uninstall Cognos Express before you install TM1 otherwise this can help

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21635821

To active sso in Cognos BI do this steps

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSEP7J_10.2.2/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.c8pp_inst.10.2.2.doc/t_stp_sso_active_drctry_remote_user.html

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Product:
Cognos TM1 10.2.2
Windows Server 2008 R2 64 bit

Problem:
After change to use DNS alias to surf to the Cognos servers there is an error message after you try to login that says;
The TM1Web service parameter was not specified or is not one of the configured locations
You can login if you enter the TM1 server direct like this;
http://servername.domain.com:9510/tm1web/

Possible solution:
You need to update the TM1WEB.HTML file with the DNS alias.
Open the TM1WEB.HTML file from your Cognos BI gateway server in folder
C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\c10_64\webcontent\tm1\web\tm1web.html

Update the value below by adding the DNS alias for the TM1 server.
// Update the following to point to the location of the TM1Web service(s)
var tm1webServices = [“http://servername.domain.com:9510″,”http://dnsalias.domain.com:9510”];

Save the file, and start Internet Explorer to test again.