Product:
Cognos Controller 10.1
Microsoft Windows 2008 R2

Symptom:
The Cognos Controller client freeze (hang) after you have selected the database to use. The login dialog is not showing up. There are no error messages in windows event log.

If you run Controller Client direct on the Controller Application server – it works fine.
But from all client computers the Controller Client will hang.

Problem:
When Cognos Controller client start it will contact Cognos connection to check if it is there, even if you use native controller security. When report server setting is http://localhost/ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll , this will not work – Cognos connection can not be found on the local client.

You can sometimes get a Internet Explorer 404 error in Controller before the login dialog.

Cause:
After you have applied the Cognos Controller hot fix, the settings in Controller configuration is reverted back to default values. Therefore the Report server value is localhost and not the server name.

Solution:
Open Controller Configuration on your Controller server.
Go to the Report Server tab.
Change the url from localhost to the servername

Report server should be:
http://srv001/ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll

Dispatcher URI should be:
http://srv001:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

(change srv001 to your server name)

Click save and close.
Test again.

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.1
Microsoft Windows 2008 server

Issue:
How automatic set the background picture in Cognos controller for all clients on a Citrix server?

Inside Cognos Controller client, you can define a BMP file to be used as background picture.
Recommended is to have a different background picture for your test environment.
To make Controller Client color different from the productions clients.

In Cognos Controller client go to
Maintain – Installation – Local Preferences
Here you can enter the key app_background
And a value that points to a local BMP file.

Problem:
Local Preferences values are stored in the ccr.config file for each user in there windows profile.
You need to populate this file for each user when they logon to the Terminal Server.

Solution:
On citrix server create a folder called d:\script
On citrix server create a BMP file and save it as c:\windows\background.bmp
On citrix server download AUTOIT3:EXE from http://www.autoitscript.com/site/autoit/downloads/
And place it in folder d:\script

Create a text file in folder d:\script named replaceccr.au3 with this content:

$TextFileName = @UserProfileDir & “\AppData\Roaming\Cognos\ccr\ccr.config”

$FindText = “”
$ReplaceText = ‘ ‘

$FileContents = FileRead($TextFileName)
$Check = StringInStr( $FileContents, “” )

if $Check = 0 Then

$FileContents = StringReplace($FileContents,$FindText,$ReplaceText)
FileDelete($TextFileName)
FileWrite($TextFileName,$FileContents)

EndIf

Create a text file in folder d:\script named updateccr.cmd with this content:
d:\script\autoit3.exe d:\script\replaceccr.au3

In folder d:\script these files should now be:
Autoit3.exe = used to process au3 script files
Replaceccr.au3 = will check the users ccr.config file and add the “app_background” if it does not already have a “LocalPref” value.
Updateccr.cmd = file to run to active the script

You may then add the updateccr.cmd file to your C:\Windows\System32\usrlogon.cmd, to make it run when anyone logon to the Windows Server.

More information about Terminal Server logon script
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/195461

http://www.brianmadden.com/blogs/guestbloggers/archive/2005/03/01/understanding-the-citrix-metaframe-logon-and-logoff-process.aspx

More information about Autoit3:
http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions.htm
http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/macros.htm

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.1

Symptom:
Error before login to Cognos Controller you get an error message. You get the message after you have selected the controller database to use.

Error message:
Log On IBM Cognos Controller

AAA-AUT-0011
Invalid namespace was selected

Cause:
Cognos Controller 10 is setup to talk to a Cognos BI 8 installation.

The Dispatcher URI in Controller Configuration Report Server is not only used when you run the standard reports – it is also used when validate the login when using Server Authentication. The Report Server Dispatcher value is inherited to Server Authentication.

The values for Report Server will be reset to default values when you install the Cognos Controller Update Components Fix Pack on a existing Cognos Controller installation.
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27020782

Solution:
On the Cognos Controller application server
Start IBM Cognos Controller Configuration
Select Report Server in the list
Change the Dispatcher URI to be a valid URL

To something like this
http://SRV001:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

Click Save
Exit Controller Configuration
Start Cognos Controller client and test again.

More Information:
If the Cognos BI service is not available you will get an error of this kind instead:
IBM Cognos Business Intelligence
Error executing request. Please verify that the target URI is valid and that IBM Cognos is online.

Below error message in Swedish:

”IBM Cognos-gatewayen kan inte ansluta till IBM Cognos BI-servern. Servern kan vara otillgänglig eller så kan gatewayen vara felaktigt konfigurerad.”
”Försök igen eller kontakta administratören.”

Product:
Cognos Controller 8.5

Problem:
How to install the Cognos Controller client automatic?

Cause:
Sometimes the IT department want to automate the installation of the Cognos Controller Client on the client computer or Citrix server.

Solution:
You can from a script start the CCRLOCALCLIENT.MSI file and add parameters that will respond to the questions you get when you install.

Copy first the CCRLOCALCLIENT.MSI file to the Client Computer.
You can download it from
http://servername/cognos8/controllerbin/ccrlocalclient.msi

Enter below on ONE row in a DOS prompt on the client computer:
msiexec.exe /qb /i ccrlocalclient.msi WSSURL=http://servername/cognos8/controllerserver HELPURL=http://servername/cognos8/controllerhelp

Replace servername above with the name of your Cognos Controller server.

Product:
Cognos Controller 8.5
Microsoft Excel 2003

Symptom:
Error message in Cognos controller when you start Excel, by click on Excel icon or run data entry.

Error:
IBM Cognos 8 Controller Link
CoCreateInstance(ControllerXLDisp.MsgPusher) failed with 0x80131700

Cause:
A possible cause can be that the file EXCEL.EXE.CONFIG is missing from the folder where EXCEL.EXE is on the client computer.

Solution:
Create a text file in the \program files\microsoft office\office11\ folder
Name the file to be EXCEL.EXE.CONFIG

Inside the file add this text;

<configuration>

<startup>

<supportedRuntime version=”v2.0.50727″/>

</startup>

</configuration>

Product:
Cognos Controller 8.5

Symptom:
Error message when using the Cognos Controller program

Error:
Model not found in context: job
Unable to find instance of model of type: job, type interface com.cognos.ccr.models.job.JobModel (load=LAST)
exceptionId=ERR.ANY:WEBSERIVCECONNECTIONEXCEPTION.CANNOT_EXECUTE_SERVICE, argument(s)=[http://localhost/cognos8/controllerserver/CCRWS.asmx, 010:608b9fd0-fc2b-11de-9650-d3922c4dc45a:1756974638]
FAIL: Message: ActiveX component can’t create object Source: FrJavaProxyB

Cause:
One possible cause can be that The Visual C++ 2005 package is not installed on the Cognos Controller application server.

Solution:
Install VC++2005 redistributable package on the Cognos Controller application server.
Reinstall Cognos Controller on the server.

Download vcredist_x86.exe from here
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=32bc1bee-a3f9-4c13-9c99-220b62a191ee&displaylang=en

Product:
Cognos Controller FAP version 8.5.1
Microsoft Windows 2008 server

Symptom:
When doing a IP (initial publish) for datamart in FAP get error “Could not login to TM1, host …. Server name: …. User name: …

If you have the mouse pointer over the error message a screen tip will say
“could not logon with to CAM with user: tm1servername to ClientCAMURI http://cognoscontroller…..

Cause:
The CAM user we try to connect to the TM1 cube is not set as ADMIN in the TM1 cube.

The TM1 cube security is changed from 1 to 5 in the tm1s.cfg file to allow access from Cognos Connection and use of the Cognos Access Management (CAM) users. But we have forgotten to set the CAM user to be ADMIN.

Possible Solution:

Start Tm1 Architect and open the TM1 cube for FAP.
Right click on the TM1 cube and select Security – Clients/Groups.
Find the CAM user in the list and mark ADMIN under Administrative Group Assignment.
Click OK
Exit Tm1 Architect.

Try to publish again in FAP program.

Product:
Cognos Controller FAP version 8.5.1

Symptom:
When doing a IP (initial publish) for datamart in FAP get error “Could not login to TM1, host …. Server name: …. User name: …

If you have the mouse pointer over the error message a screen tip will say
C8ITKShared (Not found in java.library.path)

You may find a FAPFatalErrorlog file in the FAP folder with this line;
Tue Mar 22 14:24:05 CET 2011 – Fatal error when starting or running FAPService. com.cognos.ccf.c8itk.ITKProxySession (initialization failure)

Cause:
FAP service can not find the TM1 dll files on the server. You need to add the path to the BIN folder to the PATH variable.

Solution:

Installing the TM1 Client (Optional)
This step is required when the Financial Analytics Publisher service and the TM1 application server
reside on different servers.
The TM1 client includes the dll files that are required for the Financial Analytics Publisher server
and the client to communicate with the TM1 server.

Steps to Add a Path for the TM1 Client System Variables
1. In Windows Explorer, right-click on My Computer, and select Properties.
2. Go to the Advanced tab.
3. Click Environment Variables.
4. Under System Variables, select Path, and click Edit.
5. Copy the path to the TM1\bin directory on your client, and paste it in at the end of the shown
path.
6. Click OK to all dialog boxes that follow.

Product:
Cognos Controller 8.5 FixPack 1

Symptom:
When you start Cognos Controller client for the first time you get the message
“An error occurred while trying to access the server”

In the Windows Event log you can find this message:
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Cognos Controller
Event Category: None
Event ID: 0
Date: 2010-05-20
Time: 15:03:37
User: N/A
Computer: COMPUTER
Description:
Error occured at 2010-05-20 15:03:37 in IBM Cognos 8 Controller, Error No=5, Source=FrangoDirect.ConnectionDirect.SetSelectDb#ControllerProxyClient, Description=System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. —> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0x80040154): Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {114133CF-5DC0-4DB1-8796-4642553B2499} failed due to the following error: 80040154.
at Cognos.Controller.Proxy.CCRWS.ConnectionBusiness_SetSelectDb(String sGuid, String sUser, Boolean bSelectDb)
— End of inner exception stack trace —, HelpFile= HelpContext=0

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Cause:
During the installation of Cognos Controller not all parts was correct installed.
You find this if you look on the Cognos Controller application server in Component Services under Administrative tools.
Expand the Com+ Applications branch and then expand IBMCOGNOSCONTROLLER Components branch – if there is only 30 objects in here then you have the cause of the problem.

Solution:
Uninstall Cognos Controller 8.5 from the Application server.
Install same Cognos Controller 8.5 to the same folder on the Application server.

Then you have all the components in the Component Services.

Cognos Controller 8.5 Fixpack 1 should have 259 Objects in Components Services.

Product:
Cognos Controller 85

Symptom:
Error when you try to start Cognos controller client, after the selection of the database.
“An error occurred while trying to access the server.”

Message in Windows event log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: Cognos Controller
Event Category: None
Event ID: 0
Date: 2010-05-11
Time: 15:03:15
User: N/A
Computer: SERVER
Description:
Error occured at 2010-05-11 15:03:15 in IBM Cognos 8 Controller, Error No=5, Source=FrangoDirect.ConnectionDirect.GetUserInfo#ControllerProxyClient, Description=System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. —> System.ArgumentException: Format of the initialization string does not conform to specification starting at index 0.
at System.Data.Common.DbConnectionOptions.GetKeyValuePair(String connectionString, Int32 currentPosition, StringBuilder buffer, Boolean useOdbcRules, String& keyname, String& keyvalue)
at System.Data.Common.DbConnectionOptions.ParseInternal(Hashtable parsetable, String connectionString, Boolean buildChain, Hashtable synonyms, Boolean firstKey)
at System.Data.Common.DbConnectionOptions..ctor(String connectionString, Hashtable synonyms, Boolean useOdbcRules)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionString..ctor(String connectionString)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionFactory.CreateConnectionOptions(String connectionString, DbConnectionOptions previous)
at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnectionPoolGroup(String connectionString, DbConnectionPoolGroupOptions poolOptions, DbConnectionOptions& userConnectionOptions)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.ConnectionString_Set(String value)
at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection.set_ConnectionString(String value)
at Cognos.Controller.Proxy.DAL.Xcamusers..ctor(String sGuid, String sUser)
at Cognos.Controller.Proxy.ControllerReportNetService.RepNet.GetUserInfo(String sGuid, String sUser, String passportId)
at Cognos.Controller.Proxy.CCRWS.GetUserInfo(String sGuid, String sUser, String passportId)
— End of inner exception stack trace —, HelpFile= HelpContext=0

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Cause:
The SQL login that is used to access the Cognos Controller database have a = sign in the password.

Solution:
Change the password used by the SQL login Cognos to the controller database to only contain letters and numbers (e.g. A-Z, 1-9)
Then change in Cognos Controller Configuration for the database connection to the new password for access to the Controller database.
Save the change and restart the Controller Application server to allow the controller services to understand the change in connection to the database.