Product:
Cognos Controller 10.3
Windows Server 2012 R2
Microsoft Excel Professional Plus 2013 (32 bit version)

Problem:
When starting Excel 2013 from icon in Cognos Controller or when open the data entry form I get a error.

Error message:
Error launching menu item “controller link”
Error Details
… macro cc.CompareDb . Macro is maybe not in this workbook…
… could not find c:\program files(x86)\IBM\IBM Cognos Controller\adxloader.Controller.ExcelLink.dll. Can it have been moved, change name or been removed?…

Solution:
There may be old references to old Cognos Controller versions in the registry for this user.

Start Excel 2013
On file – options – add-ins
Click on GO button for manage Excel Add-ins
if there is a line for
Adxloader.controller.excellink
mark it and you will get a message that say it can not find the add-in, should it be removed from the list?
Click Yes.
Close excel.

Please try again to see if excel is working now.

Fun fact:
To see what AD groups you belong to and other information,
start a Command prompt as admin on the computer
Enter gpresult /v > c:\temp\YOURINFO.TXT

This will list both groups for you and the computer and other information.

In case above does not work for one user, but the other users have less problem with Cognos Controller and Excel. Run above command on the two users computers, and compare the TXT files for them to find out if the user that Cognos Controller is working for have more RIGHTS on his computer than the person who have issues.

Check the section “The user is part of the following security groups” last in the list.

Product:

Cognos Analytics 11.0.6

Information:

Cognos Analytics 11.0.6 adds support for Planning Analytics Local. Here are the new integration highlights in version 11.0.6.

Dashboard support for packages with TM1 and Planning Analytics cubes

As of version 11.0.6, you can make Cognos Analytics dashboards using packages from TM1 or Planning Analytics cubes. As always you create the packages in the Cognos Administration console or with Framework Manager. See Dashboard Enhancements in Cognos Analytics 11.0.6 for information on the OLAP support now available in dashboards.

REST connectivity to Planning Analytics

Cognos Analytics connects to TM1 data sources using TM1 client software which needs to be installed on the Cognos Analytics server. Cognos Analytics connects to Planning Analytics using the TM1 REST API which doesn’t require any additional software to be installed. You create a connection to Planning Analytics from the Cognos Administration console by selecting the IBM Planning Analytics data source connection type.

If you are upgrading from TM1 to Planning Analytics, within the Cognos Administration data source you can replace the TM1 connection with a Planning Analytics connection. Subsequently you need to re-publish any packages that refer to that data source, but no need to make any changes to the associated reports.

Support for Planning Analytics hierarchies

Sometimes referred to as “attribute hierarchies” and “named alternate hierarchies”, they are commonly known as simply “PA hierarchies” and are arguably the most important new TM1 server feature in Planning Analytics Local. Here’s a 3 min video on them.

Planning Analytics hierarchies appear and behave no differently than any other OLAP hierarchy in Cognos Analytics, but now you can have a TM1 dimension that has multiple hierarchies.

You need to use a Planning Analytics data source connection to see multiple TM1 hierarchies within a dimension; if you try to use a TM1 data source connection only the first or default hierarchy will appear within each dimension.

Support for localized Planning Analytics cubes

TM1 10.2.2 introduced the ability to localize objects in a cube without needing alias tables as documented here. This is supported in Cognos Analytics via a Planning Analytics REST connection only.

Cognos Analytics users can see a localized Planning Analytics cube in their language by either setting the Content Language in their user preferences or by setting the report language in the report properties. Note that you do not need to use the language settings that appear when creating a package for Planning Analytics cubes as those are for the legacy alias table localization functionality only.

Link to the CA 11 versions  http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24043412

Above text from:

Cognos Analytics 11.0.6 support for Planning Analytics

 

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.3
Microsoft Windows 2012 R2
Microsoft SQL 2016 database server

Problem:
You have two environment, PROD and TEST, and want from same computer client be able to connect with same Cognos Controller 10.3 client to these environments. You can not have two different versions on Cognos Controller client installed at the same time on your laptop, because it is risk that it will not work with the Cognos Controller Excel add-in. Here it is same version of Cognos Controller client that should talk to two different Controller Application servers.

Possible solution:
Please take care and ensure that the client works with the correct database, and that you always clear the local cache inside Cognos Controller 10.3 when you start the program. This to ensure you do not have data from the other database inside the client.

Install the Cognos Controller client from the CCRLOCALCLIENT64.MSI file (that you find on the controller server in folder
C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\webcontent\ccr ).
Here you have instructions on how to install Cognos Controller 10.3 client
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21608353

After the installation, then you on the client create this files.
Go to folder C:\Program Files\ibm\IBM Cognos Controller Local Client\
Copy the file ccr.exe to ccrtest.exe and ccrprod.exe, so you have 3 exe files in the folder.
Copy the file ccr.exe.config to ccrtest.exe.config and ccrprod.exe.config, important the names match the previous names.
Then open ccrprod.exe.config in notepad.
It is only the row WSSUrl you need to change – so it point to the TEST or the PROD server.

<add key=”WSSUrl” value=”http://controllerPRODservername.domain.com/ibmcognos/controllerserver”/>

update the ccrprod.exe.config text file and then save it.

update then ccrtest.exe.config text file with the TEST server name and save it. Also only on this row  <add key=”WSSUrl” value=”http://controllerTESTserver/ibmcognos/controllerserver”/>

Now you have a CCRPROD.EXE that will use the CCRPROD.EXE.CONFIG file to find the server when you start the program.

Now right click on CCRPROD.EXE and select “create shortcut” – place the shortcut on the desktop.
Now right click on CCRTEST.EXE and select “create shortcut” – place the shortcut on the desktop.

There should now be TWO icons for Cognos Controller 10.3 on the desktop of this user.
(if you want to install this on several users, then you should copy the 2 *.exe and the 2 *.config files you created and the 2 ccr – shortcut files to each users hard-disk, keeping them in the same folders as now.).

To start Cognos Controller 10.3 for the test environment, then you click on the CCRTEST.EXE icon.
After you have logged in, you go to menu Maintain – Special Utilities – Clear Local Cache.
Then you can start working in your Cognos Controller 10.3 Client session.

To see what database you are using in the program toolbar – go to Maintain – User – Personal Defaults
On the Layout tab, mark windows setting “Display Data Source and User ID”.
Click OK.

Restart your Cognos Controller 10.3 client program.

============== This is how the ccr.exe.config file can look like===================

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″?>
<!–
IBM SOURCE CODE HEADER START
# =====================================================================
# IBM Confidential
#
# OCO Source Materials
#
# IBM Cognos Products: ccr
#
# (C) Copyright IBM Corp. 2004, 2014
#
# The source code for this program is not published or otherwise
# divested of its trade secrets, irrespective of what has been
# deposited with the U.S. Copyright Office.
# =====================================================================
# IBM SOURCE CODE HEADER END
–>
<configuration>

<configSections>
<sectionGroup name=”profile”>
<section name=”Settings” type=”System.Configuration.NameValueSectionHandler, System, Version=1.0.3300.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089, Custom=null”/>
</sectionGroup>
<section name=”log4net” type=”log4net.Config.Log4NetConfigurationSectionHandler, log4net” requirePermission=”false”/>
</configSections>
<profile>
<Settings>
<add key=”SelectDb” value=”true”/>
<add key=”Language” value=”2057″/>
<add key=”CASUrl” value=”C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Cognos Controller Local Client\”/>
<add key=”WSSUrl” value=”http://servername.domain.com/ibmcognos/controllerserver”/>
<add key=”HelpUrl” value=”http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter”/>
<add key=”InstallExcelLink” value=”false”/>
<add key=”CacheDir” value=””/>
</Settings>
</profile>
<system.web>
<webServices>
<soapExtensionTypes>
<add type=”ClientExtension, ControllerExtension” priority=”0″ group=”0″/>
</soapExtensionTypes>
</webServices>
</system.web>

<log4net>
<root>
<level value=”ERROR”/>
<appender-ref ref=”CCRClient”/>
</root>
<appender name=”CCRClient” type=”log4net.Appender.FileAppender”>
<staticLogFileName value=”false”/>
<file type=”log4net.Util.PatternString”>
<conversionPattern value=”${LOCALAPPDATA}\CCRClientLogs\%date{MM_dd_yyyy}.txt”/>
</file>
<appendToFile value=”true”/>
<layout type=”log4net.Layout.PatternLayout”>
<conversionPattern value=”%date %-5level %logger – %message%newline”/>
</layout>
</appender>
</log4net>

</configuration>

==================================================================================

Here you can download the Cognos Controller 10.3 fix pack 1 version
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24043262

Product:
Planning Analytics 2.0 local
Microsoft Windows 2016 server Version 10.9.14393

Problem:
Can I install PAW on Windows 2016 server with the native docker that come with Windows 2016?

Solution:
No. PAW does not support native docker on windows 2016. PAW in current state, need that you install the “docker toolbox” on your windows server.  The new version Planning Analytics Workspace 21 includes a native install for Windows Server 2016.
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24043782
https://community.watsonanalytics.com/discussions/questions/30105/does-planning-analytics-workspace-server-run-on-wi.html

More Information:
This is the steps to install the docker that is part of Microsoft Windows 2016. But this does not work with PA 2.0 Local.

Install Microsoft Windows 2016 server.
Ensure that Windows is connected to the internet.
Update the Windows 2016 server to latest fix pack version.
Start a power shell session as a administrator.
Right click on the power shell icon and select run as administrator.
Paste this line to install DOCKER
Install-Module -Name DockerMsftProvider -Force

install docker1
Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Windows\system32> Install-Module -Name DockerMsftProvider -Force

NuGet provider is required to continue
PowerShellGet requires NuGet provider version ‘2.8.5.201’ or newer to interact with NuGet-based repositories. The NuGet
provider must be available in ‘C:\Program Files\PackageManagement\ProviderAssemblies’ or
‘C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\PackageManagement\ProviderAssemblies’. You can also install the NuGet provider by running
‘Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -MinimumVersion 2.8.5.201 -Force’. Do you want PowerShellGet to install and
import the NuGet provider now?
[Y] Yes [N] No [S] Suspend [?] Help (default is “Y”): y
WARNING: Unable to download from URI ‘https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=627338&clcid=0x409’ to ”.
WARNING: Unable to download the list of available providers. Check your internet connection.
PackageManagement\Install-PackageProvider : No match was found for the specified search criteria for the provider ‘NuGe

You will be asked to update NUGET – above error happens when you do not have internet connection from your Windows 2016 server.
Ensure you have internet connection from your Windows server.

Run the command again in Power Shell:
Install-Module -Name DockerMsftProvider -Force

Then run this:
Install-Package -Name docker -ProviderName DockerMsftProvider -Force

install docker2

This text will be the response:
WARNING: A restart is required to start docker service. Please restart you machine.
Name: Version: Source: Summary:
—-
Docker 17.03.1-ee DockerDefault Contains Docker EE for use with Windows Server 2016…

Restart the Windows server with this command in power shell:
Restart-Computer -Force

You will now have a windows service called Docker that is running. There will also be a new network adapter called vEthernet (HNS Internal NIC).

To test you can enter this in power shell:
docker run hello-world:nanoserver

It will start by download the container and then run it.

nanoserver
Give above if it works.

If you in CMD enter:
docker version
you will get the version like this
C:\Windows\system32>docker version
Client:
Version: 17.03.1-ee-3
API version: 1.27
Go version: go1.7.5
Git commit: 3fcee33
Built: Thu Mar 30 19:31:22 2017
OS/Arch: windows/amd64

Server:
Version: 17.03.1-ee-3
API version: 1.27 (minimum version 1.24)
Go version: go1.7.5
Git commit: 3fcee33
Built: Thu Mar 30 19:31:22 2017
OS/Arch: windows/amd64
Experimental: false

Here to download Docker Toolbox
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-toolbox?cm_mc_uid=80072513057014906872494&cm_mc_sid_50200000=1496826036

Here to understand Docker

https://store.docker.com/editions/enterprise/docker-ee-server-windows