CogKnowHow

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.2.1
Cognos TM1 10.2.2
Cognos BI 10.2.1

Symptom:
When publish from FAP program to TM1 cube with a Windows account you cannot login. But same account work when you access the TM1 cube from TM1 Architect.

Background:
TM1 and Controller are using CAM authentication against a BI server that is connected to the Company’s Active Directory.
The windows user account is in a different sub domain, than the TM1 and Controller servers, that are in an other sub domain in the Company Active Directory.
The FAP program cannot add sub domain information at login, as you can when you login to TM1 Architect.
If you use a Windows account that is in the same sub domain as the TM1 server, then the login works.

Solution:
Check the name space connection string at the Cognos Configuration on the BI server. It should point to the top of the AD domain. If it point to a single AD server in the domain, that server cannot have access of the whole AD, and therefor miss the account. This because the sub domain info is not passed on from the FAP program.
Ensure that the AD connection point to the top of the domain, or to a load balancer in front of the AD servers.

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.2.1 fix pack 4
Windows 2012 R2 server

Problem:
How install the Cognos Controller client on a Citrix server?

Fix pack downloaded from here
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24041934
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24042066

Solution:
The IBM Cognos Controller client has the following 3rd party dependencies that needs to be satisfied:
1. Microsoft .net Framework 2.0SP2 (Present in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 from start).
2. In the case where IBM Cognos Controller 10.2.1FP4 is installed to run as a local client on a Windows 10 client machine, it is required that Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is installed.
3. Acrobat Reader 9.3 or ‘X’.
4. Microsoft Excel 2007 or 2010, 2013, 2016.
5. Internet Explorer 8 or 9 or 10 or 11.

Copy the ccrlocalclient.msi file from folder c:\program files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\webcontent\ccr
To a share you created for the installation.
In that share create a text file called EXCEL.EXE.CONFIG with this content:

<configuration>
  <startup>
     <supportedRuntime version=”v2.0.50727″/>
  </startup>
 <runtime>                                                               
 <generatePublisherEvidence enabled=”false”/>                           
</runtime>
 </configuration>

Then you can install Controller program from the share to the local computer.

The Controller client installation in Citrix is performed in a similar way to any local installation. There are however a few things to observe in the installation process as Controller is installed in a shared Citrix environment.

The installation steps in Citrix are as follows:
1. Copy the ‘Excel.exe.config’ file to the Office installation folder (needs to be in the same location as excel.exe.)
2. Set terminal server in install mode, at the command prompt type:

change user /install

3. Run the installation from the command-line (convenient way to supply configuration parameters):

msiexec /i ccrlocalclient.msi WSSURL=http://servername.domain.com/ibmcognos/controllerserver HELPURL=http://servername.domain.com/ibmcognos/controllerhelp

4. Change back to execute mode:

change user /execute

5. Check the following registry key to ensure that not all users get the Controller Excel-link loaded from start:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Terminal Server\Install\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Excel\Options

There are different ways to check this, however, at the lowest level of this key there should not be an ‘OPEN’ value pointing to ‘/R \controllerxl.xll’ present!

In Internet Explorer the Cognos Controller server must be with the local sites to allow SSO login.
Go to Internet Options
Click Security tab
Select Local Intranet and click Sites button
Click Advanced button
Enter the url for the server ( http://servername.domain.com ) and click ADD
Repeat for only server name ( http://servername ) and click ADD
Click Close
Click OK
Click OK

More information
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa367988%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
http://www-969.ibm.com/software/reports/compatibility/clarity-reports/report/html/softwareReqsForProduct?deliverableId=1375106167322&osPlatforms=Windows#sw-2
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21608353

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.2.1
Microsoft Windows 2012 R2
Microsoft SQL 2012 database in cluster setup

Symptom:
After the SQL cluster have rolled from Node A to Node B, then the first Controller user to login and run a standard report get an error message. He run the report a second time and it gives the same error message. The third time he run the report it works fine. Same issue for other reports.
Thereafter the reports work fine inside Cognos Controller, until next time you role the Cluster.

Error Message:
RQP-DEF-0177
Ett fel inträffade när åtgärden ‘sqlStart’ status=’-121’ utfördes.
UDA-SQL0564 [Microsoft OLE DB Provdier for SQL Server][DBNETLIB]
General network error.
(SQLSTATE=08S01, SQLERRORCODE=11)

Solution:
After you have shifted the SQL cluster, restart the Cognos BI service on the Application server.
Wait the 5 minutes it takes to restart the IBM Cognos service, and then login to Cognos Controller client and test again to run report. Now it should work the first time.

The Cognos BI service check if it have contact with the database, if it loose contact – it will not use that node for some time.

More information:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21378301

Product:
Cognos Controller 10.2.5130.56
Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 standard Server
Microsoft SQL 2008 R2 database Server 10.50.4000.0

Problem:
One user cannot login in to Cognos Controller over VPN connection.
Single Sign On is active with use of CAM users. After select the database to use the error message appears.

Error message:
An error occurred while trying to access the server
Invalid URI: The hostname could not be parsed.

Solution:
Change Cognos Controller Configuration to use FQDN instead of only hostname in all places.
Special at Client Distribution Server configuration, ensure that CASURL and WSSURL point to
http://servername.domain.com/ibmcognos/controllerserver
instead of only servername.

Ensure that in Cognos BI Configuration Environment, that all references to localhost is replaced with the FQDN name of the servers.

Also on server and client ensure that server is part of local intranet.
Go to Windows Control panel.
Go to Internet Options.
Select Security tab.
Click on local Intranet.
Click on Sites button.
Click on Advance button.
Enter the *.domain.com ( the company domain ) to the “add this website to the zone:” and click ADD button.
Now the server name or the last part of FQDN should show in the list of websites for Local Intranet.
Click OK to leave Internet Options.
Restart IE and try to surf to http://servername.domain.com/ibmcognos
– If it works without login message, then it is correct setup.

More information:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21366724

Product:
IBM Cognos Controller 10.2.1 fix pack 3
Microsoft Windows 2012 Server
Microsoft SQL database

Problem:
How do I upgrade the Cognos Controller Client to newer fix pack?

If you get error message like this when you start Cognos Controller, then you are missing some step in the client upgrade.
“invalid database version.
This version of Controller requires database version: 949”

“System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. –>
“System.Exception: Invalid column name ‘ExcelFileFormat'”

Solution:
On the Cognos Controller server you have to first install the Fix Pack.
You download the fix pack from IBM site:
http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/selectFixes?parent=Cognos&product=ibm/Information+Management/Cognos+8+Controller&release=All&platform=All&function=fixId&fixids=10.2.1-BA-CNTRL-Win64-FP003&includeSupersedes=0

On the Controller server stop all services and run the setup as of this instructions
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24041820

Then you need to go into Cognos Configuration and click save, and start to start the Cognos BI services.
Then you need to go into Cognos Controller Configuration and on the databases, you need to click RUN. This will start the DBCONV program.
Here you click CONNECT to see the version of the database.
And if needed you click on UPGRADE, more info here:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21346294

Click OK and close.
After database is update and Cognos BI services is started, it is recommended that you restart the physical Windows server where you have Cognos Controller installed, to ensure update of COM packages.
You can run command: SHUTDOWN /R /T 10 /F
to force a restart of the server. (check with IT department before you do this).

Then you need to copy the CCRLOCALCLIENT.MSI file from server to a share so you can install the client on your workstation or citrix servers. You find the file in folder;
\program files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\webcontent\ccr

If you have a packaged installation of the Cognos Controller client in you organization then this is the MSI file you need to give them from the server, to update there package to the new version of the Cognos Controller client.

On client workstation you need first uninstall the previous version of Cognos Controller from the add/remove program dialog in the Windows Control panel.
The New version of Cognos Controller will be listed in Control panel as:
Name: IBM Cognos Controller Local Client
Author: IBM
Size: 234 MB
Version: 10.2.5130.56

Run CCRLOCALCLIENT.MSI to install the Cognos Controller client program.
Click NEXT on “welcome to the IBM cognos Controller Local Client Setup Wizard”
Enter the WSSURL to be the same as the value you have in Cognos Controller Configuration on the Controller server, in tab “client distribution server configuration”. Normal it is a value like this:
http://servername/ibmcognos/controllerserver
And for the HelpURL you need to make a entry like this;
http://servername/ibmcognos/ControllerHelp
The servername you can find in the Controller Configuration on the Server itself.

Leave the cache dir blank (if you not have used it before).
Click NEXT
Click INSTALL
Click FINISH

You get a new group on the start menu, called: IBM Cognos Controller
and under there you have icon for IBM Cognos Controller
click on it to start the program.

If you get error AAA-AUT-0013 when you try to login, then is the Windows user not added to the Cognos Controller program.
You need to add the windows user to the Cognos Connection group Controller users,
Surf to http://servername/ibmcognos
go to Administration page.
Select Security tab.
Click on Cognos
find the group Controller Users and click on MORE on the right side
click Set Members
click ADD on the right side
Click on your namespace name e.g. AD
Click search
Enter the name of the user, can be only lastname
Set Find text in: Name or description field
Click on Advance, to set:
Method: Contains the exact string
Type: Any
Scope: This folder and its subfolders
Click on SEARCH
if no match found with name try the user network login short name, e.g ROOS
Mark the user name and click on the arrow to add it the list of selected users.
Click OK
Click OK

Then you need to ask a Cognos Controller Administrator to login into the Cognos Controller client, and create an account for you windows user.
Go to MAINTAIN – RIGHTS -USERS
Select Create New: User
In the CAM user field. Click on the … to get a list of available users to add.
Select the user to ADD and click on the green icon.
Now the user name and email should be automatic populated inside Cognos Controller.
Ensure the user have the needed rights inside Cognos Controller Limitations tab.
Click SAVE.
Click CLOSE.
Exit Cognos Controller.

Now the new user can start the new Cognos Controller client and try to login again.

More Information:
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/forums/html/topic?id=959ddbc4-15b9-4861-af57-a4d3f73b5c34
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27045132#tab_1021FP3
https://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21608353
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21973646