Product:
IBM Cognos BI 10.2.1
LICENSE_BI_SERVER_version=LICENSE_BI_SERVER-AW64-ML-RTM-10.2.1019.0-0
LICENSE_BI_SERVER_name=IBM Cognos License
SWTAG_BI_SERVER_version=SWTAG_BI_SERVER-AW64-ML-RTM-10.2.1012.0-0
SWTAG_BI_SERVER_name=SWTAG BI Server
C8BISRVR_version=C8BISRVR-AW64-ML-RTM-10.2.5000.275-0
C8BISRVR_name=IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Server
Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 server
Issue:
What does IBM Cognos Dynamic Cubes need?
Solution:
IBM Cognos Dynamic Cubes is used to model dimensional metadata and to create dynamic cubes to use as data sources in the Content Manager. The software to create this is IBM Cognos Cube Designer for designing dynamic, aggregate, and create virtual cubes.
To install the IBM® Cognos® Dynamic Cubes software, perform the following tasks:
Upgrade or install version 10.2.1 of the Business Intelligence Server software on a Windows, UNIX or Linux operating system.
Upgrade or install version 10.2.1 of the Framework Manager software on computers configured for modeling dynamic cubes.
Ensure you have turned “User Account Control” to “Never Notify” before installing Cognos Cube Designer.
Install IBM Cognos Cube Designer on workstation for developer to create cubes.
Upgrade or install version 10.2.1 of IBM Cognos Dynamic Query Analyzer on a 32-bit or 64-bit computer where the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence Application Tier components are currently installed, that is the Cognos BI server itself.
Enable the 64-bit version of Report Server, inside Cognos Configuration.
Support for relational databases through JDBC connectivity.
Configure data connectivity to relational data sources.
Test the IBM Cognos Cube Designer installation, from the Framework Manager software.
The Report server component, included with the Application Tier Components, is provided in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Selecting which version you use is done by using IBM Cognos Configuration after installation. By default, the Report server component is set to use the 32-bit mode, even on a 64-bit computer. By using the 32-bit mode, you can run all reports, whereas by using the 64-bit mode, you can run only reports created for dynamic query mode. The DQM
The report server component, when installed with a Cognos BI 64 bit version ( in folder C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\c10_64 ) in default mode, where Report Server execution mode is set to 32 bit. The process of a report flow is simplified that it is sent from dispatcher to the DQM or CQM report engine depending on the report specification, after that it is sent back to the Report process to render report before showing it for users. The CQM report process and the rendering report process are inside the BIBusTKServerMain.exe. The old CQM (Classic Query Mode) process when inside BIBusTKServerMain.exe *32 is a 32 bit process.
When change the Report Server execution mode to 64 the BIBusTKServerMain.exe will start up as a 64 bit process, and can then only handle rendering questions. Not process CQM reports.
A 32 bit process have a limit of only accessing 4 GB of RAM. This can be a issue if you have complex reports, that need to calculate a lot of data before showing the resulting data in the Report, in case you should try to use DQM instead. In this 32 bit mode, the Cognos BI server can handle reports that access both DQM and CQM data sources. But it is not recommended to use for Dynamic Cubes, even to they can look to work. For Dynamic Cubes you need to setup a separate Cognos BI server with Report Server Execution Mode set to 64 bit.
Note: With Microsoft Windows 2008 R2, and later, the BIBusTKServerMain.exe*32 can use 4 GB of ram. In Microsoft Windows 2003 it should only use 2 Gb of ram, with default windows settings.
In 32 bit mode, the functions and cache benefits of DQM are there, and the DQM report process is using 64 bit mode and can use all memory. Suggestion is to start the new Cognos BI 10.2.1 server in this mode, and then test some reports with a DQM defined data source.
DQM uses the Query Service. If you set Query Service to false in Cognos Configuration, you disable DQM totally and also saves memory for because it is one JAVA process less. This is not recommended, if you going to use DQM.
Although the dynamic query mode (DQM) is supported in 32 bit installations of IBM Cognos BI servers, 64 bit servers are recommended for DQM. You should install Cognos BI 64 bit version.
The initial size and size limit of the JVM heap for DQM can be set in Cognos Administration via the Settings tab of the QueryService. By default each of these are set to 1 GB.
In production environments where Cognos Dynamic Cubes are not employed, it is recommended to set the initial heap size to 4 GB and the limit to 8 GB (a 64 bit server is required for memory settings above 2GB) and then monitor system resource usage during peak hours and adjust the settings accordingly.
For a server that is operating one or more Cognos Dynamic Cubes, the size limit of the query service should be set in accordance to the Dynamic Cubes hardware sizing recommendations.
Background:
Report Server Execution Mode:
There are 2 options 32-Bit and 64-bit
32 Bit mode supports CQM and DQM models
64 Bit mode only supports DQM models and Dynamic Cubes
Only 64 Bit mode of DQM supports Dynamic Cubes, this mean in most environment where you have a mix of reports and data sources that use both DQM and CQM, you need to set up more than one server and route the reports on the data source level (frame work package). So reports that will use Dynamic Cubes are routed to the Cognos BI server who have 64 Bit DQM mode, and also only supports DQM reports.
To prevent reports to be processed on a server that does not support them, you must implement Cognos Routing rules. This can be done in several ways, one is to apply a routing on Framework manager packages, like this:
Go to Cognos Connection and locate the package you would like to apply the routing to.
Click the set properties button for the package.
Under the Advanced routing section, click Set…
The Assign routing sets page appears. Type a routing keyword, “Sales Dept“, in the Type Routing Sets section and click Add.
Click OK. You will notice that the routing keywords are now displayed under Advanced routing.
On the Set properties page, click OK.
You also need to create server groups and add a routing rule.
IBM Cognos BI 10.2.1 introduced a subtle change in the routing behavior, that untagged requests will be load-balanced across the whole system, instead the local Server Group only.
Before Cognos BI 10.2.1 a report that was send to a Cognos BI server, would stay in that server group that the first (primary) dispatcher was in. Meaning that Cognos BI reports would not be routed outside the server group of the first dispatcher. This have change, so now in Cognos BI 10.2.1 a report that is not connected to a “route set” on user or frame work manager package level, will be free to be processed on any of the Cognos BI reports servers in the solution.
If you implement Routing Rules in Cognos BI 10.2.1, you must have routing rules for all reports, to ensure that not any of them can end up uncontrolled on a Cognos BI server that does not have the data source it´s needs. Can be done by a routing rule that takes all reports to one server group. Set all the values to ANY and select a server group that will handle this reports.
• Package Routing Set:
• Group Routing Set:
• Role Routing Set:
This Routing Rule should be the last one in the list, because if a reports is found matching a previous routing rule, it is not processed further down the list.
More Information:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21427147
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/infrastructure/cognos_specific/page510.html
http://www.supernovae.be/blog_20130325_DistributedEnvironment
http://www.ironsidegroup.com/2013/06/04/ibm-cognos-10-dynamic-cubes-overview/