Product:
IBM Cognos Controller CONTRL_UPDATE_version=CCR-AW64-ML-RTM-11.1.1002.5-0

Microsoft Windows 2019 server

Issue:

How upgrade the client?

Suggested solution:

This are the steps we do on a laptop to upgrade the IBM cognos controller client program.

In excel the add-in is installed as this:

Some values can be found in the registry at Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Excel

Uninstall the previous version first, from windows control panel. That is in folder C:\Program Files\IBM\IBM Cognos Controller Local Client.

After you have uninstall Cognos Controller, you get this message when you start Excel.exe.  The above folder is gone and the files in it.

When you go into the excel options add-ins you find this message, it looks like the add-in is installed – but it is not.

Should this be removed before installation of the new Cognos Controller client? If the installation works as it should, it will handle it as is.

Run the installation of the cognos controller client from CCRLocalClient64.msi file.

Click Next

Enter the FQDN name to the cognos controller server here and press Next.

Click Next (notice the new folder to the program)

Click Install

Click Finish

The new IBM controller client is installed.

Start the IBM controller program from the start menu.

Select your database and enter your name and password if needed.

When logged in try to only start Excel from inside Cognos Controller client program, by press the excel icon.

And excel start without any controller tool bar – then the com add-in have been disabled.

You need to go to the options – add-ins – com add-ins and mark the above controller link for microsoft excel and press ok.

Restart Excel and Cognos Controller program.

Go into cognos controller and press excel icon – it should start up the Excel with this controller options.

If you look inside Excel options – add-ins it should look like this.

There should only be two controller link for microsoft excel, and they should point to the correct folder.

In many cases when above does not work, it can be error in REG VALUE

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Options]

“OPEN”=”/R \”C:\\Program Files\\IBM\\IBM Controller Local Client\\adxloader64.Controller.ExcelLink.dll\””

Check the registry from a working installation, and compare to the not working installation of Excel.

If you have issues with the Cognos Controller link to excel, do a reinstall of your Microsoft Office program first.

If the installation is done correct, the files should have the same date. There is 282 files in the Controller client folder for version 11.1

If you get the error “Cannot run the macro ‘cc.CompareDb’. The macro may not…” when try to open Data Entry form, it is caused by multiple Controller clients being installed. Check that you do not have installed both the old and new ccr.exe on the citrix server. Uninstall all Cognos Controller clients from the computer, and ensure it is clean, before you install the correct version of IBM controller software.

You can in rare circumstance need to search the registry (after you uninstalled cognos controller client) for references to the old version at “IBM Cognos Controller Local Client”. Clean the registry before you install the correct version.

If you get a error like this: (then the database connection is not working and the sql username and password is not correct)

System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. —> System.ArgumentException: Login failed for user ‘cognos’.
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.ErrObject.Raise(Int32 Number, Object Source, Object Description, Object HelpFile, Object HelpContext)
at ControllerServerCommon.RaiseErrSrv.RaiseError(String sUser, Int32 lErrNo, String sErrSource, String sErrDesc, String sErrHelpFile, Int32 lErrHelpContext)
at FrServerB.ServerInfo.GetDBRelease(String sGuid, String sUser)
at Cognos.Controller.Proxy.CCRWS.ServerInfo_GetDBRelease(String sGuid, String sUser)
— End of inner exception stack trace —

If you get a error like this when you try to run a report: (You have to go into Excel – options – add-ins and COM add-ins, and mark the controller link for Microsoft Excel, to make it active).

If you try to remove the excel add-in you should get a message like this – only admins can remove the add-in.

If both the excel add- ins are inactive, then nothing happens in the excel. You need to go into both Excel add-ins and COM add-ins and active the controller link for Microsoft Excel.

If you get a error in the Excel add-in dialog like this; (then you have deactivated the add-ins in wrong order)

Exception from HRESULT: 0x800AC472
at Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel._Application.set_EnableEvents(Boolean RHS)
at Cognos.Controller.ControllerForms12.clsDataEntry.DoLogoff()
at Cognos.Controller.XL.ControllerXL.xllController.ExitXll(Boolean LoggingOff)
at Cognos.Controller.XL.ControllerXL.xllController.DoLogout()

More Information:

• Your client computer needs this:
• Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365.
• Microsoft Edge Runtime.
• Microsoft .Net 4.5 or later.

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=installers-installing-stand-alone-controller-client

https://greenshot.org/

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/571703

Product:
IBM Cognos Controller 11.1 CONTRL_UPDATE_version=CCR-AW64-ML-RTM-11.1.1002.5-0
Microsoft Windows 2022 server

Issue:

When testing Controller Web in a new installation – you get error: Unable to load requested view. Displaying home view instead.  This is when using Native security in Cognos Controller, and installed on a single server.

Solution:

The new version of IBM Controller Web use a different port for the end user, browse to http://controllerservername.domain.com:9085/

then it will work.

You may also need to update the config files, before it will work. The steps to setup controller web are from IBM this

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=only-configuring-controller-web

This steps are similar to previous version of Controller Web setup.

Go to the C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\fcmweb\wlp\etc and open server.env in notepad++

change the line to

JAVA_HOME=C:/Program Files/IBM/cognos/ccr_64/fcmweb/jre

save the file.

Open CMD and go to folder C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\fcmweb

Run command:

SyncDBConf.bat ..\Data wlp\usr\shared\config\datasources

Go to folder C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\fcmweb\wlp\usr\servers\fcm.web

Open file com.ibm.fcm.web.properties in Notepad++  ( please note the name: com.ibm.fcm.web.properties )

Add the lines

ccrwsUrl=http://win2022pal/ibmcognos/controllerserver/ccrws.asmx
loginMode=NATIVE

Save the file.

(adjust the path/url to your server setup).

Stop the IBM controller services  – and start them for the changes to take affect.

But you need to do this changes to:

Go to folder C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\frontend

Open config.js in notepad++

Enter the servername url in this 3 places, use FQDN instead of only servername as I do in the example.

Then further down enter the servername (fqdn), and change the port number on line 71 from 9086 to 9085.

Keep the Apostrophe sign as is.

Go to folder C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\fcmweb\wlp\usr\servers\fcm.glass

Open server.env in notepad++

Normally you only need to change the c: to d: if you have installed the cognos controller program to the d: drive with default paths.

Save the file.

Open bootstrap.properties in notepad++ if you have change any other files, to use a different port.

Normally you do not need to change above file.

Restart the Windows server and see if it works.

Log files can be found in a folder like C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\fcmweb\wlp\usr\servers\fcm.web\logs

If you get error like: Not Found
The application or context root for this request has not been found: / you are going to the wrong port. The User should browse to this address:

http://[servername]:9085/

From IBM documentation:

When it works – it should look like this:

More Information:

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=options-configuring-controller-embedded-report-library 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_typographical_symbols_and_punctuation_marks 

Product:

IBM Cognos Controller 11.1
Microsoft Windows 2019 server

Issue:

New installation of IBM Controller 11.1, when the client run a standard report in Cognos Controller client program. The EDGE or adobe acrobat is also started and show the PDF file – even the PDF file is show inside the Controller program dialog.

Solution:

1. Ensure no one is logged into cognos controller client.

2. Logon to the Controller application server

3. Browse to the folder ‘ControllerProxyServer’. Can be C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\ControllerProxyServer

4. Create a backup copy of the file: web.config

5. Use Notepad++ to edit the file web.config

6. Locate the section <appSettings>

7. Add the following line into that section:

<add key="useInternalPdfViewer" value="true" />

8. Save the file and restart the service.

More information:

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-enable-local-pdf-rendering-when-running-standard-reports-enabling-pdfviewer-using-parameter-useinternalpdfviewer 

Product:
IBM Cognos Controller 11.1
Microsoft Windows 2022 server

Issue:

After a new install of IBM Cognos Controller 11.1, the reports give a error inside the client, something like this

Solution:

Even the documentation say, The installation of IBM® Cognos Analytics is needed only for using the Cognos Access Management authentication. You must enable the embedded report system to make it not ask for CA11 support.

Go to the Windows server where you have installed Cognos Controller 11.1

Go to folder C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\ControllerProxyServer

Open file web.config in notepad++

Add the line <add key=”ccrReports” value=”http://myserver.example.com:9082/fcm.reports/report” />

Save the file.

Open file server.env from folder C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\ccr_64\ControllerProxyServer

Add the line JAVA_HOME=C:/Program Files/IBM/cognos/ccr_64/fcmweb/jre

Adjust the paths to your setup, like if you have installed on d: drive it should be JAVA_HOME=D:/Program Files/IBM/cognos/ccr_64/fcmweb/jre

Save the file.

Restart the windows server.

Now the cognos controller client does not need the CA11 services, as long you use NATIVE security mode.

Looks like you can leave this at default values, when you use NATIVE security mode:

Then you need to setup the client distribution server correct.

Next issue you will have is to configure EDGE on the client to open inside the cognos controller program, and not outside as a separate PDF reader.

You can try this (but it may not work):

To make Microsoft Edge open PDFs in an external application instead of the browser, follow these steps:

Method 1: Change Edge PDF Settings

1. Open Edge and go to edge://settings/content/pdfDocuments
   • You can also navigate manually:
     • Click the three-dot menu (⋯)
     • Select Settings
     • Go to Cookies and Site Permissions → PDF documents
2. Enable “Always download PDF files”
   • This forces Edge to download PDFs instead of opening them in the browser.
3. Set a Default PDF Viewer in Windows
   • Right-click any PDF file in File Explorer
   • Click Open with → Choose another app
   • Select your preferred PDF viewer (Adobe Acrobat, Foxit, etc.)
   • Check “Always use this app to open .pdf files”
   • Click OK

Now, when you click on a PDF in Edge, it will download and open in your default PDF viewer.

More information:

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=options-configuring-controller-embedded-report-library

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=icclo-installing-configuring-controller-one-computer

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=environment-cognos-analytics

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=releases-whats-new-in-1110

Product:
IBM cognos controller 11.1
Microsoft Windows 2022 server

Issue:

When you start the cognos controller client you get a error, like this:

System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. —> System.ArgumentException: Access to the registry key ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\VB and VBA Program Settings\FrangoController\Settings’ is denied.
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.ErrObject.Raise(Int32 Number, Object Source, Object Description, Object HelpFile, Object HelpContext)
at ControllerServerCommon.RaiseErrSrv.RaiseError(String sUser, Int32 lErrNo, String sErrSource, String sErrDesc, String sErrHelpFile, Int32 lErrHelpContext)
at FrServerB.LocalConnectionBusiness.SetSelectDb(String sGuid, String sUser, Boolean bSelectDb)
at FrServerB.ConnectionBusiness.SetSelectDb(String sGuid, String sUser, Boolean bSelectDb)
— End of inner exception stack trace —
at Microsoft.VisualBasic.ErrObject.Raise(Int32 Number, Object Source, Object Description, Object HelpFile, Object HelpContext)
at Cognos.Controller.Common.RaiseErrCli.RaiseError(Int32 lErrNo, String sErrSource, String sErrDesc, String sErrHelpFile, Int32 lErrHelpContext)
at Cognos.Controller.Direct.ConnectionDirect.SetSelectDb(Boolean bSelectDb)
at CCR.AppContext.SelectDb()
at CCR.AppContext.Login()

Solution:

Change the DefaultAppPool on the IIS server to use localsystem as the user for the service.

Go to IIS manager

Expand the application pool

Select the pool used by controllerservice

Click on advance settings

Change identity to localsystems

Click ok

Restart the iis from inside IIS manager.

More Information:

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/262325

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=icclo-installing-configuring-controller-one-computer

Product:
IBM Cognos Controller 11.1
Microsoft Windows 2022 server

Issue:

When you check the controller com+ components, you get a error in the web browser like this:

Server Error in ‘/’ Application.

The resource cannot be found.

Description: HTTP 404. The resource you are looking for (or one of its dependencies) could have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.  Please review the following URL and make sure that it is spelled correctly.

Requested URL: /ibmcognos/controllerserver/ccrws.asmx

Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:4.0.30319; ASP.NET Version:4.8.4494.0

Solution:

You may not have created the virtual directory’s correct under the virtual directory IBMCOGNOS, therefor they are not visible.

Create the cognos controller directory’s in correct place.

Then when the test works, it should look similar to this:

http://nameofyourserver/ibmcognos/controllerserver/ccrws.asmx

Other issues, could be, that not all files was installed. Run the installation of IBM Controller again on the server.

More Information:

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=iccoc-configure-web-server

https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/controller/11.1.0?topic=options-configuring-controller-embedded-report-library

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/213339