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

Product:
IBM Cognos BI 10.2.2
Microsoft Windows 2012 R2 Server
Microsoft SQL database 2012 server

Symptom:
When testing a data source, for like Audit database, you get a “logon Failed” after an upgrade to new version of Cognos BI.(where you also have installed on new Windows servers for BI and database.)
You have changed the signon to have the new SQL password to the data source, still you get an error.

If you create a test.udl file and connect with same user and password it works when using the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL server.

Error Message:
Microsoft SQL Server (SQL 2008 Native Client) / Compatible Failed
QE-DEF-0285 The Logon failed.
Microsoft SQL server (JDBC) / Dynamic Succeeded
XQE-DS-0015 getDatabaseProductName: “Microsoft SQL Server”

UDA-SQL-0031 Unable to access the “testDataSourceConnection” database.
UDA-SQL-0534 Invalid connection string.

Solution:
The driver for Microsoft SQL is missing.
Download from Microsoft Web site, and install sqlncli.msi for SQL 2012.

Then you can look into Windows Control panel on server, and check programs, there in the list of installed programs should be;
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Native Client – Version: 11.2.5058.0

Best if you install both 2005, 2008 and 2012 SQLNCLI files so any old Data connection in Cognos BI will work as is.

If you in Cognos Connection use Microsoft SQL Server (ODBC) instead of Microsoft SQL Server (SQL 2008 Native Client) it will also work. When you use “native client” then it must be installed on the Windows Server for Cognos BI to work.

Download SQL 2008 driver from here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44272

Product:
IBM Cognos TM1 10.2.2
Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 Server

Problem:
How to setup CAFE to work with SSO and TM1.

Download Cognos CAFE from here
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24036964

Download the latest Service pack from here
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24041748
You can install the CAFE fix pack direct on you workstation.

Solution:
Setup Cognos BI to work with AD login with SSO.
Setup TM1 to work with AD login in the application.

Check to ensure the TM1 cam files are on the BI server;
Logon to the Cognos BI server
Ensure that file \templates\ps\portal\variables_tm1.xml contains the values to point to the TM1 server.

If you have a older version of Cognos BI than of Cognos TM1, then you may need to do this step:
In Windows Explorer, navigate to the following directory: ‘\webapps\pmpsvc\gateway_files\’
Extract the ‘planning_gateway.zip’ file, and copy the ‘/webcontent/pmhub.html’ file from within
In Windows Explorer, navigate to the following directory: ‘\webcontent\’ and paste the copied ‘pmhub.html’ file.

Open pmhub.html in notepad and change to the server name to that of the TM1 server.
(For all SSO to work, you need to update the right files on the Cognos BI server to point to your Cognos TM1 server. Check other instructions to get SSO to work with Cognos TM1)

Setup the values in PMHUB for the CAFE client.
Launch the PMHub via the following URL: http://yourservername.domain.com:9510/pmhub/pm/admin/
On the left hand side, expand ‘com.ibm.ba.pm.resource.security’. Then, click ‘com.ibm.ba.pm.resource.security.dictionary’ to open the properties pane.
In the properties pane on the right hand side, configure any of the server related URIs to match your own.
Exit the PMHub

On the Client computer ensure that Microsoft NET framework 4 is installed, this is needed for CAFE client.
Also ensure that Primary Interop assemblies are installed with Office on the workstation.
To install the PIAs when you install Office;

Ensure that you have a version of the .NET Framework that is no older than 2.0.

Install Microsoft Office and make sure that the .NET Programmability Support feature is selected for the applications you want to extend (this feature is included in the default installation).

Install the CAFE program on the client by running \install\download\cor_win32_10.2.5250.21_ml.tar\win32\issetup.exe
This will install the CAFE program in your Excel installation.

In Microsoft Excel you must allow the plug in, to get it to work.

Run script to update file in folder C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Cognos\Office Connection
The file is CommManagerSettings.xml

Content to change are

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-16″?><Servers><Server Dll=”Framework.Provider.TM1Rest.dll” gateway=”http://donaldduck:9510″ friendlyname=”KALLETM1″ /></Servers>
True
False
False
300
True

Other files in folder are;
COCSettings.xml
CommManagerSettings.xml
Config.xml
FrameworkSettings.xml

Update below script with your name and the setting for SSO, paste it into NOTEPAD on server and save it as CAFEUPDATE.PS1

$path = ‘C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Cognos\Office Connection\CommManagerSettings.xml’

(
(Get-Content $path )| Foreach-Object { $_ -replace ‘True‘, ‘False‘ } | Set-Content $path
)

You cannot edit the SERVERNAME with above script. Get-Content works only on a row at a time. You need to create something that can search and replace in the whole file.

Here is some help:
http://windowsitpro.com/scripting/replacing-strings-files-using-powershell

You can use any script tool to update the CommManagerSettings.xml file with your company settings. Use the tool you are familiar with.
Good Luck.

Error message in CAFE when you click Login;
error 404 = wrong value in PMHUB, misspelled server name or use of cognos.cgi
If you still have issues, then it may be needed changes in IIS to make SSO to work.

More Information:
http://www.cogknowhow.com/index.php/knowledge-articles/61-ibm-cognos-tm1/585-how-to-setup-sso-against-active-directory-with-tm1-and-cam-security
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27041505#tab_1022FP4
http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSHM9K_10.2.2/com.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.ig_cxr.10.2.2.doc/c_ug_cor_trblshtng_config_issues.html%23ug_cor_trblshtng_config_issues
https://powershell.org/forums/topic/edit-ini-files/

Product:
IBM Cognos TM1 10.2.2 CAFÉ
Cognos for Microsoft Office

Problem:
In Citrix we have Microsoft Excel installed with English menu, but when a Swedish user login to Citrix server session, and then regional settings are in Swedish, and then the CAFÉ menu inside Excel are in Swedish. How do I change the Cognos Analysis For Excel to be in English?

Solution:
CAFÉ menu dialog is controlled by Regional Settings.
You need change the Regional Settings to English to get English menu in CAFÉ.

If it is not desirable, you can change the name of the folder where the Swedish language files are, so the CAFÉ program will default to the English menus. Then you can keep local language in Regional Settings.

On the Citrix server change the folder c:\program files (x86)\ibm\cognos\cognos for Microsoft office\sv to be sv_notused.

Product:
Cognos BI 10.1.1 Transformer
Windows 2008 R2 server

Symptom:
Error when try to create with Cognos Transformer on a Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 server.

You may also get errors when working in Cognos Framework Manager on the server.

Error message:
“UT-DEF-0114 Cannot open lock file /./bin/../configuration/qeclRTMFilelock.xml”

Possible Cause:
The windows user and the service account that run the IBMCOGNOS service have lost rights to the folders, specially the \program files (x86)\ibm\cognos\c10\configuration folder.

Solution:
Even due the user is part of a Windows domain group that is included in the Windows 2008 servers local administrators group, do this on the server:

Right click on the server icon and click manage
Expand the Local User and Groups
Select Groups
Open Administrator group properties
Click on ADD
Enter the name of the user that you want to be able to run transformer
Click Check names to ensure they exist in the domain
Click OK

Log out of the server,
and let the user login and test if transformer works now.

If there is still is same error, add the user direct to the configuration folder

Right click on folder \c10\configuration and select properties
Select security tab
Click on EDIT
Click on ADD
Enter the name of the user that you want to be able to run transformer
Click Check names to ensure they exist in the domain
Click OK
Repeat the above step for that windows user account that is used to run the Cognos BI service, to ensure that reports and transformer will work when scheduled.
When the new user is marked in the list of Groups and user names
Mark ALLOW for MODIFY
(Read & execute, list, read should also be marked)
Click APPLY
Click OK

Log out of the server,
and let the user login and test if transformer works now.

You may need to do the same for the folders used by Framework manager, e.g. the folder where you create and save your framework projects.

More Information:

The list of recent used files in Cognos Transformer is stored in the file \program files (x86)\ibm\cognos\c10\configuration\cogtr.xml

Windows settings for Cognos Transformer program is stored in the file \users\%username%\cogtrwin.ini

The list of recent used files in Cognos Framework Manager is stored in the file \program files (x86)\ibm\cognos\c10\configuration\bmt.ini

In configuration folder file fm.ini also exist, if you do not have access to above files you get errors inside Cognos framework manager.

Product:
TM1 9.4 on MS Server 2003 with IIS6

Symptom:
ERROR Applix.TM1.Web.Page.TM1WebPageUtils –

Problem:
A problem occurs when TM1Web session is terminated after (x) minutes and user must login repeatedly.
TM1Web session is terminated after 20 minutes with message “Session timed out. Please login again”.
TM1Web keeps timing out despite increasing TM1 Web Session Timeout.

Cause:
Timeout parameter in web.config and IIS worker process are defined with Default Parameter.
(Web Session Timeout=20 min, IdleConnectionTimeOutSeconds=120 sec, IdleTimeout=20 min).

Timeouts can be configured at three different “levels” (TM1Web & TM1 Server & MS IIS):
1. TM1Web timeout settings – web.config, tm1web web app
2. TM1 Server timeout settings – tm1s.cfg
3. MS IIS settings for timeout of worker processes – IIS w3wp.exe + DefaultAppPool + machine.cfg

The setting in the tm1s.cfg file applies at the server level, while the web.config applies to accessing the virtual directory for TM1Web.
The IdleConnectionTimeOutSeconds will disconnect a user’s TM1 session, while the timeout parameter in the web.config only applies to a user’s connection to the TM1Web website.

Unexpected timeouts may occur when Default Parameter is changed or “Precedence of settings” is causing unexpected behaviour. The setting in the web.config file takes precedence over idle timeout in IIS and machine.config. When timeout is missing in web.config then setting from machine.config takes precedence.

Solution:
To prevent a TM1Web session from timing out configure your Timeout Parameter according to business requirements and “precedence of timeout settings” (best practice is not to change the default parameters).
Check web.config and tm1s.cfg file timeout parameter information. Check if you have a setting in your tm1s.cfg as it could be impacting your timeout if you do (note that no entry = never timeout). IdleConnectionTimeOut Seconds specifies a timeout limit for idle client connections, in seconds.For example, if you include the line IdleConnectionTimeOutSeconds=900 in tm1s.cfg, the server disconnects idle client connections after 900 seconds.

Timeout Parameter in TM1 & Microsoft IIS & TM1Web
0. Increase timeout IdleConnectionTimeOutSeconds (tm1s.cfg) from 900 sec to 7200 sec (= 120 min)
1. Increase timeout of IIS worker process from sec (=20 min) to 7200 sec (= 120 min)
cscript %SystemDrive%\Inetpub\AdminScripts\adsutil.vbs set W3SVC/AppPools/ApplicationPoolName n
2. Increase timeout DefaultAppPool from default 20 min to 120 min
3. Increase timeout TM1 Web Session (web.config) from default 20 min to 120 min
4. httpRuntime executionTimeout=”7200″ (web.config)
6. restart IIS after changing timeout settings

Another category of Session Timeouts, the ones where immediately after logon (or a short time later) the Session Timeout hits the user, is due to the default setting in IIS Version 6 webserver of MS Windows Server 2003:
Go to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools ->IIS Manager -> Application Pool -> Default Application Pool (DefaultAppPool) -> right mouse click to open context menu, selectProperties -> tab Performance -> Web Garden: Maximum number of worker processes -> Change from default value of 4 to 1.

On newer version of TM1 this settings are elsewhere, because TM1 do not use IIS.

Product:
Cognos TM1 9.5.1 web and contributor

 

Symptom:
You can not login to the TM1web when you are using the Cognos 8 security

 

Cause:
To allow users to successfully log in to TM1 Web when a TM1 server uses IBM Cognos 8 authentication, a variables_TM1.xml file must be present in the c8_location\templates\ps\portal directory. The variables_TM1.xml file must be configured to include the URL of the web server used to deliver TM1 Web

The variables_TM1.xml file is included as part of the TM1 Viewer Portlets installation

Solution:
Unpack the C8_TM1_Portlets_win32_x.x.x.x.tar  file to it´s own folder.

Run the setup.exe from that folder to install the portlets on the Cognos BI servers.

Open file variables_tm1.xml in folder c:\Program Files\cognos\c8\templates\ps\portal

Add the URL to the TM1 server in the file, like below:

<urls>

<url>http://tm1servername/tm1web/TM1WebLoginHandler.aspx</url>

<url>http://tm1servername/tm1web/TM1WebMain.aspx</url>

<url>http://servername.domain.se/tm1web/TM1WebLoginHandler.aspx</url>

<url>http:// servername.domain.se/tm1web/TM1WebMain.aspx</url>

</urls>

Save the file and restart the Cognos BI services.

Please note that you must also in the TM1 cube file tm1s.cfg change these parameters;

IntegratedSecurityMode=5

.

ServerCAMURI=http://biservername:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch

ClientCAMURI=http://biservergatewayname/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi

ClientPingCAMPassport=900

CAMPortalVariableFile=portal\variables_TM1.xml

 

Product:
Cognos TM1 9.5.2
Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 server

Symptom:
User have to login to TM1 again after they have been away from the computer

Cause:
Unexpected timeouts may occur when the Default Parameter is changed or when the precedence of settings results in unexpected behavior. The setting in the web.config file takes precedence over idle timeout in IIS and machine.config. When timeout is missing in web.config then the setting from machine.config takes precedence.

For best results, do not change the default settings. To prevent a TM1Web session from timing out, if you do change the default setting, take into account your business requirements and the precedence of timeout settings.

To diagnose a timeout problem, be sure a setting has been made in the tm1s.cfg. No timeout setting means you never time out.

IdleConnectionTimeOut Seconds specifies a timeout limit for idle client connections in seconds. For example, if you include the line IdleConnectionTimeOutSeconds=900 in tm1s.cfg, the server disconnects idle client connections after 900 seconds.

Solution:
Increase the different time out values in the Cognos solution to two hours;

1)
Go to the folder for you TM1 application
Open tm1s.cfg in notepad
Increase timeout IdleConnectionTimeOutSeconds (tm1s.cfg) from 900 sec to 7200 sec (= 120 min).
Save the tm1s.cfg file.
Restart the TM1 application service from inside TM1 Architect.

(if the TM1 cube is to be used with Controller FAP recommendion to increase the value to IdleConnectionTimeOutSeconds=36000)

2)
Start Internet Information Service (IIS) manager and click on default web site.
On the right side click on Limits to open “Edit Web Site Limits” dialog.
Enter 7200 as value for “Connection timeout ( in seconds )”
Click OK

3)
Click on Application Pools
Click on the application pool used by cognos (cgi-bin) and the DefaultAppPool
On the right side click on Advance Settings
Change Idle-time out (in minutes) from 20 to 120.
Click OK

4)
Edit Web.config in the c:\inetpub\wwwroot\TM1Web folder.
Locate the following code:

<!–  SESSION STATE SETTINGS

By default ASP.NET uses cookies to identify which requests
belong to a particular session.
If cookies are not available, a session can be tracked
by adding a session identifier to the URL.
To disable cookies, set sessionState cookieless=”true”.

–>

<sessionState
mode=”InProc”
stateConnectionString=”tcpip=127.0.0.1:42424″
sqlConnectionString=”data source=127.0.0.1;Trusted_Connection=yes
cookieless=”false”
timeout=”120″
/>

 

Change the timeout value (in minutes) from 20 to 120.
Save Web.config.

5)
Open web.config and find executionTimeout

<system.web>

<!– asp.net request execution timeout, compilation debug must be set to false –>

<httpRuntime executionTimeout=”110″ />

change the value to “7200” instead of “110” seconds.
Save Web.config

6)
Increase timeout of IIS worker process from sec (=20 min) to 7200 sec (= 120 min) with:

cscript %SystemDrive%\Inetpub\AdminScripts\adsutil.vbs set W3SVC/AppPools/ApplicationPoolName n

7)
Inside Internet information service (IIS) manager
Click on the ibmcognos folder (or tm1web folder)
Double-click on CGI to configure CGI time-out settings
Change behavior time-out (hh.mm.ss) from 00:15:00 to 02:00:00
Click on Apply

 

Restart IIS after changing timeout settings.