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Prerequisites:
- IBM Connections was already installed(including Metrics).
- Cognos BI and transformer were installed and configured on one node in WAS deployment manager.
Reminder:
When using the GUI Cognos Configuration Tool, saving and exiting the tool will prompt asking if the service should be started. Select 'No'.
Installing Cognos Business Intelligence on first server(optional)
Note: Need only if prerequisite 2 is not already installed.
Install Cognos BI on first server
Please follow the steps in this article (
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/lcwiki.nsf/xpDocViewer.xsp?lookupName=IBM+Connections+4.0+documentation#action=openDocument&res_title=Installing_Cognos_Business_Intelligence_for_Metrics_reporting_ic40&content=pdcontent)
- Install Websphere Application Server 7 and apply the fix pack 7.0.0.21.
- Install the database client for Cognos Transformer.
- Install required patches on the Cognos BI Server system.
- Install Cognos Business Intelligence components.
Note: Please make sure to use the shared network folder for the cube path.
Note: The user name for cognos.admin SHOULD NOT have space in cognos-setup.properties file(it's a known limitation in 4.0).
5. Configure Cognos Business Intelligence after installation.
6. Federate the Cognos server to the Deployment Manager.
7. Validate the Cognos BI server installation.
Configuring Cognos Business Intelligence post-installation
Please follow the steps in this article(
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/lcwiki.nsf/xpDocViewer.xsp?lookupName=IBM+Connections+4.0+documentation#action=openDocument&res_title=Configuring_Cognos_Business_Intelligence_ic40&content=pdcontent)
1. Apply fix packs to update the Cognos server.
2. Configure support for LDAP authentication for Cognos Business Intelligence.
3. Grant access to global metrics.
4. Grant access to community metrics.
5. Configure the IBMConnectionsMetricsAdmin role on Cognos.
6. Configure PowerCube refresh schedules.
7. Configure Cognos Business Intelligence to use IBM HTTP Server.
Configuring Metrics to work with Cognos
Note: need only if Cognos BI was installed after IBM Connections installation.
Please follow the steps on technote:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21620248Installing Cognos Business Intelligence on second server
Note: Please backup the Cognos DB before installing Cognos BI on second server just in case that you failed to install it on second Cognos server.
Changing the cube path to a shared network folder on first Cognos server
Note: Need only if the cube path is NOT a shared network folder when installing Cognos BI on first server.
1. Create a shared network folder for cube path.
2. Locate to the directory where you expanded the CognosConfig.zip or CognosConfig.tar when you installed Cognos Business Intelligence components as part of the pre-install task on the first Cognos server.
3. Edit the cube path to the shared network folder in cognos-setup.propertiesthe cognos-setup.properties file and verify that it contains the appropriate values for each property.
4. Run the cognos-configure-update.sh|bat script to update the Cognos server configuration. Output from this operation is stored in the /CognosSetup/cognos-configure.log file.
Install Cognos BI on second server
Note: The below configurations should be the same in cognos-setup.properties file on both Cognos servers.
1. cognos.contextroot, same context root for Cognos.
2. cognos.admin username/password.
3. cognos.namespace, need to use the same Cognos namespace.
4. cognos.cube.path, need to share one cube path.
5. db configuration, same Cognos and Metrics DB.
6. Cognos installation path(suggested to be same, but not must).
Note: The below configurations should NOT be the same in cognos-setup.properties file on both Cognos servers.
1. cognos.was.node.name, you need to use a different node name from the first Cognos server, because both nodes need to be federated into one DM.
Please follow the steps in this article (http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/lcwiki.nsf/xpDocViewer.xsp?lookupName=IBM+Connections+4.0+documentation#action=openDocument&res_title=Installing_Cognos_Business_Intelligence_for_Metrics_reporting_ic40&content=pdcontent)
1. Install Websphere Application Server 7 and apply the fix pack 7.0.0.21.
2. Install the database client for Cognos Transformer.
3. Install required patches on the Cognos BI Server system.
4. Install Cognos Business Intelligence components.
Note: Please make sure to use the shared network folder for the cube path.
5. Configure Cognos Business Intelligence after installation.
DO NOT perform the step 6, we will do it later.
6. Federating the Cognos server to the Deployment Manager.
7. Validate the Cognos BI server installation.
Configuring Cognos Business Intelligence post-installation
Please follow the steps in this article (
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/lcwiki.nsf/xpDocViewer.xsp?lookupName=IBM+Connections+4.0+documentation#action=openDocument&res_title=Configuring_Cognos_Business_Intelligence_ic40&content=pdcontent)1. Apply fix packs to update the Cognos server.
2. Configure support for LDAP authentication for Cognos Business Intelligence.
Do not perform the steps 3, 4, 5 on second Cognos server.
3. Grant access to global metrics.
4. Grant access to community metrics.
5. Configure the IBMConnectionsMetricsAdmin role on Cognos.6. Federate the Cognos server to the Deployment Manager (step 6 above).
7. Configure PowerCube refresh schedules.
Note: Disable the power cube scheduler job on the second Cognos server. The Cognos transformer on second Cognos server is a backup. We will use the first Cognos server transformer in the cluster.
8. Configure Cognos Business Intelligence to use IBM HTTP Server.
Create a Cognos cluster in the WAS Console
1. Log on to the Deployment Manager Integration Solutions Console.
2. Click Servers -> Clusters → WebSphere application server clusters → New...
Input cluster name, and click Next.
3. Input the first cluster member name, and select the first Cognos server node in Select node list. Input the weight value. Select 'Create the member using an existing application server as template'. Then click Next.
4. Input the additional cluster member name and select the second Cognos server node in Select node list. Input weight value. Then click Add Member button.
5. Now we have two cluster members. Click Next.
6. Review the values on summary page, then click Finish. Then save the configuration.
7. Click the Cognos cluster name, go to Local Topology tab, you can see the members of the cluster.
8. Add the port to virtual host.
Remember the WC_defaulthost and WC_defaulthost_secure of the Cognos server in the cognos cluster.
Add the ports to virtual host. Go to Environment → Virtual hosts → default host → Host Aliases, then remove the ports of the specified Cognos servers and add the ports above.
9. Change the environment variable COG_ROOT of Cognos servers[Optional].
Note: Only needs to be done if Cognos installation locations are different; e.g. first node is installed to /opt/IBM/Cognos64, while on the second it may be installed to /local/IBM/Cognos64
The environment variable COG_ROOT needs to be set for each Cognos cluster member. To enable this, add this variable to JVM environment variable list as follows:
i. Navigate to Servers -> Server Types -> WebSphere application servers.
ii. Click one of the Cognos cluster members link e.g. cognos_server1.
iii. Click Java and Process Management -> Process definition -> Java Virtual Machine → Custom Properties.
iv. Click New to add the following entry:
COG_ROOT = <cognos.biserver.install.path>
<cognos.biserver.install.path> is the property from the cognos-setup.properties file used for that node.
Perform for the other cluster member server but note, the cognos.biserver.install.path must be the one used for that node. For example, if the first node has cognos.biserver.install.path = /opt/IBM/Cognos64, while for the second node cognos.biserver.install.path = /local/IBM/Cognos64, then the COG_ROOT values will be different – the first node will have COG_ROOT = /opt/IBM/Cognos64 and the second node will have COG_ROOT = /local/IBM/Cognos64. }}}
Deploy the Cognos ear on the Cognos cluster
1. Log on to the Deployment Manager Integration Solutions Console.
2. Uninstall the original Cognos application.
Click Applications → WebSphere enterprise applications. Select Cognos application and uninstall it.
3. Install the Cognos application on the new created Cognos cluster and web server. Select the Cognos ear, which is located at the Cognos BI installation directory. Either of both Cognos server is OK since both of the Cognos are the same version with the same patch.
4. Map the modules to Cognos cluster and the web server.
5. Click Next, Next, then Finish and save.
6. Click IBM_Cognos in the application list. Select security role to user/group mapping. Add 'All Authenticated in Application's Realm' (using 'Map Special Subjects' button) to the BI User role. Click Ok and save the changes.
7. Configuring IBM HTTP Server.
- Select Servers -> Server Types -> Web servers and click the link to your webserver in WAS console.
- Click Generate Plug-in.
- Select the check box for your webserver.
- Click Propagate Plug-in.
Note: If the plugin configuration files are on a different system from the IBM HTTP Server system, copy or merge it manually from the WebSphere Application Server system to the IBM HTTP Server system.
8. Synchronize the nodes in System Administration.
9. Restart the web server.
Cognos Configuration on all Cognos servers
1. On the computer where you installed Cognos Business Intelligence, navigate to the configuration directory within the installation location of the BI Server component (specified by the cognos.biserver.install.path property in the cognos-setup.properties file); for example: /opt/IBM/Cognos64/configuration.
2. Make a backup copy of the cogstartup.xml file.
3. Change :
- In WAS Console, click Servers → Server Types → WebSphere application servers.
- Click one of the Cognos server in the Cognos cluster. Click Ports. Remember the WC_defaulthost port.
- Open the working copy of the cogstartup.xml file for editing
- In the file, locate the following parameters and update their URI port references to the WC_defaulthost noted down earlier:
<crn:parameter name=
externalDispatcher
internalDispatcher
contentManagers
- if GUI is enabled in the OS, the Cognos configuration tool should be like below.
4. Change the content manager URIs in the working copy of the cogstartup.xml file.
For the 'contentManagers' parameter, in addition to updating the port, you need to add additional reference to the standby Content Manager(The first one is active service, the second one is standby service).
After your changes to the 'contentMangers' parameter it should look like the ones that follow:
<crn:parameter name="contentManagers" opaque="true">
<crn:value xsi:type="cfg:array">
<crn:item xsi:type="xsd:anyURI">
http://cognos1.ibm.com:9088/cognos/servlet</crn:item>
<crn:item xsi:type="xsd:anyURI">
http://cognos2.ibm.com:9088/cognos/servlet</crn:item>
</crn:value>
</crn:parameter>
5. Save and close the file.
6. Validate the configuration files.
7. Repeat 1 – 4 on the other Cognos server.
8. Double check the LDAP configuration for Cognos are same on both cognos servers.
9. Double check the Cognos content store is same on both cognos servers.
10. Sync the nodes in WAS console.
Changing to cluster compatible mode in Cognos
1. Restart web server, connection cluster and Cognos cluster.
2. Login the Cognos BI as Cognos admin – as specified in cognos-setup.properties cognos.admin.username property
http://<webserver>/cognos/servlet/dispatch/ext.
3. Click Launch → IBM Cognos Administration → Status → System.
4. Click System-> set properties.
5. Click Setting tab and select Tuning in the category list.
6. Change the load balancing mode to 'Cluster Compatible'.
Validating the Cognos cluster
1. Start web server, connections cluster, Cognos cluster.
2. Validate that the web server, connections cluster and Cognos cluster are started. The original two cognos_server were not used any more.
3. Validate that the Cognos processes are started on both Cognos servers.
AIX or Linux: cgsServer.sh and CAM_LPSvr processes;
Windows: cgsLauncher.exe and CAM_LPSvr processes
If Cognos processes are not started successfully, please double check the steps in 'Cognos Configuration on all Cognos servers'
4. Validate the content manager started.
- We have two content managers in our cluster. In Cognos BI configuration panel, you can see two content manager URIs. The first one is active one, the second one is a stand by. Please make sure both of them are working.
http://Host_Name:Port/Context_Root/servlet
Host_Name is the fully qualified host name of the Cognos server; for example, host.example.com.
http://lwpvm151.cn.ibm.com:9082/cognos/servlet
- The IBM Cognos Content Manager displays the following information: build number, server start time, current time, and current server state. The state should be running; if it is not, see Troubleshooting Cognos Business Intelligence components for possible problems and suggested solutions.
5. Validate the Cognos dispatcher is working.
http://<webserver>/Context_Root/servlet/dispatch/ext
The dispatcher displays tabs listing public and private folders. In the dispatcher, click the Public tab; in the list of public folders click the IBMConnectionsMetrics folder and verify that it contains three subfolders (Metrics, MetricsCubeDS, and MetricsDBQuery).
6. Validate the Cognos reports can be displayed in IBM Connections Metrics.
http://<webserver>/metrics
Login with IBM Connections metrics user/password and check if Cognos reports is displayed successfully.
7. Stop one of cognos servers in cognos cluster and verify step 6 again to make sure it is working well.
Switch Transformer to the backup(second) Cognos server(optional)
1. Disable the power cube scheduler job on the first Cognos server.
2. Enable the power cube scheduler job on the second Cognos server.
3. Copy the files MetricsAuditCube.mdl and MetricsTrxCube.mdl in the directory <Tranformer install>/metricsmodel/ from the first to the second Cognos server.
4. Run daily-refresh.bat|sh to build the daily cube.
5. Check if the build is successfully in the build log.
About the author
Chun Ling is an Advisory Software Engineer working for IBM since 2004. Her current role is the team lead of Metrics feature in IBM Connections. She can be contacted at lichunl@cn.ibm.com.