Senturus experts answer nearly 100 questions raised by participants during the Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches webinar. View the video recording and download this deck: http://www.senturus.com/resources/installing-cognos-10-2-1-tips-tricks-trenches/. Topics include: • Commonly encountered installation issues and how-to advice on streamlining a Cognos 10 upgrade • Cognos 10 BI server core components • Cognos 10 search index required post-install • Navigating the maze of 32-bit and 64-bit Senturus, a business analytics consulting firm, has a resource library with hundreds of free recorded webinars, trainings, demos and unbiased product reviews. Take a look and share them with your colleagues and friends: http://www.senturus.com/resources/.

1. Q&A from
Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from
the Trenches Webinar
5/24/2012
www.senturus.com
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1 Present and Shape the Future

2. This Q&A is from a Recorded Webinar
The questions in this log were collected during Senturus’ webinar entitled Installing Cognos 10:
Tips and Tricks from the Trenches. After the webinar, the Senturus team answered the
questions and distributed the answers shown here.
Original Webinar Recording:
Installing Cognos 10: Tips and Tricks from the Trenches
Upgrading to Cognos 10 is a lot smoother when you can benefit from tips and tricks Senturus
has discovered during our hundreds of upgrades. In this webinar, Senturus shares commonly
encountered issues and how-to's on streamlining an upgrade. The presentation covers Cognos
10 BI Server core components, common installation issues, Cognos 10 search index required
post-install and navigating the maze of 32-bit and 64-bit.
VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING AND DOWNLOAD SLIDE DECK
http://info.senturus.com/2012-05-24-Installing-Cognos-10-Tip-and-Tricks-FAQ.html
2

3. Table of Contents
Hardware Configuration Page 4
Virtualization Page 5
32-bit vs. 64-bit Page 6
Databases Page 9
Web Servers Page 12
Distributed Architecture Page 14
Cognos 10 Search Page 18
UNIX / Linux Page 20
General Installation/Configuration Page 21
Upgrade/Migration Page 28
Training/Miscellaneous Page 29
Other Topics Page 31
3

4. Hardware Configuration
Q: What is the most practical RAM requirement for a distributed Cognos 10 installation for each app
server component?
A: We usually recommend at least 2GB of RAM for each processor. A common dispatcher profile would be 4
CPU cores and 8 GB of RAM. It is practical to have at least 2 CPU cores and 4 GB of RAM per application
server component.
Q: Does a 'quad-core' CPU count as one core or four?
A: A quad-core CPU counts as four cores
.
4

5. Virtualization
Q: Any guidelines or best practices on Windows VMs?
A: Please read the following regarding IBM guidelines for configuring virtual machines: http://www-
304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21425494
Q: What are the advantages of installing Cognos on a Virtual Environment?
A: Reduced reliance on specific physical infrastructure / maintaining multiple physical servers; ease of allocating
additional resources to your Cognos environments as needed.
Q: I was under the understanding that Cognos will not support the app if it is loaded on a VM. Do you
know if this has changed?
A: Please read the following regarding IBM Cognos and virtualized hardware: http://www-
01.ibm.com/software/support/virtualization_policy.html
5

6. 32-bit vs. 64-bit
Q: Other than DQM what would be the advantage to running 64 bit?
A: The primary advantage of 64-bit aside from DQM is the scalability of the Java components when running on a
64-bit JVM. In large environments, this is most likely to be noticed when navigating through the Cognos
Connection portal. As the number of concurrent users increases, responsiveness will be more consistent in a 64-
bit implementation than a 32-bit implementation.
Q: Do we need to use 64 bit only in the case of Unix/Linux?
A: No. Either the 32-bit or 64-bit BI Server can be used with Unix/Linux. However, the Apache gateway must be
bit-compatible with the version of the BI Server that you’re using. So if you’re using the 32-bit version of the BI
Server, you must also use a 32-bit version of Apache (even if everything is running on a 64-bit Unix/Linus OS).
Q: Is 64 bit report execution mode faster that 32 bit?
A: Execution speed is dependent on multiple factors, including query type, query complexity and the size of the
result set. Running queries in 64-bit execution mode doesn’t necessarily imply that they will run faster than 32-bit
mode. However, the larger and more complex the query, the more likely it is to benefit from 64-bit mode.
Q: Can we install Cognos 10 on Windows 7 (64 bit) machine. If yes, what webserver we can use?
A: Please check http://www-304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27021368 to remain up-to-date on
supported environments. Currently Windows 7 is NOT supported as a server platform.
.
6

7. 32-bit vs. 64-bit cont.
Q: With Cognos 10 on 64 bit platform, can I get rid of the 2GB limitation on OLAP time partitioned
cube?
A: No -- at present, Cognos Transformer is still a 32-bit tool, so it continues to be subject to the 32-bit memory
limits.
Q: What do you mean 64 bit client Oracle won't work with Cognos 10? We have a proof of concept
installed and it works. We have reports running. Can you confirm?
A: The requirement is simply that the 32-bit client libraries must be installed on the system. You can install the
64-bit Oracle client as long as you also include the 32-bit libraries during installation. (This is an option in the 64-
bit Oracle installer.)
Q: Are there any issues with OS 2003 64 bit?
A: Windows 2003 64-bit is very stable and a good option for your Cognos server.
Q: Can we run both 32-bit and 64-bit report server on the same machine? I understand that DQM runs
only on 64bit server.
A: Yes – you can run both 32-bit and 64-bit server on the same machine as long as they are installed in separate
directories. However, if you choose to run both 32-bit and 64-bit dispatchers in a single Cognos environment,
you will need to implement routing rules for any 64-bit only queries (i.e. any DQM-based queries).
7

8. 32-bit vs. 64-bit cont.
• Q: Will a 64-Bit Cognos install on a 64-Bit OS be able to take advantage of large (>4 GB) memory
even if it the reports are not running in Dynamic Query Mode?
• A: For an individual report, no. The 32-bit C++ code in the report execution processes
(BIBusTKServerMain.exe) is still subject to the 32-bit memory size limitations for each running report.
However, if multiple reports are running concurrently, 64-bit Cognos on a 64-bit OS can run many more
BIBusTKServerMain.exe processes at once, with each process using up to 4 GB of memory. The net result
is that a 64-bit system is capable of running more reports concurrently than a 32-bit system.
• Q: Is having one 64-bit server similar to having multiple 32-bit servers because it can handle more
reports?
• A: Not exactly. The scale is dictated by the hardware profile, not just the bitness (more RAM and more
CPUs will support more dispatchers, equating to more capacity). For example, a 64-bit server with 4 GB of
RAM will not be able to handle any more reports than a 32-bit server with 4 GB of RAM
8

9. Databases
Q: When adding 32bit Oracle Client libraries to a 64bit Oracle Client install, can they just be copied from
the install files?
A: We’ve encountered one site where the Linux DBA copied the 32-bit libraries directly into place and we were
able to use them successfully. However, this isn’t a supported configuration. A clean install or update using the
Oracle installer is the only recommended approach.
Q: Is the db client installation required even if you wanted to use type 4 connection?
A: Yes.
Q: Would I use ojdbc5.jar with Oracle 11 for 64 bit report execution mode?
A: We haven’t configured 64-bit execution mode in an Oracle 11 environment. Please see the following note
which suggests that ojdbc11 may be required in this case: http://www-
304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21573898
Q: Can you use MySQL for content store?
A: MySQL is currently not supported as a content store. Please see http://www-
304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27021368#os to obtain the most current information on supported
software environments.
9

10. Databases cont.
Q: Can I use a 64 bit database client or only 32 bits?
A: You can install a 64-bit database client, but you must include the 32-bit libraries as well. When you install the
64-bit Oracle client, you must explicitly specify that 32-bit libraries should be included. When you install the 64-bit
SQL Server Native Client, it includes both 32-bit and 64-bit libraries (note: on 64-bit Windows you must install the
64-bit SQL Native Client -- it won’t allow you to install the 32-bit only client).
Q: We are planning to migrate to Cognos 10.1.1. It was our understanding that we should use the
ojdbc6 file (a 64-Bit version of Cognos on Win 2008 R2 64-Bit). However, your slide deck says
ojdbc5. Which should we use? Are there issues with ojdbc6?
A: ojdbc5.jar is currently the only officially supported version for Oracle 11 in Cognos 10.1.1.
Q: Do you have experience on C10 content store DB on Oracle 10g or 11g?
A: Yes, we have implemented C10 content stores on both Oracle 10 and Oracle 11 databases.
Q: Can newer "no-sql" databases be used?
A: Yes, “no-sql” databases can be used as reporting data sources in Cognos. See the following Cognos 10.1.1
supported environments page for the list of currently supported databases: http://www-
304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27021368
10

11. Databases cont.
Q: We are using Oracle 11g for both our content manager and our metrics schemas. When I
attempted to upgrade our metric schemas from v8.4.1. to v10.1.1, I received the message 'no
ocijdbc10 in java.libray.path.’ Have you seen this before? We had to copy the libocijdbc file (we
use Unix) to our Oracle client install to get around this.
A: We haven’t encountered this specific issue before, but it is not uncommon for Oracle installations on UNIX to
require some manual effort (either by copying or creating links to the required files) in order to get all of the
required files into place for proper operation of Cognos.
11

12. Web Servers (Gateways)
Q: You mentioned earlier that all Apache installation has custom settings. Can you give a couple
examples please?
A: Differences occur between different point-releases (and sub-releases) of Apache. The default contents of
httpd.conf vary across versions, and the names and locations of other Apache configuration files (particularly for
SSL) can also vary across different builds. Depending on your version of Apache and its default settings, you
may have to set different parameters to properly configure the Cognos virtual directories.
Q: If we are using Apache for our Gateway, do you recommend installing 32-bit or 64-bit C10?
A: Either one is fine. The important thing to remember is that the gateway components are currently 32-bit
regardless of whether you are running 32-bit or 64-bit C10 -- so you must run a 32-bit version of Apache in either
case.
Q: Are there any known issues of using Business Insight Advanced against CGI Gateway?
A: Not that we know of. However, for all Cognos installations on Windows, ISAPI is recommended for best
performance on the gateway.
12

13. Web Servers (Gateways) cont.
Q: How can failover be handled for gateways? We used to use Microsoft Network Load Balancing but
now we are being told that Netscaler is being used to load balance our web traffic. However, we have
been having issues since doing this. Has Senturus encountered issues with Netscaler?
A: The configuration requirements for load balancing vary across different environments -- troubleshooting this
issue would require direct examination of the current configuration.
Q: If I want to configure two dispatchers, should I have two apache run at the same server? Or it is the
httpd.conf configuration?
A: You do not need multiple web server instances in order to run multiple dispatchers. A single web gateway can
access multiple dispatchers without any additional httpd. configuration changes. Any needed changes are made
in Cognos Configuration.
13

14. Distributed Architecture
Q: What is the relationship between the content manager, content store and dispatcher?
A: Content manager is the service that manages communications between the web/app tiers and the content
store database. Content store is the actual database tables that store Cognos-specific metadata, report
specifications, saved report outputs, and other Cognos-related configuration data. Dispatcher is a Java process
that serves as a container for running one or more Cognos sub-services. The Content Manager service runs
inside a dispatcher, as do the Interactive and Batch Report Services, and many other services. All of the
dispatchers in a given Cognos instance are aware of each other and can pass requests to each other for load
balancing.
Q: What is the advantage of a multi gateway and multi dispatcher installation?
A: Multiple dispatchers and gateways allow you to distribute the load, thereby providing better overall system
performance in environments where there is high-demand (lots of users, complex reports, etc.)
Q: Can I have multiple gateways installed in the same server?
A: Yes, you can theoretically have more than one gateway on the same physical server; however this approach
is not very common. It is more common to configure multiple DISPATCHERS on single servers.
14

15. Distributed Architecture cont.
Q: On what basis do we have to decide to use multiple dispatchers, multiple gateways and/or multiple
content manager services installation?
A: The decision to use multiple dispatchers, gateways, or content managers is driven mostly by the level of
demand--or load--on the system. More resources give us more capacity to run more reports, queries, etc. Also,
multiple instances of these processes give us greater fault tolerance in case one or more of the components
fails.
Q: Can I have a combination of CGI and ISAPI installation?
A: Each individual gateway must be configured for either ISAPI or CGI, but you can certainly have an
environment that has multiple gateways, including both a CGI gateway and a (separate) ISAPI gateway.
.
Q: Is there a work around to rename a Gateway URI to make it a user-friendly URL that can be accessed
by the end user—something that is easy to remember, and top of the mind?
A: Depending on your environment, you can generally create a user-friendly URL either through your web server
admin console, through the use of HTTP redirects, or through DNS forwarding.
Q: Can we have multiple Content Manager Services installed?
A: Yes, you can have multiple Content Managers installed, but you always have only one active content
manager. All other content managers operate in standby mode, in case the active content manager stops
functioning.
15

16. Distributed Architecture cont.
Q: What do you mean by report dispatcher?
A: A report dispatcher is a Cognos dispatcher that has the Application Tier components installed on it. Most
report dispatchers run both interactive and batch (scheduled) report services for Cognos.
Q: In Windows, what are the pros and cons of installing multiple dispatchers on individual servers?
What limits apply? What are performance implications?
A: Going with a multiple dispatcher per server configuration allows you to take greater advantage of a high-
capacity piece of hardware. Each dispatcher typically will only use a small % of the capacity of a large box.
There are limits to the number of instances you would want to have on a single box, we typically recommend not
more than two. Another thing to consider is failover--if all of your dispatchers are on the same server, and if that
server fails, you are out of business.
Q: What is the difference between routing methods exists in dispatchers? Which one is preferred in
which case?
A: Advanced routing options include package-based and group/role-based routing. When and how to use these
options is very case-specific. Please see the Cognos Administration guide for details on these options.
16

17. Distributed Architecture cont.
Q: Does the application dispatcher work the same as the content manager, i.e., will only one server be
active at any given time if we have three application dispatchers?
A: No. When multiple dispatchers are configured in an environment, they can all be active simultaneously.
Cognos will intelligently load balance requests across all of the available dispatchers.
Q: Will a single BIBus process run multiple report executions at the same time or is it a one-to-one
relationship?
A: The BIBus processes are multi-threaded processes, and each thread is capable of running a report-related
task at any given time. Therefore, multiple reports can potentially be running in a single BIBus process, using
different threads.
Q: What is your recommendation on running report components on the CM primary and secondary
servers - or should only CM component be installed on these?
A: In a distributed environment, we recommend that the primary content manager is dedicated (no other
components running there). It is fine to have one or more backup CM's running on your other report serves.
17

18. Cognos 10 Search
Q: What is the advantage of using the Search Index?
A: Faster, more powerful and more flexible search capabilities.
Q: When we run index, Cognos crashes and generates dmp files. Why?
A: Troubleshooting this issue would require direct examination of your Cognos environment. The best place to
begin looking for clues is in the Cognos log files.
Q: We are not using a distributed installation, but when we've tried to do the initial search index, it runs
for hours without finishing. What are some other things I might check to troubleshoot this?
A: As with the previous question, the best place to begin looking for clues is in the Cognos log files.
Q: On the index service, does the C10/index directory have to be shared on multiple servers?
A: No.
Q: Does the index creation process have to be on the Content Manager server? Can it be done on
another single dedicated server?
A: No, it does not have to be on the Content Manager server. If you prefer, you can configure a dedicated
server to build and update the index.
18

19. Cognos 10 Search cont.
Q: When setting up the search index, there is a section for Content Options that contains
Properties and Metadata as well as Data Values, with additional selections under that for
Referenced Data or All Data. I did not see that explained when speaking about the search. Where
can I get more info about that because the documentation doesn't really seem to discuss it?
A: Detailed information on the search index options can be found in the Cognos Administration and Security
Guide.
Q: Can you use the Cognos Search for the entire Content Store in addition to the public folders?
A: You can also add My Folders content to the search index.
Q: How do we configure the legacy Cognos 8 Search in Cognos10?
A: Search the Cognos knowledge base for “legacy search” in order to find info on this topic.
Q: What is the downside to configuring the search index? Does it significantly increase the size of
the Content Store?
A: For smaller environments it may be overkill to configure the search index. However, configuring the search
index does not significantly increase the size of the content store and it does provide considerably enhanced
functionality over the legacy search capability. We typically configure the search index as a standard part of all
new installations.
19

20. UNIX / Linux
Q: For a large Enterprise level installation, is UNIX/Linux more likely to outperform Windows? Will
UNIX/Linux need fewer dispatchers to be installed?
A: Given an optimal configuration, it is unlikely that UNIX/Linux will outperform Windows. There are some
architectural advantages to using the UNIX platform, but the best advice is to go with a platform that you can
support given your IT department's skill set. If you don't have any UNIX admins, we don’t recommend building
out a UNIX infrastructure! Windows is much more low-maintenance than UNIX/Linux in our experience.
20

21. General Installation/Configuration
Q: Are there specific things to be aware of with C10 installations that include both planning and BI?
A: Yes. Please see the Cognos Planning installation guide for details on integrated installations of Planning and
BI.
Q: I was trying to install Cognos 8.4 on my 64-bit machine which is running on Windows 7. Is this
possible?
A: No, Windows 7 is not supported as a server platform.
Q: Can you tell me the steps to install Cognos 8.4.1/Cognos 10 in Windows 7?
A: Windows 7 is not supported as a server platform. It is only supported as a browser and client platform for
accessing Cognos.
Q: If I have XP mode installed on Windows 7 as Virtual machine, can I install Cognos on XP?
A: Depending on the version of Cognos you are trying to install, Windows XP may be a supported platform. See
the Cognos supported environments page at http://www-
304.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3528&uid=swg27014782 to determine whether XP is supported for the BI
Server version you are trying to install.
21

22. General Installation/Configuration cont.
Q: Please address how to install Cognos 10.1.1 on z System / Linux OS
A: Given the time constraints today, we will be focusing on details related to the Windows operating system. We
won't be addressing z System or Linux today, but would be happy to set up a follow-up discussion. Just reach
out to us at sales@senturus.com.
Q: We want to do a single server Servlet Gateway installation using
AIX-->WebSphere-->IBM HTTP Server with SSL and LDAP token. How do you access Cognos
Mobile in a servlet gateway installation? The /m option is not working. Do you have to configure a
separate in web server for the mobile too?
A: This is an uncommon configuration scenario. Troubleshooting this issue would require direct examination of
the current configuration.
Q: We have run into issues when configuring Content Manager on a second dispatcher to enable
failover, where the content store gets corrupted. Is there a particular order of installation
required?
A: The primary Content Manager must be fully configured and initialized before attempting to configure and
initialize the standby Content Manager. Then, when configuring the standby, changes must also be made to the
primary content manager. See the Cognos BI installation guide for specific details on content manager failover
configuration.
22

23. General Installation/Configuration cont.
Q: We get this error very often in our C10 environment: java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: PermGen
space. What should we do?
A: This error refers to the “Permanent Generation” memory space in the Java heap. You may need to tune the
Java configuration in your Cognos environment to increase the amount of memory that is allocated to the
Permanent Generation space. See the Cognos knowledgebase for details on how to modify Java parameters for
Cognos.
Q: How much java memory should be assigned for best performance? The default is 768 MB.
A: We typically assign 1152MB to the java memory.
Q: We have two machines for dispatchers. When we run services, the first machine runs successfully;
the second gets this error message: 'com.cognos.pogo.services.DispatcherServices', 'pogo', 'Failure'.
DPR-DPR-1035 Dispatcher detected an error.
A: This error message frequently appears in older versions of Cognos during service startup (although it can also
occur in Cognos 10). This is a transient error and can usually be ignored, unless the dispatcher continually
generates this error after startup has completed.
23

24. General Installation/Configuration cont.
Q: What is the advantage of setting the Identity to "NetworkService" as opposed to
"ApplicationPoolIdentity"?
A: Use of the NetworkService identity instead of ApplicationPoolIdentity is a best practice recommendation to
minimize the likelihood of security-related execution failures of the Cognos gateway components.
Q: Why must one configure Cognos services to run as a specific named account as opposed to the
default Local System account?
A: Running the service as a domain account vs. the Local System is a best practice. You need this configuration
in order to allow the service to send emails and communicate with other services as well.
Q: Can you use the Framework Manager from version 8 for Cognos 10 or do you need to install it
again while upgrading?
A: You need to keep all of your components on the same version, including client components such as
Framework Manager.
.
24

25. General Installation/Configuration cont.
Q: How do you install a backup Cognos installation to support failure of the Production
Environment? Could you please highlight the best practice and any information on synchronizing
the two environments and tell me whether a backup configuration will switch-on if the Production
Environment needs maintenance or fails?
A: Implementation of redundant environments with complete system failover is a complex topic. Cognos
natively supports content manager failover, but this is not the same as complete environment failover. To
implement full system failover requires redundancy at all levels, and the implementation of a combination of
failover processes that occur both inside and outside of Cognos.
Q: How do you install multiple dispatchers on the same server?
A: Install the “Application Tier Components” into multiple directories (e.g., C:Program Filesibmcognosc10
and C:Program Filesibmcognosc10_disp2). There will be a separate Cognos Configuration instance for each
dispatcher, and each dispatcher must be configured to use separate port numbers.
Q: Given that the Content Manager does not scale like dispatchers, when are separate installs
warranted?
A: Separate Content Managers are only recommended for failover. You should have at least one backup/failover
instance of the CM.
25

26. General Installation/Configuration cont.
Q: How different is installing Cognos TM1 instead of Cognos 10 BI?
A: Installing TM1 is very different from installing Cognos BI. Although TM1 has been increasingly integrated with
BI, TM1 was originally developed as a standalone (non-Cognos) product and its installation process is quite
different.
Q: How does Cognos 10 installation in UNIX environment differ from Windows installation?
A: The Cognos installer GUI looks almost identical in Windows and UNIX, so the initial component installation
tasks are very similar. However, the OS-level configuration tasks are very different. The steps for both Windows
and UNIX are outlined in the Cognos installation documentation.
Q: Where can I get documentation which will show me how to install Cognos 10 on UNIX? I am looking
for a document which has some screenshots that can help me to install on UNIX. Reading PDF
Documentation on IBM website is too cumbersome.
A: The only official documentation on installing Cognos 10 on UNIX is the documentation on the IBM website.
You may want to try using the HTML documentation rather than the PDF documentation, as it is easier to
navigate.
26

27. General Installation/Configuration cont.
Q: Does exporting the entire content store include dispatcher tuning settings?
A: Yes. By default, exporting the entire content store includes all configuration objects in the deployment archive.
However, importing the content store by default does not include the configuration objects even if they are
present in the deployment archive. You can override this behavior, but there is considerable risk in importing
configuration objects from one environment into a different environment. Additional details on these options can
be found in the Cognos documentation.
27

28. Upgrade/Migration
Q: What are the common reporting issues you know that occurs after migration to Cognos 10?
A: The most common reporting issues that occur in migrations are layout and formatting issues. However, these
issues typically occur in only a very small percentage of reports.
Q: In general, what percentage of reports will be invalid after upgrade from C8 to C10?
A: Based on our experience, less than 5% of reports will generally have issues when you migrate from C8 to
C10. Most upgrades have had zero issues.
Q: How easy is it to move from Cognos 7 to Cognos 10?
A: The complexity of migrating from Series 7 to Cognos 10 depends a great deal on the complexity and types of
objects in your Series 7 environment. Migrations from Series 7 are non-trivial, because the architecture of
Cognos 10 is very different from Cognos Series 7.
28

29. Training/Miscellaneous
Q: Do you have a Cognos Administration Advanced course?
A. We have a Cognos System Administration course. For course content details: http://www.senturus.com/IBM-
Cognos-System-Administration-Course.php
Q: Do you offer training for PowerPlay administration?
A: We do not have a formal course for PowerPlay Admininstration, however we can certainly discuss a custom
engagement to address your needs.
Q: I am an intermediate-level Cognos BI System Administration and am looking for an advanced topics
training course. Does Senturus offer training beyond the basics?
A: Our public training is fairly general in content, as would be just about any public course. If you are looking for
training covering specific topics, we usually recommend a short-term consulting/mentoring engagement that will
address your specific concerns. Because every company’s environment is unique and the system administration
audience is typically small, classroom training is usually not the best solution when you need to know more about
advanced topics.
Q: Will this webinar cover TM1 10.1?
A: Today's session is focused on Cognos 10 BI. We have a number of recorded TM1 webinars on our website
and we are offering a Cognos Insight for TM1 and BI on June 28 th. http://www.senturus.com/recorded-
webinars.php
29

30. Training/Miscellaneous cont.
Q: Can we have a copy of this presentation?
A: The presentation slide deck for this webinar is available for download at http://www.senturus.com/recorded-
webinars.php It's in the "IBM Cognos Business Intelligence" section and it's titled "Installing Cognos 10: Tips and
Tricks from the Trenches". Just click on the Download Slide Deck link and you're set. Thank you for asking.
Q: Will the recording of this webinar be available? I’m particularly interested in the Q&A at the end. A:
Yes, a recording is now on our website, Senturus.com, in the Resources Section-> Recorded Webinars. (Same
location as the slide deck described in the answer above: http://www.senturus.com/recorded-webinars.php) You
will find the written Q&A answers in the same place.
30

31. Other Topics
Q: What are your recommendations for configuring various process counts-- batch, interactive, etc.
A: Report process should all be 2 times the total number of CPU cores available to that dispatcher.
Q: Are you going to have a demo on performance tuning?
A: No, we are not planning a demonstration on performance tuning at this time. You can find basic Cognos
performance tuning guidelines by searching the Cognos knowledge base.
Q: I wondered if you have any recommendations to improve system performance (e.g caching) in
Cognos Connection? I'm aware that the 'ContentManagerCacheService' > 'Memory limit for the content
manager cache service as a percentage of the total JVM heap memory' default should be set to 10% of
JVM in 'Cognos Administration.'
A: Please see the Cognos knowledge base for general performance tuning guidelines.
Q: If we don’t have OLAP, should we disable the dynamic query service?
A: You may disable the dynamic query service if you wish. However, it is not necessary to do so.
Q: Can you provide some suggestions on installing Cognos Virtual View Manager (Composite server)?
A: Virtual View Manager (formerly Composite Information Server) is a separate product from the Cognos BI
Server. Installation guides for VVM can be found on the IBM documentation site.
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32. Other Topics cont.
Q: Can you provide some suggestions on installing Cognos Virtual View Manager (Composite server)?
A: Virtual View Manager (formerly Composite Information Server) is a separate product from the Cognos BI
Server. Installation guides for VVM can be found on the IBM documentation site.
Q: We use an external load balancer. Do you know of a way to determine if a dispatcher is up?
(Cognos said that SSO causes problems with using :9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch)
A: External load balancing functionality varies across different environments. Troubleshooting this issue requires
direct examination of the current configuration.
Q: Is it possible to integrate TM1 64 bit with Cognos 10.1.1 32 bit?
A: Yes, however you must use 32-bit TM1 integration components in order to accomplish this.
Q: Is it possible to dump advanced settings that are set in the admin portal without navigating to
each dispatcher?
A: No.
Q: How can I add groups and roles to an LDAP namespace?
A: LDAP Groups and Roles are managed through the LDAP Administration console, not through Cognos.
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33. Other Topics cont.
Q: How can I assign roles for Cognos to different LDAP user ids?
A: Once the LDAP namespace is configured in Cognos, you can add LDAP users as members of the built-in
groups and roles in the Cognos namespace. See the Cognos administration documentation for detailed
information on how to configure security in Cognos.
Q: We are having an issue where large PDFs are having problems being generated when we have
more than one dispatcher running. There’s no problem when we only have one dispatcher running.
Has Senturus seen this issue? Cognos can't seem to figure out why this is happening.
A: Troubleshooting this issue would require additional details on the failure scenario (for example, whether the
reports fail completely when more than one dispatcher is running or whether they fail sporadically and/or
render improperly), as well as direct examination of each of the current dispatcher configurations.
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34. Senturus has over 45 Free Webinars and Other
Resources to View www.senturus.com
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35. Who is Senturus ?
• Consulting firm specializing in Corporate Performance
Management
– Business Intelligence
– Office of Finance
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– San Francisco Business Times Hall of Fame -- Four
consecutive years in Fast 100 list of fastest-growing
private companies in the Bay Area
• Experience
– 12-year focus on performance management
– More than 1,200 projects for 500+ clients
• People
– Business depth combined with technical expertise.
Former CFOs, CIOs, Controllers, Directors...
– DBAs with MBAs
35

36. A few of our 550+ Clients
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37. www.senturus.com
sales@senturus.com
1.888.601.6010
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