Cognos Planning 10.1.1 Fix Pack 2

[hybrid]

Hi,
Wondering if anyone has encountered this error. "Unable to create component to test connection to <server>. Classfactory cannot supply requested class. Cognos Configuration is unable to access Planning Store. Verify your database parameters."
I verified passwords and telnet to the server. I feel it has something to do with the drivers being selected. This 2008 64 bit server has the full client tools installed. It also has the 2005 full install. I have labeled it 2008 server but I feel it is still trying to use the 2005 driver. Has anyone seen this? Any help would be appreciated.

[ericlfg]

Hey Hybrid,

A few things:

1. Is this a new environment or an existing environment?  If existing, is the only change the install of FP2?
2. In cognos configuration, in the planning store configuration, what do you have selected for the database?  Is this what you meant by 'labelled it 2008' ?
3. Is your environment distributed or is it a single server? (from a cognos server perspective, not SQL)
4. Grab the planningerrorlog.csv from the machine you're getting the error from and paste it into this thread.

[hybrid]

1.Exisiting.Immediately following the upgrade I could not open the CAC. Then proceeded to the config to determine that I could not connect to the planning store.
2.SQL 2008, although I've tried both on a number of occasions.
3. This is the only planning box. I have two bi servers listed under the content manager URIs. Both have the fix pack installed.
4. Doesn't appear that I can attach the planningerrorlog but here are some msgs.

Unable to open connection using connection string of Provider=SQLNCLI10;Data Source=ctdaysql50;UID=cogid;PWD=********* and timeout of 15 seconds.~~~~SQL Server Network Interfaces: Error getting enabled protocols list from registry [xFFFFFFFF].

Failed HRESULT [0x80004005] :The service failed to start because it could not successfully open a database connection with the Planning Store or the Content Store configured in Cognos Configuration. Details: ~Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed.

Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed.

[ericlfg]

Hey Hybrid,

So I'm inclined to believe that the FP didn't cause this issue, but rather there was an existing condition present prior to the install.  Did you restart the machine following the install of the FP, or since this issue started occurring?  If you have, then from the first message, it appears that the sql client tools is unable to get the enabled protocols from the registry.  I would suspect that this is a security based message, at least that's what a couple of google searches tell me. 

Another thing worth looking at (if your content store database also produces the same error) is the configuration of the connection string to your sql box.  Try changing ctdaysql50 to it's IP address or it's FQDN (Ex: ctdaysql50.ent.company.com:1433) equivalent and see if that changes anything.

[hybrid]

I think I may have the same problem as posted under this topic
SQL issue installing EP 10.1 listed on this site.
http://www.cognoise.com/community/index.php?topic=16652.0

SomeClown said;
For Planning, you'll also want to install the SQL 2008 Feature Pack, Backwards Compatibility.  SQL2k8 does not include the SQL-DMO objects by default (deprecated by Msoft), and Planning still uses those.

[ericlfg]

Hi Hybrid,

Nice find, but typically the backwards compatibility pack is to install, as someclown stated, the SQLDMO as well as some of the other pieces that the EP CAC will still use that microsoft has removed.  Furthermore, you mentioned this is an existing environment and so I would have expected you to run into this problem when the environment was first setup, rather than now.

In the end, it will be recommended to have the pack installed, but I do not believe it's the solution to this problem.  I would still look into the items I've suggested, but if you come across anything else in your searches, definitely follow through.  I just did a quick search to see if there was something quickly available that might explain your problem.

[hybrid]

Thanks for your help. I will give it a try and report back in.

[SomeClown]

I ran across this error when the SQL Server Browser service was not started on the database server.

May also want to ensure on the Planning server that network protocols for SQL are enabled (native client configuration on the Planning server) -   tcp/ip and named pipes - probably are.

Recommended approach is to make sure you can access the databases using SQL Srvr Management Studio - be sure to log in as service account, and connect using the SQL account connection, and not trusted.  Once you know you can log in that way, go back and test out Cognos configuration.

It could be that you got caught by DB changes that did not get picked up until you restarted services.

[hybrid]

Greetings,
Just wanted to provide any update on my situation. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the sql client tools serveral times, tested all connections repeatedly and then opted to just uninstall and reinstall. I guess I'll never know what was truely wrong. I do know, in the end, I needed to create a server alias inorder to have Cognos read the port to connect to the planning store and I only have the 2008 sql clent tools installed. That's different from what was in my working environment pre-fix pack 2.
Thanks for everyone's help.

[SomeClown]

I do know, in the end, I needed to create a server alias inorder to have Cognos read the port to connect to the planning store and I only have the 2008 sql clent tools installed.

This.

Planning store references cannot use a port in the specification.  Even though it says it works, it doesn't and hasn't for a long time (don't know why it worked for you prior to upgrade).  The only way that Planning can find the Planning store is with    <server>    or <server>\<instance> references.  (It is possible that it was fixed at one point, then they rebroke it - wouldn't be the first time for something like that).

[ericlfg]

Just to jump in, I've been able to setup a number of environments with a port specified in the planning store configuration.  That is, I have been able to configure the default port.  The exception to this is when you use a non-default port.  I've just tested in a 10.1.1 fp1 system and I can test a planning store connection (and start the services) with the default 1433 specified (machine_name:1433), but if I use a non-default (26333 for example: machine_name:26333), then the test fails and I'm unable to start the services. 

I will mention that I did not ever see the message you initially reported, hybrid, but then I'm only running fp1 and maybe there's something different within fp2:
- SQL Server Network Interfaces: Error getting enabled protocols list from registry
or
- Provider cannot be found. It may not be properly installed.

So I guess the question is, do you use a non-default port, hybrid?

[SomeClown]

From your description of the behavior, my guess is that the code strips out the port designation from the connection string (i.e. why it only works when it's the default port).