WebSphere: The variable PATH is not properly set. IBM Cognos will fail to start

[jdfischer]

Hello,

Been trying to get past this error for quite a while.  When using Cognos with WebSphere instead of Tomcat as the application server, I get the following error when I test the Cognos configuration, which varies depending on the OS. 

[ ERROR ] The variable PATH is not properly set. IBM Cognos will fail to start. (Windows)
[ ERROR ] The variable LD_LIBRARY_PATH is not properly set. IBM Cognos will fail to start. (Linux)
[ ERROR ] The variable LIBPATH is not properly set. IBM Cognos will fail to start. (AIX)

I have configured the PATH/LD_LIBRARY_PATH/LIBPATH within WebSphere as appropriate on each OS, tried various combinations, etc.  At its most basic form, I have it set to the following on Windows:

C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\c10_64\bin64

Have also tried

C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\c10_64\bin64;C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\c10_64\bin
C:\Progra~1\ibm\cognos\c10_64\bin64;C:\Progra~1\ibm\cognos\c10_64\bin

I have also set it as a global environment variable as well, or in the user profile for WebSphere on Linux/AIX to no avail.

Cognos seems to start and run even though the error says Cognos will fail to start.  However, I am having issues testing Data Sources on AIX, and wonder if this might be related.

Anyone else seen this, or have an idea what the fix is?  I've engaged IBM with no success and spent countless hours trying to get this error to go away.  I get the same error on three different OS's, only difference is the name of the path that it doesn't like.  It seems like I'm the only person who has ever tried to make Cognos 10.2 work with WebSphere :)

System configs:

Windows:  IIS 7.5/WebSphere 8.5/Cognos 10.2
Linux:  IHS8/WebSphere 8.5/Cognos 10.2
AIX: IHS8/WebSphere 8.5/Cognos 10.2

Thanks much in advance!

[MMcBride]

AIX is a nightmare in my opinion...

And if you are used to running Cognos with Tomcat AIX is a little backwards - or at least thats how I view it...

Tomcat runs within the Cognos Environment and is controlled by the Cognos Config
On AIX with Websphere, Cognos runs as a service within WebSphere - took me a while to understand that when I was setting up AIX for the first time.

For the LIBPATH settings I had to set them in several places on AIX
In the Integrated Solutions Console I had to set it here:
Application servers > server1 > Process definition > Environment Entries

I also set the LIBPATH in the .profile of the Websphere Owner

I ALSO set it up in the following file:
/installdirectory/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/AppSrv01/bin/setupCmdLine.sh

To me this sounds alot like overkill... but as I alluded to earlier I am not an AIX fan...


As for connecting to different Datasources - thats another bit of a nightmare on AIX - I had to end up going to a third party to get some decent SQL Server ODBC Drivers, I do use DB2 native Client on AIX at least that worked...

[jdfischer]

Thanks!  I tried adding an export for LIBPATH in the setupCmdLine.sh file but still no joy.

Were you ever able to get rid of that line when you test your Cognos configuration that says:

[ERROR] The variable LIBPATH is not properly set.  IBM Cognos will fail to start.

I'll keep monkeying with it.

[MMcBride]

Have you already copied the bcprov-jdk14-145.jar file to the WebSphere Directories?
/installdir/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/java/jre/lib/ext/
/installdir/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/java/lib/
/installdir/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/lib/

If I recall when I set up my environment for the first time I saw this LIBPATH error for a while and it was actually something else that ended up fixing it...

The only other thing I can think of is in my /installdir/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/AppSrv01/bin/setupCmdLine.sh

I have both bin64 and bin listed and in my Env settings I see:
LIBPATH=/opt/Progress/DataDirect/Connect_for_ODBC_71/lib:/installdir/cognos/bin64:/installdir/cognos/bin:/installdir/IBM/HTTPServer1/gsk7/lib:/home/db2conn/sqllib/lib64

That has my ODBC drivers, my DB2 drivers and the bin64, bin from Cognos

I also needed to remap my JAVA_HOME to Websphere's version
JAVA_HOME=/installdir/IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/java/jre

It's been a year since I did my initial install, I recall having issues with the LIBPATH as well I just can't remember exactly what I did to resolve it...

[jdfischer]

Thanks for the settings, I tried putting the bcprov file in all 3 directories and double-checked my LIBPATH and JAVA_HOME.  Restarted WAS but still getting the LIBPATH error from Cognos Config when I test out the environment.

If anything jogs your memory about what you did to get rid of that LIBPATH error please let me know  ;D

[emarshah]

Hi jdfisher,

     did you get any success in setting LIBPATH, I am the new victim of this AIX prob. If yes do tell me, thanks.

[jdfischer]

Nope, never have figured it out.  Get it on Windows and Linux too (when using WebSphere for the App server) and at this point I think it's more of a cosmetic error than anything else because Cognos seems to run fine regardless.

[emarshah]

Hi jdfischer,

        I removed the cognos service from cogconfig and created another, build it, installed the new service/app. And this time there were no such LIBAPTH errors, hopefully it will work at your side as well.