Using Shortcuts to Get Around Security

[crawfoam]

Hello all, I was hoping someone could help me with (what I hope is) a simple question. In IBM Cognos Connection, we have reports in a folder  ("Accounting") that only certain individuals can see. There is one report in particular which we would like everyone to be able to see, but do not want to move it to another folder. Our preferred solution is to create a shortcut to the report and put it in another folder that everyone can see. We can then set that report specifically to allow all user to run. Ideally, the Accounting folder would still be invisible to everyone, but they could run this one report through the shortcut. Unfortunately when we tried this method, the shortcut was a dead link for the non-accounting users. Is there something we are missing? Thanks in advance!

[bdbits]

As far as I am aware, a shortcut will still require access to the original report location. If the users are just looking at output from the latest run of the report, you might consider a report view instead. It's like a shortcut but only allows you to look at the output.

I don't have access to a Cognos box at the moment, but if you grant traverse and execute permissions down to the package/report I think they will not see the folder but might still be able to run the report. This is just a guess and you'd have to try it out.

[gpollock]

Update on this--I can confirm in 10.2.2 that both shortcuts and views will only work if the user has traverse permissions for the folder where source report is stored, and execute permissions on the source report.  This was discouraging, as I wanted to keep the user from accessing the source report and source report directory, yet allow them to run a shortcut/view from a different directory.  I'm beginning to think shortcuts/views were designed for convenience on the user, not convenience on the developer.

If you're still trying to solve this, you could put the report in a third location everyone has access to, and then put shortcuts in the secured locations.

[Suresh Reddy]

Hi

As per my view, if we create report view/short cut for original report in different folder, we can't able to get run options to run the report.
Because, original report having different security, which can't be same in outside of original reports.

I have tested this, created one report(demo) in "Test folder" which is having R, E,W, and  T and report(Demo) also same permissions. when i created report(Demo) shot cut (Report view Demo) in different folder.
when i check using sample test id which don't have access to "Test Fodler", i can see the report view(Report view Demo) but unable to see run(Execute) option.

I can suggest one solution : Try to schedule report with creating Report view(Save the report as a report view) in different folder so that users can see the report output at lease and they can download.

-Suresh