Cognos 8 - Auditing

[CognosPolzovatel]

If I have the Log Service running in my Cognos instance and pointing to p2pd, how can I check what the results are from the log service running? I am trying to determine whether previous user setup Auditing, for reporting on user activity. Currently, I am only able to find logs within cognos_location/cognos/c8/logs

It looks like cogserver.log is the main log here. Either way, I checked each of the logs here and all I seem to see are diagnostic messages. Nothing to assist me in seeing the user statistics for the past months. Does this mean that this feature needs to be setup separately? Where can I find the results of the Log Service?

Thanks.

[COGNOiSe administrator]

Your best course would be to enable log level 3 (or Basic I think) and make sure that the logs are also being sent to a database (instead of just a file, just add a DB under the audit node). The you can use the Cognos Sample Auditing package to track user activity.

[CognosPolzovatel]

"Your best course would be to enable log level 3 (or Basic I think)."
Where can this setting be set? I don't see it as an option in the Server Administrator > Services screen. Or is this something that needs to be setup in Framework Manager. If so, where?

[praveennb]

"Your best course would be to enable log level 3 (or Basic I think)."
Where can this setting be set? I don't see it as an option in the Server Administrator > Services screen. Or is this something that needs to be setup in Framework Manager. If so, where?

Its Level 2 (Basic) in Cognos 8

Go to Tools>Server Administration>
select Dispatchers (It should have been selected by Default)
then below grid the dispatchers will be listed, click on the Hand Icon
then select settings
then under Category select Logging

You should see 2 entries
Audit logging level for Content Manager service
Audit logging level for the dispatcher

for both under the value drop down select basic.
and press ok

[CognosPolzovatel]

Thanks so much! I have found the feature. Thanks again.

[CognosPolzovatel]

Greetings:

I would like to generate a quick report using the cogserver.log file, where user activity is now being sent to. However, the file itself does not seem to follow a set pattern, where parsing could be simple. I know that Cognos has sample audit reports already provided. However, in order to utilize them - one must setup the database for auditing, etc. etc. At the moment, I do not have the ability to do this yet. Has anyone ever tried to generate a quick report from the actual log file? Just something to show as to what is currently being tracked.

Thanks.

[MFGF]

Hi.

The cogserver.log file is not designed to be a reporting source, and indeed does not conform to any specific pattern or structure.  Your only option would be to parse the file one line or one character at a time using some kind of coded intelligence - realistically it's probably going to be easier to install an audit database in the long run.

You do have other logging options too, such as to the event log etc - do any of these give you alternatives that allow easier analysis of the log data?

Regards,

MF.

[kommireddy]

Hi,

You can query cogsever.log file using IPF view in logconsole application.

You need to set log level to "Request" at dispatcher level. GO to c8->bin directory, launch logconsole.exe.

Launch IPF viewer from Viewers menu item, execute the query

select * from IPF.

Try to explore more options about possible queries by clicking on Load button. It has some predifined queries to report on different operations.You can quicky verify logon/logoff sessions.

hope this helps,

Best Regards,
Kommireddy.

[CognosPolzovatel]

Thanks Kommireddy for your posting:

However, I do not get any results when I execute select * from IPF in the IPF viewer. I followed your instructions (I set log level to Request at the dispatcher level). Any ideas why I am not receiving any results?

[CognosPolzovatel]

Never mind, I had to browse and choose a log file and then generate the Query for the particular log file. I now have results.

Thanks!

[kommireddy]

Hi,

You can also use logviewV2.exe under bin directory to view/query cogserver.log file and other log files.

Regards,
Kommireddy.

[CognosPolzovatel]

Kommireddy:

"Try to explore more options about possible queries by clicking on Load button. It has some predifined queries to report on different operations.You can quicky verify logon/logoff sessions."
In which directory do these predefined queries exist? I am currently searching from the c8 directory. 

[kommireddy]

Hi,

They are under c8\data\logconsole directory.

Regards,
Kommireddy.

[kommireddy]

Hi,

You can also configure alert management by launching "View and edit alerts" menu button (Yellow triangle with exclamation symbol) of logconsole.

You can add alerts based on Error code in cogserver.log file and set one of possible Actions (sending email, running any corrective program etc..).

Best regards,
Kommireddy.

[CognosPolzovatel]

Neat: lots to learn here. Will experiment. Thanks for your assistance Kommireddy. I really appreciate it.

[COGNOiSe administrator]

Why don't you create a database log target and use the Auditing package? Beats looking at cogserver.log with logview2.exe.

[CognosPolzovatel]

Yep, I did just that a couple of weeks ago. Although the audit DB still lacks in being able to track the cognos users and their roles. We want to be able to track who has a license and which type of license (without having to manually traverse the Cognos Directory).

[COGNOiSe administrator]

How do you envision license tracking? By members of Authors, Query Users, etc? That can be doen. Check latest Support Link NewsLetter.

[biejorrun]

How do you envision license tracking? By members of Authors, Query Users, etc? That can be doen. Check latest Support Link NewsLetter.

You're right! But unfortunately, I can't find the "attached ZIP-file" within this article. Only a reference is made to KB Document #1011543.

If I julst looked over the download, please tell me, so I can download it...


Bjorn

[CognosPolzovatel]

Yes, I am aware that it can be done - however, only via the SDK. Now we have to setup a development test box, install the SDK, etc. etc.
Would be nice if Cognos had this feature built into the system. After all, it's very important to be able to dynamically generate a list/report of the Cognos users and their license type, whether they have a Business Author license or a Professional Author license, etc.

[COGNOiSe administrator]

I totally agree with you, and so do most users of an application we've developed in house. Check out some of those adds that pop up on the top and bottom on the page. We will be posting an overview article on the front page, soon.

[COGNOiSe administrator]

There is also some info in the Powered By section on this forum.

[Adain]

Thanks for the suggestions

[kirkboy]

User permission query I use against our Content Store (Oracle) (tested in Cognos 8.1 and 8.4) for auditing our licenses:

SELECT v_group.name group_name,
v_user.ldap_id
FROM cognoscon.cmreford1 v_group_user
JOIN-- GET USERS
(SELECT cmid user_id, UPPER(NAME) ldap_id
FROM cognoscon.cmobjprops33) v_user
ON v_group_user.refcmid = v_user.user_id
JOIN--GET GROUPS
(SELECT cmobjnames.cmid cmid,UPPER(cmobjnames.NAME) name
FROM cognoscon.cmobjects,cognoscon.cmobjnames
WHERE cmobjects.classid IN (26, 54)
AND cmobjnames.mapdlocaleid = 24
AND cmobjects.cmid = cmobjnames.cmid)
v_group
ON v_group.cmid = v_group_user.cmid
--where
--v_group.name in ('CONSUMERS','AUTHORS')
--and ldap_id like 'AL%'
order by 1,2

[bcaradec]

On our Cognos Server 8.4.1, the name of the log console ist logviewV2.exe (IPF Log Viewer)