Distribution licensed users - view pdf output

[bren1519]

Hi all,

We are moving to Cognos 11.1 from another software and I have converted the monthly financial reports but am struggling with the distribution.  Managements preference is that users access Cognos and retrieve their pdf reports from the applicable folders.  One report has 60 iterations (one for each department).  I know I can't burst into Cognos folders, so I set up a job with a step for each departments parameters.  It works well and produces a report view in the folder which if clicked on opens the pdf.  HOWEVER, the distribution user license does not permit generation of pdf's evidently.  Is there any other way to accomplish what I'm trying to do without licensing all as analytics users (cost prohibitive).  I know I can burst into a network location (not sure exactly how yet!) and I can email but the preference is as I said to have users access through Cognos.

Thanks!
Brenda

[MFGF]

Hi all,

We are moving to Cognos 11.1 from another software and I have converted the monthly financial reports but am struggling with the distribution.  Managements preference is that users access Cognos and retrieve their pdf reports from the applicable folders.  One report has 60 iterations (one for each department).  I know I can't burst into Cognos folders, so I set up a job with a step for each departments parameters.  It works well and produces a report view in the folder which if clicked on opens the pdf.  HOWEVER, the distribution user license does not permit generation of pdf's evidently.  Is there any other way to accomplish what I'm trying to do without licensing all as analytics users (cost prohibitive).  I know I can burst into a network location (not sure exactly how yet!) and I can email but the preference is as I said to have users access through Cognos.

Thanks!
Brenda

Hi,

I'm assuming you're referring to the Information Distribution license here (now called Analytics Reader)? This license permits a user to view saved report outputs - including in PDF format. What it doesn't allow is for users to execute reports in order to generate those saved outputs.

You state you can't burst across Cognos folders, but you can burst a report across different CAMIDs (internal Cognos security IDs), and each user/group/role has its own CAMID. This means you could have a single report that runs and saves 60 different outputs, which are each tied to a CAMID. When a user clicks on the report to view a saved output, their user/group/role will dictate which output they see. It sounds like this is what you might need?

Cheers!

MF.

[bren1519]

So I don't entirely understand but what's the difference between that and creating a pdf output report view in a folder?  I click on the view and it opens the pdf but the distribution user is unable to do that.  What would they see if I followed your instructions?  If it's a report view that is stored wouldn't the same rules apply?  Appreciate the help :).  thx!

[MFGF]

So I don't entirely understand but what's the difference between that and creating a pdf output report view in a folder?  I click on the view and it opens the pdf but the distribution user is unable to do that.

Hi,

If the report view needs to execute the report to generate the PDF, the Information Distribution license doesn't allow this. If the PDF has already been generated and saved (eg via a schedule) the Information Distribution license permits viewing this already-saved PDF.

What would they see if I followed your instructions?  If it's a report view that is stored wouldn't the same rules apply?  Appreciate the help :).  thx!

If you did what I suggested earlier, the user would see a report in the portal, click on it, and their specific version of the saved output PDF would render. If you (as an Administrator, for example) were to look at the saved output versions for the report, you would see a choice of all 60, whereas the regular users would see just their own based on CAMID security.

The important thing to take away from this is that Information Distribution users cannot execute reports - they can only view saved report outputs that have previously been generated and saved. If each report view has a saved output, an ID user would be able to view this. Alternatively if you have a single report with multiple saved outputs generated via bursting, an ID user would be able to view these too (or probably just one of them, based on security).

Cheers!

MF.