Version Protection / (Checking in and Checking Out Cognos Content) Help Please!!

[campbe07]

Howdy,

Hello,

Our project is currently discussing about having a checkin/checkout policy for Cognos using Clearcase. However, we are currently unsure what pieces we would be able to transfer to clearcase, and how to access them. Such pieces would include packages that have been built, reports designs, or even pieces of the content store.

Perhaps its a little easier to explain it this way, what we do not want is a versioning issue, where report writers are making changes simulatneously on a the same report. We want users to be checking in, and checking out the content.

Currently, I can perform configuration management on the Framework Management level.  But for the report level, that kind of information is in the Content Store.  Because Cognos does not have a traditional file structure, everything is wrapped up in a .zip file that can only be grabbed when performing an export.  However, when I do this I lose all granularity on the report level, because the entire specs of the content store are wrapped up in that .zip file.  So even if I want to change a report spec, I have to check in and out the Content Store, or that .zip file?  Has anyone else had this issue with Configuration Management?  What are the common practices of Version Control as I move from DEV to TEST?  If I can move to the report grainularity level, how and where can I access those report specs (which I know they are somewhere because I can see them, but cant copy or paste them in Report Studio under Tools/Report Specification)?

Any ideas?

John Campbell

[goose]

Hi John

Currently cognos doesn't support out box report specification version control. You report developers will have to check-in/check-out report xml into you version control system of choice manually else you can also do this this via the sdk. There are some third-party cognos applications that sort of support this feature but as far as version control goes in the classic software development sense there aren't many options I'm aware.

Our firm has a large cognos deployment, over 1500 reports now, and we have yet to succumb to the issue you are describing where more that one developer is working on the same report simultaneously. Our report developers are divided into teams and due to the nature of cognos report development will never work on the same report (unlike traditional software dev with multiple source code files etc).

Your environment may be different and if you provide more detail I can maybe help out more as there seems to be a deeper underlying question here. Utimately though this boils down to an PM issue to make sure report developers don't work on the same report.

As far as automating deployment between QA and PROD cognos instances there some SDK samples floating around on the cognos support site, it wont take much to write an app that eases the burden of migrating content between cognos instances.

If you are looking into a third-party application check this one out it may have some of the features you want

http://www.cognos.com/solutions/powered_by_cognos/partners/brightstar-metamanagers.html

Hope you come right John.

Kind Regards
Angus Miller

[COGNOiSe administrator]

Thanks for the posts.  Please take a look at this. Just hit the wire this morning.

BrightStar Partners/BSP Software Releases Integrated Control Suite 2.0, Delivering the Only Governance, Risk and Compliance Solution Designed to Lower IBM Cognos Customers' Total Cost of Ownership
The Integrated Control Suite provides IBM Cognos customers' version control, content management, source control, and compliance reporting within their performance management environment. This truly integrated solution is paving the way IBM Business Partners develop value added software within the IBM Cognos Business Intelligence environment.

May 03, 2010 07:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time 
CHICAGO--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--BSP Software LLC, an IBM Business Partner and proven leader in value-added extensions to IBM Cognos software, announced this week the 2.0 release of their Integrated Control Suite (ICS). ICS is one of many offerings in BSP Software's rapidly growing Implementation-Based Software® portfolio, with solutions continuing to set standards for Business Intelligence Competency Centers worldwide.

The Integrated Control Suite's tight integration into the IBM Cognos environment enables transparency to users and supporting IT departments, as ICS appears and behaves as part of the core IBM Cognos product suite. Above and beyond version control and content management, ICS provides the capabilities needed to impose workflow and audit controls throughout the lifecycle of business intelligence artifacts. The added capabilities in this comprehensive release are the product of customer collaboration, along with the vast knowledgebase stemming from BSP's seasoned Professional Services organization, with a goal of addressing the growing need for Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance in the IBM Cognos product suite.

"BSP prides itself on delivering innovative, cutting edge products that help our customers succeed, and this release further validates the incredible solutions we deliver. With over 100 years of Cognos expertise on staff, BSP delivers with an unparallel level of expertise. Partnering with customers to appropriately understand and solve the growing demands of a performance management environment has and will always be at the top of our list of core beliefs. Our customers have driven the ICS solution out of their need for tight controls over every aspect from development to deployment," said BSP Software's President and co-founder Andrew Rachmiel.

ICS was designed to allow organizations to better manage the development lifecycle of content within a performance management environment. Tightly coupled inside an IBM Cognos environment, ICS benefits users at every level within an enterprise from the added features and much needed functionality offered.

"We are tremendously excited about the Integrated Control Suite architecture and its vast capabilities," said Andrew Weiss, Senior Vice President of Product Research and Development. ICS unites the proven reporting and analysis capabilities of IBM Cognos 8 with the accountability and tight controls required by most organizations. "Leveraging the foundation of our Integrated Version Control architecture and functionality, this comprehensive release adds content management, workflow, expanded compliance reporting, and support for validated environments that require tight governance."

With customer verticals including Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Banking, and more, ICS is clearly demonstrating its ability to lower an organizations total cost of ownership for performance management deployments by automating the process of governance and compliance.

For more information on the Integrated Control Suite and our other Implementation-Based Software® solutions and Professional Services offerings, please visit http://www.bspsoftware.com/ICS.