Unable to log into the /crn/cgi-bin/mod_cognos.dll

[ericdewerth]

When I install Cognos everything appears to go just fine... When I go to log into Cognos using the mod_cognos.dll instead of cognos.cgi  I get the "most descriptive error" ever:

The IBM Cognos gateway is unable to connect to the IBM Cognos BI server. The server may be unavailable or the gateway may not be correctly configured. 

  Try again or contact your administrator.


My configuration is as follows:
Windows 2008 32 bit server for a single server application installation using Apache/Tomcat, doing a test bed.
MSSQL 2005 32 bit Client on same server

Windows 2003 64 bit cluster
MSSQL 2005 64 bit cluster

I can connect to the dB via the Sql Server Management Console with out a problem.  I believe that it has to be something dealing with the Windows 2008 "improvements."  Everything is installed and configured as I have with the many Oracle installations, I am just using MSSQL this time instead.  The only other thought is that maybe there is an issue with Cognos using a 32 bit MSSQL client to connect to a 64 bit MSSQL Server.

Any ideas????

Thanks,
Eric

Am I missing something here?

[sir_jeroen]

First of all... What type of Webserver are you using? IIS or ...? If you are using IIS use the cognosisapi.dll.

What is the response if you use the url: http://<server>:9300/p2pd/servlet
And what happens if you type: http://<server>:9300/p2pd/servlet/dispatch
Can you connect using cognos.cgi instead of mod_cognos.dll/cognosisapi.dll

with regards,

RA

[ericdewerth]

When I go to the servlet URL it comes up with the CM information.

I am using Apache.  I can connect via cognos.cgi but unfortunately I need to connect via mod_cognos.dll for the deployment methodology that we are using.

[sir_jeroen]

From your response I conclude that your issue is with Apache webserver and not with Cognos, because you can use cognos.cgi.
And you can also conclude that it doesn't have anything to do with you sql server client, because otherwise cognos.cgi wouldn't also work.
Unfortunately I'm not familiair with Apache, but what version of Apache are you using? 1.3 is ending support as of 8.4

[ericdewerth]

I'm on Apache 2.0.59....

[sir_jeroen]

And you are using the mod's for apache 2.0? And you used the directives provided by the Cognos Installation guide?

[sir_jeroen]

Btw.. what version are you using? ReportNet or Cognos 8. The url

/crn/cgi-bin/mod_cognos.dll

is for ReportNet

[MFGF]

The url  is for ReportNet

...to which you're addicted, RA?  ;D

Eric, are you definitely using the Cognos Apache 2 module in your httpd.conf file? (c8_location/cgi-bin/mod2_cognos.dll) - your post looks as though you are trying to use mod_cognos.dll, which would only be valid with Apache 1.3.

As RA suggests, it's also worth making sure that you have followed all the configuration steps for Apache 2 in the Installation and Configuration Guide (Chapter 11).

Best regards,

MF.

[hugoa]

Hello apache addepts,

Guessing above problem is not settled yet, I want you to give the set up I created to make it work for Apache 2.2 on Sun Solaris 10.
Most of it I got from the Cognos docs, but there are some flaws in it regarding the browser URL to the C8 portal, and to my opinion also in the advised gateway URI.

But first the Cognos 8 settings for the Apache configuration:

#
# Cognos 8
#

# Load module to use apache module as alternative for CGI
# LoadModule cognos_module <c8_install_location>/cgi-bin/mod2_2_cognos.so
LoadModule cognos_module <c8_install_location>/cgi-bin/<mod-cognos-lib-object>

# define Alias and set Directory (security) settings
ScriptAlias /cognos8/cgi-bin "<c8_install_location>/cgi-bin"
<Directory "<c8_install_location>/cgi-bin">
AllowOverride None
Options None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>
Alias /cognos8 "<c8_install_location>/webcontent"
<Directory "/opt/cognos/c84/webcontent">
Options Indexes MultiViews
AllowOverride None
Options None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>

# server status reports section
<Location /cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos_module>
        SetHandler cognos-handler
        Order allow,deny
        Allow from all
</Location>

# user directory section
<IfModule mod2_2_cognos.c>
        CGIBinDir "<c8_install_location>/cgi-bin"
</IfModule>

~

The <mod-cognos-lib-object> refers to the library module to be used. This one, as you know, depends on platform and apache version: the mod2_2_cognos.so is needed for Apache 2.2 on Solaris 10 (See the Cognos install/config doc).

That leaves us the gateway URI Cognos 8 configuration. In this URI you can refer to the above defined "cognos_module":
http://<myapachewebserver:portno>/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos_module
note: the cognos documentation says different. They want you to use the '.dll' or '.so' instead of 'cognos_module'. That is less neat and less robust, to my opinion.

After restarting check portal via your browser:
http://<myapachewebserver:portno>/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos_module

You should not refer explicitly to the '.dll' or '.so', as in http://webserver/cognos8/cgi-bin/mod2_2_cognos.so because this '.dll' or '.so'  will be interpreted by the web server as if it needs to be executed, and that will cause http 500 errors.

Best regards and success.