DQM on 32 bit Report Server

[RubenvdLinden]

I'm confused.

A consultant told me that DQM only works on a Cognos 10 x64 installation with the Report Server property set to 64 bit. To use both CQM and DQM, my organization would need two servers: 1 Cognos 10 x64 installation with the Report Server property set to 64 bit and 1 Cognos 10 x64 installation with the Report Server property set to 32 bit.

Today I read an article on the IBM website (http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21516706), which seems to indicate that a Cognos 10 x64 installation with the Report Server property set to 32 bit can launch a separate x64 Java process for DQM-packages. If I understand this correctly, there's no obligation to create two Cognos 10 installations.

Was the consultant wrong, or am I misinterpreting the IBM article?

[MFGF]

Whoever the consultant was, they need to do a little more research before giving out information like that :)

DQM runs within the Query Service in the Cognos 10 architecture. This is contained within the java app server instance. If you install a 32-bit instance of Cognos 10, DQM runs quite happily within that 32-bit app server. If you install a 64-bit instance of Cognos 10, DQM has more memory available to it as it runs within the 64 bit app server instance. It is entirely independent of the Report Service and the gateway. Setting the Report Service to 64-bit only (in a 64 bit instance of C10) simply means that the 32-bit CQM (which normally spawns from within the report service) is disabled, meaning you can only use DQM data sources. Having the report service set to 32 bit in a 64 bit C10 instance of C10 does not mean DQM runs as 32 bit - simply that the rendering of reports (which is done within the report service) is 32 bit. How many reports does your organisation have which require more than 2Gb of memory when performing the rendering? :)

Your consultant could not be more wrong. He is wronger than a very wrong wrong :)

Cheers!

MF.

[RubenvdLinden]

Thank you for the excellent explanation!

[SomeClown]

In defense of the consultant, from the documentation cited in that very ticket:

"In a 64-bit installation, the report server component is provided in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The default option is 32-bit. If you want to use the 64-bit version you must enable it using IBM® Cognos® Configuration.

The 64-bit version of report server is intended for use with packaged with dynamic query mode enabled. For packages that do not use dynamic query mode, you must also have a server installed with the report server running in 32-bit mode.

To enable the 64-bit version, you must have installed the 64-bit version of the Application Tier Components on a 64-bit computer. If you have installed the 32-bit version of the Application Tier Components or are using a 32-bit computer, do not change the report server mode to 64-bit."

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/cbi/v10r1m1/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.inst_cr_winux.10.1.1.doc%2Ft_enable64bitreportserver.html

Consultant may have been wrong but it was IBM that distributed that information.

[MMcBride]

I believe a bunch of people are just plain confused :)

There are 2 different things being discussed here.
First let me lay out my environment.
AIX 6 64 Bit Cognos 10.1.1 Install. - Operating System is 64 Bit, Cognos install files are 64 bit for AIX - everything I have here is 64 bit.
Cognos Transformer for AIX - 32 Bit there isn't a 64 Bit version - I have this loaded but it uses a different set of libraries to run.

Cognos Metric Server - not 64 bit - so I didn't install it - we weren't using it anyway...

Cognos Configuration Environment setting - "Report Server Execution mode" - set to 32 - bit (because I want to support CQM and DQM from the same environment)

In Framework Manager:
All of my legacy CQM Packages run fine
When I want to use DQM I have 2 options:
1 - Make the entire model DQM
2 - Make the model CQM and publish the Package as DQM

90% of the time I use option # 2 (not just because option #1 is broken in 10.1.1, 10.2)
I use Option 2 so I can build Packages that allow me to build Transformer Cubes from, allows me to publish normal Relational Packages for things liek Balance reports etc and allows me to build a DMR package leveraging DQM.

So there are 2 different "bit" things...

You can have a 64 or 32 bit server and use DQM, but if you want to support DQM and CQM then you need to have your setting within the Cognos Config file set to "32-bit"

So I agree with MFGF on this - find a new consultant...
Someclown don't confuse the "Report server execution mode" that is discussed in that document with havnig the software installed on a 64 bit machine.

[MFGF]

Hee hee. Thanks.

Just going back to the original post, and the claim the consultant made (and to clarify what I said before):

A consultant told me that DQM only works on a Cognos 10 x64 installation with the Report Server property set to 64 bit. To use both CQM and DQM, my organization would need two servers: 1 Cognos 10 x64 installation with the Report Server property set to 64 bit and 1 Cognos 10 x64 installation with the Report Server property set to 32 bit.

DQM does not work only on a Cognos 10 x64-bit installation. That is a fallacy. It is works in both 32 and 64 bit installs, and is 32-bit in a 32-bit install of Cognos 10 (on either a 32 or 64 bit server), and is 64 bit in a 64 bit install of Cognos 10 (on a 64 bit server - you cannot install Cognos 10 64 on a 32 bit server). DQM and its "bitness" are not dependent on the setting selected for the Report Service.

The only time you would need separate installs of Cognos 10 running side-by-side in the same configuration is if you absolutely *must* set the Report Service to 64-bit. Why would you need to set it to 64-bit? Well, the only valid reason I can think of is that you have some massive reports which simply will not render in the 2Gb memory limitation the Report Service has when running in 32 bit mode. Let's be realistic - this is not a common scenario. If you are in this position, then setting the Report Service to 64 bit will get you past this limitation, but will disable CQM. If you also need to run some other reports using CQM, then you need a second Cognos 10 install configured with the Report Service running as 32-bit. They can be in the same architecture, but you will need routing rules to send the "problem" reports which will not render under the 32 bit Report Service to the server running the 64 bit Report Service, and the CQM based reports to the server running the 32 bit Report Service. This is what the IBM document is attempting to convey.

Wow! What a jumble of words I just wrote! It's a good job I know what I'm talking about rather than being a muppet. Oh... wait... :)

MF.

[sir_jeroen]

Another document that can shed some light on this:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21516706

- A 64-bit install of 10.1.1 (RP1) running a 32-bit report server will launch a 64-bit java process for Dynamic Query Mode (DQM) enabled packages and will also launch a 32-bit BIBUS processes for CQM packages.
So in short: Cognos 10 x64 will run CQM in 32-bit and DQM in 64-bit

[SomeClown]

Someclown don't confuse the "Report server execution mode" that is discussed in that document with havnig the software installed on a 64 bit machine.

I didn't and haven't.  I'm not that stupid.

[SomeClown]

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21516706

- A 64-bit install of 10.1.1 (RP1) running a 32-bit report server will launch a 64-bit java process for Dynamic Query Mode (DQM) enabled packages and will also launch a 32-bit BIBUS processes for CQM packages.
So in short: Cognos 10 x64 will run CQM in 32-bit and DQM in 64-bit

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy this is true.  I would point out that the ticket does appear to be three weeks old, so it does not appear in core documentation.  It also appears to have been fixed in RP1.  DQM came out in 10.1.0, so those of us "replaceable consultants" who actually may have been doing this a while may not have seen this come through.    I avoid trying to waste client's money by implementing something that I knew didn't work in the past - perhaps that is not considered good practice with your employers.

[sir_jeroen]

@RA:
Note to myself: First read the posted link then start posting links.