Cognos 8 Data Centre move

[ghostraider]

Hello All,

My client has sold off one of their business areas and the new company wants us to migrate the existing Cognos environment to their data centre. We are currently using Cognos 8.1.2. Our first step is to bundle everything in the current system and move it over to the new data centre. This task is not going to include the set up of Cognos in the new data centre , it is considered to be another project. So, what should the bundle of deliverable include apart from the cognos content store copy, configuration settings of Cognos, web server configurations and reporting database copy.

If at all we are asked to do the set up also below is a question that I have for the experts on this knowledgeable forum.

We are currently hosted on virtual servers (Server1-Content Manager, 2 Dispatchers, Server2- Web Server, Dispatcher) using AIX 5.3 which is out of support. IBM Cognos 8.1.2 is also out of support. My client is not keen on upgrading Cognos at this juncture and they want to make the reporting system work as is in their new data centre. Since the servers are virtual would it be possible to copy or clone the entire application to newer servers without having to do a re-install of Cognos. We are not too sure about re-installing because if we run into issues then IBM would not be helping us. If copying or cloning isn't an ideal solution please suggest alternatives for having the system up and running in the new data centre.

Thank you very much for your time and I appreciate if you could provide any inputs.

[Grim]

 :o 8.1...ouch

Easiest way...shut everything down and move the server(s) to the new DC. Short of that you're better off, rather than copying parts, to just copy the LPARs over.

Sounds like your getting yourself into a messy project, I don't envy the road you have ahead. Good Luck.  ;)

[blom0344]

Cognos typically generates encryption keys taking into account the server name. There is a good chance that you need to renew the encryption if you go for cloning. We had some mayor issue with a client who thought cloning a 2003 server would be an option when going for new virtual machines. We had to reinstall anyway in the end..

[ghostraider]

Thanks much for your time Grim and Blom0344, I really appreciate it.

Grim, I suggested the idea of moving the servers physically to the new data centre but my client is extremely apprehensive about there being no fall back plan in case of any damage to them. Seems like LPAR would be the way to go.

Blom0344, in case of renewing the encryption will recreating them (I assume you talked about cryptographic keys) not work. Please let me know.

[blom0344]

I'm no cloning expert , but AFAIK there is quite a bit to it when the server specs are decidedly different. A new data centre will have more up-to-date stuff I would guess.  Why not do a fresh 8.1.2 install , import contents from the old server and perform regression tests?