Cannot get past login screen when using http://servername/cognos8

[rocket]

We have a Cognos 8.4.1 environment with the core BI products installed.  When I navigate to http://localhost/cognos8 on the server, I can log in without any issues.  when I navigate to http://servername/cognos8, each time I enter my login information, it loops back to the same login screen.

http://servername/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll?b_action=xts.run&m=portal/welcome/welcome.xts

Has anyone seen this before?

[tupac_rd]

is it similar to

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3442&context=SS9RTN&q1=%2blogin+%2bscreen&uid=swg21341494&loc=en_US&cs=utf-8&cc=us&lang=all

[rocket]

I tried that.  I set the domain to machine name and restarted Cognos.  No luck.  I then set it to the domain that the machine is on.  Again, no luck.  When I set the domain, localhost/cognos8 doesn't work. 

It seems like a cookie issue, as I can go to localhost/cognos8 when the domain is blank and get in no problem.

[CognosPaul]

What happens if you try logging in with:

http://servername/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll?b_action=xts.run&m=portal/welcome/welcome.xts
&CAMUsername=user&CAMPassword=123456

In theory that should bypass the login screen altogether.

Does it only happen on the local machine, or are you unable to login with a remote machine?

Did you clear your cookies and all offline files? reboot? (obvious I know but it needs mentioned since everyone forgets these things)

[rocket]

it happens on both the local machine and on a remote machine. 

I was able to successfully log in using http://servername/cognos8/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll?b_action=xts.run&m=portal/welcome/welcome.xts
&CAMUsername=user&CAMPassword=123456 as you suggested.

Thoughts?

[CognosPaul]

No thoughts yet. If would have been easier to figure out if didn't work. Now it's just plain annoying.

I think you're right that it's a cookie issue. Passing credentials through the URL doesn't save a cookie.

My immediate ideas turn to the global configuration, as in Tupac's, but if you said you already tried that we need to look elsewhere.

I'll need to sleep on it. In the meantime, try a different browser. If it works with a different browser than your original browser isn't accepting the cookies. If it doesn't work it's probably a problem with Cognos itself.

[rocket]

Well, the good news is that it works just fine in Firefox.  Internet Explorer can't get past the login screen.  Any ideas?

[CognosPaul]

It works with Firefox? I'll just take this opportunity to point out that 8.4.1 works extremely well with Firefox now...

It sounds more and more like a problem with IE. This is a little out of my realm of experience. The only thing that I can think of suggesting is to add servername to your trusted sites and playing with the settings.

Did your IT dept make any company wide changes recently?

[SomeClown]

If IE8, try setting the site in the Compatibility section (there's a button up there somewhere).  Sometimes this works.

Run a tracert against the server name - does it look like it might be passing through a firewall somewhere?

[rocket]

I tried adding the server to trusted sites.  Still no luck.  I am using IE 7 because IE 8 still is a bit buggy with Cognos.

tracert returned in 1 hop.  I probably should mention that I'm trying this all from the browser on the server itself.  Same results, however, from any other browser on another machine.

[rocket]

SOLVED!

The problem was that the machine name has a "_" in it.  I found article http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/33829056/iisie-7-losing-cookies-u.aspx That explains it. 

I was able to go into the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file and add an entry for the IP Address and a logical name "Production" and it now works.  I go to http://production/cognos8.

Thanks all for the help!

[CognosPaul]

Thanks for sharing the solution, I doubt I would have ever figure it out.

[Chopin]

Hi rocket,

The page http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/33829056/iisie-7-losing-cookies-u.aspx disappeared.
do you have ever make any note regarding this except for below info?

Thanks,
Chopin

SOLVED!

The problem was that the machine name has a "_" in it.  I found article http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/aspnet/33829056/iisie-7-losing-cookies-u.aspx That explains it. 

I was able to go into the C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file and add an entry for the IP Address and a logical name "Production" and it now works.  I go to http://production/cognos8.

Thanks all for the help!