Cognos Express Installation on Multiple Servers

[khutc]

Is a single organization able to be licensed for multiple Cognos Express Reporter modules that report the same database? For example, if I purchased 2 Cognos Express Reporter modules, could I have 100 users on one server and 100 users on another server, then have both servers query the same database? Is this considered compliant with the licensing agreement?

I have heard that it is only compliant if they are for different applications. For example, if I had a finance app and an HR app. Is this correct or can I have 2 servers querying data from a finance application?

[MFGF]

As far as I'm aware, you can have two separate Express servers querying the same data source - I've not come across any clauses which say you can't. For full peace of mind, verify it with your IBM Account Manager before you go ahead. :)

Cheers!

MF.

[khutc]

Hi,

I have been informed by IBM that they will not sell us 2 Reporter Connectors and will force us to upgrade to Cognos Enterprise if we want more than 100 users. We will have to re-asses our situation and maybe find an alternative product. Given this information I am hoping to weed ourselves off of Cognos by going to Express and then have a few years or so to plan out an alternate solution.

Thanks!

[khutc]

Just to clarify, we currently have a 40 user implementation of Cognos 8.2 and are looking at what upgrade path makes sense for us.

[MFGF]

Hi,

I have been informed by IBM that they will not sell us 2 Reporter Connectors and will force us to upgrade to Cognos Enterprise if we want more than 100 users. We will have to re-asses our situation and maybe find an alternative product. Given this information I am hoping to weed ourselves off of Cognos by going to Express and then have a few years or so to plan out an alternate solution.

Thanks!

Well, that sounds awfully like you are being given incorrect information. I have just spoken to my tame IBM insider who knows more about Express that I ever will. His answer is that you *are* allowed to purchase two separate instances of Express reporting off the same physical data source. He did comment that by the time you have paid for two separate servers with two operating system licenses, two Express Admin licenses, two connectors for the Express BI modules, the two lots of users (assuming many will be consumers rather than authors), factored in the admin to install both copies, set up the two distinct groups of users, defined and tested the same application on both Express servers, set up backup and recovery strategies for both servers etc, your Total Cost of Ownership would probably exceed a single Enterprise BI installation with the same number of users. He says you can do it, though.

Where did you get your information? From someone within IBM or from an IBM reseller/partner?

MF.

[khutc]

Hi MF,

That is news to me. We were informed by 3 different sources: 1 IBM rep and 2 resellers. Basically they said that our account will be red flagged and they won't sell us a second connector. The Cognos Express License Agreement only states that they limit 100 users per installation, but not 1 installation per customer. I informed the IBM rep this but he just flat out said "we will not allow it".

I believe this is a sales tactic to keep us on Enterprise, however we do not need any features that Enterprise offers. We only need the Reporter module for ad-hoc and static reports.

I have tried many times over the past month to get this information from IBM with no luck, they are really pressuring us to use Enterprise even though we cannot afford it.

We have done a cost analysis and determined that the one time only purchase and yearly support of 2 Express Reporter Connectors, 200 Reporter users, and 8 Admins are significantly cheaper than 200 Enterprise Users with 4 Admins. We would seriously like to stick with the Cognos products and I am interested in getting to the bottom of this.

Are you able to forward me any IBM contact information that would help me clarify this possible misconception? I will forward you a personal message with my contact info.

[hardstep]

I work for a reseller and I have seen nothing from IBM or otherwise to suggest that you cannot purchase a separate reporter instance of Cognos Express.
I would ask your IBM contact and/or your reseller to show you the license definition that states you cannot purchase and install Cognos Express on a separate server.
Rgds
Nick

[MFGF]

Hi MF,

That is news to me. We were informed by 3 different sources: 1 IBM rep and 2 resellers. Basically they said that our account will be red flagged and they won't sell us a second connector. The Cognos Express License Agreement only states that they limit 100 users per installation, but not 1 installation per customer. I informed the IBM rep this but he just flat out said "we will not allow it".

I believe this is a sales tactic to keep us on Enterprise, however we do not need any features that Enterprise offers. We only need the Reporter module for ad-hoc and static reports.

I have tried many times over the past month to get this information from IBM with no luck, they are really pressuring us to use Enterprise even though we cannot afford it.

We have done a cost analysis and determined that the one time only purchase and yearly support of 2 Express Reporter Connectors, 200 Reporter users, and 8 Admins are significantly cheaper than 200 Enterprise Users with 4 Admins. We would seriously like to stick with the Cognos products and I am interested in getting to the bottom of this.

Are you able to forward me any IBM contact information that would help me clarify this possible misconception? I will forward you a personal message with my contact info.

Contact details forwarded in a PM. Good luck, and let us know how you get on!

MF.

[khutc]

I just had a nice phone conversation with the IBM rep that MF has passed to me. The IBM rep said that it seemed acceptable however he would have a word with the IBM rep that I spoke with and get more information.

After more information was gathered, it seems that the "original intent of allowing more than one CX separate environments has been removed because some customers were using it as a way to circumvent the 100 user limitation". I have asked for more clarification on this because it's not specified in the license agreement.

If the restriction is true, it is a severely limited SMB product. To not allow more than 100 users for your entire business (HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, etc.) cripples the usefulness of the product and does not allow for growth. In this case, we would be forced to go with Cognos Enterprise because it is the only option for us to be compliant with the user count and not because of the features it provides. Also, given the competition in the BI field, we may have to resort to alternatives because the Price for Value is just not there.

We are currently running 40 users with Cognos BI 8.2 and I must stick with what I said previously: "Given this information I am hoping to weed ourselves off of Cognos by going to Express and then have a few years or so to plan out an alternate solution."

[MFGF]

That's very sad news! It's not the case here in the UK - so maybe it's a restriction your geography has implemented? I would have expected your IBM account manager would be very keen to do business with you, especially considering IBM's has entered into their Q4, where there is increased pressure to close deals. I'm really sorry to hear you didn't get a good outcome. Maybe there would be mileage in seeing what kinds of discount you could get to stay on Enterprise Cognos 10? Given your need to increase your license count and the fact that IBM are disallowing your preferred option of going to Express, I would imagine they would work very hard to keep your business and to come up with a deal that is more in line with your expectations.

Kind regards,

MF.

[khutc]

No worries, you guys have been a lot of help and I thank you very much!

The reality is that we are possibly looking at a bigger picture migration in the future so this may actually end up helping me build my case to move to SQL Server 2012 DB and BI.