Deployment files location

[Michael75]

I'm working on defining deployment strategy for a new, and largeish Cognos installation. I've found two Proven Practice docs on the subject:

- Automating Deployment of IBM Cognos BI (page523-pdf)
- Deploy Content Between Environments (page581-pdf)

Both mention techniques which require that the deployment archive location be set to be one and the same for different instances, e.g. Dev and QA.

I have no experience of this - I've only worked on instances where the deployment archive location is instance-specific.

Has anybody worked with such a configuration? Even better, with the techniques described in these two docs? If so, would you be willing to share your feedback, and the pros and cons that you encountered?

Thx, Michael

[Raghuvir]

I'm working on defining deployment strategy for a new, and largeish Cognos installation. I've found two Proven Practice docs on the subject:

- Automating Deployment of IBM Cognos BI (page523-pdf)
- Deploy Content Between Environments (page581-pdf)

Both mention techniques which require that the deployment archive location be set to be one and the same for different instances, e.g. Dev and QA.

I have no experience of this - I've only worked on instances where the deployment archive location is instance-specific.

Has anybody worked with such a configuration? Even better, with the techniques described in these two docs? If so, would you be willing to share your feedback, and the pros and cons that you encountered?

Thx, Michael

Hi Micheal,

Do you want to change the default location of the deployment archive location ?

Regards

[Michael75]

Do you want to change the default location of the deployment archive location ?

No, I'm defining the rules and best practices for a new installation.

[Penny]

Hello

I also am working on a deployment process document for our relatively new installation.  Your message indicates two Proven Practice docs on the subject.  Can you please let me know where to find these?    I would be happy to share what I come up with.

[bus_pass_man]

Here's the urls

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/infrastructure/cognos_specific/page581.html

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/upgrade_and_migration/bi/page523.html

http://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/documentation/docs/en/10.2.1.1/ug_cra.pdf

The best practice document might be useful for helping you define the issues that need to be considered and to think through those matters and to identify trade offs and the like.

What you are going to do is very much dependent on far more important things such as version control, as well as your other requirements.  Think of the choice of locations as the cart rather than the horse. "how you deploy your content and what you deploy will depend on preference, tools, and requirements." 

It's not required to have your deployments in the same directory but it helps if you deploy on a regular basis.  One problem with automated processes is that they can do things you don't want to happen just then.

"If you are deploying on a regular basis, you can automate your deployments. The default output location for a deployment archive is <IBM Cognos BI install location>/Deployment. You can change this location in IBM Cognos Configuration to a common network drive accessible by the source and target IBM Cognos BI environments. The setting is found under Environment > Deployment files location. The IBM Cognos BI service must be run as a user that has access to the network location. Once this is configured, a deployment export can be generated regularly by the source environment based on a schedule and picked up by the target environment by a scheduled deployment import. " 

[Michael75]

Thank you bus_pass_man, for another "outstanding, thoughtful, helpful answer" :)

Indeed, I am thinking through the whole deployment process, and am not at all sure yet whether an automated deployment process will be desirable or even possible in this installation. I too had thought along the lines of:

One problem with automated processes is that they can do things you don't want to happen just then.

But rather than doing a "War and Peace" post with all my questions and preoccupations around deployment strategy, I chose to start with the deployment location issue, as I had misgivings about sharing the location, but couldn't say why  :-\

May I conclude from your reply that there are no specific problems associated with sharing the same deployment location between two or more environments, as long as this fits in with the chosen strategy?

Thx, Michael

[bus_pass_man]

As far as I know, yeah.

[Michael75]

As far as I know, yeah.

Thanks, bus_pass_man. As we refine our ideas about governance, I've moved towards having separate deployment archive locations for Dev / QA / Prod with, most probably, scripts to move (not copy) the archives from one location to another. This, of course, as part of an overall governance regarding deployments.

@ Penny You replied that you were working along similar lines as me. Do you have any insights that you'd be willing to contribute?

Thx
Michael