Redirect loop after installation of Cognos Analytics 11

[EarthDog]

So i installed C11

Followed all the steps from 10.2.x installations and everything seems ok.

The installation is a bit different as there is one exe file now, but nothing very strange.

Default url is /bi .

I configured IIS for /bi as virtual directory. Also configured isapi.

Now when i hit the url i get a redirect loop....

I cant figure out what is the problem.

Anyone care to give a hand to get me off the mud?

[bvk.cognoise]

Hi EarthDog,

What is the Virtual directory name which you have created?Could you please try to replace bi with the your Cognos Virtual directory name. Because I have installed it I don't see any issue .

If still there is any issue could you please elaborate you issue?


Regards
BVK

[EarthDog]

I created /cognos as i always do in my 10.2.2 installs.

I then configure cgi-bin and the rest of IIS as known.

Until 10.2.2 the only place where you find the /ibmcognos (now /bi) directory is in the 2 html files index and default in teh webcontent dir.

Now in C11 there are also other files that have this /bi in them and the defualt index in the webcontent directory is simpler now. It just have a redirect to /bi.

I tried everything..I tried changing all of them to /cognos but no luck.

the root webcontent /cognos has to be changed to /cognos/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll?........ in order to get to the login screen.

But even then after you login youget redirected to/bi out of nowhere....

Of course IBM Configuration settings are changed accordingly..

[james.m.mueller]

Running into the same issues you are, the infinite redirect, other options end up not going anywhere.  Have you had any luck?  As far as I can tell we need the Gateway to do WebDAV and SSL.  Unless I'm missing something.

[EarthDog]

Running into the same issues you are, the infinite redirect, other options end up not going anywhere.  Have you had any luck?  As far as I can tell we need the Gateway to do WebDAV and SSL.  Unless I'm missing something.

Yes you will end up nowhere :)

I have a PMR open that waits from answer from R&D, it is a documented problem.

Until then i am not even thinking of moving C11 to production server. I am just testing various stuff on a side server using the built-in gateway

Hopefully FP1 will solve them (or even an interim fix)

[cadams]

OK Guys I've been working with IBM on this and we have a very convoluted solution, I suspect IBM will change things in the future but ask IBM to look up PMR 01666 999 616, for the time being I have Cognos Analytics 11 working with Cognos ISAPI and Single Signon.

I will document the solution today and post

[EarthDog]

OK Guys I've been working with IBM on this and we have a very convoluted solution, I suspect IBM will change things in the future but ask IBM to look up PMR 01666 999 616, for the time being I have Cognos Analytics 11 working with Cognos ISAPI and Single Signon.

I will document the solution today and post

thanks!

[cadams]

Heres a link to my Notes

https://sminds.sharepoint.com/Public/_layouts/15/guestaccess.aspx?guestaccesstoken=crgZId4hgx4K7nGax16p8CMPmxMuRFAgwmcVWTNn7LM%3d&docid=0e054f645d2194fcc9c918435e8d20d4d

[EarthDog]

Thanks again!

I will be reading it...

[mcc.chernandez]

Nice notes. IBM provides a similar document which worked in our environment

[MSTRCognos]

Thank you very much  mcc.chernandez for sharing the Titan SSO via IIS word document.

I am able to configure as per the instructions and the SSO works fine with the below URL.

http://<webserver>/ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll?b_action=xts.run&m=portal/main.xts&m_redirect=/ibmcognos/bi/

Is there a way we can launch the Cognos Analytics URL like http://<webserver>/<alias> ,How we used to do in the previous version of Cognos.

I am not sure what needs to be modified in the default.htm or index.html files.

Appreciate your help in advance.

[mcc.chernandez]

Assuming you followed the IBM document attached earlier, what worked for me is to edit the index.html and default.htm files at C:\Program Files\ibm\cognos\analytics\webcontent. Notice in those files by default browsing to /ibmcognos redirects you to /bi - change it to:

Code Select Expand


<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; URL=http://your-cognos-server/ibmcognos/cgi-bin/cognosisapi.dll?b_action=xts.run&m=portal/main.xts&m_redirect=/ibmcognos/bi/">


So your users go to http://your-cognos-server/ibmcognos and that redirects to the "SSO" link (which does its own redirect back to /bi after the authentication info is captured). You can even setup a redirect right at the Default Web Site level. Have the redirect send you to /ibmcognos which then triggers the next redirects for SSO. Users can then simply go to http://your-cognos-server

The downside is these redirects take a bit to process. Hopefully someone more versed in IIS can come up with a better solution.

[MSTRCognos]

Thank you very much for the response.

Yes I have followed the document and updated the index.html and default.htm as per your suggestion.

If I go to http://your-cognos-server/ibmcognos it shows blank.

When I go to the http://your-cognos-server:9300/ibmcognos it allows me to see the Cognos Analytics Home page but I can see only Team Content and Top level folders under the Team Content but not the reports or folders in that level.


I do not have this issue when I go to http://your-cognos-server//bi/v1/disp URL.

Could you please advise on this behavior.

[mcc.chernandez]

How is your authentication setup in IIS? I have Anonymous Auth for Default Web Site and Integrated Windows Auth for /ibmcognos. I suppose you could also simply point the Default Web Site to the webcontent folder with Windows Auth and just do the redirect there - I may try that next week

[MSTRCognos]

Thanks for the quick response.

I have Anonymous Auth for Default Web Site and for /ibmcognos earlier.

I just modified the /ibmcognos as Integrated Windows Auth enabled,But there is no change in the behavior.

[MSTRCognos]

This issue resolved after I reinstalled the Cognos Analytics 11 with Custom Install choice,Earlier I have installed as Ready and Run.

[MSTRCognos]

How is your authentication setup in IIS? I have Anonymous Auth for Default Web Site and Integrated Windows Auth for /ibmcognos. I suppose you could also simply point the Default Web Site to the webcontent folder with Windows Auth and just do the redirect there - I may try that next week

Thank you mcc.chernandez very much for your suggestions.

I was able to configure the SSO successfully with IIS after I reinstall with Custom install choice with Gateway option selected.

[tshw]

MSTRCognos,

Try in meta refresh tag in default.htm or index.htm to redirect to ...&redirect=/ibmcognos/bi/index.html instead of /ibmcognos/bi
that worked for me...

*** nevermind
there's some weird behavior in the AJAX ui.. will try the reinstall like you

*update*
like MSTRCognos, I ran the install pkg again, chose to install over the existing, and choosing expand install, that finally worked.

[MSTRCognos]

I need help with enabling the HTTPS on the Cognos Analytics 11 environment to connect to the IBM Watson Analytics.

https://community.watsonanalytics.com/discussions/questions/3317/is-it-possible-to-connect-to-cognos-using-http-ins.html

Can someone please guide me with setting up the CA SSL certificate on the IIS 8.5 for the Cognos Analytics 11 environment.

Appreciate your help.

[tshw]

MSTRCognos,
Do you mean just installing SSL certificate on IIS? If so, I don't think it would be any different than in previous Cognos 10 versions. There should be plenty of examples on the web. If I remember right, basically just install the SSL certificate in IIS and reconfigure your URL in Cognos Configuration Manager to https:// . I will have it installed on a new server this week, if there's anything different, I will let you know.

Anyone,
Does your SSO work after session timeout? SSO works when I go to <servername>/ibmcognos
However, once timed out, it will not do SSO again. Also, it redirects to a login screen at <servername>/ibmcognos/bi/index.html?perspective=home&context={%22perspective%22%3A%22home%22%2C%22content%22%3A{}} where SSO does not work.

[MSTRCognos]

Hello tshw,

Thank you very much for the information,Sorry for the delay in replying to you.

I will work on this in the next week and update you guys.

Thanks,
MSTRCognos

[djbarham]

Anyone,
Does your SSO work after session timeout? SSO works when I go to <servername>/ibmcognos
However, once timed out, it will not do SSO again.

We have the same problem.  I haven't had a chance to try working through it yet.  Interested to know if anyone else has found a solution.

[cognosjedi]

cadams

thanks for the ppt on the new gateway install and posting it publically.  At 1st glance it appears even better then the ibm doc I've received.

[cadams]

If you were paying attention.

For those that are using the re-write in a distributed environment, you'll have noticed that the re-write points to a single server "http://<web_server>:<web_server_port>/alias/bi/" therefore a single point of failure, if that application server goes down, then you loose SSO.

There are some instructions available for creating an IIS web farm, quite simple, basically you create web farm called "cognos_disp' add your dispatchers and port # to the farm, then point your re-write to the farm (cognos_disp)

We can also get around this by creating a URL alias at a router level (above my pay grade) to get around this too.

Additionally, there are new instructions from IBM on how to create the re-write in 11.0.3 http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21976435&aid=1 I've done the 11.0.3 install, but used the original instructions, and all works well.

Chris...

[saisachin]

Hi,
Could you please share installation and configuration checklist for Cognos 11.We are looking to migrate from Cognos 10.2.Also please share if there are any issues encountered.

Regards,
Sai