Upgrade from Cognos BI 10.2 to...10.2.2 or 11?

[Rosanero4Ever]

Hi all,

I need to perform an upgrade from Cognos BI 10.2 to a newer version.
I used 10.2.2 version with very satisfaction respect previous versions but it's true that Cognos Analytics is THE newer and earliest version.
I have some doubts about CA:
- a very different environment could represent an high learning curve from some users;
- dashboards can be created only using external files (actually, i know, it's impossible use packages for dashboards)
- a different framework manager

What's your advice? What's, at today, your experience with CA respect 10.2.2 version?
Many thanks for your time

[MFGF]

Hi all,

I need to perform an upgrade from Cognos BI 10.2 to a newer version.
I used 10.2.2 version with very satisfaction respect previous versions but it's true that Cognos Analytics is THE newer and earliest version.
I have some doubts about CA:
- a very different environment could represent an high learning curve from some users;
- dashboards can be created only using external files (actually, i know, it's impossible use packages for dashboards)
- a different framework manager

What's your advice? What's, at today, your experience with CA respect 10.2.2 version?
Many thanks for your time

Hi,

Cognos Analytics is the latest version of Cognos BI, yes. Let's take your points one at a time:

- a very different environment could represent an high learning curve from some users

The user interface is very different, yes. It's designed to be more intuitive and easy to use, and therefore to require less training than the old Cognos 10 interface. There will obviously be some adjustments for existing Cognos 10 users to make to get familiar with the new interface, but they will need to make the leap sooner or later anyway - the new UI is the future of the product.

- dashboards can be created only using external files (actually, i know, it's impossible use packages for dashboards)

That's not true. You can use external files when creating dashboards and you can also use Data Modules when creating dashboards. You can create Data Modules over relational DQM data sources and uploaded files. It's true that you can't yet create Data Modules over FM packages, but that feature is way (way way) up at the top of the RFE list so hopefully IBM will be looking at this (we hope).

- a different framework manager

Again, that's not true. Framework Manager has a new version number (11) but in terms of the UI and the functionality it's virtually identical to FM in Cognos 10.2.2. It's the same.

Cheers!

MF.

[Rosanero4Ever]

Many thanks for your answer.

About dashboards, I refer just to FM packages :-[

At today, what's your experience with CA?

[MFGF]

Many thanks for your answer.

About dashboards, I refer just to FM packages :-[

At today, what's your experience with CA?

Hopefully Data Modules over FM packages are on the way (please, IBM!) and once you can do this, you can use FM package data in a dashboard.

CA is improving - Release 3 was let out into the wild on 6th July, and it introduced some nice new features in the product (multiple packages in reports, new Active Report List object, more interactivity in the Data Module diagram, ability to re-link dashboards and dashboard objects to new sources, calculations and formatting in dashboards etc). New releases seem to be appearing every 2-3 months, so I suspect we will see the product functionality increasing rapidly.

Cheers!

MF.

[Rosanero4Ever]

Do you know the IBM roadmap about Cognos Analytics in Cognos Express?

[MFGF]

Do you know the IBM roadmap about Cognos Analytics in Cognos Express?

That's a question for IBM to answer - specifically the Cognos Express product manager, I suspect.

[cognosjedi]

My company is just reviewing now the CA version. 

I can only comment on the admin side.

Out of the box the install is slightly different with the gateway being "optional" but for most cases really isn't. 

The big difference is with what was cognos connection, completely different landing page for the home screen. Navigation, studios, completely different look and feel.  They didn't make any drastic changes on the backend.  We found Cognos Mobile installed out of box but only because we are coming from 10.2.1.  We are more legacy in that we are largely cube building dependent for our reports and data rendering.  True acceptance of CA remains to be seen.

My  .02 is if you want the more traditional cognos, stay with 10.2.2 for now.  IBM is still working how they want to present CA is my understanding.

[cadams]

I've been working with CA now for about 6 months, I'm currently installing CA11 in Australia, IBM tell me it's Australia's largest C11 implementation.

If you have a distributed environment, I would strongly recommend to evaluate what features of c10 your organisation relies on, in fact I would highly recommend you have a brainstorming session about what aspects are critical to you business. Then test those areas on a POC environment.

My understanding so far, is that a single server install is fine, but larger distributed environments is much more problematic.

Good luck

[cantnos]

Regarding use of packages this is new to 11.0.5*

You can add a Framework Manager Package as a selected datasource without requiring a dataset.

Link from IBM below:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21991442

[MFGF]

Regarding use of packages this is new to 11.0.5*

You can add a Framework Manager Package as a selected datasource without requiring a dataset.

Link from IBM below:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21991442

Yep. The 11.0.5 release introduced the ability to use relational packages in dashboards. The 11.0.6 release further introduced the ability to use dimensional packages in dashboards.

Cheers!

MF.