Can two different environments share same content store?

[Cognos91]

Based on an ideal set-up, each cognos environment should have it's content store database.
What is the disadvantage of a set-up that contains the same content store database that is being shared across two different cognos environments? Each environment is different.
Any feedback will help.

[MFGF]

Based on an ideal set-up, each cognos environment should have it's content store database.
What is the disadvantage of a set-up that contains the same content store database that is being shared across two different cognos environments? Each environment is different.
Any feedback will help.

Hi,

The disadvantage to trying this (if it even works at all) is that the database will get corrupted and that will stop both instances from working. You cannot have two content manager processes from two different instances writing to and reading from the same content store database. You can share a content manager process (and its connected content store) across multiple application servers - this gives you a multi-server setup - but this is classed as and operates as a single instance (environment) of Cognos. You can have multiple content manager processes configured for an instance too - for failover purposes - but only one of them is ever active, and the other(s) are in standby in case the active content manager fails.

To summarise, what you're asking to do is not possible and you shouldn't attempt it.

Cheers!

MF.

[dougp]

It depends on a number of factors:  staffing levels, staff expertise, which RDBMS you're using,...

You can use separate schemas for each environment.  Two possible issues:

• Since there is no property in Cognos Configuration to specify the schema used by the Content Store, it will take some DBA magic to make it happen.  (Without visible control over this, I wouldn't feel comfortable...)
• How do you handle database backups and restores?  If one system needs to be recovered, both systems are down -- or you pay $$$$ for DBA staff and extra hard drives and database servers to manage the restore.

I'd keep it simple:  Use a different Content Store database for each Cognos environment.

[Cognos91]

Thank you both for your feedback.
We have two test environments where we have them sharing the same content store database. The goal is to keep the new environment updated so when we transition users across, the whole process will be seamless. The plan is to retire the old test environment; until then the new and the old are synced via keeping the same content store.

Per DBA should the db get corrupted, a backup can always be restored. However, this does not sound quite right...
Would it then make sense, to keep the two content store DBs separate and sync them on a scheduled basis (weekly or so)?

Using different schema may or may not work. We use a service account for the content store DBs {it uses SQL authentication}
So, with a set-up for a separate schema and using SQL authentication, how would that work? I am no DBA, but just trying to see how the set-up for a different schema would work in this case.

[dougp]

synced via keeping the same content store.

Very bad idea.  This is a recipe for Content Store corruption.

Corruption may not break Cognos.  It will likely present itself as Cognos content having StoreID values changed.  Then you have items that are of the wrong type (which probably would break it) or items that are related to the wrong items.  You may not identify the problem for weeks, so you wouldn't know when to restore from.

Use separate databases and sync them using the deployment export/import process.