IBM Cognos Analytics (On-Prem)
This article outlines the integration with the IBM Cognos Analytics (On-Prem) connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling, report preview, and lineage building (both automatic and manual). The connector extracts metadata from IBM Cognos Analytics reports and maps it to the Data Catalog for cataloging and lineage analysis.
This connector connects to the IBM Cognos repository database using JDBC driver to retrieve metadata. Access is established using a dedicated service account with the required permissions to read metadata objects from the IBM Cognos repository, ensuring successful metadata extraction and lineage generation.
Overview
Connector Details
Connector Category
Reporting Tools
OvalEdge Release Supported
Release6.x and later
Connectivity
[How the connection is established with IBM Cognos Analytics (On-Prem)]
JDBC
Connector Features
Crawling
✅
Delta Crawling
❌
Profiling
NA
Sample Profiling
NA
Query Sheet
NA
Report Preview
✅
Auto Lineage
✅
Manual Lineage
✅
Secure Authentication via Credential Manager
✅
Data Quality
NA
DAM (Data Access Management)
NA
Bridge
✅
'NA' indicates that the respective feature is 'Not Applicable'.
Metadata Mapping
The following objects are crawled from IBM Cognos Analytics (On-Prem) and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.
Folder
Name of the Folder
Report Group
Report Group
Report Group
Report
Name
Report
Report
Report Name
Report
Type
Report Type
Report
Report Type
Report
Desc
Source Description
Report
Source Description
Dashboard
Dashboard Name
Report
Report
Report Name
Dashboard
Type
Report Type
Report
Report Type
Pages
Page Name
Report
Report
Report Name
Pages
Type
Report Type
Report
Report Type
Set up a Connection
Prerequisites
The following are the prerequisites to establish a connection:
External Supporting Files
The required external JAR files are included as part of the OvalEdge installation artifacts. For driver installation and configuration details, refer to the Connector Drivers Setup Guide. Please contact the OvalEdge Team for assistance related to the driver files and configuration setup.
Service Account User Permissions
It is recommended to use a dedicated service account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.
👨💻Who can provide these permissions? These permissions are typically granted by the IBM Cognos Analytics administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.
Crawling
Reports, Sub Reports
Select
Connection Configuration Steps
Users are required to have the Connector Creator role in order to configure a new connection.
Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for IBM Cognos Analytics, and complete the required parameters.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.
Connector Type
By default, "IBM Cognos Analytics" is displayed as the selected connector type.
Credential Manager*
Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on the selection.
Supported Credential Managers:
OE Credential Manager
AWS Secrets Manager
HashiCorp
Azure Key Vault
For more details, click here.
License Add Ons
Select the checkbox for Auto Lineage Add-On to build data lineage automatically. For more details, click here.
Connector Name*
Enter a unique name for the IBM Cognos Analytics (On-Prem) connection
(Example: "IBMCognosAnalyticsOn-Prem").
Connector Environment
Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector. For more details, click here.
Connector Description
Enter the description related to the connector.
IBM Cognos version*
Select the Cognos_Version_10 (On-prem) from the drop-down list (Cognos_Version_11 / Cognos_Version_10)
MetaDB URL*
Enter the JDBC URL to connect to the IBM Cognos repository database.
Database Name*
Enter the name of the IBM Cognos repository database.
MetaDatabase UserName*
Enter the username for the IBM Cognos repository database.
MetaDatabase Password*
Enter the password for the IBM Cognos repository database.
Model File Path*
Enter the path where the IBM Cognos files or folders are located.
Proxy Enabled*
Select Yes to route API calls through a proxy server. Select No to bypass the proxy and connect directly.
Default Governance Roles
Default Governance Roles*
Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.
Admin Roles
Admin Roles*
Select one or more users from the drop-down list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.
No of Archive Objects
No Of Archive Objects*
This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive.
Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.
Bridge
Select Bridge*
If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list.
The drop-down list displays all active bridges that have been configured. These bridges facilitate communication between data sources and the system without requiring changes to firewall rules.
After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:
Click Validate to verify the connection.
Click Save to store the connection for future use.
Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.
The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.
Manage Connector Operations
Crawl
To perform crawl operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.
The Crawl/Profile button allows users to select one or more report groups for crawling.
Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.
Select the report groups to be crawled.
The Crawl option is selected by default.
Click Run to collect metadata from the connected source and load it into the Data Catalog.
After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Report / Report Column tab.
The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling at defined intervals, from a minute to a year.
Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.
Select a time period for the operation from the drop-down menu.
Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.
The system will automatically execute the crawl operation at the scheduled time.
Other Operations
The Connectors page provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, along with their health status.
Managing connectors includes:
Connector Health: Displays the current status of each connector using a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping to monitor the connectivity with data sources.
Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details.
Nine Dots Menu Options:
To view, edit, validate, build lineage, configure, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.
Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.
Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.
Settings: Modify connector settings.
Crawler: Configure data extraction.
Access Instructions: Add notes on how data can be accessed.
Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.
Others: Configure notification recipients for metadata changes.
Build Lineage: Automatically build data lineage using source code parsing.
Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.
For more details on connector settings, click here.
Connectivity Troubleshooting
If incorrect parameters are entered, error messages may appear. Ensure all inputs are accurate to resolve these issues. If issues persist, contact the assigned support team.
1
Authentication Failed
Error Description: The connection could not be established due to invalid or incorrect authentication credentials.
Resolution:
Verify that the username and password are entered correctly.
Ensure the credentials are active and not expired.
Confirm that the user has the required access permissions.
2
Connection Timeout
Error Description: The connection attempt failed because the server did not respond within the expected time.
Resolution:
Check if the database server is up and accessible.
Verify the network connectivity between the application and the server.
Increase the connection timeout settings if required.
3
Error while validating connection: Exception occured while invoking the remote method @@@Error while Validating Metadata connection : null
Error Description:
The IBM Cognos connector validation fails during metadata connection validation, and the system returns a null response. This issue may occur due to incorrect connection configuration, inaccessible IBM Cognos services, authentication issues, or incomplete metadata connection details.
Resolution:
Verify that the IBM Cognos server URL and connection details are correct.
Confirm that the configured username and password are valid and have the required access permissions.
Ensure that the IBM Cognos services are running and accessible from the OvalEdge environment.
Validate network connectivity between the OvalEdge application, Bridge (if applicable), and the Cognos server.
Check firewall, proxy, or security settings that may be blocking communication.
Review the Cognos server logs and Bridge logs for additional error details.
Retry the connection validation after correcting the configuration and connectivity issues.
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