Installing Cognos 8 

When you install Cognos 8 Business Intelligence, you install the user interfaces for reporting, analysis, and event management, as well as the server functionality for routing and processing user requests. When Cognos 8 is running, you can then add other Cognos 8 interfaces or products to that environment. For example, you can add Metric Studio, the interface for scorecarding.

Two tasks in the workflows, "Create content store database" and "Set up database clients", are not required if you use the Cognos Content Database that is provided with Cognos 8 and you install Cognos 8 components on a single computer. A database is already created and the connection properties are already set for the database in Cognos Configuration. If you use any other type of database for the content store, or if you install Cognos Content Database on a different computer from Content Manager, you must perform these two tasks.

Single-computer Installation

This workflow shows the required tasks for installing and configuring Cognos 8 on a single computer. A single-computer installation is useful for an environment with a small number of users or for testing.

1. Install Cognos 8 .

2. Check the default settings .

3. Create the content store database .

4. Set up the database client .

5. Update the Java environment .

6. Configure the Web server .

7. Configure the Web browsers .

8. Configure a user account .

9. Set the database connection properties for the content store .

10. Configure the mail server account and notification database .

11. Start the services .

12. Test the installation and configuration .

13. Finish the configuration .

Distributed Installation

These workflows show the required tasks for installing and configuring Cognos 8 on multiple computers in a distributed environment. The workflows are listed in the order in which the computers must be configured. The components on the Content Manager computer must be installed, configured, and started first. As you add computers to the configuration, each computer then obtains the cryptographic keys from Content Manager.

1. Install Content Manager .

2. Check the default settings .

3. Create the content store database .

4. Set up the database client .

5. Update the Java environment .

6. Configure a user account .

7. Set the database connection properties for the content store .

8. Configure the mail server account and notification database .

9. Configure the environment and security properties .

10. Start the services .

11. Test the installation and configuration .

12. Finish the configuration by configuring authenticated access or by changing the default settings , for example.

1. Install Application Tier Components .

2. Check the default settings .

3. Set up ODBC connections to the data sources , if required.

4. Configure the mail server account and notification database .

5. Configure the environment and security properties .

6. Start the services .

7. Test the installation and configuration .

8. Finish the configuration .

1. Install the Gateway .

2. Check the default settings .

3. Configure the Web server .

4. Configure the environment and security properties .

5. Start the services .

6. Test the installation and configuration .

7. Finish the configuration by configuring Cognos 8 Go! Office , for example.

1. Deploythe client for Cognos 8 Go! Office , if required.

2. Configure the Web browser .