Setting Up the Environment

After you install Cognos 8, you must set up resources in your environment so that the components can operate. For Cognos 8, you must create the database to be used as the content store. For Metric Studio, you must create at least one database to be used as a metric store. For Cognos 8 for reporting, you must create the data sources for Framework Manager.

You must ensure that a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is available. You must ensure that a Web browser and a Web server are set up to provide access to Cognos components. If you use a router, you must configure it to support Cognos features.

Use the following checklist to guide you through the setup process:

	Create the database for the content store and, if using Metric Studio, a metric store.
	Set up the database client for the content store (Oracle, DB2 and Sybase) and, if using Metric Studio, a metric store (Oracle and DB2).
	Set up environment variables on UNIX for the metric store, if using Metric Studio.
	Update the Java environment, if required.
	Configure the Web server.
	Configure Web browsers.
	Configure a user account for Cognos 8
	Configure the router to test whether a dispatcher is available, if required.
	Set up the data source environment for Framework Manager, if required.
	Set up the database client for Framework Manager, if required.
	Set up the data source environment for Cognos 8 Transformer, if required.
	Set up the database client for Cognos 8 Transformer, if required.
	Set up import sources for Metric Designer, if required.
	Set up the database client for Metric Designer, if required.
	Set up ODBC connections to Sybase IQ or Netezza, if required.

After you complete these tasks, you must configure the Cognos components to work in your environment.

If you installed and want to use Cognos Content Database, you do not have to create a database or set up a database client. A database was created during the installation and Cognos 8 is already configured to use it. If you want to use another database as the content store, ensure that you set the correct database connection properties. For more information, see Set Database Connection Properties for the Content Store.