Transformer can be installed on a computer that contains other Cognos 8 components or on a computer that is separate from other Cognos 8 components. When installed separately, Transformer can be used as a standalone product or it can be configured to communicate with other Cognos 8 components.
When you use Transformer as a standalone product, you can use data sources that are external to Cognos 8 and you cannot create secured views with dimensional filtering. When you use Transformer with other Cognos 8 components, you can use the following features provided by Cognos 8:
Cognos 8 authentication providers
Cognos 8 data sources, such as published packages, Query Studio reports, and Report Studio reports
Cognos Connection for publishing the PowerCube datasource and package
building PowerCubes on Linux or HP-UX Itanium
You cannot use flat files as data sources.
Transformer consists of the following components. You may have one or both, depending on your environment.
Transformer Windows
This is the modeling tool for designing PowerCubes that are used in Cognos 8. It can also be used to build and publish PowerCubes.
Transformer UNIX/Linux
This is a command line utility for building PowerCubes. You first design the models using Transformer Windows or MDL scripting, and then use the models to build the PowerCubes.
Either component can communicate with the server using one of two routes:
connect to the Application Tier Components dispatcher using the internal dispatcher URI (the recommended route).
connect to an additional, dedicated gateway that is configured to connect to the dispatcher using the internal dispatcher URI. You must configure appropriate security for this gateway. This route is useful when the modeling tool is outside a network firewall.
Note: Do not change your main gateway to use the internal dispatcher URI. Doing so reduces the security of the Cognos 8 portal and studios.
For Web servers other than Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), no functional difference exists between the two communication routes between the modeling tool and the Application Tier Components dispatcher. For either route, the modeling tool uses the BI Bus SOAP API. If you use the Web server route, and you have medium- and large-sized packages (approaching 1 MB), the packages are broken into smaller pieces (chunked) for transmission. When publishing packages, only the package run time model is transferred and not the PowerCube. However, the PowerCube must be in a location that the dispatcher can access.
If you use a Web server other than Microsoft IIS, we recommend that you configure the modeling tool to communicate through your Web server gateway (using the first route). This eliminates the need to set up additional communications channels if you use firewalls to separate the modeling tool, Web server, and Application Tier Components.
When the modeling tool is outside a network firewall that protects the Application Tier Components, communication issues with the dispatcher can occur. For security reasons, the default Cognos 8 configuration prevents the dispatcher from accepting requests from the modeling tool when it is outside the network firewall.
By default, the modeling tool is configured to send requests directly to the dispatcher:
To avoid communication issues when communicating directly with the dispatcher, install the modeling tool in the same architectural tier as the Application Tier Components.
Alternatively, you can install an additional gateway that is dedicated to communication with the modeling tool. You then configure the modeling tool and its gateway such that the dispatcher accepts requests from the modeling tool.
You may want to set up dedicated Transformer servers for optimal cube build performance and accessibility to the Cognos 8 users. In this scenario, consider the following requirements:
Database client software is installed on any computer that will be used to build or test data in Transformer for PowerCubes.
Appropriate environment variables are set for UNIX and Linux servers.
Cognos 8 servers have access to the location where PowerCubes are stored so that the dispatcher can access the PowerCubes.
Building and updating production PowerCubes can be scripted and run remotely when sufficient access and user privileges are set up. For more information about building and updating production PowerCubes, see the Transformer User Guide.
You may have specialized business or power users who want to build PowerCubes that are modeled on a combination of corporate and personal data sources. These users may want to do their own analysis of the data for their line of business or a small group of users. You can enable such users to be self-sufficient within the IT and security infrastructure of the organization by meeting the following requirements:
Database client software is installed, or available for modelers to install, on the Transformer computers that are used to access Cognos 8 data sources or Cognos Series 7 IQD data sources.
Modelers must have privileges to create a data source in Cognos Administration.
Modelers do not need direct access to Cognos Administration. They can create and update data sources by using Transformer or command line tools. You can provide modelers with a secured folder in Cognos Connection in which to publish PowerCube packages.
Modelers must have access to a location in which to store the PowerCube after building it.
This location must also be accessible to the Cognos 8 service and can be a secured share on a LAN.
Modelers may require special privileges to remotely run the Cognos 8 PowerCube Connection utility, which is located on the Cognos 8 server. For more information, see the topic about updating published PowerCubes and PowerCube connections in the Transformer User Guide.
To build PowerCubes on a specific Transformer server, modelers should have FTP privileges to transfer models and execute privileges to build cubes on that server.
Modelers can transfer models and execute cube builds using scripts. Modelers can also use automated methods to build PowerCubes. For more information, see the Administration and Security Guide.
To publish PowerCube packages, you must configure Transformer to communicate with the dispatcher, either directly or through a dedicated gateway. If Cognos Connection is secured, you must have privileges to create data sources and publish packages in Cognos Connection.
On the computer where Transformer is installed, configure cryptographic properties and the following environment properties:
Gateway URI
Dispatcher URI for external applications
If the modeling tool is using a dedicated gateway instead of communicating directly with the dispatcher, you must also configure the Dispatcher URIs for gateway property on the dedicated gateway computer.
