Supported Product(s) Affected
- Cognos 8 Business Intelligence 8.3
Description
Transformer allows the ability to publish packages for PowerCubes using three separate methods:
- Start publish wizard
- Publish the PowerCube using current settings
- Create the publish specification: This allows publishing options to be used in the Transformer command line for batch jobs after cube builds
When a package is replaced, content under the package including reports and folders will be removed in Cognos Connection. This happens under the following conditions:
- A package with the same name already exists in Cognos Connection
- The modeler or administrator performing the publishing chooses to "replace the existing entry" during the package publish. This action can be done through the Transformer UI or through the command line options in a batch script.
When rebuilding and republishing PowerCubes it is not necessary to replace the package since it is simply the data source connection that needs to be updated to enable the refreshed cube. Cubes being rebuilt and refreshed will not be impacted by this behavior unless the Transformer user or batch script explicitly chooses to replace the package.
Symptoms of this issue may include:
- After a publish from Transformer using the "publish the PowerCube using current settings" option, content under a package in Cognos Connection is missing or inaccessible
- Users report that content under a package in Cognos Connection is suddenly missing or inaccessible
- During a publish from Transformer, you are provided the following warning: (TR0165) A package already exists with the same name: 'Package Name'
- Do not choose to replace the existing entry. You should enter a new name for the package otherwise content under the original package will be lost.
- After a cube rebuild is completed as part of a batch script, content under the package is missing or inaccessible.
Suggested Workaround:
Once a package has been overwritten in this manner and content has been removed, there is no workaround to restore this content other than to restore the content store from a backup copy.
The following steps should be followed by any Transformer modeler or Cognos Administrator:
- When prompted in Transformer to replace the existing entry for a package name during publish:
- Never choose to replace the existing entry. You should enter a new name for the package otherwise content under the original package will be lost.
- When scripting cube build and deployment scenarios in a batch file, do not alter the default value of the "package overwrite" flag in the command line specification.
- Changing this flag to true would allow the package name to be replaced if it already exists in Cognos Connection – losing all content in the process.
- Not altering this flag from the default will cause publishing to fail where the package name already exists but the content under the package will be safe.
Suggested Action(s)
Cognos recognizes this as a defect (583153.0) which can be addressed in one of two ways:
- Download Transformer 8.3.81.25 or later install kit from Product Downloads , or
- If you have a 8.3 version of Transformer lower than 8.3.821.0 installed already, you can apply the Hotsite (updater) download available below.
Backups of Cognos 8 content stores are always strongly recommended by Cognos to ensure customers business intelligence assets are protected.
Failure to follow these important recommendations may result in loss of reports, folders, shortcuts, scheduled jobs or other content stored under a package in Cognos Connection. Cognos will not be liable for any loss or damages arising from the failure to implement these recommended directions.
