IBM released the latest version of Cognos Analytics (Cognos 11.0.4) on September 16, 2016.  This newest version includes some exciting enhancements extending the broad capabilities of the product.  It’s available for download from the normal locations. There is a new upgrade process for Cognos Analytics which is different from previous versions.  You no longer have to go through a migration/upgrade path, it’s as easy as installing it over what you already have to quickly access all the new features and enhancements. 

This is a follow up to our blog post titled, “QueBIT Blog - WARNING: TM1 may STOP WORKING on November 24, 2016.”  

In this article we delve into the DBRW function in IBM Cognos TM1. Read on for our rundown of what it is, when to use it, and how to fix it when it's broken.

Notice: There is an Important Issue That will affect All TM1 Installations and Versions

IBM Cognos TM1 ships with a digital certificate called an SSL (“secure Socket Layer”) certificate that is used to securely encrypt communication between the TM1 server and its web and non-web (TM1 Perspectives and TM1 Architect) clients. It’s basically a set of files that sit on the TM1 server. These certificates have expiration dates and it was recently realized that the one that ships with TM1 will expire on November 24, 2016 causing any TM1 server using the certificate to stop communicating with its clients. In other words: TM1 will STOP WORKING unless the certificate files are replaced.

The term ad-hoc report development has long been part of the analytics lexicon, dare I say a buzzword. The idea of self-service analytics has been a clarion call for many of the major analytics providers - create tools and environments that empower the business users to develop their own analytics, with little or no support from IT required. This self-fulfilling prophecy has never fully materialized, and has only been relevant on the report development side of the analytics functions spectrum.

As mentioned in the previous blog post, the new release of Cognos Analytics presents an entirely new experience across the IBM analytics professional spectrum from consumer, to report/dashboard developer, to data modeler. Perhaps the most exciting and compelling changes are experienced by individuals actively curating, developing, and sharing analytics in Cognos.

The official release of IBM Cognos Analytics (aka Cognos 11) represents a major re-write of the Cognos business analytics tools (not to mention, a re-branding of a re-brand).  I’ve recently attended a Cognos Analytics training session and spent some time working in a Cognos Analytics environment. 

In our second article in our series on the TM1 SDK we dive into TM1 REST API. 

Gary Quirke and I had the pleasure of organizing and presenting “A Power Users' Guide to the TM1 SDK and Planning Analytics” at the 2016 IBM Vision conference on Orlando, Florida. Our goal for the presentation was to provide attendees with a picture of the possible with the TM1 SDK, targeted toward both non-programmers and programmers who simply want to understand the alternative ways in which we can solve real business problems, new and old, using the powerful TM1 SDK tools that IBM has provided, which include the REST API, Java Extensions and TM1 Web APIs. We received very positive feedback, so thank you to everyone who was able to attend!