To improve Web server performance, you can configure IBM Cognos 8 to use alternate gateways that replace the default CGI program. You can use one of the following gateways:
Microsoft Internet Application Programming Interface (ISAPI) for Microsoft Internet Information Services on Windows
Apache Web Server module
Servlet Gateway Java application for application servers
There is no additional Web server configuration required to use ISAPI. To access IBM Cognos 8 components using ISAPI, in IBM Cognos Configuration, change the cognos.cgi portion of the Gateway URI property to cognosisapi.dll. Then specify the ISAPI URI, http://host_name/cognos8/isapi, in your browser.
Before you change the gateway, we recommend that you first ensure that the default CGI gateway and your configuration work in your environment.
IBM Cognos 8 provides three Apache modules. The IBM Cognos Apache module requires Apache Server 1.3.x and the IBM Cognos Apache 2 module requires Apache Server 2.0.x. The IBM Cognos Apache 2.2 module requires Apache Server 2.2.x.
Stop Apache Web Server.
Append the c8_location/cgi-bin directory to the appropriate environment variable:
On Solaris or Linux, LD_LIBRARY_PATH
On HP-UX,
For Apache 1.3, SHLIB_PATH
For Apache 2.0 and Apache 2.2.x, SHLIB_PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH
On AIX, LIBPATH
On HP-UX PA-RISC, do the following:
Ensure that the LD_PRELOAD environment variable contains /usr/lib/libcl.2.
For Apache 1.3, set the COG_CGIBIN_DIR environment variable to c8_location/cgi-bin.
Go to the Apache_installation/conf directory.
Open the httpd.conf file in an editor.
Add the following to the end of the load module list:
LoadModule cognos_module "c8_location/cgi-bin/module.suffix"
where module is as follows:
Version | Module |
Apache 1.3 | mod_cognos |
Apache 2.0 | mod2_cognos |
Apache 2.2 | mod2_2_cognos |
and suffix is as follows:
Operating system | Suffix |
Windows | dll |
Solaris, AIX | so |
HP-UX PA-RISC | sl |
HP-UX IA, Linux | so |
For Apache 1.3, add the following to the end of the add module list:
AddModule mod_cognos.cpp
Add the following to the aliases section:
ScriptAlias /cognos8/cgi-bin "c8_location/cgi-bin"
Alias /cognos8 "c8_location/webcontent"
<Directory "c8_location/webcontent">
Options Indexes MultiViews
</Directory>
The <Directory> directive is optional.
Tip: Ensure that you define the cognos8/cgi-bin alias before the cognos8 alias.
For Apache 2.2, add the following security rules:
ScriptAlias /cognos8/cgi-bin " c8_location/cgi-bin"
Alias /cognos8 "c8_location/webcontent"
<Directory "c8location/webcontent">
Options Indexes MultiViews
AllowOverride None
Options None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>
<Directory "c8location/cgi-bin">
AllowOverride None
Options None
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>
For Apache 1.3 and Apache 2.0, add the following to the server status reports section:
<Location /cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos_module>
SetHandler cognos-handler
</Location>
For Apache 2.2.x, add the following to the server status reports section:
<Location /cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos_module>
SetHandler cognos-handler
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Location>
Enter the code exactly as specified. The "cognos_module" string refers to the module that you loaded in step 6.
For Apache 1.3 and Apache 2.0, to enable the gateway diagnostic page, add the following to the server status reports section:
<Location /cognos8/cgi-bin/diag_cognos_module>
SetHandler cognos-handler
</Location>
For Apache 2.2.x, add the following to the server status reports section:
<Location /cognos8/cgi-bin/cognos_module>
SetHandler cognos-handler
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Location>
Enter the code exactly as specified. The diag_ string is required and the "cognos_module" string refers to the module that you loaded in step 6.
For Apache 1.3, on Windows, Solaris, and AIX, add the following to the user directory section:
<IfModule mod_cognos.cpp>
CGIBinDir "c8_location/cgi-bin"
</IfModule>
For Apache 2.0, add the following to the user directory section:
<IfModule mod_cognos.c>
CGIBinDir "c8_location/cgi-bin"
</IfModule>
For Apache 2.2.x, add the following to the user directory section:
<IfModule mod2_2_cognos.c.c>
CGIBinDir "c8_location/cgi-bin"
</IfModule>
Save and close the file.
For Apache 2.0, on HP-UX, enable searching for LD_LIBRARY_PATH by running the following command in the Apache_installation/bin directory:
chatr +s enable +b enable httpd
Start Apache Web Server.
In IBM Cognos Configuration, configure the Gateway URI property to use the apache_mod gateway:
http://host_name:port/cognos8/cgi-bin/module.suffix
where module and suffix match the values shown previously.
Users must then specify the Apache module URI in their browser, as follows
http://host_name/cognos8/module.suffix
where module and suffix match the values that you configured for the Gateway URI in IBM Cognos Configuration.
If you configure the IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway to run on a supported application server, your environment does not require a Web server. The application server and the IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway replace the functions provided by a Web server and other IBM Cognos gateways.
Before you build and deploy the IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway, ensure the following:
The application server is installed and running on each computer where the servlet gateway is to be installed.
IBM Cognos 8 Gateway components are installed on the same system as the application server.
The IBM Cognos 8 dispatcher and Content Manager components are installed and running in the environment.
The application server user account has full access permissions for the IBM Cognos installation.
We recommend that you create a new UNIX or Linux group named cognos8. This group must contain the user that starts the application server and the user that owns the IBM Cognos files. Change the group ownership of the IBM Cognos files to the cognos8 group, and change the file permissions for all IBM Cognos files to GROUP READABLE/WRITABLE/EXECUTABLE. For simplicity, you can also use the application server user account to install and run IBM Cognos components.
To set up the IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway to run on your application server, do the following:
Create a separate JVM instance, if necessary.
If you plan to run IBM Cognos 8 and the IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway on the same application server, the servlet gateway must be deployed to a separate JVM instance.
Configure IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway to run on the application server.
Change the application server startup script, if necessary.
Configure application server properties and deploy IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway.
Enable SSL, if required.
You can then access IBM Cognos 8 components using the IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway, by entering the gateway URI. For example,
http[s]:host_name:port/ServletGateway
The IBM Cognos Servlet Gateway URI is case-sensitive.
