Use a transfer specification file (.ats) to copy IBM Cognos 8 components, including Framework Manager or Metric Designer, to your computer without being prompted for information.
By default, each time you install IBM Cognos 8 components using the installation wizard, the options you select are recorded in a transfer specification file. Therefore, if you already installed IBM Cognos 8 components on a sample computer, you can use the generated transfer specification file as a template for unattended installations on different computers.
If you do not use the installation wizard to install components, you can use the default transfer specification file named response.ats that is available on the CD. You must modify the response.ats file for your environment before you can use it for an unattended installation.
You can check if the unattended installation was successful by checking the return status. A value of zero (0) indicates success and all other values indicate that an error occurred.
Use the installation wizard to install IBM Cognos 8 components on one computer.
Go to c8_location/instlog.
Locate the transfer specification file (.ats) that was generated.
The filename format is ts-product_code-version-yyyymmdd_hhmm.ats
where product_code is as follows:
Product_code | Product |
C8BISRVR | IBM Cognos 8 BI Server |
C8BIMODEL | Framework Manager |
CMMSRVR | IBM Cognos Metrics Manager |
C8BIMEMOD | Metric Designer |
C8BISAMPLES | Samples |
LP | Supplementary Languages Documentation |
Copy the transfer specification file to the computer where you plan to install IBM Cognos 8.
On the computer where you plan to install the software, insert the appropriate CD and copy the contents of the CD to your computer.
Open the transfer specification file that you copied in a text editor.
In the section named License Agreement, change the ACCEPTED= property to y.
Save the transfer specification file in the directory where you copied the contents of the installation CD.
Install IBM Cognos 8:
On Windows, open a Command Prompt window, and change to the win32 directory where you copied the contents of the CD, and then type the following command, where location is the directory where you copied filename, the transfer specification file:
issetup -s location/filename.ats
On UNIX or Linux, change to the directory where you copied the contents of the CD, and in the directory for your operating system, type the following command, where location is where you copied filename, the transfer specification file:
./issetup -s location/filename.ats
If a return status other than zero (0) is returned, check the log files for error messages. Errors are recorded in the c8_location\instlog directory in a summary error log file. The filename format is tl-product_code-version-yyyymmdd-hhmm_summary-error.txt.
If errors occur before sufficient initialization occurs, log messages are sent to a log file in the Temp directory. The filename format is tl-product_code-version-yyyymmdd-hhmm.txt.
Also ensure that the installation directory is protected from unauthorized or inappropriate access.
After all errors are resolved, you can set up an unattended configuration.
On the target computer, insert the CD and copy the contents to your computer.
Go to the operating system directory and open the response.ats file in a text editor.
Each section in the response.ats file corresponds to a dialog box in the installation wizard.
In the section named License Agreement, change the ACCEPTED= property to y.
Type the installation location of the program files for IBM Cognos 8 in APPDIR=location.
Tip: There should be no space on either side of the equal sign, (=).
For the server components of IBM Cognos 8, in the section named [Component List], next to each component:
To install the component, type 1
To not install the component, type 0
Note: You do not select components for Framework Manager.
You do not select components for Metric Designer.
All required files are installed.
For a Windows installation, for the APPFOLDER= property, type the name of the Start menu folder that contains your program shortcuts.
Tip: To ensure that the shortcut folder is visible to all users, type 1 for the ALLUSERS_FLAG= property.
For the install information in the [Install Conditions] section:
To specify the condition is true, type 1
To specify the condition is false, type 0
Save the response.ats file to a local directory after you make the necessary changes.
Go to the operating system directory.
At the command prompt type the following command, where location is the directory where you copied response.ats:
On Windows,
issetup -s location/response.ats
On UNIX or Linux,
./issetup -s location/response.ats
If a return status other than zero (0) is returned, check the log files for error messages. Errors are recorded in the c8_location\instlog directory in a summary error log file. The filename format is tl-product_code-version-yyyymmdd-hhmm_summary-error.txt.
If errors occur before sufficient initialization occurs, log messages are sent to a log file in the Temp directory. The filename format is tl-product_code-version-yyyymmdd-hhmm.txt.
Also ensure that the installation directory is protected from unauthorized or inappropriate access.
After all errors are resolved, you can set up an unattended configuration.