If you want to send reports by email, you must configure a connection to a mail server account. You must also change the host name portion of the Gateway URI from localhost to either the IP address of the computer or the computer name. Otherwise the URL in the email will contain localhost and remote users will not be able to open the report.
In the Explorer window, under Data Access, click Notification.
In the Properties window, for the SMTP mail server property, type the host name and port of your SMTP (outgoing) mail server.
Tip: To be able to open reports that are sent by email, you must change the host name portion of the Gateway URI from localhost to either the IP address of the computer or the computer name. Otherwise the URL in the email will contain localhost and remote users will not be able to open the report.
Click the Value box next to the Account and password property and then click the edit button when it appears.
Type the appropriate values in the Value - Account and password dialog box and then click OK.
Tip: If logon credentials are not required for the SMTP server, remove the default information for the Account and password property. When you are prompted for confirmation to leave this property blank, click Yes. Ensure that the default user name has been removed. Otherwise, the default account is used and notifications will not work properly.
In the Properties window, type the appropriate value for the default sender account.
Test the mail server connections. In the Explorer window right-click Notification and click Test.
IBM Cognos 8 tests the mail server connection.
If you do not plan to send reports by email, or do not want to set up a mail server account immediately, you are not required. However, when you save the configuration and then you start the services in IBM Cognos Configuration, you will see a warning message when the mail server connection is tested. You can safely ignore the warning.