Why use Reportnet SDK?

[santosh2005]

Hello Tech Architects!!

Can anybody please tell me the basic answers regarding Cognos Reportnet SDK?

Before that, my own proficiency.

Worked on Cognos BI Tool EP Series 7.0, but not too familiar with SDK's and API's.

a) Why use Cognos Reportnet SDK?
b) Where to use Cognos Reportnet SDK?
c) When to use Cognos Reportnet SDK?
d) and How to use use Cognos Reportnet SDK?
e) Can I use Cognos Reportnet SDK with the existing applications which is not web based?

Will appreciate if someone can answer these questions in plain english with the necessary technologies involved if any.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Santosh

 

[Prasad678]

a) Why use Cognos Reportnet SDK?

If u wanna do something out of the box, say get inputs from users and depending on it redirect to any report or design customized prompt pages and pass the values to CRN from ur application .. etc..


b) Where to use Cognos Reportnet SDK?
-

c) When to use Cognos Reportnet SDK?
-

d) and How to use use Cognos Reportnet SDK?
There are many channels like VB/.NET/Java to crack it.

e) Can I use Cognos Reportnet SDK with the existing applications which is not web based?

Yes, u can. very much.

Provide some more info on ur existing environment from which u wanna hit CRN.

Prasad.

 

[santosh2005]

Hey Prasad,

Thanks for your insight into Reportnet SDK answering.
You answered the why and the where part of the question, which I understood. Can you shed some light on "when" it is used?

I have a environment wherein I have a java application which is web based and the VB.NET application which is not a web based solution.

The task is to integrate the Java application (JSP) with reportnet and to integrate the non web based application of Vb.net with Reportnet so as to make the reporting available on the Corporate Intranet and the web portal for many users spread across the continents.

Thanks a ton in advance.

Regards,

Santosh

 

[Prasad678]

Simple. To integrate ur java env with CRN, Cognos has provided those jar files n all other stuff required to connect java and CRN. Those files are downloadable, I guess. Using that you can write ur java/jsp code to connect to CRN, get authenticated, view reports, pass prompts to reports etc..etc..

Coming to ur .NET, you can use wsdl file provided ny CRN to make ur .NET communicate with CRN. It doesn't matter whether ur .NET is web-based or not.



Prasad.

 

[xoopus]

The ReportNet SDK is exposed though a web service (

http://<servername>/crn/cgi-bin/cognos.cgi?wsdl).

So you can use it with any web service enabled language, such as all of the .net lanuages. You can also use Java if you import the correct Jar files. They are all listed in the SDK documentation. You can also use COM (VB 6, ASP 2.0, Office, etc..) if you register the DLL and install SOAP toolkit 2.0.

When you would use it?

Well, you can't change any of the existing functionality using the SDK. You can only replace it or create new stuff. Changing existing functionality requires modifying xml and xts files shipped with the product. Which, in almost all cases, will render the installation unsupported and cause upgrade issues.

So you would use the SDK when you want to
a) build your own interface. Wether it's a simple command line interface to run the 'event' driven schedules, or writing an interface to execute reports.
b) Replace one of the existong interfaces, such a simple version of Query studio or your own portal.

All of the existing interfaces, including Report Studio, Query Studio, Cognos Connection(portal) and Framework Manager(Metadata management) were all written using the same API that is exposed through the SDK(BIBus). So anything you see one of these interfaces doing, you can do through the SDK, without exception. But it may take a bit of coding.

As for how to use the SDK? I highly recommend taking a class. Cognos offers a few. They also have several samples in their KB. If you are a supported customer or parner, check it out. They also ship several samples with the SDK.

 

[santosh2005]

Hey Prasad and xoopus,

Thanks for your response and making me aware as to what SDK is all about and what it can do.

I think using SDK really offers a great control to your reporting environment.

Thanks for enlightening me on this.

I have one more question for you guys.

Next Question:

I have a Powerplay cube (mdc)and associated reports (PPR) created in Cognos EP Series 7.

How can I bring those reports in the Reportnet environment?

Also, where IWR and PPES stand in Reportnet?

As there are only four components ie. QS, RS, FM and CC.

Where and how PP comes in picture in Reportnet?

And what happens to the Access Manager? where it finds place in Reportnet?

If access manager is not used in Reportnet, then what is the provision for applying centralized security / authentication?

Awaiting your reply.

Thanks in advance.

Ssantosh

 

[flex13]

If the MDC's and PPR's are published to an Upfront portal, then there are instructions in the documentation (search on Upfront) to integrate the two portals. If Upfront is not being used, you can publish MDC files driectly to Cognos Connection via PPES 7.3 admin tool.
As for Access Manager integration, ReportNet provides a Series 7 authentication provider which will allow you to have single sign on between your Series 7 BI content and the ReportNet environment. You will need a Series 7 provider to integrate Upfront with ReportNet, btw.

 

[santosh2005]

Thanks Flex13 for enlightening me on this matter.

This was very useful tip you have provided.

Thanks a lot.

Santosh

 

[xoopus]

There are a number of different ways to integrate Reportnet and powerplay.

you can drill from powrplay to reportnet to get more detail.

you can drill from reportnet to powerplay to perform further analysis.

You can embed context sensitive powerplay reports in reportnet rpeorts (HTML output only).

If you have Series 7 Version 3 you can publish cubes and reports directly to reportnet. In prior versions you could display Sesies 7 content in a separate folder list, basically allowing nothing more than just navigating upfront.