Configure the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Method

Use the FTP method for Oracle databases when the Oracle server is installed on an operating system other than Windows, for example a Linux® or UNIX operating system.

Before you begin

Before you configure the FTP method, you must:

  • set up an FTP server on the database server
  • create a shared directory on the database server with a user that has read and write access permissions
  • set read and write access permissions on the shared folder for the database server
  • for Oracle databases, set the UTL_FILE_DIR parameter to point to the local path of the shared directory
  • configure reports to use Enhanced Reporting Optimization

Procedure

  1. To configure reports to use enhanced reporting optimization, in Microsoft Excel, in the first worksheet in the report, position your cursor in cell A1.
  2. From the Insert menu, click Name, Define.
  3. In the Define Name box, under Names in workbook, type Optimise2, and then click OK.
  4. To configure the file transfer protocol (FTP) method, from the Start menu, start IBM® Cognos® Controller Configuration.
  5. In the Explorer window, click Enhanced Reporting Optimizations.
  6. In the Enhanced Reporting Optimizations window, in the Select Connection drop-down list, select a database.
  7. Under Connection Optimizations, in the File Mode box, click the drop-down arrow and select File Transfer (FTP).
  8. In the Server box, type the computer name for the FTP Server.
  9. In the FTP Sub Directory box, type the name of the FTP sub-directory.
  10. In the Server Directory box, type the path to the shared directory that will be used by the Oracle database.

    Example: e:\oracle\ora92\utlfile

    Note: The name of the shared directory is case sensitive. Use the same value that you set for the UTL_FILE_DIR parameter.

  11. In the User ID and Password boxes, type the FTP account user name and password.

    The password is encrypted with IBM Cognos Controller standard encryption.

  12. In the Access Type box, click the drop-down arrow and select the FTP access type.

    Select Direct, Proxy, or Windows Standard.

  13. In the Passive Mode box, click the drop-down arrow and choose whether to enable passive mode:
    • Select True to enable passive mode when connecting to the FTP server.
    • Select False to disable passive mode when connecting to the FTP server.
  14. In the Port box, specify the port for the FTP connection.
  15. If you selected the Proxy access type, in the Proxy box, type the name for the FTP proxy computer.
  16. If you selected the Proxy access type, in the Proxy bypass box, type the names of the FTP proxy computers to avoid.
  17. From the File menu, click Save.