Set up database connectivity for reporting databases

To support communication between IBM® Cognos® Analytics and the data sources, you must install additional software for your data sources on the same computer that hosts the report server. Depending on the data source and query mode, the required software might include database clients, or Java™ Database Connectivity (JDBC) driver files, or both.

For IBM Cognos Analytics, the query database (also known as the reporting database) is only accessed by the reporting engine that runs reports. The reporting engine is installed with Application Tier Components and is also used by Framework Manager, and IBM Cognos Transformer.

Compatible query mode

To run reports that use the compatible query mode, you must use 32-bit data source client libraries and configure the report server to be 32-bit. The compatible query mode uses native client and ODBC connections to communicate with data sources.

Dynamic query mode

Dynamic query mode provides communication to data sources using Java/XMLA connections.

For supported relational databases, a type 4 JDBC connection is required. A type 4 JDBC driver converts JDBC calls directly into the vendor-specific database protocol. It is written in pure Java and is platform-independent.

For supported OLAP data sources, Java/XMLA connectivity optimizes access by providing customized and enhanced MDX for the specific source and version of your OLAP technology and it harnesses the smarts of the OLAP data source.

To review an up-to-date list of environments that are supported by IBM Cognos Analytics products, including information on operating systems, patches, browsers, web servers, directory servers, database servers, and application servers, see the IBM Software Product Compatibility Reports page (www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/735235).