Cognos 8: LDAP Server Configuration

Cognos Configuration 8.4.1

Saravanan Vajjiravel
4-July-2011

Contents
Revision History .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Summary: .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Audience: ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Tools to be Installed and Configured: ..................................................................................................... 4 LDAP Server Overview ............................................................................................................................... 4 Terminology: ............................................................................................................................................... 4 IBM Cognos Configuration with LDAP Server ......................................................................................... 5

Revision History Release 1.0 Date 04-Jul-2011 By Saravanan Vajjiravel Description Final Version

Summary: This document is intended to provide quick walkthrough for configuring Cognos Security Authentication with LDAP service.

Audience: Cognos Administrator, Cognos Center of Excellence (Cognos Application Architect)

Tools to be Installed and Configured: Cognos 8.4.1 BI Server Cognos Configuration

LDAP Server Overview It is a server, where you can store users credential like (username, password, personal info, etc). Using of LDAP not very tricky For better comfort level, I suggest you to download and install LDAP server (http://directory.apache.org/studio), connect to that server using special server browser, and than you can create user accounts and groups using graphical interface or running special code. Usually users credentials are stored in the special folders. There are a few different folder types. Terminology: Domain (DC) or Organizational Unit (OU). And folder can have subfolders. Any object (user or folder) in LDAP have its own unique distinguished name (DN). Data organization in LDAP server is easier understanding using the below example.

This server contains 3 first level folders: | |_ _ _one domain (dc=example,dc=com) and | |_ _ _two organizational units (ou=chema and ou=system).

Domain dc=example,dc=com consist 3 users and one subfolder: | |_ _ _uid=admin2 (DN: uid=admin2,dc=example,dc=com) and | |_ _ _ Subfolder ou=Tele2 (DN: ou=Tele2,dc=example,dc=com) | | | |___one user user3 (DN: uid=user3,dc=example,dc=com) | |_ _ _uid=user1 (DN: uid=user1,dc=example,dc=com) | |_ _ _uid=user2 (DN: uid=user2,dc=example,dc=com) When you work with IBM Cognos application which uses LDAP for storing users credential, you have to point the IP address and port of LDAP server (if you use same computer for running application and LDAP server then IP is equal to LOCALHOST and typical port number is 389). You also have to provide DN of folder where you store necessary users credentials. For example ou=Tele2,dc=Example,dc=com. IBM Cognos Configuration with LDAP Server Before you configure IBM Cognos Configuration, capture the below parameter from LDAP Server authentication as given below;

Here, Bind Password stored as secret.

Steps: 1. Launch IBM Cognos Configuration (Cognos_Installed_Home>IBM Cognos Configuration) 2. Go to Security > Authentication Right click on Authentication; select New Resource -> Namespace. Provide name of new namespace (type testLDAP for example) and select LDAP type.

3. Click on the new namespace that you have created (i.e. testLDAP) and modify the configuration as given below;

Note: Enable Use bind credentials for search to True for traversing user profiles in Cognos Connection. By default, this was set to False.

4. Test the LDAP connection that you have just created. Right click on testLDAP and click Test.