Configuring IIS 7.0 and Cognos 8
Configuring
IIS 7.0 and Cognos 8
This
is a 6 step process:
1.
Check CGI or ISAPI is enabled in IIS
2.
Create the Cognos 8 virtual directories
3.
Edit ISAPI or CGI Extensions
4.
Add module mapping
5.
Edit Module mapping
6.
Allow CGI application
to use execute
1.
Check CGI or ISAPI is enabled in IIS
Go
to Start > Administrative Tools>Server Manager
On
the right hand side next to ‘roles’ click ‘add role services’
Underneath
Application Development’ ensure CGI and ‘ISAPI Extensions’ are
listed as ‘Installed’. If not then check them and click ‘Install’
2.
Create the Cognos 8 virtual directories
In
the left Connections pane, expand the server node, expand Sites,
right-click on Default Website, and click Add Virtual Directory
Enter
"c84" for the Alias and enter the path to the c8\webcontent
directory in the Physical Path (default C:\Program
Files\cognos\c8\webcontent). Click OK.
Right
click on the newly-created cognos8 Virtual Directory and click Add
Virtual Directory
Enter
"cgi-bin" for the Alias and enter the path to the
c8/cgi-bin directory in Physical Path (default C:\Program
Files\cognos\c8\cgi-bin). Click OK.
3.
Edit ISAPI or CGI Extensions
In
the left Connections pane, select the server node, then double-click
ISAPI and CGI Restrictions in the right pane.
In
the Actions pane click Add, enter the path to either cognosisapi.dll
or cognos.cgi depending on which you will use (default C:\Program
Files\cognos\c8\cgi-bin\cognosisapi.dll or C:\Program
Files\cognos\c8\cgi-bin\cogno.cgi), check the "Allow extension
path to execute" box, then click OK.
(you
may need to surround the path in double quotes if it contains any
spaces)
Or
Click
‘edit feature settings’ on right-hand side and ‘Allow
unspecified CGI Modules’
4.
Add Module Mapping
Within
IIS expand the virtual directory and click on the cgi-bin virtual
directory, Double click Handler Mapping within the main pane.
Within
the actions pane click Add Module Mapping.
Enter
either *.cgi or *.dll in the Request Path depending on which one it
is you require. Within the Module Path choose either CGIModule or
ISAPIModule. In the name section give it a realistic name i.e.
ISAPI-cognos
If
you are using ISAPI Module you will need to click the ellipsis next
to the Executable section within here navigate to cognosisapi.dll
Click
Request Restrictions
N.b.
if you are using a CGI Module you do not need to select anything in
the executable section
Under
the Mapping tab Select Invoke handler only if request is mapped to:
File
Under
the verbs tab ensure All verbs is Selected
Under
the Access Tab, Select Execute
Depending
on the method used in section 3 a message may appear select Yes
Your
new module mapping should be added to the Module Mapping List
5.
Edit Module Mapping
In order for
Cognos Administration to function properly, the directive added to
the IIS configuration file in previous step has to be edited
manually. Depending on how IIS is set up, this will have been
written either to
<cognos_home>/c84/cgi-bin/web.config. Open
up using Wordpad Check those files for the following entry:
For CGI it
will originally look like:
<add
name="CGI-cognos" path="*.cgi" verb="*"
modules="CgiModule" resourceType="Unspecified"
/>
Add
allowPathInfo="true" at the end of the statement so it
looks like:
<add
name="CGI-cognos" path="*.cgi" verb="*"
modules="CgiModule" resourceType="Unspecified"
allowPathInfo="true" />
For ISAPI it
will originally look like:
<add name="ISAPI-Cognos"
path="cognosisapi.dll" verb="*"
modules="IsapiModule" scriptProcessor="E:\Program
Files\Cognos\C84_64\cgi-bin\cognosisapi.dll"
resourceType="Unspecified" requireAccess="Execute"
preCondition="bitness32" />
Add allowPathInfo=”true” at
the end of the statement so it looks like
<add name="ISAPI-Cognos"
path="cognosisapi.dll" verb="*"
modules="IsapiModule" scriptProcessor="E:\Program
Files\Cognos\C84_64\cgi-bin\cognosisapi.dll"
resourceType="Unspecified" requireAccess="Execute"
preCondition="bitness32" allowPathInfo="true"/>
n.b. you may need to ensure that
you have access permissions on the folder to enable you to save to
this file
6.
Allowing CGI application to use execute
Select
cgi-bin virtual directory within IIS, Select Handler Mappings and
click Edit Feature Permissions.
Select
OK and Click OK