TM1 Software Sources

[Steve Vincent]

I know the various versions of TM1 related stuff can be downloaded from the Cognos Support site, but does anyone know if they supply "loose file" upgrades too? I'm finding it impossible to download the full package at work (probably a work issue) but i can't see any loose file upgrades or details of the latest 9.0 SP3 package. I don't want the whole deal, just the changed files but i have no idea what U release we have (serial no is 9.0.3.173). The Applix FTP site seems to be no more, so does anyone know how to get hold of loose file upgrades?

[David Usherwood]

I think Cognos have dropped the whole loose files approach. Suggest you open an SR to ask them. Only way to get a definitive answer.

[jim wood]

I think they are loading these things on to FTP sites for public as and when they are needed,

Jim.

[Alan Kirk]

I think they are loading these things on to FTP sites for public as and when they are needed,

Jim.

Yes, I couldn't speak to the loose file issue, but I know that an FTP site does still exist; it's the only way to get 9.1 SP3 U2. You have to get your rep to get Mike C has to load it onto an FTP site for long enough for you to download it.

Iboglix seems to be slightly less "user friendly" than Applix was in this context; they aren't putting U2 onto the public site because it hasn't been fully regression tested. (Though if one wanted to be really mean, one could point out that such testing didn't stop U1 from having critical bugs.) And the gods only know when U3 (which is supposed to fix these and the dodgy custom formatting in Web problem) will be arriving. Also the old Applix site let you download any supported version except for ones that were pulled because they were critically flaky (like 8.3.0), whereas on the Cognos site you only have the latest version of each release (9.1, 9.0 and 8.4).

Loose files as a public download seem to be a thing of the past.

[jim wood]

I don't think you can get U2 now. Originally Cognos support suggested that we use that version but they found a critical compiler error and pulled it. They have now suggested U1. From what you are saying it looks frying pan to the fire. Do you know if any of the critical bugs have an impact on everyday server usage or are they more around web etc?

Jim.

[Alan Kirk]

I don't think you can get U2 now. Originally Cognos support suggested that we use that version but they found a critical compiler error and pulled it. They have now suggested U1. From what you are saying it looks frying pan to the fire. Do you know if any of the critical bugs have an impact on everyday server usage or are they more around web etc?
Jim.

Wow; that's news to me; as recently as a couple of weeks ago some Iboglixians were saying that U2 was available. I haven't tried it myself though; I was holding out for a public release.

The two big issues in U1 to my mind are:
- If two chores trigger at the same time, the server will tank (this makes it unusable if your users have permission to run chores, including but not limited to action buttons in Web). THIS one I have personal experience of, and is one reason that we haven't moved from 8.2.12 (aside from Web) yet; and
- Apparently non-admins can crash their Excel session if selecting elements from a dynamic subset, but I haven't been able to reproduce this consistently.

There was a lengthy thread on the old Forum which may be worth your viewing:
http://forums.olapforums.com/viewtopic. ... t=67&p=373

[jim wood]

Alan,

The thread you added seems to be around the production release. as far as I know some the issues are fixed in U1. The issue we ran in to (Mentioned in thread) is fixed in this update. I don't think the chore problem has been fixed. We re-arranged our shcedules to work around this problem,

Jim.

[Steve Vincent]

and what about the issue of users not showing up as "active" when logged in? i've been with someone from Cognos today going thru our models and checking them over, she didn't even know about that major cock up caused by Cognos changing the licensing model, has that been sorted since?

[Alan Kirk]

Alan,

The thread you added seems to be around the production release. as far as I know some the issues are fixed in U1. The issue we ran in to (Mentioned in thread) is fixed in this update. I don't think the chore problem has been fixed. We re-arranged our shcedules to work around this problem,

Jim.

I think that there was some slop-over in that thread between the original release and 9.1 SP3 U1; by the end of it I believe that a number of users were on U1. As far as I know we are, though it's complicated by Cognos not using the version naming consistently. The downloads page, for example, doesn't refer to any U number and doesn't even give the FULL version number. (Ours is 9.1.30000.340.) I'm going to download the current one (oh boy, bandwidth!) and load it up on my notebook to see what appears.

The chore-crunching issue definitely wasn't fixed until at least U2, which was never publicly released.

[Alan Kirk]

and what about the issue of users not showing up as "active" when logged in? i've been with someone from Cognos today going thru our models and checking them over, she didn't even know about that major cock up caused by Cognos changing the licensing model, has that been sorted since?

No, I don't think that will be. If memory serves me right (bearing in mind that I'm too lazy / pressed for time to do a search, and I'm pretty confident about this one), Mike C said that that wasn't because of the licencing model but rather because of issues with the New And Improved version 9.1 locking model. Remember the thread in which he was asking what would be useful as a replacement for it? Last I heard that was something that they were still "working on".

It seems that in future the only way you'lkl be able to track user logins is by either watching them in the Users/Groups dialog, or having TM1Top running and writing to a log.

[Alan Kirk]

I think that there was some slop-over in that thread between the original release and 9.1 SP3 U1; by the end of it I believe that a number of users were on U1. As far as I know we are, though it's complicated by Cognos not using the version naming consistently. The downloads page, for example, doesn't refer to any U number and doesn't even give the FULL version number. (Ours is 9.1.30000.340.)

Yup, whatever they've got on the download site at the moment, whether it's U0, U1 or U-Turn, it's definitely still 9.1.30000.340.

[jim wood]

We downloaded the 340 minor version. Cognos told me that this version is the base 9.1 SP3,

Jim.

[Alan Kirk]

We downloaded the 340 minor version. Cognos told me that this version is the base 9.1 SP3,

Yes, that does now seem likely. I've just submitted a support request asking for details of each release (which should in fact be somewhere on the download page but ooooh no, that would make it tooo easy for us), what bugs have been patched in each one and most importantly, when we can expect a FULLY patched version of 9.1 SP3.

When I did so I noticed that the build numbers that could be selected on the support request were .340, .341 and .342 which, I'd lay odds, correspond to U0, U1 and U2 respectively.

Should I get a response before 9.4 comes out, I'll pass it along.

[jim wood]

My money is on you getting response around version 9.4 which will of course be renamed version 8 to fit in with everything else,

Jim.

[Alan Kirk]

My money is on you getting response around version 9.4 which will of course be renamed version 8 to fit in with everything else

Well, the things you learn. Here's a summary of the reply from Iboglix:
- The build numbers apparently refer to the OS configurations, so .340 is presumably Win32, .341 is presumably Win64 and .342 is presumably *nix.

Which means that there's no way of telling which U pack you're running... unless perhaps it's somewhere in the relevant "about" splash screen.

This isn't what version numbers were designed to do where I come from, but what the hey...

- U1 and U2 are in fact both still available (via support only), and neither of them have been pulled. HOWEVER there's no U2 version for Solaris yet.

- The next release (U3? 9.4? Not clear on that) should be some time "this quarter" if all goes well. Of course, we're only 14 days into this quarter...

[jim wood]

We are running Solaris here. I have also been told it is not available. Why Ib... what ever told me it had been pulled is beyond me? Maybe it was there and then pulled due to the said compiler error that I was informed about. Maybe they did not want to say that there is a problem and "It is not currently available" is now the party line,

Jim.

[applix_mc]

Gentlemen

Just to clarify somethings

91sp3u2 was a windows only build (x86, x64 and IA64)

Solaris and HPUX was not because of time and build issues not because of problems with u2 version itself

Next release is 9.4 which is scheduled to be release end of this month however first wave will be Windows versions (x86 and x64). An SP release will be done soon after with UNIX and IA64.

I am 99% sure we will have an 91sp2u3 version after 9.4 is released. Timeframe on that is unknown.

Regards,
Mike

[jim wood]

Thanks for the update Mike,

Jim.

PS. Are you sure they are not going to go with version 8 to line up with the other Cognos products?

[Alan Kirk]

Gentlemen

You should read the thread where we debated whether there were any women of the female persuasion in the Forum. I know of at least one lurker...

Just to clarify somethings

91sp3u2 was a windows only build (x86, x64 and IA64)

Solaris and HPUX was not because of time and build issues not because of problems with u2 version itself

Next release is 9.4 which is scheduled to be release end of this month however first wave will be Windows versions (x86 and x64). An SP release will be done soon after with UNIX and IA64.

I am 99% sure we will have an 91sp2u3 version after 9.4 is released. Timeframe on that is unknown.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks Mike, but now I'm somewhat confused.

After believing that I was omitted from the Cognos Forum Glossy Brochure Distribution List, a copy turned up addressed to me today.

Included in that was something in the Demo Theatre, and I quote:

SNEAK PREVIEW! IBM Cognos TM1 9.4

Be among the first to preview the new and upcoming features that will be offered in this latest release of TM1 - our easy-to-use analytics software for financial performance management. Get a first-hand look at the new Active Reports feature and enhanced security model.

(Remembers what happened with the "enhanced locking model" in 9.1, puts face into hands, moans "Ooooooohhhh godddddddddddddd....")

Find out how IBM Cognos TM1 Web

(Pavlovian response: "AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!")

now lets you quickly and easily create real-time Web-based reports and charts directly from Microsoft Excel.

Isn't that what it's supposed to do already? Except for the bit where the reports and charts are supposed to look like the original source documents without spending hours tweaking them...

But the key point is... if 9.4 is slated to be released at the end of July, it's somewhat odd that a conference which is happening in the first week of September should be offering a "sneak preview" of it.

[Eric]

Iboglix Glossy Brochure wrote: SNEAK PREVIEW! IBM Cognos TM1 9.4

Be among the first to preview the new and upcoming features that will be offered in this latest release of TM1 - our easy-to-use analytics software for financial performance management. Get a first-hand look at the new Active Reports feature and enhanced security model.

I saw 9.4 in May, it seemed good; however, in demos them never really push the system so locking, TI, conditional feeders, and other real life stuff is never in the demo. Of course the inability to downgrade if the version is unstable is concerning. The active reports feature, could be nice.

All in all we just have to see it. I really think they should spend more time documenting everything thoroughly and fixing all the current bugs before releasing new features, but hey that is just me. Maybe if I was one of the evil IBoglix aliens I would understand.