TM1 10.2 Available for Download

[Alan Kirk]

Alan, you'll be pleased to hear that they have obviously listened to customer gripes about files sizes, so they're offering a "TM1 10.2 Client" download that's a mere 1.2GB (down from a full x86 tar.gz of 2.7GB). Progress!

Indeed it is, though I'm still amazed that they can manage to anti-cram so little usable content into so much disk space! I suspect that they are using some anti-matter form of the TARDIS to create the install packages. Which I finally, finally! got my hands on yesterday, even though the ever reliable Java-based Download Director failed yet again. This, despite me doing an install of the latest version of Java as the Download Director demanded, which means that it's now failed to work for me on three different computers on three different browsers (IE, and Firefox, and now Chrome) and I had to resort to ye olde one file at a time method. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the robustness of Java?

Still, it's good to see that some other traditions have been maintained too. Somewhere amongst the 315 pages of the installation guide (most of which do not really relate to the installation process as such but I digress... but then, so does IBM in that document, almost to the point of obsession) I found this:

When you upgrade IBM Cognos TM1 version 10.1.x to version 10.2, you need to uninstall the previous version and then install the current version. You cannot install IBM Cognos TM1 version 10.2 directly over version 10.1.x.

Yup, a couple of gigs of install package and unlike most other applications that I use, it can't install over the top of (much less alongside) the older version. Nope, even with the latest and greatest versions the Iboglix approach to this piece of automation is "Get out and push."

The other thing is that I need to get away from the computer more. It's really starting to affect my eyesight.

Chapter 1. What's new for Cognos TM1 installation and configuration in version 10.2.0

This section contains a list of new, changed, and removed features for this release.

I just can't see the bit where they say "We've also had the installation package update the %PATH% environment variable to point to the installation's BIN folder so that this won't need to be done manually, and so that API applications will continue to run without error. Because we recognise that doing this in the install package, where we actually know where the files have been set for install, is a triviality while having to get users to manually tweak the variable when they may not even know what an environment variable is is a pain in the backside. We accept that this was a pretty lame omission in past installation packages, so we've taken the time to rectify it this time around."

I'm sure it's in there somewhere, I mean, surely it's in there somewhere, and it's just my diminishing eyesight (curse you Editorsaurus, curse you) that's preventing me from seeing it.

[Alan Kirk]

When you upgrade IBM Cognos TM1 version 10.1.x to version 10.2, you need to uninstall the previous version and then install the current version. You cannot install IBM Cognos TM1 version 10.2 directly over version 10.1.x.

Which I had forgotten has to be done through an icon in the Programs tree, not through the Control Panel. (No, I confess that I didn't sit down and read all 315 pages of the Leo Tolstoy-inspired Installation Guide first (bad me), though I did at least search it when I thought that the blindness was kicking in again.)

Because after all, the uninstall options for Insight and Muddler are in the Control Panel, just as all applications really should be. But no, putting the core product there would breach of the IBM Standard Installation Methodology Protocol, page 19,765, paragraph 117AR sub-paragraph xvix: "Never, ever, make it easy or straightforward. Or fast. Never make it fast either". (116 of total 299 components uninstalled, just as it has been for the last 5 minutes or so. And this was after I blew away all of the server services by hand first, just to be safe.)

Oh wait, it's up to 118 now.

[Alan Kirk]

Because after all, the uninstall options for Insight and Muddler are in the Control Panel, just as all applications really should be. But no, putting the core product there would breach of the IBM Standard Installation Methodology Protocol, page 19,765, paragraph 117AR sub-paragraph xvix: "Never, ever, make it easy or straightforward. Or fast. Never make it fast either". (116 of total 299 components uninstalled, just as it has been for the last 5 minutes or so. And this was after I blew away all of the server services by hand first, just to be safe.)

Oh wait, it's up to 118 now.

To be fair... the 10.2 install is a smidge faster than the 10.1 install (or uninstall) was. I did a "whole smash" install (except for the extra language files like Mesopotamian and Swahili) and checked the time at the start of installation. I was a little perturbed to see that it was 13:13 (the same time as Apollo 13's launch) and was waiting for the HDD to blow up and start venting oxygen, however it finished at 13:35:49, 22-23 minutes later, whereas 10.1 took 26 minutes. That still doesn't put it in the "speed demon" class but I suppose it's not too bad considering.

Then of course it took a while for Cognos Configuration to come up. {Looks at bottom right corner...} Oh. The Java logo. 'Skewz me, it's siesta time.

Oh look, they're still installing the sample data files into the Program Files path, sigh...

[mce]

Administration section in navigation pane for TM1Web does not seem to exist in the new java based TM1Web coming with version 10.2. It looks we may have to use Websheets to let TM1Web users to trigger TI processes. It would have been good to have the feature to trigger TI processes using Cognos BI jobs.

[Alan Kirk]

Administration section in navigation pane for TM1Web does not seem to exist in the new java based TM1Web coming with version 10.2.

That's correct; it's mentioned buried down in the "What are the known differences with the new web product?" section of the 10.2 Web Faq:

Changed Features:
1. The Administration Pane is no longer available in TM1 Web.
2. The password change dialog for customers using native TM1 Authentication is now available on the login screen.
3. The “New View” option in TM1 Cube Views has been replaced by standard double clicking on the cube name. Double-clicking launches a standard view.

Publishing that document was a good move. Having all of the content buried under those twirly things which have to be opened one at a time less so, since you have to manually open all of them if you want to search the document for an expression like "Pane".

[Alan Kirk]

I see that the All! New! Muddler application (the standalone one) is as robust as its predecessor.

"Connect to IBM Cognos TM1 system", says the dialog caption.
I enter the URL as per the manual.
I note that the "TM1 Server" box is ghosted and empty.

I hit the "Log on as" button anyway.

I get the little red X dialog telling me "Planning service unavailable. Unable to login to the planning server," (which planning server are you looking for, you illiterate pillock of a thing?) "the TM1 server may be unavailable." (Again, brain death, which server are you looking for?) "The application will now exit." To which whoever wrote the dialog could add "without giving you any information about which configuration files you may need to check to try to rectify this waste of disk space".

And indeed, I did check that the pmpsvc service was running. And I did reboot the computer after installation.

This is admittedly on my 32 bit sandbox machine, where all new IBM software goes before I even contemplate turning it loose into the wild for obvious reasons. So out of random curiosity I entered http://localhost:9510/pmpsvc/services into the web browser to see what came up. What came up was "And now... Some Services FPMService (wsdll)" followed by a list of functions like listAvailableServerNames and getUserName, AdminService, PMPService... so there's somthing running in there, but I suspect that getting to it is going to be less than straightforward.

Indeed I found more than one thread indicating that a lot of people got exactly the same useless dialog when the original 10.1 came out. And I found occasional pages on the IBM site, each one just slightly more useless for my purposes than the previous one, mentioning solutions that seem to have no bearing to the 10.2 application.

The general advice that people received in the 10.1 threads was that something was corrupt somewhere in the database. Maybe.

OK. Leaving aside the absurdity of that situation (that some kind of data file which runs fine in its host application is supposedly corrupt enough to bring another application to its knees since that other application can't oh, I dunno, skip the object or better still report the nature of the problem to the end user)... it becomes a touch more problematic to fix the issue when you don't even know which server the thing is looking at and the oh so very intuitive login dialog won't let you set a server.

I was reading something about Apple recently which said that its greatest advantage is that "everything just works". (As someone who in his young and foolish days once tried to use iTunes I would dispute that assertion, but it's certainly a belief held by the unwashed masses.) I swear, with this kind of garbage happening (and to a lot more than one person) over the course of two releases now, it's a reputation that IBM isn't going to ever come within light years of having.

I suppose the next stop is to raise an SR but since believing IBM's assertion that Muddler is "greatly improved" in this release (yeah, good start...) would be a triumph of hope over experience, I'm not sure whether I'm going to bother yet.

[RobMc]

I suppose the next stop is to raise an SR but since believing IBM's assertion that Muddler is "greatly improved" in this release (yeah, good start...) would be a triumph of hope over experience, I'm not sure whether I'm going to bother yet.

Hi Alan, et. al.

Firstly I would like to say that as a newbie to TM1 this is a great forum - heaps of content that I'll no doubt need to refer to in the future!

Secondly, in the grand scheme of all things IBM Cognos software installation-wise, I would classify my experience of installing TM1 10.2 as 'mildly annoying' (you should try something like Cognos Controller!)

Thirdly, I had exactly the same issue with PM, and without meaning to insult your intelligence or superior TM1 knowledge, this is what I found:

PM doesn't work unless at least one TM1 Server has been added/configured in the TM1 Application portal i.e. http://<servername>:9510/pmpsvc/applications.jsp, then click on the Administer IBM Cognos TM1 Applications icon (spanner/screwdriver icon; click 'add', type in your admin server name (it seems to want a fully qualified domain name); click the refresh button and hopefully a list of running TM1 servers will pop up in the dropdown box). The setup only seems to work on the server where the IBM Cognos TM1 Application Server service is running (I tried http://<servername>:9510/pmpsvc/sysadmin.jsp from my desktop but it didn't seem to work correctly?)

Anyway, I've only tested this with the samples and some newly added empty TM1 Servers, and it works ok, so not sure if I've oversimplified the issue you're having if you've already tried the above, but hopefully it will save you having to raise a SR

Regards,

Rob

[Alan Kirk]

I suppose the next stop is to raise an SR but since believing IBM's assertion that Muddler is "greatly improved" in this release (yeah, good start...) would be a triumph of hope over experience, I'm not sure whether I'm going to bother yet.

Firstly I would like to say that as a newbie to TM1 this is a great forum - heaps of content that I'll no doubt need to refer to in the future!

Secondly, in the grand scheme of all things IBM Cognos software installation-wise, I would classify my experience of installing TM1 10.2 as 'mildly annoying' (you should try something like Cognos Controller!)

Thirdly, I had exactly the same issue with PM, and without meaning to insult your intelligence or superior TM1 knowledge,

You're getting me confused with someone else, without wishing to name names. Trust me, I have no issue with someone setting me straight provided they're right about it.

this is what I found:

PM doesn't work unless at least one TM1 Server has been added/configured in the TM1 Application portal i.e. http://<servername>:9510/pmpsvc/applications.jsp, then click on the Administer IBM Cognos TM1 Applications icon (spanner/screwdriver icon; click 'add', type in your admin server name (it seems to want a fully qualified domain name); click the refresh button and hopefully a list of running TM1 servers will pop up in the dropdown box). The setup only seems to work on the server where the IBM Cognos TM1 Application Server service is running (I tried http://<servername>:9510/pmpsvc/sysadmin.jsp from my desktop but it didn't seem to work correctly?)

Weird thing is (and I should have mentioned this in the original post) I had all three current servers (two standard (sData and Planning Sample)) and one custom) listed in the portal. (Let's not get into the issue of having a standalone application where you need to configure something in a web browser first, though... it's right up there with entering a login and password and only THEN selecting the server.) However...

Anyway, I've only tested this with the samples and some newly added empty TM1 Servers, and it works ok, so not sure if I've oversimplified the issue you're having if you've already tried the above, but hopefully it will save you having to raise a SR

I think you may be onto something there. When I went back into the Applications Web portal and hit OK again it threw an error; specifically "An exception error occurred on the server... .com.cognos.ccl4j.exceptions.CCLNullArgumentException (root com.cognos.ccl4j.exceptions.CCLNullArgumentException: [CCLMsg: system text='Argument value is null']"

Yup, that's user friendly.

Both of the standard servers generated warning errors that they "will not be supported by Performance Modeler" because the value in three parameters in the tm1s.cfg file didn't meet with Muddler's approval. (Yes, the servers that Iboglix themselves supplied have .cfg files which are incompatible with their own product. Yay.) The custom one, however, threw a different wobbly which is that the .cfg settings could not be verified. It's the only one where I have a root directory for the server which contains the .cfg file and under that I have data and logging folders, rather than having the .cfg file in the Data directory.

As soon as I removed that one and re-saved the list... all of a sudden I can log on to Performance Modeler.

Thanks for the help.

[tm1novice]

Can't wait to get started with testing...

Alan, you'll be pleased to hear that they have obviously listened to customer gripes about files sizes, so they're offering a "TM1 10.2 Client" download that's a mere 1.2GB (down from a full x86 tar.gz of 2.7GB). Progress!

=> Yes, the documentation help for all languages is not installed by default. Only English language is available by default. SO install size is reduced dramatically.
You can add additional languages if you want, while installing the TM1 10.2

Thanks.

[kangkc]

I think you may be onto something there. When I went back into the Applications Web portal and hit OK again it threw an error; specifically "An exception error occurred on the server... .com.cognos.ccl4j.exceptions.CCLNullArgumentException (root com.cognos.ccl4j.exceptions.CCLNullArgumentException: [CCLMsg: system text='Argument value is null']"

Yup, that's user friendly.

Alan,
It took me a few hours to figure out the problem. For Application Web, you need a FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) specified in the URL in order to work, else you will get the unfriendly Java exception. You can't use IP Address, "Localhost".

You will notice the default generated URL in the TM1 Application Web is using FQDN. (Under IBM Cognos TM1 Application Configuration).

For the rest like Operation Console, TM1Web...they all work with IP Address. Why so special about Application Web, think it's a inherit property from the old Cognos Contributor era.

[theblackdawn]

"Connect to IBM Cognos TM1 system", says the dialog caption.
I enter the URL as per the manual.
I note that the "TM1 Server" box is ghosted and empty.

I hit the "Log on as" button anyway.

I get the little red X dialog telling me "Planning service unavailable. Unable to login to the planning server," (which planning server are you looking for, you illiterate pillock of a thing?) "the TM1 server may be unavailable." (Again, brain death, which server are you looking for?) "The application will now exit." To which whoever wrote the dialog could add "without giving you any information about which configuration files you may need to check to try to rectify this waste of disk space".

And indeed, I did check that the pmpsvc service was running. And I did reboot the computer after installation.

This is admittedly on my 32 bit sandbox machine, where all new IBM software goes before I even contemplate turning it loose into the wild for obvious reasons. So out of random curiosity I entered http://localhost:9510/pmpsvc/services into the web browser to see what came up. What came up was "And now... Some Services FPMService (wsdll)" followed by a list of functions like listAvailableServerNames and getUserName, AdminService, PMPService... so there's somthing running in there, but I suspect that getting to it is going to be less than straightforward.

I am stuck with the same problem.
But to my surprise, the first step I have tried deploying a sample application 'GO_New_Stores', i have successfully deployed it using the Performance Modeler ICON in the Contributor. I can now see this application in the contributor with all the values intact.
But when I'm trying to create a new sample/test application, this small annoying thing does not show up the available servers - I have tried everything possible to make sure the server is available and running.
It shows only the one application 'Go_New_Stores' that has already been deployed.

PM1.png (71.12 KiB) Viewed 17301 times

PM2.png (41.2 KiB) Viewed 17301 times

Any suggestions on this would be really greatful.
Thank you

[kangkc]

Did you define the new TM1 instance in IBM Cognos TM1 Application Configuration ? You need to do that.

[theblackdawn]

Did you define the new TM1 instance in IBM Cognos TM1 Application Configuration ? You need to do that.

A new TM1 Server Instance has already been defined in the Configuration. The server would be visible only after starting there (in the configuration). right?
Or do I need to define separately again somewhere?
Is it not the same like how we do in 10.1 ?? Anything different here?

I have already deployed the Sample GO_New_Stores application and that is stuck there.
Even after logging in by clicking 'Log on As' as shown in the screenshot in my previous post, I am unable to see other servers though they are started and running (these servers Can be opened and are workable in Architect). I am not even able to see the other sample servers - SData and Planning Sample, leave alone the servers which I have created!

[kangkc]

You did this ?

Capture.JPG (48.44 KiB) Viewed 17191 times

[theblackdawn]

Thanks for the reply kangkc..

But I am unable to add any server. It shows disabled.
Tried by removing the previously deployed application 'GO_New_Stores' as well but to no avail.
I have tried by giving the numeric IP, the Admin Host name as well, tried enabling and disabling the 'Disabled' .. all possible options..

Contributor1.png (33.08 KiB) Viewed 17115 times

[declanr]

Thanks for the reply kangkc..

But I am unable to add any server. It shows disabled.
Tried by removing the previously deployed application 'GO_New_Stores' as well but to no avail.
I have tried by giving the numeric IP, the Admin Host name as well, tried enabling and disabling the 'Disabled' .. all possible options..

Contributor1.png

Do you have the same username/password combo for all servers? (The ones that have already been added and the new ones you wish to add)

[theblackdawn]

Thanks for the reply kangkc..

But I am unable to add any server. It shows disabled.
Tried by removing the previously deployed application 'GO_New_Stores' as well but to no avail.
I have tried by giving the numeric IP, the Admin Host name as well, tried enabling and disabling the 'Disabled' .. all possible options..

Contributor1.png

Do you have the same username/password combo for all servers? (The ones that have already been added and the new ones you wish to add)

Not Really, but atleast the Sample Servers (3 of them) have the same userid/pwd .. right? So, if I am logging in for GO_New_Stores, the SData and Planning Sample must be visible... ?
But I'm not sure.. I have never done such things for 10.1 atleast. I used to login through PM and used to create a new application and deploy that. Was I doing wrong all the time ?

[kangkc]

Not sure this is the right way. What I did to add in new instances:

1. Create the folders for sdata/logs
2. Copy the default tm1s.cfg, modify it according to the new instance and place it in the Sdata (some IBM APAR suggested this)
3. Add this new instance using IBM Cognos Configuration (fat client)
4. Make sure instance can be started and login using Perspective
5. Change the Admin password to "apple"
6. Navigate to http://your server:9510/pmsvc
7. Start up "IBM Cognos TM1 Applications Configuration"
8. Add the new TM1 instance
9. Once successfully added, you can now go back to Perspective and change the admin password, login again to IBM TM1 Application portal using the new password and deploy your apps.

This may not be the correct steps and rather strange to me but as long as it works for me.

[macsir]

Is there any improvement in TM1 api？ I assume there is not.

[Alan Kirk]

Is there any improvement in TM1 api？ I assume there is not.

Short answer is "not as far as I'm aware", longer answer is "what were you hoping for?".

For me all I really want of the classic API is that the functionality holes be plugged (eg the one which sees a function giving us the number of ports that a client has, but not the number that they're using) and that anything that doesn't work right (eg the function supposedly returning the server version number) be fixed. Oh, and for the documentation to be both accurate and complete. Overall, though, the classic API isn't too bad and the bits that work (which is the vast majority of it) works quite well once you overcome the "mind twistingly ugly syntax" aspect of it.

The .Net API is a pygmy with a growth hormone deficiency in API terms, and I don't expect that to change unfortunately. Now that I'm comfortable using the classic API in .Net I don't care that much about the native .Net API, given its many, many limitations.

The Java API I couldn't give a stuff about, though I should probably play around with it for a bit for the sake of completeness.

So what was on your wish list?