Create a cube with a separate administrator

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Mark_Woell
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Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by Mark_Woell »

In Cognos 10.2.2. perspectives Myself and two others are administrators. We need to create a cube where a fourth person is the administrator for a single cube (payroll), and none of the three administrators can see or do anything with the cube after it has been set up. The only way I know how to do this is to create a separate Cognos TM1 service with the one cube and a the head of HR the administrator. This would require an additional license which seems to be a costly way to do this. Any suggestions?

Welcome to the forum Mark, please post in the correct forum, many thanks.
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by Wim Gielis »

As there are 3 members in the Admin group, you cannot limit these people from accessing the cube.
Another server is technically a solution but practically / from a cost perspective, that is a different discussion.
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stephen waters
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by stephen waters »

Mark,
There is not necessarily a n extra software cost to running another instance of TM1 server.

You do not say whether you are using Enterprise or Cognos Express (CX) TM1 and the licensing depends on the this and the software version.
Under CX 10.2.2 you can run multiple instances provided the power of the processor does not exceed 1,600 PVU's (about 20 cores). Under Enterprise TM1 you can run as many instances as you like provided you keep within your PVU limit.

You would need an extra Adminstrator license (CX or Enterprise) but you would need that anyway if you made him\her administrator on the existing instance.
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by qml »

A good (albeit a little old-school) option for that sort of single-user payroll cube is the Local Server you can run from Architect/Perspectives ('Start Local Server'). The Modeller licence (which that person needs anyway) covers that type of usage already if memory serves me well.
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by Mark_Woell »

Thanks for the input, I will check on the licensing and see where that takes me. I like the old school Local Server option - it would resolve the paranoia of HR. I'll see what they say about that.

Thanks again.
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by stephen waters »

Kamil,
Interesting suggestion. I expect the people who wrote the license agreement will have no idea about a "Local server" and I can find no specific referenc to it in the 10.2.2 licence agreement. However, if it is running on the administrator's local PC (not the server) and the instance is considered to be a "TM1 Server" then I think the local PC PVU's would need to be included in the licensed PVU's.
eg, if you have 280 PVU Enterprise license for a quad core server and run a local server on your twin core desktop, this could add another 140 PVU's.

If you had another instance on the main server, no extra PVU's would be needed. And, as you said, the HR person would need a Modeler\Administrator license anyway. Worth asking IBM , though they may not understand the question!
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by qml »

stephen waters wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:12 pm Kamil,
Interesting suggestion. I expect the people who wrote the license agreement will have no idea about a "Local server" and I can find no specific referenc to it in the 10.2.2 licence agreement. However, if it is running on the administrator's local PC (not the server) and the instance is considered to be a "TM1 Server" then I think the local PC PVU's would need to be included in the licensed PVU's.
eg, if you have 280 PVU Enterprise license for a quad core server and run a local server on your twin core desktop, this could add another 140 PVU's.

If you had another instance on the main server, no extra PVU's would be needed. And, as you said, the HR person would need a Modeler\Administrator license anyway. Worth asking IBM , though they may not understand the question!
I remember using a setup just like this, also for an HR user, around 10 years ago. Licensing was different then, but I'm pretty sure the customer did not have to pay extra for a server license and was able to just use an Admin-level user license. How it would be interpreted right now is anyone's guess. Having said that, Cognos Insight in distributed mode worked in a similar way, running a built-in TM1 Server and it never required a separate server license, did it?
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by stephen waters »

Kamil
I agree a local server would have been a good technical solution for this issue but licensing has changed a lot since 10 years ago. Then it would have been a "Perspectives" license which was licensed per install rather than as a named or concurrent user.

I am intrigued by the Cognos Insight suggestion; it as originally intended as a "rich client" for TM1 (maybe a Cognos Planning Contributor replacement?) but never seemed to take off and I do not know what its current status is. But, my recollection is that you could not actually develop TM1 models in it so would it work in this situation?
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by gtonkin »

qml wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:00 pm A good (albeit a little old-school) option for that sort of single-user payroll cube is the Local Server you can run from Architect/Perspectives ('Start Local Server'). The Modeller licence (which that person needs anyway) covers that type of usage already if memory serves me well.
I am stretching my memory here but seem to remember a gotcha with regards to separate N: and C: level rules - local instance did not seem to deal with these as expected, whether or not the TM1S.CFG parameter was configured to allow this. This was 9.4 days or thereabouts.
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by Edward Stuart »

We need to create a cube where a fourth person is the administrator for a single cube (payroll), and none of the three administrators can see or do anything with the cube after it has been set up
The Local Server looks to be a good option but is still very much a grey area as discussed above.

This still points to setting up an empty model from test/ dummy files, copying the model to a restricted location which the existing tm1 administrators do not have access too (a network share/ separate server) and asking the Head of HR to run scripts from actual files as the administrator.

Personally, I would explain the cost associated and if the business is willing to pay for the admin license then create the new model. Otherwise trust the tm1 administrators not to do anything stupid!
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by gtonkin »

Edward Stuart wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2017 9:29 am ...if the business is willing to pay for the admin license then create the new model...
Not sure if your terminology for Administrator means the same thing as TM1's licensing. If the HR person is only going to be administering data, running processes etc. and not changing rules, developing TI etc. then you probably do not need an additional Admin license. As long as the same Admin (Modeller who will be doing development) is used on both TM1 servers, no need IMHO, name user license applies.
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Re: Create a cube with a separate administrator

Post by Edward Stuart »

My interpretation would be that each instance 'requires' an administrator license.

The model could be developed on instance A and run in instance B but I would be very surprised if IBM did not have issues with an instance being run without an administrator account.

However, as you rightly say, as long as the admin is used on both instances then there is no need for an additional admin license. The fact that the administrator cannot access instance B is irrelevant
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