Planning to embed IBM Cognos reporting in your application?
Is leveraging external security on your wish list?
Looking to tailor the look and feel of the UI?
Be armed with the knowledge of all the IBM Cognos 8 BI integration points - and all the alternatives therein.
IBM Cognos SDK - The main API used for web service communication to the IBM Cognos BI Bus. Typically used in server-to-server applications, client-server applications, this toolkit (available as a COM DLL, JAR File, and .NET Assembly, as well as a WSDL file) contains much of what you will need to build powerful applications that leverage IBM Cognos' capabilities.
Security integration - The Custom Security Provider API is available to link external security systems with the IBM Cognos AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Administration) services. This allows your IBM Cognos deployment to seamlessly leverage any security technology.
Portal integration via portlets -CPS (IBM Cognos Portal Services) allows for 3rd party portlets to be consumed within IBM Cognos Connection, and allows IBM Cognos Portlets to be consumed by any WSRP consumer. In addition, a generic IBM Cognos Portlet exposes its API to allow for additional portlets to be developed in conjunction with the IBM Cognos SDK, and other web technologies.
URL Integration - IBM Cognos exposes several APIs to access and execute content. There are documented and undocumented APIs such as the IBM Cognos Viewer URL structure as well as (my personal favourite) the SMEM API that is primarily used by the IBM Cognos Viewer to access charts in saved HTML reports.
Portal customizations - IBM Cognos Connection can be customized to provide a specific look and feel. This can be accomplished by leveraging the information available in certain configuration and CSS files. The interface is very clean, and provides a low-cost, low-risk method of giving IBM Cognos Connection and related Studios your personal touch!
Portal Functionality Customizations - IBM Cognos Connection can be modified by setting some parameters that will affect the options available to an end-user community. But, if you really want to change the way IBM Cognos Connection works, you have to dip under the covers! The XTS (XML Transformation Services) provides most of what you see in IBM Cognos Connection. Not for the faint of heart!
Specification generation & modification -There are several types of reports within IBM Cognos; Query Studio, Analysis Studio, Report Studio, etc... each with its own XML specification. The IBM Cognos SDK allows you to access these specifications; however they do not provide easy access to the nodes documents themselves. For this, an understanding of their structure, intended use, and of course XPATH is required to effectively work with these specifications.
Ajax integration - Increasingly, folks are creating RIA (Rich Internet Applications) that leverage many technologies to accomplish a single objective. Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript & XML) is popular with the kids these days! Issuing the correct SOAP messages directly to the IBM Cognos Gateway is essential in providing seamless access between IBM Cognos and modern tools like FLES or Silverlight.
IBM Cognos Workflow Modifications - Sometimes, the IBM Cognos Report Services just don't do exactly what you're looking for. Maybe you want to introduce logic that allows you to send data from the Report Server to your own applications, or pre/post process a request within a Dispatcher request. Among the wild plants and animals in the IBM Cognos jungle, there are SpotOn medicine men that know how to accomplish these tasks. Though unsupported, and likely frowned upon, this level of integration can provide you with the most powerful enhancements to your IBM Cognos environment!
Model and Metadata Automation - Sometimes, using Framework Manager to create or change models is out of the question. IBM Cognos provides the BMT Script Player that will read action logs, and perform tasks. If, like us, you're not a fan of this API worry not! We've mastered a cleaner and leaner approach! If you like, we can even show you how to use Report Studio as your "Framework Manager on the Web".
Installation integration - Large scale deployments require IBM Cognos to be installed and configured over and over again. We can work with you to provide completely integrated installation solutions (for the OEM clients out there) as well as completely unattended and automated IBM Cognos provisioning!
IBM Cognos Mashup Services - New to IBM Cognos 8.4, the CMS API allows developers to access parts of a IBM Cognos report into their application via SOAP or REST calls. This is very helpful when you want o bring in report parts into your application without the overhead of writing a full-fledge IBM Cognos SDK application.
Studio Enhancements - The Report Studio and Query Studio interfaces provide interesting opportunities for adding your own functionality. There are several uncharted areas for enhancements, and we can show you what we've done to meet clients' specific studio enhancement needs.
Need help to assess your specific needs?
Engage us to perform an IBM Cognos Integration Assessment.