how to access cognos data cubes using j2ee

[Prasanna Ramaswamy]

I would like to use Java web services for accessing cognos data cubes to pull out some report data, which should be shown in web using JSP. Can any one worked on that architecture. Please guide me.

Your early reply is high appreciated.

[Mark Spritzler]

Do you have to implement both sides of the contract of the Web Service. Meaning do you have to code the call to the Web Service in Java, and also creating the web service part that does all the data gathering through Cognos code?

Think of it as two seperate parts.

1st, the Call to the Web Service. This will require a message(XML) that can hold all the information you need filter the data you need from Cognos.

2nd, The Web Service that takes the message and sends it to Cognos.

3rd, The Cognos end that takes the message, does the query, and returns the data.

Now, my big issue would be, how much data, and how long would it take to get the data back. Might be lots of data and really slow.

Especially since you added a web service layer.

Mark

[Prasanna Ramaswamy]

Thanks for your thoughts. BTW, I have already explored the volume of data and time duration while access. Its all pretty decent as per web standards. Hence, we can go with Web services apporach.

My biggest doubts on your second point. How to access cognos data cubes from Web service layer. In general while we are using remote DB, we will write some JDBC code at Web service layer. Here in this case how to implement.

Do we have alternative to JDBC for cognos querying in Java. Please help me with your valuable comments.

[Chris Mathews]

Can't give you much detail... but I know Cognos supports a web service interface to their product. I would inquire with your Cognos Support as to the recommended mechanism to use for accessing the data you want.

[Prasanna Ramaswamy]

Basically, mine is a J2EE application. In JSP i would like to display some of the Cognos cube data. Hence, we have decided to use J2EE web services, which will interface with cognos to pull the data. All I want to know is,
1. How to write a interface program to Cognos cubes from Java Web services (similar to JDBC)
2. In case the Cognos appliation doesnt have predefined web services for the data that we are looking, what is an alternative.

Thanks in advance for your valuable thoughts.

[Chris Mathews]

1. How to write a interface program to Cognos cubes from Java Web services (similar to JDBC)
This is not the type of thing that any of us can answer with a simple post. You need to first understand Web Services in general, which it sounds like you are missing. I would suggest you get a good Web Services book such as J2EE Web Services by Richard Monson-Haefel. At minimum you will need to be able to understand a WSDL and how to interact with one using a toolkit like Apache Axis.

2. In case the Cognos appliation doesnt have predefined web services for the data that we are looking, what is an alternative.
This is something you are going to have to ask Cognos about. Finding someone with Cognos experience hanging around here that has done what you are trying to do is probably not going to happen. I interacted with the Cognos Web Services API a good 3 years back so I am sure it has changed significantly... however I didn't commit any of the details to memory... I relied very heavily on the vendor documentation which is what you should be doing.