I'm new to multi-server setup for Cognos Analytics.  Most of my images I've used in dashboards have been saved in the "webcontent/bi/samples/images" folder but now with a primary CM and standby CM server I like to have a single location for all images.  Is it possible to use a network folder for all images in Cognos?  Can I set up WebDev to use this folder and allow browsing for images?

IBM site didn't give me much to go on for setting something like this.  I have to assume those of you out there that have multi-server installations know how to make this work. I would appreciate your guidance on this.

Thanks in advance for your expertise and advice.

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Scott
Cognos Administrator
Wenatchee WA
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#CognosAnalyticswithWatson

If browsing image gallery is fine, there is sample media extension to upload images instead of putting them on Server.


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Buddhi Gupta
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I would be really interested how to use images in Dashboards without the need to save them in "webcontent/bi/samples/images"

Is there an article on the media extension that give instructions on install and use?

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Jonathan berry
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Original Message:
Sent: Thu October 15, 2020 10:10 PM
From: Buddhi Gupta
Subject: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

If browsing image gallery is fine, there is sample media extension to upload images instead of putting them on Server.


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Buddhi Gupta
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Attached find a sample extension to upload (as administrator > customization > extensions ) SVG images to be used in Dashboard gallery (I imagine that JPEGs also work - have not tested it).

You might use the images (without) browsing anywhere else:
https://<server>/cognos/bi/v1/ext/AmvaraCommonShapes/images/myimage.jpg


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Ralf Roeber
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IBM provides sample Extensions - Sample_Custom_Media_All

I am using jpg and png images in my extension so they should also work.

Please note that there can be only one extension to keep all Images.

Only thing I am not clear is whether we can create subfolders and show them to organize images or will it hide them?

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Buddhi Gupta
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Original Message:
Sent: Fri October 16, 2020 04:33 AM
From: Ralf Roeber
Subject: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

Attached find a sample extension to upload (as administrator > customization > extensions ) SVG images to be used in Dashboard gallery (I imagine that JPEGs also work - have not tested it).

You might use the images (without) browsing anywhere else:
https://<server>/cognos/bi/v1/ext/AmvaraCommonShapes/images/myimage.jpg


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Ralf Roeber
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I understand about the Media extension but my question was about the multi-server setup. With 2 content manager servers 'can' i have one folder for all my images or are you saying I need to duplicate images on both machines.  I want to have a shared folder that users (specific users) that can add images to the folder to be used in Cognos.  I don't want them to have to copy to multiple folders on the Cognos server.
Thanks again for your insight.

------------------------------
Scott
Cognos Administrator
Wenatchee WA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Fri October 16, 2020 10:46 AM
From: Buddhi Gupta
Subject: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

IBM provides sample Extensions - Sample_Custom_Media_All

I am using jpg and png images in my extension so they should also work.

Please note that there can be only one extension to keep all Images.

Only thing I am not clear is whether we can create subfolders and show them to organize images or will it hide them?

------------------------------
Buddhi Gupta
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: Fri October 16, 2020 04:33 AM
From: Ralf Roeber
Subject: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

Attached find a sample extension to upload (as administrator > customization > extensions ) SVG images to be used in Dashboard gallery (I imagine that JPEGs also work - have not tested it).

You might use the images (without) browsing anywhere else:
https://<server>/cognos/bi/v1/ext/AmvaraCommonShapes/images/myimage.jpg


------------------------------
Ralf Roeber

Since we are on IBM Cloud, we are using it as easy approach without need to copy on multiple servers. 

IBM Cloud architecture doesn't allow search when images are uploaded on servers so need to remember exact path for usage.

For On premise set up, probably you can have shared mount between servers similar to Deployment Folder.

Other method could be to have common folder (where all users can copy/manage images) and make it mounted on all Cognos Servers. You can write a shell script to copy over to each server path. 

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Buddhi Gupta
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Original Message:
Sent: Fri October 16, 2020 01:05 PM
From: Scott Taylor
Subject: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

I understand about the Media extension but my question was about the multi-server setup. With 2 content manager servers 'can' i have one folder for all my images or are you saying I need to duplicate images on both machines.  I want to have a shared folder that users (specific users) that can add images to the folder to be used in Cognos.  I don't want them to have to copy to multiple folders on the Cognos server.
Thanks again for your insight.

------------------------------
Scott
Cognos Administrator
Wenatchee WA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: Fri October 16, 2020 10:46 AM
From: Buddhi Gupta
Subject: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

IBM provides sample Extensions - Sample_Custom_Media_All

I am using jpg and png images in my extension so they should also work.

Please note that there can be only one extension to keep all Images.

Only thing I am not clear is whether we can create subfolders and show them to organize images or will it hide them?

------------------------------
Buddhi Gupta


Original Message:
Sent: Fri October 16, 2020 04:33 AM
From: Ralf Roeber
Subject: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

Attached find a sample extension to upload (as administrator > customization > extensions ) SVG images to be used in Dashboard gallery (I imagine that JPEGs also work - have not tested it).

You might use the images (without) browsing anywhere else:
https://<server>/cognos/bi/v1/ext/AmvaraCommonShapes/images/myimage.jpg


------------------------------
Ralf Roeber

We're still using Cognos 10.x here, and I don't have a direct answer as to whether a single shared network location for images can be made to work, but I can offer the solution I've used in our multi-server environment, based on IBM's tech notes on the "missing images" in output issue.

I always use the relative path "../images/[imagename].jpg" when adding images to a report (have to edit the property if I browse to select). I copy any new images into the primary Content Manager's /images directory, then drop it onto a small .bat file I wrote to copy the image out to the /images folders on all three dispatcher servers in our environment (note that just having it on the CM's won't do).

It works just fine for us.

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Michael Walter
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10/16/2020 6:42:00 PM
From: Michael Walter
Subject: RE: Shared image folder on network drive, is it possible?

We're still using Cognos 10.x here, and I don't have a direct answer as to whether a single shared network location for images can be made to work, but I can offer the solution I've used in our multi-server environment, based on IBM's tech notes on the "missing images" in output issue.

I always use the relative path "../images/[imagename].jpg" when adding images to a report (have to edit the property if I browse to select). I copy any new images into the primary Content Manager's /images directory, then drop it onto a small .bat file I wrote to copy the image out to the /images folders on all three dispatcher servers in our environment (note that just having it on the CM's won't do).

It works just fine for us.

------------------------------
Michael Walter
------------------------------