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Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

  • 1.  Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu March 02, 2023 05:43 AM

    Hi,

    This message is about license requirement regarding email with IBM Cognos Analytics.

    I'm trying to write something relevant regarding licensing when a customer needs to send emails (PDF attachment for instance) with IBM Cognos Analytics.

    With Authorized users based:
    If a customer is using a burst report to send 10 emails (PDF for instance), he will need 10 licenses even if recipients do not log in to Cognos portal.
    Bursting Feature Requirement: Licensee using the Bursting feature must ensure that they have sufficient capacity entitlements to send the burst output to all recipients.
    Source: https://www.ibm.com/support/customer/csol/terms/?id=L-GLUP-BNL4AN

    If a customer is sending 100 emails (PDF for instance) from a scheduled report (there is no burst feature in this case), no license is needed.


    With Capacity based / PVU / Perpetual license:
    There is no need to have a specific license to send emails (PDF for instance) with or without burst reports.

    Would you please confirm all the statements in this thread? I would be happy to have an official answer from one of the Product Manager.

    Best regards,



    ------------------------------
    Patrick Neveu
    Positive Thinking Company
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu March 02, 2023 06:14 AM

    Hi Patrick,

    we also have this topic over and over again in our community. I also read the updated license statement for CA 11.2.x and luckily @Michael Haaß has placed the question during the latest "Ask Me Anything Webinar". See Rachel's answer around minute 20:

    https://ibm.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1589430&tp_key=2e74e1c278

    If I just follow her answer, there's no need for any additional license from CA 11.2.x when it comes to send reports via e-mail (regardless if by job, schedule or bursting). That's what we here in the German Cognos Community understood so far.

    I find it very disappointing that again there's no written statement regarding the license problem with e-mail recipients and Cognos Analytics. For me it's still unclear what "suffucient capacity entitlements" are in an authorized-user-only environment. Questions upon questions with which IBM leaves their clients alone....

    P.S. Congrats to your IBM Champion achievement and a very warm welcome in the Champions community. 



    ------------------------------
    Robert Dostal
    Team Leader BI
    GEMÜ
    Ingelfingen
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Mon March 06, 2023 05:05 AM

    Hi,

    I'll be honest I thought the latest Licence details around bursting had almost cleared this up for me after years of confusion. The image below is from the last webinar and follows our understanding that in an authorised user environment, there is no requirement for the recipient of a burst output to hold a Cognos licence. The requirement is upon the originator of the burst output to have the licence and entitlement to execute the burst report.

    As this details that its changed in 11.2.4, a question I do have is earlier versions, do they now assume the same licence model?

    Licence




    ------------------------------
    jonathan chesterton
    NHS Supply Chain
    ------------------------------



  • 4.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Mon March 06, 2023 05:47 AM

    Hi Jonathan,

    my understanding is that these license information are only valid for Cognos 11.2.4.

    Earlier versions have their one license documents with other wording and therefore still require a license for recipients of bursted report outputs as long as IBM does not release new license information for these versions as well.



    ------------------------------
    Robert Dostal
    Team Leader BI
    GEMÜ
    Ingelfingen
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Mon March 06, 2023 05:55 AM

    Hi Robert,

    Let's hope @NICK PLOWDEN will be able to bring IBM Product Managers in this thread.

    Best regards,



    ------------------------------
    Patrick Neveu
    Positive Thinking Company
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Tue March 07, 2023 09:32 AM

    We understand the following. Echoing a summary of the current knowns...

    1. As of the recent statement from Offering Management, the most definitive statement about bursting in 11.24 is that you DO NOT NEED a license to receive bursted output provided that the user is not logging into Cognos to view bursted output. The statement starts around the 19-min marker in recent webcast. https://ibm.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1589430&tp_key=2e74e1c278
    2. The clause in the licensing link is about sending burst output, not receiving. The document focuses on PVU-based licenses and indicates that you must have licensed capacity if you are sending bursted reports.  https://www.ibm.com/support/customer/csol/terms/?id=L-GLUP-BNL4AN&lc=en#detail-document
    3. Up until very recently IBMs auditors were requesting recipient lists of those receiving burst output. 
    4. We have not had a client go through audit since the most recent statement so cannot address any gaps in carrying out official policy.


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    Paul Gundersen
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Tue March 07, 2023 09:57 AM

    IF you are the sender (bursting) lets say, and you are licensed on a AU basis, you need the appropriate license to connect into Cognos and execute.

    IF you are the sender (bursting) lets say, and you are licensed on a PVU basis, you need the appropriate PVUs licenses which are utilized by the dispatcher to connect and execute. 

    IF you are the receiver of the report and you are logging into Cognos in anyway shape or form (Direct/API etc.) to access/use/view anything you need to have the appropriate AU licenses or PVU licenses associated to that user License.

    IF you are the receiver of the report and you are accessing the report from a shared folder/email of sorts (Box folder for example and viewing a PDF or Excel output or attachment via Email) and are NOT accessing Cognos in anyway shape or form (Direct/API etc.) to access/use/view anything you do not need a Cognos license.

    Hope this clarifies. 



    ------------------------------
    RACHEL SU
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Tue March 07, 2023 11:08 AM

    Hi @RACHEL SU 

    Is is valid for Cognos Analytics v11.2.4 only? Are you going to update the license to all v11.2.x streams for instance?

    Best regards,



    ------------------------------
    Patrick Neveu
    Positive Thinking Company
    IBM Champion
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Wed March 08, 2023 01:28 PM

    Hi Rachel - thank you for the very clear response!

    A follow-up question that I've received as I've shared your note above:   Does this apply to non-bursted outputs too?

    In other words, if a user never logs into Cognos in any way, shape or form, and they receive an output that was generated from a Cognos report (in an email, from a file share) -- even if that report was generated by a human and hand-placed in the email or file share -- do they need a Viewer license?

    Or another way to put it:  Is a Viewer license only required if the person seeking the output navigates to the Cognos web portal to retrieve it?

    I know this keeps coming up in various threads -- thank you for your patience as the question gets asked yet another time.

    Rich



    ------------------------------
    Richard Chester
    Director of Business Intelligence
    LPA Software Solutions
    ------------------------------



  • 10.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu March 09, 2023 08:49 AM

    Hi Richard,

    I'm no longer an IBMer, so you can't take what I say here as the "official" word, but yes - it has always been the case that non-bursted outputs can be generated and sent to a recipient without that recipient requiring a license. This is reflected in the official License Documents (prior to 11.2.4), which detail the circumstances under which a license is required (for "Each person who is provided an output(s) of the Program through the Bursting feature or who authenticates to the Program")

    For 11.2.4 the License Documents have been updated to reflect that the only requirement now is for the person generating the burst reports to have an appropriate license - the recipient no longer needs a license to receive regular or burst reports, provided they are not authenticating (ie logging in to get their outputs).

    Cheers!

    MF.



    ------------------------------
    Mark Fry
    Technical Consultant
    ------------------------------



  • 11.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Thu May 11, 2023 09:41 AM

    Hi Richard,
    Do you have the link to 11.2.4 the License Documents? I can't find it...



    ------------------------------
    Georges Daccache
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  • 12.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu May 11, 2023 10:47 AM

    @Georges, here is the link to the IBM Cognos Analytics User 11.2.4 License Document

    https://www.ibm.com/support/customer/csol/terms/?id=L-RUTT-W7YRLW&lc=en#detail-document

    Cheers!

    MF.



    ------------------------------
    Mark Fry
    Technical Consultant
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Thu May 11, 2023 09:41 AM

    Hi Rachel,
    If a report is scheduled in Cognos by a licensed user to be sent by email (attach PDF output) to a user who doesn't have Cognos access, does the person who receive the email need a distribution license?



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    Georges Daccache
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  • 14.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    IBM Champion
    Posted Thu May 11, 2023 10:32 AM

    Hi Georges,

    it depends a little bit on the technology the users uses to send the report. If it's a regular report with a schedule with the recipient manually entered in the recipients list, then the recipient does not require a license.

    If the Bursting feature is used to generate the report output and send that to the recipient, the recipient has to hold a license if your CA version is below 11.2.4. From CA 11.2.4 on there's no license needed even when the e-mail was generated with the Bursting feature.

    See here the license document for 11.2.4:
    "Licensee using the Bursting feature must ensure that they have sufficient capacity entitlements to send the burst output to all recipients."

    Before it was:
    "Each person who is provided an output(s) of the Program through the Bursting feature or who authenticates to the Program must be covered by an appropriate entitlement."

    Hope this clarifies the issue.



    ------------------------------
    Robert Dostal
    Team Leader BI
    GEMÜ
    Ingelfingen
    ------------------------------



  • 15.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Thu May 11, 2023 12:05 PM

    Thanks for the quick answer. Very appreciated :-)



    ------------------------------
    Georges Daccache
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: Email and license requirement with Cognos Analytics

    Posted Thu May 11, 2023 01:17 PM

    We sought confirmation from  our IBM  contact on the prior to 11.2.4 situation and were informed that all earlier versions are now adhering to the same licencing rule that they now detail for 11.2.4 when it concerns bursting and the need for a licence.

    Therefore, I think you just need to follow what Rachel Su wrote in her post below and spread the Cognos Burst report love...




    ------------------------------
    jonathan chesterton
    NHS Supply Chain
    ------------------------------