We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

Hi Brenda

Assuming I understand your question - the short answer is yes data modules can connect to data servers (aka - data sources).  In order to make the data sources available to a data module - go into the Data Source connections (within Admin console) - click on the properties for the data source in question.  Click on the Connection tab, place a check on the "Allow web-based modeling" and save.

If you do not have this "allow" option on that tab - this means that the data source you are attempting does not have a JDBC connection defined to the DB.  Add that connection and the "allow modeling" option will then show. 

Whenever you add a "data server" to your environment - this is the same as adding a data source connection but without the OCI connection.  Data servers only use JDBC connections -- so that is why the automatically show up as a source within a data module. 

Give that a try and hope this gets you moving in the right direction.  

Feel free to text me if you have additional questions.

We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

You will also need to load the schemas which you want to work with.

Because of this, the metadata is available in a way which avoids unnecessary metadata call backs.

Hi Brenda

Assuming I understand your question - the short answer is yes data modules can connect to data servers (aka - data sources).  In order to make the data sources available to a data module - go into the Data Source connections (within Admin console) - click on the properties for the data source in question.  Click on the Connection tab, place a check on the "Allow web-based modeling" and save.

If you do not have this "allow" option on that tab - this means that the data source you are attempting does not have a JDBC connection defined to the DB.  Add that connection and the "allow modeling" option will then show. 

Whenever you add a "data server" to your environment - this is the same as adding a data source connection but without the OCI connection.  Data servers only use JDBC connections -- so that is why the automatically show up as a source within a data module. 

Give that a try and hope this gets you moving in the right direction.  

Feel free to text me if you have additional questions.

We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

I don't understand your reply. Can you explain?

You will also need to load the schemas which you want to work with.

Because of this, the metadata is available in a way which avoids unnecessary metadata call backs.

Hi Brenda

Assuming I understand your question - the short answer is yes data modules can connect to data servers (aka - data sources).  In order to make the data sources available to a data module - go into the Data Source connections (within Admin console) - click on the properties for the data source in question.  Click on the Connection tab, place a check on the "Allow web-based modeling" and save.

If you do not have this "allow" option on that tab - this means that the data source you are attempting does not have a JDBC connection defined to the DB.  Add that connection and the "allow modeling" option will then show. 

Whenever you add a "data server" to your environment - this is the same as adding a data source connection but without the OCI connection.  Data servers only use JDBC connections -- so that is why the automatically show up as a source within a data module. 

Give that a try and hope this gets you moving in the right direction.  

Feel free to text me if you have additional questions.

We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

------------------------------
brenda grossnickle
BI Programmer Analyst
FIS
------------------------------

------------------------------
[Abbas] [Alnamar]
[Data Management and Analytics System Administrator]
[Emporia State University]
[Kansas, USA]

Original Message:
Sent: Thu October 16, 2025 09:50 AM
From: brenda grossnickle
Subject: Can data modules use existing Data Source Connections?

We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

------------------------------
brenda grossnickle
BI Programmer Analyst
FIS
------------------------------

"If the schema is large and your Cognos environment doesn't have enough memory or disk space, it can slow things down significantly or in some cases, even cause the environment to become unresponsive." and "3. Consider doing schema loads during off-peak hours if possible." are you talking about when creating the Data Server, creating the Data Module, and/or using a Data Module. 

------------------------------
[Abbas] [Alnamar]
[Data Management and Analytics System Administrator]
[Emporia State University]
[Kansas, USA]

Original Message:
Sent: Thu October 16, 2025 09:50 AM
From: brenda grossnickle
Subject: Can data modules use existing Data Source Connections?

We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

------------------------------
brenda grossnickle
BI Programmer Analyst
FIS
------------------------------

"If the schema is large and your Cognos environment doesn't have enough memory or disk space, it can slow things down significantly or in some cases, even cause the environment to become unresponsive." and "3. Consider doing schema loads during off-peak hours if possible." are you talking about when creating the Data Server, creating the Data Module, and/or using a Data Module. 

------------------------------
[Abbas] [Alnamar]
[Data Management and Analytics System Administrator]
[Emporia State University]
[Kansas, USA]

Original Message:
Sent: Thu October 16, 2025 09:50 AM
From: brenda grossnickle
Subject: Can data modules use existing Data Source Connections?

We are a long-time Cognos shop with existing Data Sources (Administration Console -> Configuration -> Data Source Connections. We have an SDK that a server administrator runs that creates the Data Source Connections at setup and when the Sign on password changes/expires/disables. The Cognos development team is now looking to create some Data Modules that would be in the next release deployment package and we want to encourage the Cognos users to create Data Modules. But how to control the Sign on. Obviously, we are not giving the Cognos users the sign on credentials to the MS SQL Server. 

Can Modules use existing Cognos Data Source connections? This would solve all problems as the Cognos users could just use an existing Data Source and our SDK would not have to be changed when passwords expire.  

How are other people handling this. Is there something that I am missing? 

------------------------------
brenda grossnickle
BI Programmer Analyst
FIS
------------------------------