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Planning your IBM Cognos Analytics Upgrade from Version 10.2 to 11

Product Lifecycle


Abstract

This document will aid in your upgrade preparations to an on-premise installation and/or to an IBM Cognos Analytics on Cloud offering, helping you to build your roadmap, identify key milestones, and plan accordingly from assessment to go live.

While this document applies to upgrades from IBM Cognos Business Intelligence 10.2 to IBM Cognos Analytics, most of this content is helpful for later upgrades as well, particularly if you choose to perform the installation in a separate location and follow traditional validation activities.

Content


 

UNDERSTANDING THE UPGRADE PROCESS

Back to Upgrade Central Home

Version 10.2 to 11.x

Proper planning and preparations are key to the smooth upgrade of any enterprise application. By understanding what's involved and accounting for the details, you will mitigate upgrade risks and build an effective, actionable plan. Sample checklists and project planning documents can be found on the Upgrade Central Home page.

First, understand the key activities and sub-activities involved in planning your upgrade:

1. Assess

2. Install

3. Upgrade

4. Go Live

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1. ASSESS

If you are reading this document, you are likely in the process of considering an upgrade or actively planning one in the near future. The below diagram depicts common tasks that companies complete during this activity.

Consider these steps for this activity: Discover, Evaluate, Plan, and Prepare. Such activities will include checking for supported environment compatibility, planning your validation scripts, and writing plans to prepare the users to use the new features.

Sample checklists and project planning documents that discuss these activities in detail can be found on the Upgrade Central Home page.

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2. INSTALL

Consider these steps for this activity: Install, Configure, and Test. Start with your sandbox or development environment; then, repeat for each of your higher environments, applying lessons you learn along the way.

If migrating to an IBM Cognos Analytics on Cloud instance, include the additional step in the diagram for tailoring your cloud instances. It is recommended that you first perform a local on-premise installation to create an upgrade sandbox so that you can first upgrade, validate, and prepare your content for cloud-readiness before uploading your content to the cloud.

Sample checklists and project planning documents that discuss these activities in detail can be found on the Upgrade Central Home page.

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Special On-Premise Installation Considerations:
  • Installation Method Choices (for the product components)
    • Upgrading from 10.2.x to 11.x requires the product components to be installed in a new location, and the process diagram below assumes this will be the case. It is not supported to install the components on top of the previous version.
    • Upgrading from 11.x to 11.x has a new feature that allows for an install on top of the previous version. Alternatively, you can also choose to use a fresh install in a new location approach. As with operating systems, an install on top can allow you to continue with business as usual in a shorter period of time. However, as with operating systems, if mistakes are made during the install, certain files are unknowingly locked during the install, or you had pre-existing issues, you may start with an unhealthy upgraded version. Some users prefer to start with a fresh install and simply import a full content store deployment from the previous version.
    • Refer to this matrix for additional considerations: Blog: Over the top or Separate Install Considerations
  • Content Store Repository Choices
    • For both 10.2.2 to 11.x and 11.x to 11.x, you may choose to use a copy of the existing content store database as the starting point for your content store. Upon upgrade, the content store may take awhile to modify the tables as necessary.
    • Alternatively, you can choose to start with a new, fresh content store database instead of a copy of the existing one. Upon initial startup, the new, necessary tables will be created automatically. You will then move the old content to the new environment using the export and import functions via the administration console. The larger the content chosen, the longer the export and import can take, as well as performing the "upgrade content" administrative task against this content. 
  • Backups, Contingency Plans, and Reverting
    • Before attempting the installation or upgrade, regardless of method chosen, it is recommended to fully backup the entire installation directory, fully backup all repository databases, and deploy a full content store export in the event you need to roll back.
    • Be sure to test your backups to ensure they work>
    • Tip: If you chose an on-top installation or chose to start with an existing content store database, and if something goes wrong without an obvious simple adjustment to fix it, your time may be better spent starting over using a new installation path and a new content store database than it is trying to troubleshoot and reverse engineer the problem.

If upgrading to IBM Cognos Analytics on Cloud Dedicated:

IBM will perform the install and initial configuration on your cloud offering instances. This process is called provisioning. Once provisioned, IBM will send you a Welcome Kit via email so that you can finish tailoring and configuring your cloud instances. It is important that you read this email and document closely, as it will you be required to supply information to IBM to complete your instances. See the cloud onboarding process here: Onboarding to IBM Cognos Analytics on Cloud

Traditionally, companies with their own on-premise installations of IBM Cognos Analytics will have more than one environment, such as:

  • Upgrade sandbox
  • Development
  • Test / UAT / Pre-Production
  • Production

Alternatively, companies migrating to the cloud, typically have the following in their new environments:

  • On-premise sandbox (for upgrading and preparing content for upload)
  • Development (cloud instance)
  • Production (cloud instance)

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3. UPGRADE

The following are key steps to upgrading your content and ensuring it is ready to deploy. The steps include Upgrading your content, Preparing your content for the cloud, Validation (including adjustments), and Promoting the content to the next higher environment in your upgrade lifecycle.

Sample checklists and project planning documents that discuss these activities in detail can be found on the Upgrade Central Home page.

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If upgrading to an IBM Cognos Analytics on Cloud Dedicated instance, there are additional things you will need to consider to ensure your content is compatible with the cloud offering that you purchased. For example, do you need to convert any legacy content from a CQM based source to DQM? Were you using legacy studios that are no longer supported in the cloud offering you purchased?

If this is the case, then it is recommended that you prepare such content in a local, on-premise environment before uploading that content to the cloud instance.


4. GO LIVE

The Go Live activity is an exciting time, as you await the reaction from your end users as they start to use the new environment. It is expected that users will continue to need attention with their content and have questions over the course of several weeks, so plan for this time period and help them feel welcome in this new environment.

Consider the following steps in your plan: Parallel testing, User Education, Cut-over, and Using New Features.

Sample checklists and project planning documents that discuss these activities in detail can be found on the Upgrade Central Home page.

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5. SHARE SUCCESS STORY

Congratulations! You've completed the upgrade, and your users are satisfied. The most rewarding activity is next:

Share your success story!

Increase your brand as an industry expert and help your peers at other companies prepare for their upgrades by blogging, speaking at events, or simply sharing your story with IBM.


RELATED REFERENCES

Several good templates, samples, documents, and videos to help you plan and better understand your upgrade can be found at the Upgrade Central Home page.

Related Information

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Product Synonym

IBM Cognos; Cognos; IBM Cognos Analytics; Cognos Business Intelligence; Cognos Analytics on Cloud; Congos

Document Information

Modified date:
22 April 2019

UID

swg21624935