Creating a dynamic namespace

You can configure a Cognos Analytics namespace using the Manage component. These are called dynamic namespaces. Namespaces created in Cognos Configuration are called classic namespaces.

Dynamic and classic namespaces function the same way. However, it is easier for the administrator to create dynamic namespaces than classic namespaces for these reasons:

  • As administrator, you may not have direct access to the Cognos Analytics server and therefore you cannot run Cognos Configuration.
  • After you create a dynamic namespace, you don't have to restart the Cognos Analytics service, which would interrupt current user sessions.

For information about creating classic namespaces in Cognos Configuration, see Configuring authentication providers.

Before you begin

Ensure that you have installed and configured a supported identity provider in your environment.

Here are the supported namespace types for a dynamic namespace:

  • LDAP
  • OpenId Connect
  • OpenId Connect Authentication Proxy

To create and manage a dynamic namespace, you must have both the Manage Namespaces and Users, Groups, and Roles Administration capabilities. For more information, see User capabilities

About this task

Procedure

  1. Click the Open menu icon Open menu icon, and then select Manage > People > Authentication.
    The Authentication window appears. It lists the System namespace Cognos, created automatically during installation. If the installer used Cognos Configuration to create a namespace, it is also listed as a Classic namespace.
  2. Click Add namespace.
  3. Enter a name for the namespace.
  4. Select one of these types:
    • LDAP
    • OpenId Connect
    • OpenId Connect Authentication Proxy
  5. Select an identity provider for the type that you chose and then click Next.

    The configuration page for the identity provider appears.

  6. Enter values in the required fields (highlighted in red).
    Tip: For more information, see these topics:
  7. Click Test namespace.
    The connection to the new namespace is validated. If the connection is not valid, error messages appear.
  8. Click Create.

    The new namespace is listed in the Authentication window. Initially, its status is Inactive. But after a few seconds, it its status value becomes Active, which mean users can log into the namespace.

  9. If you later need to update the configuration or you are experiencing errors, click the Action menu icon action menu icon, and select Configure.

    The configuration page appears showing your current configuration.

    • If you change a value and click Save, you receive a confirmation warning that all active users will be logged off.
    • If you encounter Namespace errors , you can click the copy to clipboard icon copy to clipboard icon.. If you then contact IBM Support, you can send them your clipboard content, which is a .json file of your configuration for troubleshooting purposes.
  10. If you decide to delete the dynamic namespace, click the Action menu icon action menu icon, and select Delete.

    This confirmation dialog appears:

    CAUTION:
    Confirm that you want to delete the dynamic namespace. Then enter its name in the confirmation text box and click Delete.
    Note: You can also delete a classic namespace, but only if it was first set to Inactive in Cognos Configuration. For more information, see Delete an Authentication Provider.For more information, see Delete an Authentication Provider in the IBM Cognos Analytics Installation and Configuration Guide.

Results

IBM® Cognos® loads, initializes, and configures the provider libraries for the namespace.