Setting Database Connection Properties for a Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Informix, or Sybase Content Store

You must specify the database server information to ensure that Content Manager can connect to the database you use for the content store.

Procedure

On the computer where you installed Content Manager, start IBM® Cognos® Configuration.
In the Explorer window, under Data Access, Content Manager, right-click Content Store and click Delete.
This deletes the connection to the default resource. Content Manager can access only one content store.
Right-click Content Manager, and then click New resource, Database.
In the Name box, type a name for the resource.
In the Type box, select the type of database and click OK.
Tip: If you want to use an Oracle Net8 keyword-value pair to manage the database connection, select Oracle database (Advanced).
In the Properties window, provide values depending on your database type:
- If you use a Microsoft SQL Server database, type the appropriate values for the Database server with port number or instance name and Database name properties.
  For a Microsoft SQL Server database, you can choose to use a port number, such as 1433, or a named instance as the value for the Database server with port number or instance name property.
  
  For the Database server with port number or instance name property, include the instance name if there are multiple instances of Microsoft SQL Server.
  
  To connect to a named instance, you must specify the instance name. For example, you can type localhost\instance1. If an instance name is not specified, a connection to the default instance is created.
- If you use an Oracle database, type the appropriate values for the Database server and port number and Service name properties.
- If you use an advanced Oracle database, for the Database specifier property, type the Oracle Net8 keyword-value pair for the connection.
  Here is an example:
```
(description=(address=(host=myhost)(protocol=tcp)(port=1521)
(connect_data=(sid=(orcl)))))
```
  When you select the advanced Oracle database, IBM Cognos BI uses enterprise-oriented Oracle features to select a listener, switch to another listener if the first listener fails, automatically reconnect to the database if the connection fails, balance connection requests among listeners, and balance connection requests among dispatchers.
- If you use an Informix® database, type the appropriate values for the Database server and port number and Database name properties.
- If you use a Sybase database, type the appropriate values for the Database server and port number and Database name properties.
To configure logon credentials, specify a user ID and password:
- Click the Value box next to the User ID and password property and then click the edit button when it appears.
- Type the appropriate values and click OK.
If you host more than one content store database on an Informix instance, create the advanced property CMSCRIPT_CS_ID and specify the account under which the instance runs:
- In the Explorer window, click Local Configuration.
- In the Properties window, click the Value column for Advanced properties and then click the edit button.
- In the Value - Advanced properties dialog box, click Add.
- In the Name column, type CMSCRIPT_CS_ID
- In the Value column, type the user ID of the account under which the instance of the content store runs.
  Use a different user account for each instance of Informix content store database.
From the File menu, click Save.
The logon credentials are immediately encrypted.
To test the connection between Content Manager and the content store database, from the Actions menu, click Test.
Content Manager connects to the database, checks the database permissions, and creates and populates a table. The table is not deleted and is used each time that the test is repeated.

Results

Content Manager can now create the required tables in the content store when you start the IBM Cognos service for the first time. If the connection properties are not specified correctly, you cannot start the IBM Cognos services.