Installing the Oracle database client for Cognos Transformer

Install the Oracle database client on the computer where you hosts IBM® Cognos® Business Intelligence.

Before you begin

Before you install the database client, the database server must be installed and running, and you must create the Metrics database and the Cognos Content Store database.

For troubleshooting information on configuring the Oracle database client for use with Cognos, see the IBM technote, Resolving Oracle connection errors.

Procedure

Install the standard 32-bit database client on the server where you deploys Cognos Business Intelligence. For more information, see Installing Oracle Database Client.

Important: Be sure to install the standard 32-bit client rather than the Instant Client, which is not supported by Cognos. If you installed the 64-bit client, you must uninstall it before you install the 32-bit client.
Edit the Oracle_client_install_path/network/admin/tnsnames.ora file and add the following TNS settings into the file:
The TNS setting on the Oracle client must look like the example that follows:
```
LISTENER_Local_tns_name =  
   (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = Oracle_database_server_host_name)(PORT = Port))

Local_tns_name =
  (DESCRIPTION =
    (ADDRESS_LIST =
      (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = Oracle_database_server_host_name)(PORT = Port))
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA =
      (SERVICE_NAME = Database_service_name)
    )
  )
```
where:
- Local_tns_name is the user -defined TNS alias for the remote Oracle database instance. It needs to match the value of the metrics.db.local setting in the cognos-setup.properties file that is used during Cognos Business Intelligence installation.
- Oracle_database_server_host_name is the host name of the server that hosts the Oracle database server; for example: oradb.example.com.
- Port is port on which the Oracle database server is listening; typically port 1521.
- Database_service_name is the database service name; for example, orcl.
Verify that the client can connect to the Metrics database.
In bin folder of oracle_home, run sqlplus [db_user]/[password]@[Local_tns_name] where:
- db_user is the Metrics db user.
- password is the password of the db_user.
- Local_tns_name is the TNS alias you created.
If the setting is correct, you will connect the database successfully.