Is it possible for Cognos 11.1.7 to email several reports at once?

Unlike the previous Event feature, which allowed for the sending of several reports in a single email, Cognos 11.1.7 Jobs deliver each report as a separate email by default.

Is it feasible to use Cognos to automatically sending several reports in a single email?

Yes, but there needs to be a solution to combine the reports into a single email once Cognos generates them, like utilizing custom scripts or outside tools.

Can emails be sent with IBM Cognos using SMTP?

It is possible to set IBM Cognos up to send emails over SMTP, including dissemination of reports.

Exist any outside technologies that interface with Cognos to distribute reports?

Yes, there are third-party technologies available that improve Cognos' features, such as report distribution. It would be necessary to assess each solution's compatibility with your particular Cognos version, though.

How can I make sure that reports that Cognos emails to me are secure?

Use secure SMTP configurations, make sure all email correspondence is encrypted, and take into account further precautions such password-protected PDFs for confidential reports.

Combining Jobs and Cognos Report Outputs into a Single

Alice Dupont

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 11:40:41 AM

Streamlining Report Distribution in Cognos 11.1.7

Effective report delivery is essential for rapid decision-making and data analysis in the field of business intelligence. To address these demands, IBM Cognos, a well-known analytics and business intelligence tool, has changed. In the past, Cognos included Events feature, which let users gather and send out several linked reports in one email. This function was especially helpful in sending thorough report packages straight to the email addresses of stakeholders, guaranteeing that all pertinent information was available in one location.

But IBM moved away from Events and toward Jobs with the upgrade to Cognos version 11.1.7 in an effort to simplify report distribution and scheduling. Users still faced a constraint in spite of this improvement: each report that is scheduled within a job is sent as a separate email. Users who are used to receiving reports in an aggregated format may find this to be problematic in this scenario. As a result, there is a need for a way to keep report dissemination efficient and convenient by combining all reports into a single email.

Command	Description
import os	The OS module, which offers features for interfacing with the operating system, is imported.
import smtplib	Sends messages to any Internet-connected device that has an SMTP or ESMTP listening daemon by importing the SMTP library.
from email.message import EmailMessage	Imports the EmailMessage class, which is used to create email messages, from the email.message module.
REPORT_FOLDER = 'path/to/reports'	Specifies the folder's path where Cognos-generated reports are kept.
SMTP_SERVER = 'smtp.example.com'	Gives the address of the SMTP server that should be contacted in order to send an email.
SMTP_PORT = 587	Specifies the port—typically 587 for TLS—that should be used to connect to the SMTP server.
SMTP_USER = 'user@example.com'	Establishes the SMTP username for the SMTP server's authentication.
SMTP_PASSWORD = 'password'	Establishes the SMTP password needed for SMTP server authentication.
RECIPIENT_EMAIL = 'recipient@example.com'	Specifies the email address of the person who will get the email with the consolidated reports.
def send_email_with_reports():	Defines the send_email_with_reports function, which will manage sending emails.
msg = EmailMessage()	To hold the email's data (subject, sender, receiver, and body), a new EmailMessage object is created.
msg['Subject'] = 'Cognos Reports'	Sets the email's subject.
msg['From'] = SMTP_USER	Uses the SMTP_USER variable to set the email address of the sender.
msg['To'] = RECIPIENT_EMAIL	Uses the RECIPIENT_EMAIL variable to set the email address of the receiver.
msg.set_content('Find attached the reports.')	Adds a message to the recipient in the email's body.

Putting Email Aggregation into Practice for Cognos Reports

The script tries to solve the problem of sending several reports produced by Cognos Jobs in one email as opposed to sending a separate email for each report. Python is a strong and flexible programming language that is used in this solution to dynamically gather the generated reports from a designated directory and send them in a single email. Several essential Python commands and modules form the basis of this approach. To navigate the file system and enable the script to access the directory where Cognos keeps the reports, the os library is essential. The email sending capability is handled by the smtplib library. It permits the script to establish a connection with an SMTP server with the given credentials, which are necessary for session authentication prior to email transmission.

Moreover, an email message that can contain attachments in addition to text is created using the EmailMessage class from the email.message module. When adding the reports to the email, this is especially crucial. The SMTP server, port, user credentials, email address of the recipient, and folder containing the reports are all defined in the script. The logic for composing the email message, attaching each report located in the designated folder, and sending the email over the SMTP server is contained in the method send_email_with_reports. This method improves the efficiency of report distribution by automating the process of disseminating Cognos reports and guaranteeing that stakeholders receive all relevant information in a single, easy-to-read email.

Python-Based Email Dispatch Automation for Cognos Reports

Consolidation of Emails Using Python Script

import os
import smtplib
from email.message import EmailMessage
REPORT_FOLDER = 'path/to/reports'
SMTP_SERVER = 'smtp.example.com'
SMTP_PORT = 587
SMTP_USER = 'user@example.com'
SMTP_PASSWORD = 'password'
RECIPIENT_EMAIL = 'recipient@example.com'
def send_email_with_reports():
    msg = EmailMessage()
    msg['Subject'] = 'Cognos Reports'
    msg['From'] = SMTP_USER
    msg['To'] = RECIPIENT_EMAIL
    msg.set_content('Find attached the reports.')

Increasing Report Distribution Efficiency with Cognos Jobs

Businesses are depending more and more on data analytics to make decisions, thus being able to provide pertinent reports quickly is essential. This has previously been made possible by IBM Cognos, a well-known business intelligence application, using Events, which let users deliver many reports in an email. Nevertheless, the more recent iterations, such as Cognos 11.1.7, emphasize the use of Jobs, which by default send individual emails for each report. Organizations used to the unified email method may find this change challenging, which may affect the effectiveness of information sharing. These days, the demand goes beyond simply producing reports; it also includes making sure they are delivered to the right people as quickly as possible while maintaining the context and relationships between various reports.

Organizations may need to look for workarounds or other third-party products that interface with Cognos in order to get around this. This calls for a deeper comprehension of the programmatic access to report creation and administration features offered by Cognos' API, if any are accessible. As an alternative, creating unique scripts that function outside of Cognos to compile and distribute reports after generation is a workable tactic, as was previously mentioned. This method gives organizations flexibility and control over the report dissemination process, even though it requires more setup and upkeep. This helps them to retain the efficacy of their decision-making processes and the efficiency of their operations.

Common Questions Regarding the Distribution of Cognos Reports

Is it possible for Cognos 11.1.7 to email several reports at once?
Unlike the previous Event feature, which allowed for the sending of several reports in a single email, Cognos 11.1.7 Jobs deliver each report as a separate email by default.
Is it feasible to use Cognos to automatically sending several reports in a single email?
Yes, but there needs to be a solution to combine the reports into a single email once Cognos generates them, like utilizing custom scripts or outside tools.
Can emails be sent with IBM Cognos using SMTP?
It is possible to set IBM Cognos up to send emails over SMTP, including dissemination of reports.
Exist any outside technologies that interface with Cognos to distribute reports?
Yes, there are third-party technologies available that improve Cognos' features, such as report distribution. It would be necessary to assess each solution's compatibility with your particular Cognos version, though.
How can I make sure that reports that Cognos emails to me are secure?
Use secure SMTP configurations, make sure all email correspondence is encrypted, and take into account further precautions such password-protected PDFs for confidential reports.

Simplifying IBM Cognos Report Delivery

Report distribution has become more complicated as a result of IBM Cognos switching from Events to Jobs, particularly for customers who want to send numerous reports in a single email. Although this change is a reflection of a larger trend toward more flexible and granular job scheduling, it has unintentionally made the process of sending out detailed report packages more difficult. The investigation above suggests ways to get around these restrictions, like using third-party tools and bespoke scripts. Organizations can maintain a streamlined and coherent reporting process for their stakeholders by implementing such tactics. By guaranteeing that decision-makers have timely access to a consolidated collection of reports, this not only preserves the effectiveness of information transmission but also supports the analytical needs of the organization. In the end, even if Cognos Jobs provide a number of advantages for scheduling and report production, the difficulties with report distribution in the present platform version can be solved by customizing and expanding these functions through interface with external tools.

Combining Jobs and Cognos Report Outputs into a Single Email