Support User Guide

Cognos Support User Guide MAXIMIZING YOUR SUPPORT INVESTMENT

Copyright © 2007 Cognos Incorporated. While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information in this document is accurate and complete, some typographical errors or technical inaccuracies may exist. Cognos does not accept responsibility for any kind of loss resulting from the use of information contained in this document. This document shows the publication date. The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Any improvements or changes to the information contained in this document will be documented in subsequent editions. This document contains proprietary information of Cognos Incorporated. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, or translated into another language without the prior written consent of Cognos Incorporated. Cognos and the Cognos logo are trademarks of Cognos Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Information about Cognos Products and Accessibility can be found at www.cognos.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................4 2.0 GETTING STARTED ...................................................................................................................................5 2.1 GLOSSARY..........................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Frequently Asked Questions.................................................................................................................6 3.0 COGNOS SUPPORT PLANS OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................8 4.0 ONLINE SUPPORT ....................................................................................................................................9 Knowledge Base .................................................................................................................................10 Proven Practices .................................................................................................................................10 Product Information...........................................................................................................................10 Product Downloads............................................................................................................................10 Product Documentation ....................................................................................................................11 Supportlink Magazine ........................................................................................................................11 “Tech-Talk” Web Seminars (Customer Information Series) ................................................................11 Cognos Diagnostic Tools....................................................................................................................11 Proactive Notifications .......................................................................................................................11 Cognos Communities .........................................................................................................................11 5.0 ASSISTED SUPPORT...............................................................................................................................12 5.1 WHEN TO LOG A SERVICE REQUEST ..........................................................................................12 5.2 BEFORE LOGGING A SERVICE REQUEST ....................................................................................12 5.3 LOGGING A SERVICE REQUEST....................................................................................................12 Information Required to Log a Service Request .................................................................................14 Logging Service Requests by Telephone..............................................................................................14 Logging Service Requests Online........................................................................................................14 5.4 SERVICE REQUEST DETAILS ..........................................................................................................15 Priority ...............................................................................................................................................15 Status .................................................................................................................................................16 Resolution ..........................................................................................................................................17 Escalation...........................................................................................................................................17 Joint Commitments ............................................................................................................................18 6.0 PRODUCT (APPLIANCE) CONTINUATION ............................................................................................19 6.1 PRODUCT RELEASE TYPES ............................................................................................................19 New Releases .....................................................................................................................................19 Maintenance Releases – Point Releases ..............................................................................................19 Service Packs (SPs) .............................................................................................................................19 Hot Sites.............................................................................................................................................20 7.0 ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER RESOURCES.................................................................................................21 7.1 TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS RESOURCES ...................................................................................21 7.2 IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANCE ..................................................................................................21 8.0 CONTACTING US .....................................................................................................................................22

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1.0 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW Welcome to Cognos Support! There are two guides available to assist you in navigating Cognos Support: 1. Cognos Support Plans Guide: The Support Plans Guide is intended to educate you about the available Cognos Support Plans prior to purchase, and serve as a reference of your support entitlements after your purchase. It is the definitive document on what is included in your specific Support Plan. 2. Cognos Support User Guide: The Cognos Support User Guide is intended to help you maximize your support investment. Targeted to customers that have already purchased support and chosen their Support Plan, the Support User Guide details how to use and access support services. The guide you are now reading is the Cognos Support User Guide. It is organized as follows: Section 1.0: Introduction and Overview Assists you in understanding the guides available to you, explains their target audience and objective, as well as prepares you to navigate this document.

Section 3.0: Cognos Support Plans Overview Provides a very brief overview of the Cognos Support Plans in a compare and contrast style. This is not intended to replace the Cognos Support Plans Guide, which is the reference source you should use for detailed Support Plan information. Section 4.0: Online Support Summarizes and details the extensive, online self-service resources available to you. Section 5.0: Assisted Support Summarizes and details how to work with Cognos Support when you require live, interactive support. Section 6.0: Product Continuation Summarizes and details the various product releases available from Cognos. Section 7.0: Additional Resources Provides a quick reference of pertinent resources available to you from Cognos. Section 8.0: Contacting Us Provides ways to contact Cognos Support.

Section 2.0: Getting Started Addresses terminology and common questions, and provides you with a quick start to the information you’ll need to engage Cognos Support.

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2.0 GETTING STARTED In this section you’ll find most of the information you need to get started using Cognos Support. The first part assists you with terminology you’ll encounter in this document and while using Cognos Support. In the second part you’ll find answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQ), and in the process be given background on the absolute basics you need to know to be successful with Cognos Support. 2.1 GLOSSARY Cognos Assisted Support (Assisted Support): available through the Cognos Support Web site or via telephone, Assisted Support is when you require a Cognos Support Analyst to provide live, interactive technical assistance. Cognos Online Support (Online Support): refers to the Cognos Support self-service Web site, and collectively all of its features and assets. Cognos Insight!: a market name adopted for the Service Request logging portion of the Cognos Support Web site. Cognos Support Analyst (Support Analyst): often referred to as a Support Analyst or Technical Analyst, a Cognos Support Analyst is a highly skilled, highly trained technical Cognos employee who is ready to assist you when you need live, interactive support from Cognos. Cognos Support: collectively refers to the entire support organization at Cognos, most typically visible to you via 24x7 online Web access and Cognos Support Analysts.

Error Correction: is defined as a revision that corrects Errors and deficiencies in product code. Priority: the severity level of a Service Request, from 1 to 4, that encapsulates the impact an issue is having on your business and/or application. Response Time: response time relates to a Service Request, and is the lapsed time from when you log a Service Request to when a Cognos Support Analyst is assigned to your issue, and acknowledges such assignment by initiating return contact. The Response Time you receive is a function of your Support Plan and Service Request Priority. Service Request (SR): a single, reproducible issue, problem, or symptom that you require interactive assistance with from a Cognos Support Analyst. Support Contact: a member of your team who is highly trained and skilled in Cognos products and solutions, and who understands your implementation of Cognos. Specific types of Support Contacts (i.e., Primary/Secondary) work collectively with Cognos to identify, diagnose and resolve Service Requests. Support Plan: a Support Plan is a purchasable support service offering with defined deliverables, rights, joint commitments and service levels. A Support Plan encapsulates the shared working arrangement between you and Cognos Support.

Error: is defined as an error in product code, resulting in the product not functioning as documented, as per design specification or as intended by Cognos.

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2.2 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Question: What is my customer number and where do I find it? Answer: Your customer number, sometimes referred to as your account number, is the unique identifier given to your company by Cognos. It will appear on all of your support quotes and invoices, and you may be asked to provide it when you contact Cognos Support. You can determine your customer number by looking at your original or last Cognos invoice, by contacting your Cognos sales or renewal representative, or by calling Cognos Support. Question: How do I contact Cognos Support? Answer: One of the key sources for contact information is the Cognos Support Web site at http://support.cognos.com. Specific Support Center locations and coverage information can be found at http://support.cognos.com/en/ support/about/contact.html. Question: Are there different types of Support Contacts? Answer: There are three different levels of customer designated Support Contacts: Primary, Secondary, and Web User. You may select one Primary and as many Secondary Contacts as your total contact entitlement allows. There is no limit to the number of Web Users permitted. The privileges of the different contact types are as follows: Privilege

Primary

Secondary Web

Question: How do I become a Support Contact? Answer: Upon initial purchase of support from Cognos, your company must designate a Primary Contact. Your Primary Contact must call a Cognos Support Center and register as such. Once registered, your Primary Contact, in conjunction with Cognos, will manage all other Support Contacts to your entitlement limits. Question: How do I get access to Cognos Online Support? Answer: All contact types have access to Cognos Online Support. Some access for Web Contacts is restricted. To establish a username and password for Cognos Online Support, your Primary Contact adds your details, at their discretion, into the Administration section of Cognos Online Support. Your login name will be your e-mail address, and your password will be sent to that e-mail address. Question: How do I reach Cognos Assisted Support? Answer: Cognos Support has worldwide coverage and our support centers are divided among three regions: • Americas: covering North and South America and the Caribbean • Europe, Middle East and South Africa (EMEA): covering Eastern and Western Europe, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Africa • Asia-Pacific: covering South and Southeast Asia and Australia and New Zealand

Add/Delete/Modify Support Contacts



Download Product





Service Requests





Access Online Self-Service Support





Specific Support Center locations and contact information can be found at http://support.cognos.com/en/support/

Log Assisted Support

about/contact.html. 

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Question: How do I reach 24x7 Critical Coverage Support? Answer: 24x7 Critical Coverage is only available if you have purchased the coverage directly, or if you have the coverage included in your Support Plan. It is for Priority 1 Service Requests (as described elsewhere in this User Guide) that arise outside of typical business hours, or on holidays or weekends. If you are entitled to 24x7 Critical Coverage, and you have a Priority 1 issue, you must log a Service Request by telephone by calling 1 800 637-7447 (in North America) or 1 613 228-7900 (outside of North America). Cognos 24x7 Critical Coverage Support is provided in English only.

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3.0 COGNOS SUPPORT PLANS OVERVIEW Cognos Support offers Support Plans specific to Software customers and Appliance customers. Software customers purchase software from Cognos and install and maintain such software on their own hardware, whereas Appliance customers purchase hardware from Cognos on which software solutions are pre-installed and configured. All Support Plans are founded on: 1. Product (Appliance) Continuation: access to various new and upgrade releases of software and/or hardware

The difference between the plans is in the Assisted Support focus. 3. Assisted Support: the support services available to you when you require live, interactive support from Cognos The Support Plans available to Software customers include: 1) Standard, 2) Advantage, and 3) Premier. Appliance customers are eligible for the Select Support Plan. The Select Support Plan for Appliance customers is very similar to the Standard Support Plan for Software customers, but adds hardware support services.

2. Online Support: 24x7, self-serve access to Web resources such as Knowledge Base, Proven Practices and Product Downloads (if applicable)

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This table summarizes each Support Plan. Support Plan Components

Select

Standard

Advantage

Premier

Product

New Releases









Continuation

Maintenance Releases









Service Packs (for some products)









Hot Sites









Documentation









Product Enhancement Program









Product Advisories









Online Self-

Service Request Management









Serve Support

Knowledge Base









Proven Practices









Product Information and Downloads









Product Documentation









Supportlink – Online Magazine









Tech-Talk Web Seminars









Diagnostic Tools









Proactive Notifications (RSS Feed)









Support Contacts

Based on number of supported Appliances

Based on number of supported users

4 per Support Group (in addition to Standard contacts based on supported users)

8 per Support Group (in addition to Standard contacts based on supported users)

Service Request Logging

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

Response Time (P1)

1 hr

1 hr

30 min

Immediate

Hardware Support



not applicable

Assisted Support

not applicable

not applicable

Resolution Targets (non-code Error)





Senior Subject Matter Expert Team





Team Based Issue Resolution





Low Customer:Analyst Ratio





Software Development Kit (SDK) Code-Level (if SDK licensed)



Partnership

Executive Sponsor



and Prevention

Support Account Manager (SAM)



Modeled Environment



Onsite Visits



Proactive Summaries/Alerts



Add-on

Rapid Response

Components

24x7 Critical Coverage (P1)

Option

Unlimited

Unlimited

Global Support

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Additional Support Contacts

Option

Option

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4.0 ONLINE SUPPORT The Cognos Support Web site (http://support.cognos.com) provides 24x7, self-serve access to assist you in diagnosing and solving your own issues, becoming more knowledgeable about Cognos products and solutions, and logging Assisted Support Service Requests. The vast collection of knowledge resources, such as Knowledge Base, Proven Practices, Product Documentation and Supportlink magazine, are collectively searchable via the Google™ powered search engine. Use the search box located in the top right corner of every page for fast and convenient access. If you need assistance using the search, a Search Help page of tips is available at: http://support.cognos.com/en/support/ knowledgebase/new_search.html Many of the resources are only available to supported customers and reside behind password protection. Please refer to the Getting Started section of this document for a better understanding of how to become a Support Contact and gain access to Cognos Online Support. Here are some of the key resources you have access to, with direct links: Knowledge Base – http://support.cognos.com/kbapp/knowledgebase The extensive text-based and multimedia Knowledge Base provides easily accessible solutions to specific technical questions. Proven Practices – http://support.cognos.com/ supported/tti/public/index.html All Support Contacts can access Cognos Proven Practice documents to help them learn how to best use Cognos products within their specific technology environment. Developed, tested and proven in real life customer engagements, Cognos Proven Practice information is collected, created, validated and shared from experiences gained in product reviews and real, live solution

deployments. Proven Practices begin as “guidelines,” the theory on how things are expected to work, and then mature to Proven Practices over time as experience proves they work in specific customer environments. To simplify finding and using the knowledge, the documents are organized into categories or topics such as report design, modeling, financial management, security, infrastructure, performance and upgrade and migration. Product Information – http://support.cognos.com/ en/support/products/index.html The Product Information area of the Support Web site is where you can find detailed information about Cognos products. Some of the information available includes: • Product Advisories: warnings, advice and updates on known or potential issues or alerts with Cognos or third-party software. • Localized Products: a listing of the languages into which Cognos has translated the user interface and/or documentation. • Supported Products: provides the support status of all versions of Cognos software. Please note that this page applies to both English and localized versions of Cognos products unless otherwise noted. • Software Environments: provides a listing, by product version, of the software environments in which Cognos products are known to work and have had testing. You can also find supported locales, character sets, and languages in which data is supported. Product Downloads – http://support.cognos.com/ supported/en/support/downloads/index.html The Downloads section has New Releases, Maintenance Releases and Service Packs for applicable Cognos products. These releases and their scope are fully defined in the Cognos

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Support Plans Guide, the companion document to this User Guide. Only Primary and Secondary Support Contacts can access these downloads, as described elsewhere in this Guide. Product Documentation – http://support.cognos.com/en/support/ documentation/index.html Updated product documentation, including readme files, installation guides, new feature guides, and user and technical reference manuals, is provided with each New Release. In the case of multi-user licenses, only one set of hardcopy documentation is provided with the software. The documentation details new features and enhancements and may also be updated based on user feedback. If required, additional hardcopies can be purchased through your Cognos account manager, or a soft copy can be downloaded from the Support Web site. Supportlink Magazine – http://support.cognos.com/supportlink/index.html All Support Contact types can access Supportlink, an online magazine with technical and product information written by Cognos, customers and partners. Supportlink is designed to enable you to work more effectively with Cognos software. Published by Cognos Support, Supportlink is a unique source of in-depth information about Cognos software and services. “Tech-Talk” Web Seminars (Customer Information Series) – http://www.cognos.com/techtalkinsider/ This online series delivers deep, real-world technical information and offers the opportunity to engage live with Cognos experts. Register for monthly Cognos Customer Information Series Web Seminars to learn about best practices and technology updates from hands-on specialists from across Cognos.

Cognos Diagnostic Tools – http://support.cognos.com/en/support/diagnostic s/index.html Timely and accurate information about your system environment, Cognos product configuration and settings are crucial to speeding issue resolution and improving productivity of your team. Cognos Support has developed a number of diagnostic tools to help verify your software environment, identify and troubleshoot issues and provide you with the product details and systems information needed to log a support Service Request, and to perhaps self-diagnose and issue. Proactive Notifications – http://support.cognos.com/en/gcs/rss/ Through RSS feeds, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, you have access to continually updated headlines, summaries, and links to full stories on our Web site. To access the RSS feeds, you will need to install a news reader. The latest editions of popular Web browsers also have built-in support for RSS feeds allowing you to download and display RSS feeds right in your Web browser. Cognos Communities – http://support.cognos.com/en/support/ communities/index.html By using the Cognos Communities you can communicate, share and interact with other Cognos users from all over the world. Interact online and in person and exchange your ideas and solutions. Become part of the growing community of Cognos users. If you have any questions or comments regarding Cognos Online Support, please contact the Cognos Online Support team at [email protected]. Note: this email address is intended only for questions relating to the use of the Online Support services, and should not be used to log Service Requests – doing so will result in delays in processing a request for assistance.

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5.0 ASSISTED SUPPORT 5.1 WHEN TO LOG A SERVICE REQUEST

5.2 BEFORE LOGGING A SERVICE REQUEST

Logging a Service Request is typically appropriate if you:

Before logging a Service Request, you should use Cognos Online Support resources to identify, and perhaps solve, the issue. If the diagnosis and solution are not readily apparent, you will need to gather some information and perform some tasks before logging a Service Request. This will ensure that your issue is resolved as quickly as possible.

• Are looking for guidance with respect to the correct use of a Cognos product or feature. • Are looking for clarification with respect to a documented feature. • Need assistance troubleshooting an issue when you are experiencing unexpected results. • Need to reproduce potential Cognos product errors and receive alternative solutions until the code problem can be corrected. You will be referred to our Consulting or Training Services teams if, for example, your issue: • Requires hands-on configuration and tuning • Is non-reproducible • Is associated to your specific customizations or implementation • Is related to the designing of a model or the developing of reports • Is in regards to planning a deployment or project management If you are unsure whether your issue should be logged as a Service Request, or if it requires Consulting or Training Services, follow the Service Request submission process with Cognos Support. A Support Analyst will then work with you to determine the best plan of action.

1. Verify that the issue is actually with your Cognos software. Given that Cognos products operate in a software and hardware environment of varying complexity, you need to eliminate the possibility that the problem resides with another vendor’s product, such as your hardware, database, operating system or network software. If the issue is found to be with another vendor’s product but is impacting your Cognos solution, you will need to contact that specific vendor. Cognos will use reasonable efforts to resolve the issue with you and the vendor. 2. Verify that you are working with a supported version of the Cognos software, using the product information available to you and described in the Online Support section of this User Guide. If the version you are using is not supported, you might need to upgrade in order to solve the problem. Useful Link: http://support.cognos.com/en/ support/products/supported.html

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3. Verify that you are working with a supported software environment, using the product information available to you and described in the Online Support section of this User Guide. You can also use the Cognos Diagnostic Tools described in the Online Support section to verify your environment. Useful Link: http://support.cognos.com/ en/support/products/environments.html 4. Check to see if the problem is reoccurring by reviewing your company’s past Service Requests. Your Service Request history can be found under My Company’s Service Requests, available via Online Support. 5. Attempt to reproduce the problem to ensure that it is not just a simple misstep. Determine if the problem occurs randomly or consistently. 6. If the problem is reproducible, check to see if any changes have recently taken place in your environment, including: • Version changes of the product, database, operating system, network software, patches, etc. • Web or application server configuration changes • Security setting changes

7. Check for more obvious root causes, such as file locations, directories, and paths specified, insufficient access permissions, lack of disk space, and so on. 8. Determine if the problem occurs on one, more than one, or all of your computers. You can use Cognos Diagnostic Tools, available at http://support.cognos.com/ en/support/diagnostics/, to verify your environment, compare the results between different installations and identify possible differences. 9. Determine if Cognos Consulting or Training Services would be better positioned to address the problem or need, keeping in mind that Cognos Support’s primary responsibilities to you are: • Providing guidance with respect to the correct use of a Cognos product feature. • Providing clarification with respect to a documented feature. • Assisting with troubleshooting an issue when you are experiencing unexpected results. • Reproducing potential Cognos product errors and providing alternative solutions until the code problem can be corrected. 5.3 LOGGING A SERVICE REQUEST If you’ve performed the tasks and gathered the information in the previous section, you have either solved your issue or are ready to log an Assisted Support Service Request. As previously detailed, you need to be a Primary or Secondary Support Contact to log a Service Request. Service Requests can be logged using Cognos Online Support, or via telephone. For your convenience, how to access each is repeated below: Online Support – http://support.cognos.com Support Center Telephone Access – http://support.cognos.com/en/support/ about/contact.html

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Each Service Request you log is assigned a reference number. This unique identifier enables you and Cognos to track the Service Request until the issue is resolved, and afterwards for historical reference. It is important to record this number to simplify getting status update requests via the telephone or online. Information Required to Log a Service Request Whether you log your Service Request by telephone or online, some combination of the following information is required, so it is advised that you collect it in advance: • Your customer number • Your full name • Your phone number • The e-mail address where you can be reached • The version of the software you are using (including build number)

Logging Service Requests by Telephone Locate and call your nearest Support Center using the above provided link. Please have all required information gathered in advance. If you contact Cognos Support via telephone for an update, you will be prompted for the Service Request reference number to ensure you are connected to the correct Support Analyst to ensure an accurate update. Logging Service Requests Online 1. Access Cognos Online Support at http://support.cognos.com 2. Locate and click the Create Service Request link 3. On the Submit Create Service Request form, enter the required information and the Service Request Priority (see the next section for details on priorities). Be sure to provide an issue title and all pertinent details regarding the technical issue

• The vendor and version of the operating system on which the Cognos software is installed

4. Attach pertinent log files, screen captures and other supporting files

• The type of hardware you are using

5. Submit the form

• Your network configuration and topology, if applicable • The types and versions of databases you are accessing, if applicable • A description of what you were doing when the issue occurred (error messages, product behaviors, steps that result in error) • The text or screen capture of any error messages that appeared on screen • Log files that record configuration and events

After logging a Service Request and when using Cognos Online Support, you can locate your Service Request by following the Check Status of Service Requests link. Your 10 most recent Service Requests will appear in the list, and you can view the current status or each. To find older Service Requests, use the Query button. To broaden the scope of your online Service Request view to that of your entire company, follow the Check Status of My Company’s Service Requests link.

• The steps you have already taken in an attempt to solve the issue • Pertinent diagnostic results from the Cognos Diagnostic Tools

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If you log your Service Request by telephone, please clearly state the business impact of the issue and a Priority will be set for you. A Support Analyst will respond to your Service Request by e-mail or phone (based on your preference), according to the Response Time specified for your Support Plan. Please see the Cognos Support Plans Guide for the Response Times associated to your specific Support Plan.

5.4 SERVICE REQUEST DETAILS Priority If you log your Service Request using Cognos Online Support you must indicate the initial Priority level. Once a Cognos Support Analyst responds to your Service Request and obtains additional detail, together you may mutually agree to change the Priority.

Service Request Priority definitions are as follows:

Priority

Business Impact

Recommended Contact Method

1

Critical

Telephone

Description Cognos application in production environment is not available or critically affected; no acceptable workaround or alternative solution available.

2

High

Telephone

Use of the Cognos application in a production environment is seriously affected; Cognos implementation project unable to continue; no acceptable workaround or alternative solution available.

3

Medium

Online

Use of the Cognos application is restricted; an acceptable workaround or alternative solution may be available.

4

Low

Online

Use of the Cognos application is generally unaffected; request for information, enhancement or product clarification; an acceptable workaround or alternative solution is either available or not required.

To ensure speedy resolution, the Support Contact who logged the Service Request must be readily available throughout the time period that the Service Request is being worked on.

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Status Every Service Request will have a status of Open or Closed. The Open status indicates that work is progressing, and updates and attachments can be added to the Service Request. A Service Request with a substatus of Resolved or Cancelled for seven days is moved to a Closed status. Every Service Request will have one of the following sub-statuses: Are you notified by email?

Sub-Status

Description

Submitted

A Service Request has been created.

Assigned

The Service Request is assigned to a Support Analyst.

Customer Updated

The Service Request has been updated by you.

Ongoing

The Support Analyst is actively working on the Service Request.

In Collaboration

The Support Analyst is working on a solution with other Cognos staff.

Waiting on Customer

The Support Analyst is waiting on additional information or files from you.

Waiting on R&D Info

The Support Analyst is waiting for information from development or Product Management.

Incomplete

Work on the Service Request has been temporarily halted for a short and predetermined period of time.

Special Handling

A product Error is associated with the Service Request, and it has been escalated to development for evaluation.

Product Issue Created

A product Error or enhancement request has been logged.



Proposed Solution

A proposed solution has been presented to you and Cognos is waiting for your response.



Resolved

A proposed solution has been accepted by you, or other resolution criteria have been met, as defined in this document (see Service Request Resolution).



The Service Request is cancelled with your agreement.



Cancelled

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Resolution Cognos Support strives to resolve your issues as fast as possible with the highest quality, and receive direct confirmation from you that the issue has been resolved. However, there are instances when an issue will be deemed Resolved without your direct input. Below is a list of reasons why an issue may be deemed Resolved: • You tell Cognos the issue is resolved or can be closed. • The issue is found not to be due to any Error in the Cognos product. • Instructions are provided to you on how to correctly deploy or use the product feature in question. • A workaround to achieve similar results is provided and accepted by you. • You are informed of a scheduled product release that contains an Error Correction for the issue. • The issue is classified as an enhancement request, and Cognos determines that such a change will not be undertaken. • The issue would require a change in existing product functionality, and Cognos determines that such a change will not be undertaken. • The issue is determined to be a third-party vendor issue and you agree to transfer the problem to the third-party vendor for resolution. • It is determined that you require additional expertise and knowledge that can only be gained through product training or a Cognos Consulting engagement.

• The issue cannot be reproduced in a baseline environment and it is determined that a Cognos Consulting engagement is required in order to assess customization, design or architectural influences that might be causing or contributing to the issue. • The Service Request has been left open for seven consecutive business days, awaiting a response from you. Escalation A Service Request may be escalated by you, or by Cognos Support. If it is deemed that a Service Request requires escalation, Cognos Support will collaborate with the necessary resources, which may include Cognos development and/or consulting, and other resources as appropriate. You must also be prepared to make appropriate resources available to work with Cognos Support. Cognos Support Initiated Escalation – Cognos Support Analysts or Support Management may escalate a Service Request at any time based on the perceived impact to your business, the age or complexity of the Service Request, or other relevant factors. As a result of the escalation, the Service Request will be reassigned or overseen by an appropriate senior Support Analyst. A note will be added to the Service Request providing details of the escalation and the resources assigned. Customer Initiated Escalation – You may escalate a Service Request by telephoning your regional Support Center and requesting that your issue be escalated. You will need to provide the relevant Service Request number(s) and the reasons you believe the Service Request should be escalated, such as the impact to your business, pending deadlines, or issue age and severity. Your Service Request will be reviewed, and if applicable, it will be reassigned to a senior Cognos Support Analyst and an Escalation Manager will be assigned. Either the Escalation Manager or senior Support Analyst will contact you to work on an action plan to solve the issue.

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Joint Commitments A successful partnership requires full cooperation and collaboration between Cognos and its customers. By working towards the following joint commitments, you can contribute to quality, fast issue resolution and ensure you receive the most value from Cognos Support.

Priority

If at any time during the resolution of a Service Request you cannot meet these commitments, or cannot provide the required, timely assistance, your Service Request Priority may be lowered, or Cognos Support work may be suspended until you can.

Cognos Commitment

Your Commitment

Cognos Support will work on the Service Request with you throughout the business day, and provided that the Service Request was logged during business hours, will continue to work on the issue outside of business hours even if you do not have 24x7 Critical Coverage.

You will involve the number and level of knowledgeable staff that is required to work the Service Request effectively. For example, a database administrator might be required to assist.

2

Cognos Support will focus on the Service Request in collaboration with you throughout the business day during normal business hours.

You or designated resources must be willing to collaborate with Cognos Support fulltime throughout the business day, and be readily available.

3

Cognos Support will work with you to provide a resolution or an alternative solution in a timely manner.

You must be periodically available during normal business hours and answer requests for information in a timely manner.

4

Cognos Support will provide you with direction on how to resolve the issue.

You must be periodically available during normal business hours and answer requests for information in a timely manner.

1

You must be willing to collaborate with Cognos Support full-time throughout the business day, and 24x7 if required, as your assistance may be required to gather information or test and apply proposed solutions.

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6.0 PRODUCT (APPLIANCE) CONTINUATION Cognos invests significantly in enriching our products. As a Cognos supported customer you are entitled to upgrades and documentation for supported products that become available during the life of your support contract. Cognos delivers different types of software releases during the life of a product. Most release types are available for download from the Cognos Support Web site at: http://support.cognos.com/supported/en/ support/downloads/ Not all release types are available for all products. Please visit the above product download link, and consult the Cognos Support Plans Guide. 6.1 PRODUCT RELEASE TYPES New Releases New Releases (Major and Minor versions) feature new capabilities, new supported environments, improvements in quality, scalability and performance, as well as architectural enhancements. New Releases are fully regression tested and typically require a full uninstall/reinstall of the Cognos product. New Releases are signified by an increment in the major version number, represented by the digits to the immediate left of the first decimal in the version number, or by an increment in the minor version number, represented by the digits to the immediate right of the first decimal in the version number (e.g., Cognos 8.2, Series 7 Version 4 - 7.4). Maintenance/Point Releases Maintenance Releases are alternately referred to as Point Releases. In this document the two terms will remain interchangeable, but for clarity of reading Maintenance Release will be used herein to describe this release type.

Maintenance Releases are incremental changes to a Major or Minor New Release, periodically made available to supported customers. They primarily address problems with the software that have been reported by customers or uncovered through Cognos’ own investigations, and also add support for new environments. In some cases they may contain new capabilities and improvements but to a lesser degree than a New Release. Maintenance Releases are subject to full regression testing and include the accumulation of corrections made in all previous Maintenance Releases and Hot Sites since the most recent New Release. They may require a full install/reinstall of the Cognos product. Maintenance Releases can be signified in one of two ways. They may add a Release number or MR number suffix to the major and minor version number, such as Cognos 8.2 Maintenance Release 1, often abbreviated to Cognos 8.2 MR1. Alternatively they may add a third decimal point to the major and minor version number, such as Cognos 8.2.1, leading to the Point Release reference. Hot Sites Should a specific error, or combination thereof, warrant immediate release to solve a high priority issue for a customer, a specific product build containing the error correction may be designated as a Hot Site. These releases are normally sent only to customers who have reported one of the corrected errors and the error must be an extremely high priority. Hot Sites do not address customer enhancement requests, and not all error corrections can be delivered as Hot Sites. Hot Sites include the accumulation of corrections made in all previous Hot Sites since the most recent release. Due to their urgency and unlike a Maintenance Release, Hot Sites undergo only targeted testing of specific corrections, not

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regression testing. If your issue is not causing a major business impact, we recommend that you wait for a scheduled Service Pack or Maintenance Release, which is regression tested. Hot Site corrections are automatically included in the next Maintenance Release or Service Pack. Service Packs (SPs) Service Packs provide regular, high quality and stable error correction releases. Service Packs leverage automated regression test suites to exercise the release prior to it becoming generally available. Service Packs contain selected Hot Site and critical corrections implemented since the last regression tested release, such as a New or Maintenance Release, or a previous Service Pack. Unlike Maintenance Releases, Service Packs do not add new environment support and will not contain new capabilities or enhancements. Service Packs are not a fully installable product, rather they are targeted corrections to specific product components. You must already have a New or Maintenance Release installed in order to deploy a Service Pack into your environment. Service Packs are signified with a SP designation after the version number, such as SP1 or SP2 (e.g., Cognos 8.2.1 SP1). They are only available for Cognos 8 Query and Analysis products. Cognos may expand their use in the future.

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7.0 ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER RESOURCES This final section provides you with a listing of additional resources available from Cognos to help ensure success with your current and future solutions. 7.1 TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS RESOURCES Innovation Center features business best practice resources and events, including Performance Blueprints and BI Competency Center resources. http://www.cognos.com/innovationcenter/ TechTalk Insider delivers technical Proven Practice and Technology Update Web Seminars. http://www.cognos.com/techtalkinsider/ TechTalk provides technical information to help you evaluate the right solution for your business http://www.cognos.com/techtalk/index.ht ml Cognos Forum and other events are opportunities to connect with Cognos experts and other Cognos customers to gain knowledge, learn new approaches, learn best practices, and find out what is coming from Cognos in the future. http://www.cognos.com/events/index.html Cognos Performance Manager is the musthave business book that can help you turn the growing information-intensity of your job from a challenge to a competitive advantage. http://www.cognos.com/pmbook/ Cognos Radio delivers a regular series of pod casts that provide you with insights from Cognos customers and thought leaders. http://www.cognos.com/radiocognos/index.html?mc=-web_hp

Cognos Performance Perspectives newsletter delivers stories tailored to your needs, insights from industry thought leaders, customer success stories, and spotlights on decision-makers. http://www.cognos.com/newsletter/ Cognos Global Customer Services Web site provides access to all the latest resources available from across Cognos. http://support.cognos.com 7.2 IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANCE Cognos Solutions Implementation Methodology (SIM) is a step-by-step guide to help ensure implementation success. Development activities, proven practices, tips, guidelines, tools, and role definitions are tailored to address the implementation lifecycle for each Cognos product. http://support.cognos.com/en/consulting/cs im/roadmaps.html Consulting services from experienced Cognos consultants can be leveraged for implementations, migrations, BI Competency Centers, targeted technical assistance, and much more. http://support.cognos.com/en/consulting/in dex.html Product training via classroom training, eLearning courses, customized training, or enterprise training solutions. Role based curriculums are available. http://support.cognos.com/en/training/inde x.html Product Certification http://support.cognos.com/en/training/certi fication/

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8.0 CONTACTING US We welcome your feedback! Feel free to contact Cognos Support by e-mail, telephone, or regular mail. Direct any comments to the attention of the support manager for your Support Center, or you can send an e-mail to all support managers at [email protected]. For a complete list of Support Centers and their contact information, visit http://support.cognos.com/en/ support/about/contact.html

If you have any questions or comments regarding Cognos Online Support, please contact the Cognos Online Support team at [email protected]. Note: this email address is intended only for questions relating to the use of the Online Support services, and should not be used to log Service Requests – doing so will result in delays in processing a request for assistance.

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