Creating Report Schedules in Cognos Analytics

This job aid explains how to set up schedules in Cognos Analytics. Schedules can be set up to send reports as email attachments or links to one or more recipients.

Begin by logging into Cognos Analytics.

In Cognos Analytics, it is recommended to create schedules from a Report View. Here are some advantages when using Report Views:

Any updates Reports Authors make to the source report will automatically get reflected on the scheduled report views.
The source report can only be scheduled one time.
You can schedule multiple report views of the same report.
Each report view can have its own unique schedule, frequency, distribution, and delivery options.

Note: Some of the Reports are already Report Views.

Before setting up a schedule, check if the report is a:

If it's a Report, see section below Create Report Views to My Content below.
If it's a Report View, skip to section called Copy Report View to My Content below.

Create Report Views to My Content

Navigate to and hover over the report for which you would like to create a schedule.
To the right of the report name, click the ellipsis (. . .) to bring up the Action menu.
Select Create Report View.
Save the report in your My Content. Optionally, if you want to rename the report, you can do so as part of this step.

Copy Report View to My Content

To the right of the report view name, click the ellipsis (. . .) to bring up the Action menu.
Select Copy or move to.
Select the My Content.
Click the Copy button. Optional: To organize your Report Views by Folders, click the icon above the report listing that appears like a folder with a '+' icon

Setup Schedules

Step 1: Getting to Schedule menu

IMPORTANT* You can only make a schedule on a Report View in your My Content (see "Copy Report View to My Content" section above). If you do not see a 'Schedule' tab, ensure you are working in your 'My Content' .

To the right of the report view name, click the ellipsis (. . .) to bring up the More menu.
Select Properties.
Select Schedules tab.
Click Create Schedule button.

Step 2: Choosing Frequency and Period

Select frequency from the drop down menu.
Select when you want the Schedule to begin from the Period > Start section.
For schedules that should run indefinitely, check the No end date checkbox, otherwise fill out a schedule termination date/time under Period > End

Step 3: Choosing Options (Format and Delivery Method)

Select the Options tab.
Select the one or more output formats that you wish to schedule the report for.
If you wish to setup the schedule to email the output, click on the checkbox.
Click on the Edit details hyperlink to get additional email delevery options.
Add additional email addresses in the To, CC or BCC (this step is optional).
Edit Subject and Message sections to configure the email that will be sent with the scheduled report (this step is optional).
Switch off the Include link option.
Switch on the Attach report output option.
Click on the back arrow labelled Send report by email option.

Step 4: Set Prompt Values

Select the Prompts tab.
Select the Set Values buttons which will bring up the report's prompt page (if the report does not have prompts, you can skip this step).
Configure the prompt options for the scheduled report. Select the Finish button at the bottom of this window to keep the schedule's prompt values.
Select the Save button to save the schedule.

Schedule Report Output to a Network Folder

Cognos can save scheduled report output directly to an approved, secured network folder using the Save report as an external file delivery option. This can be useful when report output is too large to send by email, when a team needs a shared location for report files, or when files will be used by a downstream process.

Access must be configured before the network folder will appear as an available location in Cognos. To request a new network folder, request access to an existing folder, or update the list of users who need access, complete the Cognos Network Folder Access Request Form and follow the submission instructions in the form.

Managing Schedules

Choose Person Icon on the Top right corner.
Choose My Schedules and subscriptions Menu.

To the right of the Schedule view, Click the ellipsis (. . .) to bring up the More menu.
Choose the Modify this schedule menu.
Make any changes you wish from the scheduler window.

Tip: There are more options to see history and schedule activities from the Schedule drop down menu on the top left.

Rerunning Schedules Manually

Choose Person Icon on the Top right corner.
Choose My Schedules and subscriptions Menu.

To the right of the schedule, Click the ellipsis (. . .) to bring up the More menu.
Choose the Run Once menu.
Make any changes you wish from the scheduler window, then select the Run button to execute this schedule.