Cognos Express on Amazon AWS is a great combination for small to mid-level companies that either don’t have the resources to purchase and maintain their own physical server or do not want the headache. With Amazon AWS, you can start a server in minutes with any combination of OS and software that you desire. So if you would like to start your Cognos Express on a MS Windows Server 2012 with SQL server… you can do that. You then have the option to select the CPU’s and Memory combinations for the amount of power you need on that server. You can add storage and multiple drives. These drives are not instance specific so you can detach a drive from one instance and attach to another instance without losing the software and data on that drive. We think that is a great feature.
Connectivity
You have the option to apply inbound/outbound rules on your instance. So if you would like to open specific TCP or HTTP Ports, you have the ability to do that. This is required if you would like to allow remote access to you application either through a gateway or through mobile. You also the ability to give your instance a static IP address that does not change. Once the instance is up, you can set the server with a domain name of your choice. You then could apply your company’s domain to this server.
Instance management
You can start and stop this instance at will. You can setup maintenance routines for the server on the AWS management console. This console also allows for managing your instances in many different ways. It allows you to have multiple instances and have them load balanced based on your traffic needs. Also as mentioned earlier, you can manage the size of your instance without losing data allowing an increase in the size of the drives. Add more processers and memory with a few clicks.
Software installations
Once your instance is ready, you can install any licensed software on it. Restarts are a breeze and they do not require any special permissions.
Cost
The cost of the server is dependent upon the processors and the memory that you choose. The charges are per hour of use. The cost goes up substantially from a medium size server to a large server. In most cases the medium size server will be sufficient for Cognos Express but it also depends on the data needs. The cost can also go up as the model grows and more space is needed. You’ll have to make that consideration up front before you go down the AWS path. Amazon AWS support can help you with sizing and future needs.
Conclusion
In the end, AWS is a great choice for an organization that does not want a server on premises and want to start and manage a robust environment without relying heavily on IT resources. These servers can be managed by one individual who has basic knowledge of servers and networking