How do you move a IBM Cognos 8 BI application (framework/published reports) from one environment into another environment when they do not developed against the same databases?

Create a connection to your test database, create the model and then publish a package.
If the test and production databases are identical, and the only difference is the server in which they reside, the only thing to do is edit the data source you created, and since the databases are identical the only thing you have to edit is the server name. If, however, the connection information is not the same for the production database then once again you would have to edit the data source connection and edit the user ID and password, server name, etc... If the schema is different then, in Framework Manager change Data Source. See Steps below in this article.
If you are moving from for example, an acceptance Cognos 8 BI server to a production server, you must do a deployment export from Acceptance and an Deployment Import on production of the same deployment file.

From the menu on the left, select Search and then enter the following string "deployment archive" (no quotes). From the results scroll down to the entry titled 'Export' and select it. This will bring up a page describing the steps to export a deployment archive and then details on what can be done with this file once it has been created.
Steps:
1.  When you change Data Source properties, change the following:
'Schema' if necessary. 'Content Manager Data Source'. This is the name of your data source connection in portal Cognos. Do not change the Name property as it is used in the Framework Manager model!
2.  Republish the package for the changes to take effect.

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