Cheapest CR Web Distribution Method

[TimboA]

I am using CR Professional 8.5 to create reports that I want to distribute via my Web Server (Apache on UNIX). I have tinkered with Crystal Enterprise Standard (on a spare NT machine I have) and got that working ok, however to implement this I need to upgrade to the CE professional edition (I need the added functionality it gives, as well as needing more that the Standard 5 concurrent user license). Not only does this seems to be quite an expensive upgrade, a UNIX version is not yet available !!!

Can anyone suggest the best (and cheapest) way that I can distribute my reports via the Web ?

PS - I need to be able to publish reports with data as well as "live user interactive parameter" reports.

Many Thanks.

X-)

 

[kenhamady]

For licensing issues, you might want to evaluate CR 7, which was the last version before CR started the stiff licensing fees. The web server in V7 isn't as good, but it may be less expensive to implement.

You might also want to check out a third party product called ReCrystallize. I haven't used it, but it is supposed to simplify web implementation.

I think they are at: recrystallize.com Ken Hamady

http://www.kenhamady.com/

On-site custom Crystal Reports Training and Consulting.
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB.

 

[hmohrmann]

We use Crystal Reports Automation Server (CPEAUT) which came with version 7. All information about the reports is stored in an Access database on the server, and we use asp to display the reports and descriptions and then allow the user to select the report. There is no royalty and no limit on the number of users, we have 6000 total but only about 30 to 40 at one time.
We are looking into upgrading to 8.5 since Crystal told us that if you are only using CPEAUT then you can upgrade to 8.5 without paying royalties.
Hope this helps
Harry

 

[kenhamady]

As I mentioned in another post on CR licensing, there is a difference between royalties for distributing an application, and licenses for accessing reports.

Below is a sentence from an email I received from the CD licensing department:

In its simplest terms, a broadcast license is required if you have a "process or system" that is used to "automatically and/or regularly deliver, share or distribute reports" to more than 50 end users. Ken Hamady, On-site/Phone Crystal Reports Training/Consulting
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[balves]

The Crystal V7 web server is single-threaded. V8 was rewritten to be multi-threaded. Crystal claims bad things will happen if you have more than 10-15 concurrent web users with V7.

It's clear that the royalties question depends on who you talk to at Crystal and what day of the week it is. Brian J. Alves
Email: brian.alves@worldnet.att.net
VB / ASP / Crystal / SQLServer