CR Server XI - RAS 1

[davida37]

We are running Crystal Server XI.

We have an app which displays Crystal reports. We were using URL encoded string to log into the Server and then display the report - like:

http://servername/businessobjects/v...suser=&apspassword=&apsauthtype=secEnterprise

However,I have encountered lots of problems with this. Especially page server errors (crystal looking into this)
+ slow.

What I have opted to do it use the RAS instead (from previous experience I found this to be a lot more robust) - and so viewing the reports direct - by-passing the Server.

QUESTION IS: Does this use the other CCM services such as the page and cache server? I want to avoid using the page server.

I am using a CE10 sample app to display the reports. uses classic asp:

Pageviewer.asp =

Option Explicit
Response.ContentType = "text/html; charset=utf-8"

Dim objectFactory
Set objectFactory = CreateObject("CrystalReports11.ObjectFactory.1")

Response.ExpiresAbsolute = Now() - 1

Dim viewer
Set viewer = objectFactory.CreateObject("CrystalReports.CrystalReportViewer")
viewer.Name = "page"
viewer.IsOwnForm = true
viewer.IsOwnPage = true

Dim theReportName
theReportName = Request.QueryString("ReportName")
viewer.URI = "pageViewer.asp?ReportName=" + Server.URLEncode(theReportName)

if theReportName <> "" then viewer.ReportSource = theReportName
viewer.ProcessHttpRequest Request, Response, Session

%>

 

[yeheyaansari]

RAS does not use Page Server or Cache Server.

 

[davida37]

Thanks. Please tell me more. I am really interested in this.I need the report delivery to be robust and fast/performance. Obviously, we have paid for CRXI Server, but when using the RAS, I find the following:

- Report delivery via RAS - Pros
- Robust
- Faster (alot)
- Does not use a crystal server license.

- Report delivery via RAS - Cons (compared to using full CRXI server)
- Takes reports & Security/authentication out of managed crystal server environment

Are the above true?

 

[digitaldallas]

RAS is a seperate SDK than the CE/BOE SDK. It can be used for managed reports (CE/BOE) or unmanged reports (file system).

If you want to run managed reports, you will need to use the CE/BOE SDK to get a EnterpriseSession object. This also means security/authentication is involved. The CE/BOE SDK allows you to run a report and uses the Page/Cache Servers. The RAS SDK allows you to run a report and change the definition of the report (i.e. push datasets in .NET) and uses the Report Application Server.

Unmanaged reports through RAS needs none of the above. But I'm pretty sure you still need a license, whether it's CRS or a RAS license.

 

[davida37]

thanks digitaldallas. We have CRXI server/writer licenses.

yeheyaansari already confirmed that RAS does not use the Page or Cache server - Can you reconfirm this?

From your experience is the RAS more of a robust + faster way to display reports IF all reports do not need to be cached for example?

 

[MJRBIM]

Our experience has been the opposite, RAS gave us nothing but headaches - whereas the CE page/cache access via the SDK had great performanve for our .NET web applications.

 

[davida37]

Thanks MJRBIM. thats interesting.

For the interim, I will opt to display reports via RAS as an interim solution. Getting page server errors/failures (even if its just once a day) from displaying reports via URL encoded strings from the managed server environment just isnt good enough. thanks again.