We are trying to size a crystal enterprise platform for my organization. As I understand it we could go with concurrent licenses or CPU licenses. For the number of users that we expect to have I have the impresion that CPU is the way to go. However I am clueless as to how many CPU's should I have in order for the system to be suficiently responsive. Anybody out there knows what is recommended by Crystal?
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Crystal Enterprise 700+ Users
- Thread starter jvivas
- Start date
Hi,
The general answer is - it depends..
Are all your CE servers going to be on the same server?
How many simultaneous users, on average?
How complex are the reports and is the database used for them local or remote?
Memory is probably as important as # of CPUs in most cases.
![[profile]](/data/assets/smilies/profile.gif "[profile] [profile]")
The general answer is - it depends..
Are all your CE servers going to be on the same server?
How many simultaneous users, on average?
How complex are the reports and is the database used for them local or remote?
Memory is probably as important as # of CPUs in most cases.
- Thread starter
- #3
Hi Turkbear,
According to what I have read it does not matter the number of servers but the number of CPU's. If I buy two CPU licences I should be able to have CE services running in one server with two CPU's or on two servers with one CPU each (this is what I understood)
I am a assuming 10 to 20 simultanous users, best guestimate so far...
How complex the reports? at the begining I suppose simple reports with drill down and progressively more complex (not too complex) as the our developers get more knowledable...
Memory I am sure is as important as # of CPU's Hom much is enough? is the rule of thumb for all of these?
Thnks for all responses,
Jvivas
According to what I have read it does not matter the number of servers but the number of CPU's. If I buy two CPU licences I should be able to have CE services running in one server with two CPU's or on two servers with one CPU each (this is what I understood)
I am a assuming 10 to 20 simultanous users, best guestimate so far...
How complex the reports? at the begining I suppose simple reports with drill down and progressively more complex (not too complex) as the our developers get more knowledable...
Memory I am sure is as important as # of CPU's Hom much is enough? is the rule of thumb for all of these?
Thnks for all responses,
Jvivas
SurfingGecko
Instructor
Sounds like a CPU license would be they way to go. Essentially think of this as an unlimited concurrent user license.
As for how many CPU you need, that all depends on what your current CPU is, how heavy a load the computer is under, if CE is installed all on one machine that kind of stuff.
Remember though, if you add a processor, your CPU license will only be good for one CPU, not both. This might get pretty pricey in which case a large CAL license might be a better route and let the OS load balance the CPU's (if you go that route)
I would say that under normal loads a 2GB processor with say 1GB RAM would be a nice box. With that kind of user base though, you may want at least 2 Dual processor boxes and scale CE.
Cheers,
SurfingGecko
Home of Crystal Ease
As for how many CPU you need, that all depends on what your current CPU is, how heavy a load the computer is under, if CE is installed all on one machine that kind of stuff.
Remember though, if you add a processor, your CPU license will only be good for one CPU, not both. This might get pretty pricey in which case a large CAL license might be a better route and let the OS load balance the CPU's (if you go that route)
I would say that under normal loads a 2GB processor with say 1GB RAM would be a nice box. With that kind of user base though, you may want at least 2 Dual processor boxes and scale CE.
Cheers,
SurfingGecko
Home of Crystal Ease
There is no set rule regarding the number of CPUs.
I'd recommend that you ask your Crystal Decisions Account Executive for the Crystal Enterprise Sizing Guide. You'll be required to sign an NDC document in order to receive it. The guide helps you to estimate the size of your proposed CE installation.
Another thing to think about is report distribution. If you're purchasing CE 9 with Processor Licenses then you are required by Crystal Decisions to purchase a Report Distribution License (RDL). The RDL gives you the 'right' to use the Set Destination features (Set Destination to SMTP, FTP or Shared Drive) or Export Features (Excel, PDF, Etc...) of Crystal Enterprise.
The RDL costs $45K plus annual maintenance @ 20% ($9K).
You aren't required to purchase the RDL with Concurrent Access Licenses (CALs), but you are 'limited' to using the Set Destination feature to 10X the number of CALs.
Crystal Decisions assumes the 'rule of 10' as their basis for estimating the number of CALs to purchase. If you have 700 users, then Crystal Decisions estimates that you need (on average) 70 CALs. At $3,495/CAL this is $244,650. For that price you could purchase four processor licenses plus the RDL.
Lastly, remember that everything is negotiable. Depending on the size of your purchase, you could negotiate up to a 15% discount off your total purchase.
I'd recommend that you ask your Crystal Decisions Account Executive for the Crystal Enterprise Sizing Guide. You'll be required to sign an NDC document in order to receive it. The guide helps you to estimate the size of your proposed CE installation.
Another thing to think about is report distribution. If you're purchasing CE 9 with Processor Licenses then you are required by Crystal Decisions to purchase a Report Distribution License (RDL). The RDL gives you the 'right' to use the Set Destination features (Set Destination to SMTP, FTP or Shared Drive) or Export Features (Excel, PDF, Etc...) of Crystal Enterprise.
The RDL costs $45K plus annual maintenance @ 20% ($9K).
You aren't required to purchase the RDL with Concurrent Access Licenses (CALs), but you are 'limited' to using the Set Destination feature to 10X the number of CALs.
Crystal Decisions assumes the 'rule of 10' as their basis for estimating the number of CALs to purchase. If you have 700 users, then Crystal Decisions estimates that you need (on average) 70 CALs. At $3,495/CAL this is $244,650. For that price you could purchase four processor licenses plus the RDL.
Lastly, remember that everything is negotiable. Depending on the size of your purchase, you could negotiate up to a 15% discount off your total purchase.
Unfortunately, you're thinking of the CBL (Crystal Broadcast License). Following is an excerpt from an email I received from my account exec at Crystal:
Crystal Enterprise Report Distribution License
[ul][li]This optional license applies if a customer wishes to distribute reports in any format, outside of the Crystal Enterprise system. To broadcast reports, customers can use the Schedule to Destinations functionality in Crystal Enterprise 8.5 or 9, to run a report and deliver it to a specific destination, such as an e-mail server, network folder or an ftp site.[/li]
[ul][li]In a Named User environment, this license applies when reports are sent to customers who do not have Named User licenses.[/li]
[li]In a CAL environment, this license applies when the total number of people who receive reports exceeds 10x the number of CAL purchased.[/li]
[li]In a Processor Environment the RDL must be purchased if customers would like to broadcast reports using the schedule to destinations feature.[/li][/ul]
This license costs $45,000 US for unlimited broadcasting rights for a particular version of product. It is a perpetual fee, not annual, and can have maintenance sold on it. Maintenance would allow the customer to broadcast reports using any new upgrades of the product that may release within a 12 month period. The other key advantage of maintenance is that it protects the customer from future price increases for this license.[/ul]I also verified this information with Crystal Decisions during their break-out session on Licensing during the recent CDUGNA Conference. CD's excuse for mandating the RDL charge for Processor License holders was that they had no other way to obtain additional license-based revenue from them.
Their logic goes something like this:[ul][li]If you have 5 NULs (Named User Licenses) then you can only use Set Destination in a manner such that only those 5 named users would ever have access to the report objects. If you wanted to allow additional users to be able to access the reports (in .pdf format on a shared drive, for example) then you could either purchase an RDL or purchase enough additional NULs to cover those additional users. This is an additional source of revenue.[/li][li]If you have a processor based license, which allows unlimited users, then you could simply add additional named users to CE for each individual that needs to access the .pdf report from the shared drive. These 'users' may never even use or even see Crystal Enterprise. In this scenario, CD won't be able to collect any additional revenue for licenses. Based on this assumption, they mandate the charge upfront.[/li][/ul]
Crystal Enterprise Report Distribution License
[ul][li]This optional license applies if a customer wishes to distribute reports in any format, outside of the Crystal Enterprise system. To broadcast reports, customers can use the Schedule to Destinations functionality in Crystal Enterprise 8.5 or 9, to run a report and deliver it to a specific destination, such as an e-mail server, network folder or an ftp site.[/li]
[ul][li]In a Named User environment, this license applies when reports are sent to customers who do not have Named User licenses.[/li]
[li]In a CAL environment, this license applies when the total number of people who receive reports exceeds 10x the number of CAL purchased.[/li]
[li]In a Processor Environment the RDL must be purchased if customers would like to broadcast reports using the schedule to destinations feature.[/li][/ul]
This license costs $45,000 US for unlimited broadcasting rights for a particular version of product. It is a perpetual fee, not annual, and can have maintenance sold on it. Maintenance would allow the customer to broadcast reports using any new upgrades of the product that may release within a 12 month period. The other key advantage of maintenance is that it protects the customer from future price increases for this license.[/ul]I also verified this information with Crystal Decisions during their break-out session on Licensing during the recent CDUGNA Conference. CD's excuse for mandating the RDL charge for Processor License holders was that they had no other way to obtain additional license-based revenue from them.
Their logic goes something like this:[ul][li]If you have 5 NULs (Named User Licenses) then you can only use Set Destination in a manner such that only those 5 named users would ever have access to the report objects. If you wanted to allow additional users to be able to access the reports (in .pdf format on a shared drive, for example) then you could either purchase an RDL or purchase enough additional NULs to cover those additional users. This is an additional source of revenue.[/li][li]If you have a processor based license, which allows unlimited users, then you could simply add additional named users to CE for each individual that needs to access the .pdf report from the shared drive. These 'users' may never even use or even see Crystal Enterprise. In this scenario, CD won't be able to collect any additional revenue for licenses. Based on this assumption, they mandate the charge upfront.[/li][/ul]
Hi,
Thanks for the update..I guess I will have to find other ways to send stuff to users( like printing and faxing)
( After all we already paid over $40,000 to Crystal for the system and support and having to pay $45K more to use one of its major functions sucks!)
Thanks for the update..I guess I will have to find other ways to send stuff to users( like printing and faxing)
( After all we already paid over $40,000 to Crystal for the system and support and having to pay $45K more to use one of its major functions sucks!)
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