Crystal Report Server XI evaluation 1

[Bennie47250]

We are in the process of evaluating Crystal Report Server XI (CRS) and have a few questions for folks who are already using the product.

We currently have another product made by a 3rd party and I’m comparing CRS to it.

I find the 3rd party tool is simpler to use as when you click on the link to the report, you are taken to a page that is a form that has the parameters prompts and box(s) to enter the parameters values into (if the report has parameter(s)), then you can click a run button and it runs immediately or you can click a schedule button to schedule the report. It’s just that simple.

In CRS, out of the box, I find that I have to click on several links to accomplish the same thing. I even have to enter the database login password. One of the reports I’m testing has 3 parameters and I have to open a link for each parameter. It will even allow the report to be ran if you don’t enter the parameters, naturally it fails.

Is it possible to customize CRS to be more like our existing product?

Can the database passwords be saved so the users don’t have to know them?

It is a shame that BO will send out an evaluation copy of their software but they don’t give you much assistance in the evaluation process.

Thanks
Bennie

 

[synapsevampire]

>I even have to enter the database login password.

That's only if you either haven't set the login/user in the CMC when you set up the report, or you've checked the box to prompt the user.

>One of the reports I’m testing has 3 parameters and I
>have to open a link for each parameter.

You shouldn't, but you don't state WHERE you are running the reports from. Try posting specifics about what you are doing, CRS has the CMC, the CCM and the Infoview as it's main components to interact with it. It sounds like you're using the CMC to run reports, which is intended for administrators for configuring report setups, NOT running and scheduling. Use the Infoview portal.

>It will even allow the report to be ran if you don’t
>enter the parameters, naturally it fails.

This is an age old thing with Crystal and is an architectural issue.

I suggest that you make defaults for parameters and code accordingly in the record selection formula, regardless of the viewer used.

Many 3rd party viewers work fine, and I suggest them to many users, generally based on cost, sometimes features, but what you speak of are simply misunderstandings about the product.

-k

 

[Bennie47250]

We are using the Infoview to run the reports.

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Please explain what you mean by :

I have to open a link for each parameter

when using InfoView - InfoView prompts for each parameter ( as it should) but no links are involved..





To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[Bennie47250]

Is it possible to post screen shots?

When I open the Infoview and go to “My Folders” and Favorites, the URL is

http://rlcreports/businessobjects/Enterprise11/InfoView/main.aspx

I have 2 of our reports in this location.

To run a report, I click on the link “Schedule” that is under the name of the report. This link opens another page and this page has several links on it. They are:

When: This link is opened and Schedule Option of now is selected

The other links are collapsed and they are:
Database Login
Filters
Destination
Format
Print Settings
Server Groups
Parameters.

The report I’m running has 3 parameters, so it is necessary for me to click on the Parameters link. When I do this, it opens up and shows my 3 parm’s and the value for each is empty and empty is a link. To fill in my parm’s, I have to click on each of the links and enter the values.

Hope this fully explains what I’m doing.

 

[synapsevampire]

Infoview is for running reports, go into the CMC and set the database and parameters in there first.

Now you're speaking of scheduling, not running reports, they are different things.

If you've already set up the Database in the Crystal Management Console, you won't need to enter the database login info.

-k

 

[Bennie47250]

The parameters will change each time the report is ran. The user needs to key in the Month, Number of Days, and the Customer Number the report is for. These can't be hard coded into the report.

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Then they cannot be scheduled, use 'View on Demand' -
If you have set the databse info in the CMC, the only prompts will be for the parameter values...

In InfoView,'View On Demand' is what you get when you click on the report name link ...Assuming the user has been granted 'View On Demand' rights to the report.







To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[IdoMillet]

Is this done for all customers or is it an ad-hoc report that's being generated for a few customers on an ad-hoc basis?

- Ido

Visual CUT & DataLink Viewer:
view, e-mail, export, burst, distribute, and schedule Crystal Reports.

http://www.MilletSoftware.com

 

[Bennie47250]

Turkbear, Thanks for the information. Yes when I have the database password saved in the CMC and the option "Use same database logon as when report is run" clicked and I click the link of the report name it goes right to the prompts and runs "as it should". Don't know how I missed this.

Ido, This particular example is an ad-hoc report. We have quite a few similar reports that are scheduled each month that in our current solution that the reports read the parameter information from a database and e-mails the report based on e-mail information contained in the same database. (My definition of electronic bursting).

Bursting is very important to us and will be the #2 determining factor in purchasing CRS. The first being user friendliness.

 

[IdoMillet]

At least one of the Report Managers listed at:

http://www.kenhamady.com/bookmarks.html

can do this type of bursting in a single pass (against a grouped report) without a need to hit the database again and again.

- Ido

Visual CUT & DataLink Viewer:
view, e-mail, export, burst, distribute, and schedule Crystal Reports.

http://www.MilletSoftware.com