Do we need Crystal Enterprise ?

[U079310]

Here is our situation. We have 2 users with CRW Professional licenses who develop reports. We have 4 others users that we wish to have the ability for only running the created reports. What is our best solution, Crystal Enterprise ?

These 4 users cannot have the ability to create reports only run existing reports. Do we have any user licenses for Crystal Enterprise with our Crystal Professional licenses. Thanks very much for any advice.

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
( assuming V8.5, 9 or 10)
I believe that you have a 5 user CE version included with the CR disks..

This can be used to provide web access for your limited # of users..

 

[synapsevampire]

Depends upon your version of Crystal, try posting that.

With some versions you can distribute a Windows compiled version of reports, and with others came a gutted version of CE called Standard.

There are also 3rd party solutions:

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

-k

 

[DallasAggie]

If you have Crystal Reprots Developer Edition you can create custom Windows applications to run reports. Please note: Users will have to be on network to access datasource.

Developer Edidtion has RDC (Runtime Distribution Compoenents) that you can install manually, or package them in an install file using Merge Modules.

Its really easy to do..I actually have created little MS Access applications that use Crystal Reports instead of the MS Access reporting tool. Just made a form with the Crystal Viewer ActiveX Control, put all the reports on a shared server, and then installed the Merge Modules on all the user machines...works great!!!!

Good luck!
Roberto

 

[eo]

Just also bear in mind that CE is becomming quite a costly tool (it seems as if they are doing away with concurrent licences), so one has to ask if spending all that money only to give run acces to 4 people, is worth it (???). I know 3rd party users can provide scaled down versions of Crystal Reports, perhaps with only viewing capabilities! Alternatively give all a copy of Crystal Reports, but limit the access to databases to the ones only allowed to run reports to view only? They can thus use Crystal Reports to run the reports only.

EO
Hertfordshire, England

 

[U079310]

Thanks to all for the informative responses.

DallasAggie - the features you mention Runtime Dist.. and Merge Modules must only be available with Developer Edition correct ? I can find no mention of them in my CR Pro copy.

Thanks much.
Rick

 

[DallasAggie]

Rick.

That is correct...only Developer Edidtions can you "freely" distribute the merge modules that you develop and deploy.....though, you can download the merge modules from businessobjects. ... just do a search for merge modules on their site.

In order to deploy the merge modules, you'll need a tool to package them up. I use Visual Studio .NET to create "Merge Module Project" .... so you can do that too. Again, please keep in mind the licensing agreements to do that

DallasAggie

 

[synapsevampire]

Rick: Since you still haven't supplied your software version, it's hard to advise you.

CR 8.5 and below had a compiler available (Runtime dist).

The RDC DallasAggie speaks of is in the Developer edition.

-k

 

[U079310]

Sorry about the version, what we have is CR Pro V10.

 

[DougStevens]

I am curious about a viable solution as well. We have CR 9. We've been creating reports, reports with parameters hitting off of several SQL databases.

Is there a solution to put these report onto a intranet site within the office so that other people can pull up these reports and view them? If this is the solution, what steps are involved? (I am familiar with ASP, creating reports, SQL, and IIS. We are running IIS on our network.)

Is there alternative solution?

thanks in adavance

 

[DallasAggie]

Doug,

If you use .NET as the tool to develop your .aspx pages, then you can have up to 3 concurrent users pulling/requesting reports...if you need a larger amount, then you'll need to go with some version of Crystal Enterprise --- which is VERY EXPENSIVE. We have a 20 concurrent user license that cost almost 100 Grand! -- and that is with our 40% corporate discount....!

If you are devloping .ASP pages, then I think you are out of luck..since there is not real way to distibute the run-time-files to your end users...

Hope this info helps..
DallasAggie

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Our CE Professional Processor-based license ( upgraded from 8.5) allows unlimited users and was around 32,000/year before any discounts..