Error occured while creating report object - web licensing issue

[rlevasseur]

I work for a small company that uses Crystal 8.5 reports on our intranet. I created a DSN (generic user) allowing very limited access to SQL Server stored procs and tables. My manager did not want to bothers users for user name and password, so login is called through an include of hidden login script. All users call this same user script.

These reports have been running fine until recently when users began getting the following error message:

Error Occurred creating Report Object: There are not enough Concurrent Access Licenses to log you on. This system has 5 Concurrent Access Licenses. Please try again later, or contact your system administrator to obtain more licenses.

We are not currently using Crystal Enterprise. I checked and we have correct versions of include1.asp, include2.asp, Smartvieweractivex.asp and rptserver.asp installed.

having all users log off did not clear up the problem. I checked active logins to SQL server via senterprise manager and all instances of the report user were gone, but error persisted. I asked out internet group to reboot the server which cleared up the problem for now.

A few questions.

Is there a way (log) to track Crystal license useage on the web server?

Does user clicking the X or back arrow on browser release instance of a license?

If user runs report, leaving it up on screen while they do other things, is license still in use? And what would be an effective script for killing idle process (close repots after nnn time)

If a single user has five separate reports open, does this constitute the useage of 5 licenses? I had run a tesr before this problem arose and had 8-10 reports open with no error.

The bottom line is how can i effectively make sure a license is released when a user closes a report?

Thanks for any help on this

Ray

 

[MikeTom]

I have the same problem and have been looking at solutions. What i have found out so far is that 8.5 has a technical lock of 5 users (more can be purchased at a crazy price), the lock occurs when the user requests a report and remains for 20 minuets. This bascally means in a space of 20 minuets if you have 50 different report request you need 50 licenses.
from what i know ver 8.0 uses the same technology to launch web reports but without the technical lock and you can get a downgrade by filling in a form. That is what we are doing for now until we can look at crystal ver 9.

Version 9 advanced comes with 3 active licenses wich only last for the length of the report request,When used in conjunction with the Report Application Server which spools report requests. This method is said to be the entry level for web reporting in ver 9 and is meant to be good for up to 50 requets at any on time although the time taken to generate reports are slower. Also to use ver 9.0 RAS you need to change the code needed to launch the reports. I am looking into this now and have some sample code from crystal.

Hope this helps.

 

[jpicks]

Check out this knowledge base article from Crystal.

http://support.crystaldecisions.com/library/kbase/articles/c2012077.asp

It walks you through the process of changing the default session timeout of 20 minutes to something else. Keep in mind that if you set it too low, the user may get logged out of the APS before they are done viewing the report.

 

[MikeTom]

I think as handy as it is tryting to change the timeout lock trying to set it for 5 users or additional if you buy more liscenses does not make a robust reporting system for the money you pay for crystal. I really think their License locking mechanism is poor and costs a lot to buy additional licsenses to make it work correctly.

 

[rlevasseur]

Thanks to Tom and jpicks for the feedback. At least I know now that I'm not alone having this problem.

We're also migrating to Crystal 9 soon, and I sure hope it's not as painful a transition as from 8 to 8.5. I had to totally redesign the interface in our VB appliction(non web) that is used by accounting, plus getting the 8.5 web reports to work was no picnic. We're using VB6 and not .NET

In some ways I wish there were as robust reporting solutions for VB and the web other than Crystal that do not require complex licensing and coding, other than requiring a masters in Comp-Sci.

Has anyone else explored other reporting options?

Again thanks for the info so far. I'm still doing some further web searches on both the licensing and crx 9 with vb 6 issue

Regards, Ray