How to set up file-based event to look off crystal event server?

[djmnyc]

Hello.

I want to run a set of reports based upon a file semaphore. When my data processing task completes, I will write a file to indicate to the crystal event server that it is ok to generate my reports.

The problem is ... this process runs on a different box than the crystal event server. The file based event specification dialog seems to only allow me to select the crystal event server, and then specify a directory location on that box.

Is there any way to have the crystal event server look at another box and directory?

If not ... option 2 would be for my data processing application to FTP the file semaphore over to the crystal event server.

Any thoughts?

Thanks very much.
Dan

 

[rhinok]

You can set the location of a file-event anywhere, as long as the server has access to the location. Under the 'filename' field, simply list the full UNC (Universal Naming Convention) of the file (\\server\directory\file.log, for example).

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
I've never tried to use the Event control, but, does it allow for UNC instead of Directory specifications?:

\\server\directory\filename.txt

Or can you 'map' a drive on the event server's box to the location on the other box?

 

[djmnyc]

Ok, but my problem is further complicated by the fact that the Crystal Enterprise server is running on Windows, and the data processing is done on a UNIX box. Using UNC naming convention, can I specify the UNIX server, username, and password?

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
I think not...Have the unix folks set up a SAMBA directory
( which windows can then see ) ...

If this is not practicable, FTP may be your only way out..Even then, there would have to be a FTP server running on the Windows server where you will be 'looking' for the file.


btw, what flavor of Unix?

 

[djmnyc]

Thanks turk.

Sun SPARC.

I will ask about the SAMBA share possibility, as well as the FTP server on the Window CE server.

Dan

 

[mdwyer]

We are using FTP from a Sparc box to a W2K server. Works like a charm, except for the problem I mentioned in another post that file-based events are not persistent.

 

[djmnyc]

great. thanks very much for the information mdwyer.

this is what i plan to do. i will schedule my reports to run every night at 4am.

We expect our data file to be processed every night within the 4am to 10am window. Once the file is processed, the file semaphore will be ftp'd over to the Crystal Event server.

This should work without any hitch as long as I schedule the reports (waiting for the file event) to run before the file is written to the event server, correct?

dan

 

[mdwyer]

Yes, that should work.

I ran into 2 problems, though:

My scheduled reports could not run until 3am, but the file gets created at 2am. I could probably run a cron at 3am to do the ftp.

Users can schedule their own reports and may not use the 3am time. I've modified the ePortfolio scheduler to ignore the Event if the run time is Right-Now, or Once-Only during business hours.