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IP address

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ecsrs

Technical User
Apr 22, 2002
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I am on a computer that connects to their database through SCO Termlite. I have an IP address that connects to the database. Is there anyway for me to connect to the database using crystal reports on this computer? Please let me know if I am not being specific enough.
 
Hi,
What Database?

What version of Crystal?

Please explain the IP address connecting to a database ( usually IP address don't really do that, they just connect to a location that may or may not have a database, so I'm confused).

[profile]

 
<chuckling>

It'll help that you're on a computer.

Ths short answer is yes, probably. Some databases will allow you to use the IP address as th machine name, but you'll need to learn a good deal more than this.

The long one requires that you know something about your environment:

Operating system
Crystal version
Database type

-k
 
I am using Crystal 8.5 and I am connecting to a dbase database. I am not a systems person so please bare with me. I have a remote location whose database is not on our servers, so I physically went out to the location to try and run reports. They have two computers. One has a MS DOS operating system and has the actual database on it. I could not put crystal reports on that computer. They have another computer that has a Windows operating system and connects to the database using SCO Termlite. So you atually run the database through Termlite. The reason I mentioned the IP address is because that is how Termlite connects to the database. You must put an IP address in when you connect. So I thought maybe that was how I could connect crytsal reports to the database.
I have asked our computer operations person and he was not sure what to do either.
 
It sounds like a terminal emulation program, which means that you're getting a session on the box, not a mapped connection.

If that box is available on the network then you might be able to use the IP or Machine Name to map the directory containing the dbase file(s).

Try going to a DOS prompt and typing PING <ip address>

It's unlikely though, the reason for terminal emulation prgrams is generally to keep that box secure.

Consider writing an extract from that box to a network resource in some automated fashion.

Then again, you should speak with your IT people about this, you may be able to expose or FTP the DBF locally for reporting.

-k
 
Hi,
Somehow you wil need to specify the dbase file as the datasource for your report - With only an IP address to work with I doubt it can be done..Ask your systems person
to try and set up an ODBC DSN on your workstation that accesses the dbase file - since it requires a drive:\directory type specification for its location, I'm not sure it can be done in your situation..

[profile]
 
Turk: You can and should use the \\machinename\folders... to link to an Access database to prevent the dependency upon the DRIVE mapping. When connecting to some databases, you can use the ipaddress as the machine name, this probably will not work with dbase though.

-k
 
Hi,
Thanks synapse, I would have used that( my standard practice) except for the IP address bit and Dbase..I was not sure UNC would work...
Maybe ecsrs will let us know how it went..

[profile]
 
Thank you! I have shared your responses with my IT guy who is going to look into the problem for me.
 
I doubt that the IPADDRESS will work when connecting to a network drive. You can use it when connecting to a big kid databse, such as SQL Server in lieu of the machine name, which is why I brought up the database type initially.

Note that the database is accessed via a terminal emulator, it'd be crazy to do that if it's available locally unless it's simply to run some program on another OS.

-k
 
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