Linked OLE word doc not refreshing when run in Enterprise. 1

[zigstick]

Hello! I'm using Crystal Reports 2008 and Enterprise 12.1 and have a question regarding linked ole documents.

I have linked an ole object (Word document) to approximately 800 reports that are published to Enterprise. The word doc resides on the same server as Business Objects Enterprise. When I make a change to the doc in from Crystal Reports and run the report, the linked document refreshes as expected.

However, when the published report runs from Enterprise, the link doesn't update. The only workaround is for me to open each report individually in Crystal Reports, allow it to update the linked document on open, and then save it. This will obviously be a huge undertaking given the number of reports involved.

If anyone knows of another method to accomplish this it will be GREATLY appreciated.

Mark

 

[hilfy]

Which service back of BO XI 3.1 (version 12.1) are you running? What are you using the Word doc for?

This was an known issue prior to BI Platform 4.x. When a Crystal report was scheduled, the schedule included a copy of the report as it exists at the time the schedule was created. This means that the schedule would not include any changes to the report. I haven't used the functionality to link OLE objects in Crystal, but I know that schedules for Crystal reports now update automatically when updates to the report template are updated - unless there are any changes to parameters. If parameters change, you still have to reschedule from scratch.

There is a way to update the report and reschedule using either the .NET or the Java SDK - which means you would have to write some code.

Another thing to be aware of, Crystal 2008 and BO XI 3.1 have been out of support for just over a year now. If you still have a service contract with SAP, you should be able to upgrade to the latest version (Crystal 2016 and BI Platform 4.2).

-Dell

DecisionFirst Technologies - Seven-time SAP BusinessObjects Solution Partner of the Year

http://www.decisionfirst.com

 

[kray4660]

From what I recall for Crystal Reports scheduled on a BI system, it remembers the instance that was scheduled. Thus any change to the report and the reoccurring instance has to be re-scheduled to pick up any changes. Pretty easy to do from the CMC, but if there are a lot of reports involved, it would be a bit tedious.

 

[hilfy]

kray4660, That was true up through version 3.1. In the 4.x version, this has been fixed so that you only have to re-schedule if there has been a change to the parameters for the report - including updates to static or dynamic parameter lists.

-Dell

DecisionFirst Technologies - Seven-time SAP BusinessObjects Solution Partner of the Year

http://www.decisionfirst.com

 

[kray4660]

Nice to know. We did not know it was fixed, so for anytime we have updated a scheduled report, we have 'rescheduled' the report.

 

[zigstick]

The suggestions and info are much appreciated from each of you! I did have to take the "tedious" route of opening each report, allowing the ole doc to refresh on open, and then saving the report. Time consuming and I'm a little cross-eyed. We are hoping to upgrade this year to the latest version of BOXI ... looking forward to exploring the new functionality. Once again, many thanks for the responses!