Report instance view runs slow

[mdwyer]

I am just starting to migrate Crystal reports into BOE XI R3, using the CMC to add the reports from the file system. With each new report, I create a recurring schedule and a run-now instance.

The first four reports performed well. The fifth seemed to hang the browser when viewed. I eventually found the process (View Latest Instance or view from History) would complete in about 15 minutes. At about 12 minutes, IE generates a message:

A script on this page is causing Internet Explorer to run slowly. If it continues to run, your computer may become unresponsive. Do you want to abort the script?

The CMC/browser status line shows it is trying to open crystalreportviewers / htmlbridge.jsp.

The instance takes about 1 minute to run in the CMC. The report uses about 60,000 records and produces about 4,500 pages.

In Crystal Enterprise 9, our current platform, the same instance is viewable in 2-3 seconds.

The first four reports migrated to XI3 run in less than a minute and are viewable in 5-6 seconds, have from 120 to 6,400 pages, and use the same dataset.

Not seeing any significant differences between the quicker and slower reports, I'm at a loss as to where BOE is failing. I'd appreciate some thoughts. Thanks!

 

[hilfy]

Are you using "page n of m" on your report? If so, this will definitely slow it down.

How are you filtering and sorting the report? Is all of the work being done on the database or does Crystal have to pull in all the records and then processs the data? Make sure you have "Use Indexes or Server for Speed" turned on and avoid using formulas in Crystal to filter, group, or sort the data.

-Dell

A computer only does what you actually told it to do - not what you thought you told it to do.

 

[mdwyer]

Hilfy -

Yes, it is using page n of m. As to filtering and sorting, anything is possible; I'll have a developer look at that. (This report has been in production since 2004, maybe.)

Would there be any specific difference between CR9 and XIr3 that would account for 15 second vs. 15 minute performance at view-latest-instance time?

Where is "Use Indexes or Server for Speed"? I haven't come across that setting yet.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[hilfy]

If possible, you need to get rid of the page n of m. That is a major part of your problem.

I'm not sure how CE 9 worked, but when you request to view a report in BO XI (from the original to the current version) the instance gets sent to the Page Server for rendering. When you're not using page n of m, it will render each page as it is requested. In other words, it will render page 1 and display it then, when the user goes to the next page, it will be rendered. When you use page n of m, ALL of the pages have to be rendered in order to get the page count for the "of m" part. So, for this report it is rendering around 4,500 pages before it can display the first one. So, the one thing you can do to speed up this report is to take out page n of m.

Use Indexes or Server for Speed is located under Options on the File menu. But, thinking about it, that has to do with how fast the instance is created when it was run, it has nothing to do with the speed of viewing an instance. Sorry about the confusion there!

-Dell

A computer only does what you actually told it to do - not what you thought you told it to do.

 

[mdwyer]

Ah, well. Page N of M is not the answer. Replaced that with Page Number in the report and got the same performance. Also checked the other reports and they too use Page N of M but perform adequately (as noted initially).

CE9, FWIW, displays the first page as Page 1. Only when you navigate beyond that does it add the "of M" suffix.

Again, and just FWIW, where is Use Indexes or Server for Speed? The CMC runs in a browser, so the File menu pertains to IE. No Options there. Sorry to be such a newby. (Maybe it's my attitude - that this product turned to garbage after Seagate got rid of it.)

 

[skrandel]

When you scroll down, is the whole report there? Or are you having to page down?

Steve Krandel
Intuit

 

[hilfy]

It's on the file menu in Crystal - you have to edit the report and set this.

-Dell

A computer only does what you actually told it to do - not what you thought you told it to do.

 

[hilfy]

When you checked removing page n of m, did you re-run the report? Previously run instances do NOT pick up changes to the report structure. Also, you need to reschedule any recurring schedules after you make changes to the report - this has to be through the Schedule menu - selecting "reschedule" on the recurring schedule won't pick up the new version.

-Dell

A computer only does what you actually told it to do - not what you thought you told it to do.

 

[mdwyer]

The report is rendered one page at a time; the scrollbar only goes the length of a single page.

Yes, I did re-run the report. (Thanks for checking.)

[I found "Use Indexes..." and the option is on.]