What is a good way of reporting SQL Data??

[CtrlsEng127]

I work for a small company that does a lot of Wonderware Installations in Manufacturing facilities in which we are collecting a lot of data to SQL databases. We are looking for a good way of generating reports on the data that we collect. We have been using Crystal Reports version 8.5 as the Active X controls drop right into our Wonderware applications. We recently purchased the latest version of Crystal Reports XI and the Active X controls are incompatible with Wonderware and neither Wonderware or Crystal Reports is interested in making them compatible. We were looking into alternatives, a couple of the ideas that we had was to just go with some sort of custom HTML code or Java code that way it is very portable the end user just needs a Web Browser to pull up the reports they want to view. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good way to go. Also, it must be pretty cheap as a lot of our customers are small and cannot afford expensive software packages.

Thanks,
CtrlsEng127

 

[Sheco]

SQL Server Reporting Services is a free add-on to SQL Sever 2000 and it also comes free as a part of the new 2005 version.

Reports created for it are displayed in the web browser.

The only thing that costs money is the report development environment because it is a plug-in to Visual Studio.

If you are using the SQL 2000 verion of reporting services you need Visual Studio 2003. If you are using SQL 2005 then you need Visual Studio 2005.

It might be cheaper to just buy one of the VS components like VB.Net instead of buying the full visual studio.

 

[CtrlsEng127]

Thanks for the response Sheco! I have looked into that option. (Please bear with me because I am fairly new to SQL.) Our problem with going that route is on a stand alone system we would just install MSDE on the stand alone box. And after talking with Microsoft we would have to have a MSSQL liscense intalled on that box in order to use Reporting services. That would add quite a bit to the price and for small customers it is hard for them to justify. Now most of our larger customers already have MSSQL, in which I agree this would probably be the best way to go.

Here's where my SQL knowledge gets fuzzy, Our Wonderware applications have InSQL installed on them which allows us to collect data very quickly, some instances at 1 second intervals. Then we install MSDE on the box. We do not install MSSQL Server, and according Microsoft I would not be able to use Reporting Services without an Instance of MSSQL Server.

Does that make any sense??

Basically, it is a cost issue, we can save our small customers quite a bit by implementing in this way. The reason we are not continuing with Crystal 8.5 is a support issue with the software.

Thanks

 

[Sheco]

I'm not sure that I understand exactly but yes, it is true that MS SQL Reporting Services will not install without an actual instance of SQL Server. The setup program will not recognize MSDE.

You can install Reporting Services for SQL 2000 on the $50 developer version of SQL 2000 but I'm sure the license would forbid its use in a production environment.

 

[Sheco]

You could always just write a little ASP report.

 

[CtrlsEng127]

What do I need to write an ASP report??

 

[Sheco]

You need to install IIS on the server. It might be already installed because it is a free part of windows. Check in the control panel under Add/Remove Software and under that click windows components.