Understanding Crystal Reports Options

[Former Member]

I know what Crystal Reports is from a report writing standpoint. I'm a little confused as to how the following products relate to crystal reports 2013.

1. Report Application Server - What is the difference between this and Crystal Reports Server
2. Restful Services - Are these part of another product. I know what a Rest service is, however are these part of RAS or Crystal Reports Server or something?

If our company was looking to write something similar to Crystal Reports Server in .NET, only on a smaller scale, is this doable? Would we build upon RAS or Restful services or would we have to completely write something from scratch

Thanks in advance

[DellSC · Accepted solution]

You won't be able to use the RESTful web services SDK in Crystal Reports Server (CRS) - currently they only work with Crystal For Enterprise, which is not the same as Crystal 2013, and they are only available if you have them configured on CRS or BusinessObjects.

The ReportApplicationServer is just another SDK - the .NET version is installed with the Crystal for Visual Studio SDK.  It allows you to do things like change tables or commands (SQL Query) in reports along with a host of other things.  There is no user interface for it so you would have to build it from scratch.

You could also build a less complicated version of the GUI you're talking about using the regular Crystal for Visual Studio SDK without using ReportApplicationServer - or you can combine the two depending on what your needs are.

-Dell

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I had read that the Report Application Server 2013 only allows 3 reports to be run at the same time. If we setup a report repository site for our internal users, will only 3 reports be able to be run at the same time if we use RAS? Would writing a service from scratch get around the limitation in RAS?

[DellSC · Accepted solution]

That is sort of correct - it also depends on the number of "Print Jobs" (each report is a print job and every time a subreport runs inside a report that is a print job) - that is the same as if you use the regular Crystal SDK.

The only way to get more users than that would be to get Crystal Reports Server.

-Dell

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

So why would someone choose to use the RAS SDK vs the standard Crystal SDK?

[former_member11696 · Accepted solution]

Hi Eric,

What you are asking "how to use CR SDK's to make your own Business Objects Enterprise Servers" correct?

Basically BOE ( CRS is a single Server version of the full product ) manages all report objects by accessing them from where they are saved in a database and a File Server. Each BOE install has multiple Servers to manage Scheduling, Viewing, and various processing. Some Spawn a single thread to process and some spawn and new Executable to process and destroy that process once the Job is complete.

If you want to build your own front end and back end Service/Servers you do not require CR SDK's to do this but you do need them to be able to Create, Modify, View and save them with the updates to your back end server.

You are using what is called Unmanaged Reports, which means you load the RPT files from a folder on the hard drive. Or Stream them from a database field etc. All that is required is you allow CR SDK to open a report file. Using RAS you can modify the various Report properties and Objects and View, Export or Print them.

You will be limited to 3 report jobs but those jobs are handle very fast but will require you to manage the job count and Queue each job up once the previous one is completed.

Also, check this link out for licensing:

You may want to call Sales and talk to a Rep about what your goal is, possibly there is a Cloud package available that can give you what you want without spending $$$$ in writing your own and using CR SDK's to process the reports.

Good luck

Don

[DellSC · Accepted solution]

RAS has some features for complex operations that the regular Crystal SDK does not.

-Dell