what steps are needed view an existing crystal report in crystal server

[Former Member]

I'm new to Crystal Reports/Crystal Server. I have 2016 version of both installed on a Windows Server 2008 environment, and have a "TestReport" that connects to my DB and runs perfectly in Crystal Reports.

When I take that same report and put it in Crystal Server, using CMC, I add a "test" folder, add the "TestReport" to that folder, update the Database Configuration to include the DB password, and "view" the report. There's several options there for Database Configuration, and they all give me the same error:

The viewer could not process an event. Failed to open the connection.

TestReport []

---- Error code:0 [CRWEB00000119]

The database connection is an ODBC connection, and it works in Crystal Reports (installed on same server).

What is the normal sequence for moving an existing report into Crystal Server?

And if the sequence I described should work, how might I find out more about what I've done incorrectly in this setup?

[former_member11696]

Hi Johannes,

Try creating a new report with now DB connection and just a text object "Hello World" in it and see if that works.

It could be your account does not have rights to run the report, check with the Admin for BOE for permissions on your account.

Or log into CMS under the Admin account and try previewing/setting your log on info for the report.

What DB client are you using in CRD and setup on BOE? Did you use a System DSN, required for System Processes to access the DSN.

If the first report works then try adding one table and one field, no parameters...

If your report has Parameters are you setting them also?

Next is Run the report in CR Designer and click on File, and check on the Save Data.... and save it. Then publish that report to CRS and there is a check box to discard saved data ( or something like that ) and save it.

You should now be able to view the report with saved data, once in the Viewer now hit the Refresh button and see what happens, it may prompt for Parameters or Log on info....

Don

[DellSC]

Try publishing the report from Crystal instead of using "add Local Document". On the File>>Save As menu you should have an option in the column on the left to connect to "Enterprise", which is your Crystal Server. You need to have Create rights on the folder that you're publishing the report to.

-Dell

[Former Member]

Thanks, I did publish to Crystal Server, no problems with publishing.

But again, right click, view gives me same database connection error. Looking for some options for troubleshooting -- is there a way test a database connection in Crystal Server? Testing works when I set up the connection, and it works in Crystal Report. But I see no way to verify DB connection from Crystal Server.

Looked at logs, not anything obvious there, no mention of even trying to connect to DB -- it seems that would be logged somewhere.

[DellSC]

If you go to the "logging" folder where CRS is installed (something like drive:\Program Files (x86)\SAP BusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\logging) and look for a file named something like this: cr2013proc_<SERVERNAME>.CrystalReports2013ProcessingServer_child_CRPE1_trace.000001.glf. You want the most recent version of the file.

Does your report have any dynamic prompts?

-Dell

[Former Member]

Thanks, that log seems to be the one that matters, and it has an unexpected error (no idea if this is at all related to db connection issue):

Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.crystaldecisions.reports.common.barcode.BarcodeGenerator

Yes, the report does have a couple dynamic prompts, before it runs, the date is input, and there's a name selected from a dropdown -- the names are supposed to come from database we are reporting on -- that is behavior with Crystal Reports -- when I run the same report on server, the window with the prompts appears but there is no dropdown of names, just a text input -- so this part is not connecting to DB either, but it's not giving any error.

[DellSC]

When you publish a report with dynamic parameters to CRS, you have to run the Business View Manager (BVM) from the Client Tools to configure the parameters. In particular, you need to set the password for the Data Connection (..._DC) and set it to not prompt for login.

Actually, the best way to work with dynamic parameters when you're publishing reports to CRS or BO is to create them in the BVM directly. This provides a couple of advantages:

1. You can create a single Data Connection that can be reused by multiple prompts.

2. You can create a single Data Foundation (..._DF) that can be used my multiple prompts.

3. In your Data Foundation, you can use just the tables that have the "lookup" information (code and description) instead of having to go through the SQL for the whole report to get the lookup data.

4. You can create a single LOV in the BVM that can be re-used by multiple reports. From Crystal I usually create a single-value parameter and a separate multi-value parameter from the same LOV and save them. That way you can reuse the "prompt groups" instead of creating one for every report.

To access the parameters from the BVM, you have to log into your CRS system from Crystal, go to the View menu, and open the "Repository Explorer".

-Dell

[Former Member]

Thanks Dell, you've been very helpful,

However, asked a separate question regarding this, my understanding is that I cannot use Client Tools as no eval version is provided.

[DellSC]

So, for your evaluation, you will not be able to use dynamic parameters in your reports. Using the BVM from the Client Tools is the only way that dynamic parameters work in Crystal Server.

-Dell

[Former Member]

once you open the crystal report go to Database-->Set datasource location --> create a OBDC conenction and update the existing connection and save to reporsitry.

[Former Member]

Yes, this is what I've done many times with Crystal Reports -- it ALWAYS works with Crystal Reports. I don't see any options like this on Crystal Server.

The problem I'm having is that I am unable to add this report to Crystal Server and view it.

I add the report using "add Local Document", then I right click and "View" -- this is when I see the database connection error. There are several options under "Database Configuration" -- I've tried them all, they all result in same error.

I do not see any option for what you are describing in Crystal Server, but I do have those options in Crystal Report (and I've used them there without any problem). Are you saying that I need to create connection in Crystal Server?

[DellSC]

Have you created a 32-bit ODBC connection on the server? The CRS software itself is 64-bit, but the part that runs Crystal is still 32-bit, so you have to have a 32-bit connection. You can find the 32-bit ODBC Administrator at C:Windows\syswow64\odbcad32.exe.

-Dell

[Former Member]

Thanks Dell, yes I did do this, but still having same problem.

Any suggestions for how I might get past this? I'd like to move some reports to Crystal Server, but am stuck on the most basic step -- trying out Crystal Reports was so easy, but I've not yet got even one report to run in Crystal Server