Integration with Crystal Reports

[Former Member]

Hi

I have come across options that utilizes Crystal Reports, e.g. in ALV and at HR queries. However, I am curious whether Crystal Reports can be utilized in place of SAP SmartForms? I have never seen the development environment of Crystal Reports; is it possible, like in SAP SmartForms, to develop the layout and define the data sources at Crystal Reports and integrate this to an ABAP program sending its data? Or is there some other way to utilize it?

*--Serdar

P.S.:I am not concerned with the usage of Crystal Reports at BW.

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Hi again

I've found somethings. I mean the Open SQL Data Access which is provided through "The Open SQL Driver" developed by Crystal Decisions. I guess I can make use of Crystal Reports even not in relation with BW, is that true?

OK! So, my question is how much the trade-off is beyond the ROI? Does it shorten the time spent for development, and so on...? I would like to hear your experience with it. To draw the context, I am involved in a huge project implementing with <b>4.6D</b> within the context of almost all SAP modules and having lots of customer developments.

*--Serdar

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

You asked:

1. "whether Crystal Reports can be utilized in place of SAP SmartForms?"

Ans: YES

2. "I have never seen the development environment of Crystal Reports".

Ans: There is an environment for report layout designing. For a list of possible data sources, take a look at http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2001031.asp

3. "I am involved in a huge project implementing with 4.6D within the context of almost all SAP modules and having lots of customer developments"

Ans: Saudi Aramco, one of the biggest implementations of SAP, used Crystal Reports extensively. You can quote that as a reference for your project.

4. "Does it shorten the time spent for development, and so on...?".

Ans: I think one of the factors that affects time taken for development is your proficiency level with the tools. Crystal Reports has been a niche player in the Reporting segment for some time. So it seems to be a safe bet for an organization's reporting needs.

Additionally, you can refer to

http://www.symmetrics.net/resources/html/whitepprs/SAP-OpenSQLDriver.pdf for further details.

Regards

Message was edited by: Shehryar Khan

[ssimsekler · Accepted solution]

Hi

Thank you Shehryar. It was pretty helpful that you share your experience. And as another question, I think we should buy the SAP enhancement kit to make use of reaching our R/3 system. I guess, it can call RFC functions, moreover can it directly reach the database system or can it make direct queries on the ABAP dictionary components? Consecutively, is it secure? May it have security holes? Since ours is a military project, we emphasize about the security very much. Again I'd like to remind we are not dealing with the BI side and its integration with Crystal Reports for the moment.

Thank you very much again...

*--Serdar

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

You are welcome. Talking a bit more about Crystal Reports: it is mentioned on http://www.businessobjects.com/jump/sap/bobj/index.asp that <b>Business Object's Crystal Line of reporting solutions are supported and resold directly by SAP</b>. This means that not only does SAP takes care of requirements for product functionality, scalability, reliability, and flexibility; it also takes care of the security needs as well. As mentioned in the document, http://www.businessobjects.com/global/pdf/partners/sap_ent_reporting_solution.pdf , in the <i>Operational Reporting for SAP R/3</i> section,

<b>The solution provides native application-layer connectivity to SAP R/3 that respects the business logic and security of your SAP system.</b>

Additionally, you can take a look at http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2007930.asp on how to restrict users from displying unauthorized data.

Hope it helps.

Regards

Message was edited by: Shehryar Khan

[athavanraja · Accepted solution]

> Hi

>

> Thank you Sehryar. It was pretty helpful that you

> share your experience. And as another question, I

> think we should buy the SAP enhancement kit to make

> use of reaching our R/3 system.

<b>YES you need this</b>

I guess, it can call

> RFC functions, moreover can it directly reach the

> database system or can it make direct queries on the

> ABAP dictionary components?

<b>With SAP enhancement kit you can reach tables, RFC enabled function modules. with BW the BW query can be a data source</b>.

Consecutively, is it

> secure? May it have security holes?

<b>Security is at function module level or at table level

You have to handle the security thru ABAP programs for much complex scenarios.</b> Since ours is a

> military project, we emphasize about the security

> very much. Again I'd like to remind we are not

> dealing with the BI side and its integration with

> Crystal Reports for the moment.

>

> Thank you very much again...

>

> *--Serdar