© 2008 by Virgil Dodson; made available under the EPL v1.0 | 2/11/2008 Getting the most from your BIRT reports Integrating Actuate iServer Express Virgil

© 2008 by Virgil Dodson; made available under the EPL v1.0 | 2/11/2008

Getting the most from your BIRT reportsIntegrating Actuate iServer Express

Virgil Dodson – Actuate Corporation

Getting the most from your BIRT reports | Actuate iServer Express | © 2008 by Virgil Dodson; made available under the EPL v1.0

Agenda

• Who is Actuate?• What is iServer Express?• Why does a developer care?• What are the coolest features?• How do the pieces fit together?• How do I integrate into an application?• Live Demo• Q&A


Actuate is the Engine Behind BIRTFounder and Co-Sponsor of Open Source BIRT Project

Chair of BIRT Project Mgmt. Committee

Over ½ million lines of code for BIRT and Data Tools Project

Training, Services, and Support for BIRT

Commercial Products that extend BIRT functionality


What is iServer Express?


iServer ExpressDeploy, Manage, Schedule, Run and Share

BIRT Reports

Quickly and Easily

• Web-based user interface to run, view and share reports

• On-demand, time and event based scheduling

• Automated email distribution of reports

• User interface to collect report parameters

• Secure reports with User and Role security

• Report management, versioning and control

• Up and running in 30 minutes or less

• Variety of application integration options

• Equinox application


Evolution of an Application

1 “Just give me a list of customer sales and the best performing city and state.”



“We also need to dynamically link the customers’ to another report”

12



“We’d like to slice this by sales rep, too, grouped alphabetically.”

12

3



“Actually, we’d like to be able to produce a completely separate report for each rep.”

12

3

4



“Maybe they should be able to change their view by themselves.”

12

3

4

5



“We have quite a few users using this system now and there’s some fairly sensitive data in there...”

12

3

5

6

4



“We need to schedule these reports to run every other week.”

7

12

3

5

6

4



7

8

12

3

5

6

“We need to track which users have used the system.”

4


“They need to set up their own reports with new data.”


9

6

8

4

7

12

3

5



9

6

8

4

7

12

3

5

“We need these dashboards linked to our business process”

“We need to be able to approve or reject the changes”

“We need a single version of the truth”

“We need to analyze the information in Excel”“We don’t want to be waiting around for the results”

“We don’t want to be re-typing information from these dashboards into our other applications…can we export?”

“We need to be able to see the underlying detail”

“We need to print the dashboard out to take into meetings”

“We need the output as Excel”

“We need Flash charts”

“We need to easily find stuff within the dashboard”

“We need to know who’s looked at the information”

“We need a simple way to see the entire contents of the detail report”

“We need a view that looks like an existing flow chart”“We need these dashboards in multiple languages”


Why does a developer care?• I don’t have time or resources to build the report management

features• I need to secure my reports• I need to schedule some reports• I want to stop manually emailing reports to the same people over and

over again. • I want my application to have more cool interactive features.• I want out of the report customization business• I need to easily integrate reports into my application

My application is already built…Standalone iServer branded to match site Quickly add reporting to an application - URL integration to launch

reports I want to build the entire reporting UI myself but still harness the power of

a report server behind the scenes - Web Services API integration


What are the coolest features?


Scheduling is a Complex Problem to Solve

•Self-service scheduling for end-users Web-based scheduler

•Different batch outputs from the same reportParameter storage

•Cope with growing number of batch jobsIntegrated job management

•Proactively manage hardware Batch monitoring

•Fix report errors before users complainCompletion and error notification

•Trigger reports as soon as data is readyEvent-based scheduling


Flexible Scheduling

Schedule reports to run in future Recurring or one-time

End-user Independence Users can schedule their own jobs Users can maintain their own job queues Users can share results with other iServer

Express users

Manage scheduled jobs

Versioning of documents and version management

Important for reports that run regularly on a schedule


Security is a Complex Problem to Solve

•Limit access to reporting functionality Secure report server access

•Ensure users run only authorized reportsSecure report level access

•Restrict access to running and viewing reports separately

Manage executable and output security distinctly

•Ensure users see only the data that’s relevantDifferent report output for different users

•Manage privileges for multiple users simultaneously User groups


iServer Express Security

1. Standalone Security• Usernames & roles are stored

in iServer Express Direct login to iServer Express

iServer Express

Report RepositoryiPortal

3. External Privileges plus Single Sign-on

• Usernames & roles are not stored in iServer Express

• Login to iServer Express is invisible; handled by external Single Sign-on

iServer Express

Report Repository iPortal

LDAP Server SSO System

2. Integrated Privileges plus

Single Sign-on• Usernames & roles are stored

in iServer Express • Login to iServer Express is

invisible; handled by external Single Sign-on

iServer Express

Report RepositoryiPortal

SSO System


What are all the pieces?


iServer ExpressiServer Express

iServer Express Architecture

Data Sources

Data Sources

Relational Flat Files ERPLegacy EJBXML

<XML><XML>

Metadata Services

Web Services API

ReportStorage

BIRT Report Engine

• Designs, documents

Administration & Management

• User Privileges & Security Roles • Document versioning • Email Notification • Job Scheduling

iPortal• Turn-key UI for end-users • Based on JSP pages and servlets• Customizable and personalizable via

skins, functionality levels, modify JSPs

iPortal• Turn-key UI for end-users • Based on JSP pages and servlets• Customizable and personalizable via

skins, functionality levels, modify JSPs

Standard Viewer

InteractiveViewer

BusinessReportStudio

Management Console

• Turn-key UI for administrators and advanced end-users

• Based on JSP pages & servlets

• Not customizable

Management Console

• Turn-key UI for administrators and advanced end-users

• Based on JSP pages & servlets

• Not customizable

ConfigurationConsole

• JSP page for basic system configuration

ConfigurationConsole

• JSP page for basic system configuration


Configuration Console

• Web based UI• License Management• Start / stop server• Configure Diagnostic Logging• Java settings• System administrator password• Configure Email• Configure Network Settings

Ports for iPortal and Management Console, Web Services Server hostname


Management Console

• Web Based UI• Administrators and Power Users• Manage Jobs• Run/View/Schedule Reports• Manage Users/Groups/Roles• Set up Notification Channels• Manage Repository (Backups/archiving)


Management Console Roles

Administrator Operator User


iPortal

• Web based J2EE application• Browsing and Running Reports• Can be branded and skinned• Customizable JSPs• Interactive Viewer Option• BusinessReport Studio Option


iPortal uses Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture

• Model - contains the logic for sending requests to and processing responses from Actuate iServer Express. This component is the data model for iPortal.

• View - contains the pages that display data prepared by actions. This component is the presentation portion of iPortal.

• Controller - contains the servlets that implement actions. This component is the program control logic for iPortal.


Interactive Viewer Flexible Report Exploration Powered by AJAX Allows for Manipulation of Reports by End Users

Adding Filters Sorting Criteria New Calculations Grouping Conditional Formatting

Print and Export Options Saving, Sharing of View


BusinessReports Studio Intuitive Web Based Report Designer for End Users Ad Hoc with IT Control Self-Service with Zero Training 100% User Adoption Leverages BIRT technology Interactive Viewing Share and Collaborate


How do I integrate into an application?


Typical iServer Express Reporting Environment


Typical iPortal for iServer Express Architecture


Off-the-shelf but Fully Customizable

•Customize parameter and viewing UI to match application

Editable JSP’s

•Launch reports via simple web hyperlinksURL-based API’s

•Access 100% of functionality from Java, PHP, other types of apps

Comprehensive Web Services API

•Leverage systems infrastructureArchiving integrationIntegrate with systems management toolsIntegrate with security infrastructure


Integration Scenarios1. Standalone• Skins-based customization (colors, logos)• Customizable JSP UI• No integration needed

iServer ExpressReport Server

User

2. URL Access• Hyperlinks from application pages to launch reports• Easy integration with web pages

User

URL

App Server(Java, PHP, …)

3. Web Services • API to access services, get content• Covers 100% of iServer Express functionality• Used for more granular, controlled integration• Complete WSDL for Java access

iServer ExpressReport ServiceUser

Web Services

App Server(Java, PHP, …)

iServer ExpressReport Service

Note: All scenarios can be used in combination


Integration: Standalone


Integration: URLs

• Common All URLs listed are relative. Absolute URLs should be

prefixed with: http://<serverurl>:<port>/<contextpath>

The following parameters should be added to all URLs serverURL=http://<serverurl>:<port> volume=<volume>


Integration: URLs (cont.)

• Execute Report Transient (does not save) /executereport.do

__executablename={</path>}/<reportname.rptdesign>{;<versionnumber>}

__progressive=true __saveOutput=false __wait=wait invokesubmit=true <reportparams>=<paramvalues>



• Execute Report & Save /executereport.do

__executablename={</path>}/<reportname.rptdesign>{;<versionnumber>}

__progressive=true __saveOutput=true __wait=wait __outputName={</outputpath>}/<outputname.roi> __versionName=<versionnumber> __replace=<true or false> invokesubmit=true <reportparams>=<paramvalues>



• View Report with Navigation Bar /iv

__report={</path>}/<reportname.rptdocument>{;<versionnumber>}

• View Report without Navigation Bar /iv

__report={</path>}/<reportname.rptdocument>{;<versionnumber>}

__ivcmd=run


Integration: Web Services API

• IDAPI - Actuate Information Delivery API• Integrating and administering Actuate iServer Express• SOAP messaging• Supports:

uploading and downloading files generating a report and scheduling report generation sending an e-mail notification when a job completes managing the users and security roles in an Encyclopedia

volume …


Web Services API (iServer Express)


Web Services API (Encyclopedia Volume)


Web Services API (Files and Folders)


Web Services API (Jobs)


Web Services API (Jobs continued)


Web Services API (users)

© 2008 by Virgil Dodson; made available under the EPL v1.0 | 2/11/2008

Live Demo


iServer Express Delivers Immediate Value

• Available immediately for download on BIRT Exchange along with documentation, demos, and forums.

• Appropriate for BIRT applications requiring security and scheduling

• Install, configure, deploy in under 60 minutes


Q&A

Virgil Dodson


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© 2008 by Virgil Dodson; made available under the EPL v1.0 | 2/11/2008 Getting the most from your BIRT reports Integrating Actuate iServer Express Virgil