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Configure Repository Servers

The configured repository server can be used to load, save and execute rpt files on the repository. Access to the repository can be done via the Report Wizard (menu item File | New) or the dialog "Open Report File" (menu item File | Open)."

What is a repository?

With i-net Clear Reports Plus, it is possible to host a report repository on a running i-net Clear Reports Plus server. Users with appropriate permissions to the repository can fetch, store, tag, search, and run reports on the server itself instead of locally. Especially in environments with multiple report designers, this provides the advantage of centralizing reports and allowing for efficient storage and organization of company-wide reports.

Repositories

What do I enter as a configuration?

In order to make use of one or more repositories from within i-net Designer, you must first configure the location in the "Configure" dialog.

options-repositories-config.jpg

Simply enter the connection URL to the repository as well as your user name and password. Your connection URL depends on the type of installation of i-net Clear Reports Plus. Please contact your administrator for further details, however, here are a few examples. Note that in each example, your port and/or application context may be different.

Standalone i-net Clear Reports report server

http://<servername>:9000

Tomcat-based server

http://<servername>:8080/reporting/

ASP.NET-based

http://<servername>/clearreports/default.aspx

Note: In all above cases, adding to "/repository" to the URL gives you the WebDAV URL you can connect to with any standard compliant WebDAV client.

Validation of the URL

Whether your settings are valid, will be checked automatically after you closed the "Configure" dialog. This will attempt a connection to the repository with the given user details. If it succeeds, then the icon options-repositories-config-valid.jpg will be displayed on the left side of the repository URL.
If the repository URL or the user/password is not valid then the icon options-repositories-config-invalid.jpg will be displayed on the left side of the repository URL. In this case you can get the error in the tooltip of the invalid repository URL.

Is there a demo repository I can test this feature with?

Yes! We have a demo repository running which hosts sample reports which you can open, modify locally, and run. Note that you will not be able to store new or modified reports on this server. The connection to the demo repository should have been set by default at setup. The connection info is:

http://reporting.inetsoftware.de/public/
User:
Password:

How can I set up my own repository server?

If you are an administrator of an i-net Clear Reports server with a Plus license, you can set up a report repository by going into the remote configuration manager modul of the i-net Clear Reports Remote Interface. You will find the repository options in the category "Repository".

When I run a report from a repository, where is happening behind the scenes?

Once you've loaded a report from a repository, clicking on "Result (From Repository)" will cause the report to actually be rendered on the server hosting the repository rather than locally from within the Designer.
The server then sends the rendered report to your i-net Designer. Any local changes you might have made to the report are stored on the repository as a temporary file which is automatically deleted after the report is closed or saved. This means for example that you can run a report for which your local machine might not have the necessary fonts or database permissions, but the report server does.
The data will be fetched by the remote server and the report will be generated with embedded fonts, showing you the exact output your report server creates for the given report.

Troubleshooting

The repository settings are checked automatically. If the settings are invalid then you should get an helpful error message in the tooltip of the incorrect repository URL. If you can not solve the problem then contact your repository administrator. If you are an repository administrator, then you can check the following:

  • Is it possible to access the repository using the Repository Browser in the Remote Interface?
  • Is it possible to access the repository if you enter the repository URL in the address field of a browser?
  • If an authentication problem occur: Does the login URL works in a browser?