Ports Crystal Reports uses when Connecting to a Universe as a Data Source

[Former Member]

I have a couple of Crystal Reports that use universes as a data source. On my Windows 7 machine I am getting an error message that "Logon Failed", rather opening and running the same report on my Windows XP machine, I get the results from the universe as expected. I have tried multiple universes that report against different databases (Oracle, SQL Server, Sybase, etc) and I am getting the same vague error message on my Windows 7 machine with Crystal Reports 12.3.0.601.

Can someone please tell me what ports are being used within Crystal Reports (other than 6400) when connecting to the CMS and pulling back data from a universe? The odd thing, is that I can connect to the CMS, see the universes that I have permissions too and even see the objects within the universe, but I cannot view the results. This is a pretty high priority for us, so I would appreciate any feedback possible.

[Former Member]

I'm a shiney newbie in this SAP world. I had the same issue but relative to the Repository not a Universe (haven't gotten that far yet).

I also added the datasource locally and the issue was resolved. I've struggeled with this for several days now, again being a newbie, not sure if I was even reading the correct documentaion but I never saw this information in the Crystal 2011 user guide.

Seems contrary to the concept of isolating users (in this case designers) from connection details. I can only be hopeful that report users will not also have to have connections configured on the local workstations to view these reports

Thank you for answering someone else's question which ulimately helped me past this issue.

[former_member11696]

Hello,

"Seems contrary to the concept of isolating users (in this case designers) from connection details. I can only be hopeful that report users will not also have to have connections configured on the local workstations to view these reports ;-)"

As long as you use/set Saved Data with the reports then they don't need the client installed. If they hit Refresh to update the data then obviously they need to be able to connect to the data source, how else are they going to get it.

Think about it, you sit down to write a report off of a database you don't have access to? How are you going to create a report....

If you planning on sending out reports for viewing only then export them to PDF or some other type, then DB connections are not an issue, the PDF's are for viewing only.

Another concept is DB Security. Using NT Authentication or DB Authentication unless that user hitting the refresh button has access to the DB it won't prompt for log on info or if they don't provide the correct log on info they can't see new data.

It's all about security, CR does not save the Password in the RPT file, if we did anyone could get it and hack your database.

Not sure what your post has to do with Ports?

If you have questions then please post, in this forum we assume post that are answered are closed.

Don

[Former Member]

I assumed connectivity to the data base would be through the Crystal Server where the Data Source was defined for the Data Foundation being referenced in the Business View the report is created against. With out this kind of connectivity I don't see how a user can run a shared report and retreive fresh data from it (such as show me all orders placed today) unless they know all of the details to connect to our database. I would think the majority of report users (and many report designers) would have no idea how to setup a data source (such as ODBC) to connect to a database.

If my option is to only allow users to look at data saved with a report (no refresh capability) unless they know how to setup the various data source connections with the same data source names being used by the DF, and also gave them database login credentails (seems like a ,muvh larger security hole), then this is not the right reporting solution for me.

I think maybe we're not quite on the same page, but your suggestion to add a local data source wioth the same names as the one I used in the DF did in fact allow my Designer to connect to the database and reteieve data and I am happy for that

The "Ports" aspect of this thread was not mine, this was from the gentleman' who posted the initial question.

Thanks

[former_member11696]

I moved this post to the Universe Forum...

Someone in that forum may be able to help/explain the questions. It's still better to post a new question.

Don

[former_member11696]

Hello,

CR doesn't use Ports directly, it's all going through the DB client on the local PC. So if the ?Universe is connecting via ODBC then that ODBC Driver and DSN needs to be installed locally also.

In all cases, CR is connecting to the DB directly through the DB client. On the back end CR is simply getting the connection info and SQL Statement from the Universe and passing that to the DB Server through the local Client.

Install the DB Clients and configure them to be the same as the BOE Servers connections and the reports should work for you on the local PC.

Don