Table of Contents

Introduction.
I. CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE OVERVIEW AND ITS IMPACT.

1. Introducing Crystal Enterprise.


Crystal Enterprise 8.5 Overview. Crystal Enterprise Is "Business Intelligence". Key Features of Crystal Enterprise. Customizing Crystal Enterprise. Determining How Users Will Get Their Information. Crystal Enterprise: An Information Infrastructure. Building an Information Infrastructure with Crystal Enterprise. The Real Value of Crystal Enterprise: Content. Adding Ad-Hoc Query Capability to Crystal Enterprise.

2. Discovering the Crystal Enterprise Utilities.


Web-Based Utilities. Windows-Based Crystal Enterprise Utilities.

3. Exploring the System Architecture.


Crystal Enterprise Architecture Overview. Introduction to the Crystal Enterprise Framework. Overview of the Crystal Enterprise Servers. The Crystal Enterprise Architecture in Action. Taking Advantage of the Crystal Enterprise Distributed Architecture. Extending Crystal Enterprise.

II. GETTING STARTED WITH CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE.

4. Installing Crystal Enterprise 8.5.


Preparing a Windows NT/2000 Server for Installing Crystal Enterprise. Understanding Crystal Enterprise System Requirements. Types of Crystal Enterprise Installations. Standalone/Single Server Installation. Default Standalone Crystal Enterprise Installations. Using the Crystal Configuration Manager. Custom Crystal Enterprise 8.5 Installation. Expanding an Existing Crystal Enterprise Installation. Overall System Maintenance and Monitoring for Scaling. Adding and Deleting Crystal Enterprise Servers. Installing Crystal Enterprise Components in a Multiple-Firewall Configuration. Configuring the Web Connector. Confirming a Successful Crystal Enterprise Installation. Upgrading from Previous Versions of Crystal Enterprise. Upgrade Impacts to the APS Database. Upgrading from Seagate Info to Crystal Enterprise. Troubleshooting.

5. Using the Crystal Enterprise Launchpad.


Where to Start. Crystal Enterprise Web Applications for End Users. The Administrative Interface to Crystal Enterprise.

6. Customizing ePortfolio for Rapid Information Delivery.


Understanding ePortfolio's Interaction with Crystal Enterprise. Customizing ePortfolio for an Intranet Deployment—The Maple Leaf Equipment Scenario. Customizing ePortfolio Functionality Through CSP Pages. Troubleshooting.

III. CREATING CONTENT FOR CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE.

7. Publishing Content with Crystal Enterprise.


Considerations Before Publishing Content. Understanding Unmanaged and Managed Report Content Before Publishing to Crystal Enterprise. Troubleshooting.

8. Creating Content with Crystal Reports.


Installation and Configuration of Crystal Reports. Creating Reports. Using Common Formulas in Crystal Reports. Using Advanced Features of Crystal Reports. Troubleshooting.

9. Creating Content with Crystal Analysis Professional.


Overview of Crystal Analysis Professional. The Value of Multidimensional OLAP Data. Benefits of Using Crystal Analysis Professional. Installing Crystal Analysis Professional. Accessing OLAP Data with Crystal Analysis Professional. Favorite Cubes. Building Effective Analytic Reports. Advanced Reporting. Publishing Content to Crystal Enterprise. Troubleshooting. Endnotes.

IV. ADMINISTERING AND DEPLOYING CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE IN COMPLEX NETWORK ENVIRONMENTS.

10. Administering and Configuring Crystal Enterprise.


The Crystal Management Console. Managing Accounts. Managing Content. Managing Servers. Managing the System. The Crystal Configuration Manager. Starting Crystal Enterprise Servers from a Command Line. Other System Tasks: Backing Up the APS System Database.

11. Planning Considerations when Deploying Crystal Enterprise.


Approaching the Project. Understanding Organizational Reporting Requirements. Troubleshooting.

12. Deploying Crystal Enterprise in a Complex Network Environment.


Understanding Network Protocols. Understanding Firewall Types. The Crystal Enterprise Architecture. Interaction Between the Web Component Server and the Web Connector. Crystal Enterprise Load Balancing and Scalability—Web Farm Considerations. Additional Firewall and Port Considerations for Crystal Enterprise. Deploying Crystal Enterprise with an IP Packet Filtering Firewall. Using Crystal Enterprise with Network Address Translation. Crystal Enterprise and Proxy Servers.

V. CUSTOMIZING CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE.

13. Extending Crystal Enterprise.


Understanding Crystal Server Pages. Using the Crystal Enterprise Object Model. The Crystal Enterprise Administrative API. Basic Crystal Enterprise Functionality. Crystal Enterprise Administrative Functionality. Troubleshooting.

14. Integrating Crystal Enterprise with Your Corporate Intranet.


The Coverall Manufacturing Company Project. Planning the Crystal Enterprise Integration. Linking a Corporate Intranet Page to Crystal Enterprise. Delegating Administrative Functions. Initial Crystal Enterprise System Configuration. Exploring the Finished Coverall Manufacturing Intranet Site. Troubleshooting.

15. Integrating Crystal Enterprise with Third-Party Portals.


Understanding Portals. Crystal Enterprise and Portal Applications. Creating a Seamless User Experience. Leveraging Prebuilt Crystal Enterprise Portal Components.

VI. CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL.

Appendix A. Running Crystal Enterprise on Sun Solaris.


Crystal Enterprise on Solaris Versus Crystal Enterprise on Windows. Installing Crystal Enterprise on Sun Solaris. Publishing a Report to Crystal Enterprise on Solaris. Troubleshooting.

Appendix B. Using the Report Application Server.


Overview of RAS Components. Installing the Report Application Server. The RAS Server. Overview of RAS Applications. The Report Application Server SDK.

Index.

Promotional Information

Special Edition Using Crystal Enterprise provides a comprehensive reference for the enterprise information delivery solution, Crystal Enterprise. Thousands of organizations worldwide will adopt this technology and need assistance to integrate Crystal Enterprise with existing Web technology. This book will help people with existing knowledge of Crystal Software or Web development languages leverage the powerful technology delivered with Crystal Enterprise.

About the Author

Steve Lucas has been in the information technology industry for more than 10 years. He currently manages the Strategic Pre-Sales Team for North America at Crystal Decisions, working with some of Crystal¿s largest customers worldwide. Steve regularly speaks on current and future Crystal technology at significant events such as COMDEX. Prior to Crystal, Steve focused on Microsoft technology and consulting for the better part of his career. He is currently based in Denver.

Roger Sanborn is the Senior Program Manager for Crystal Enterprise at Crystal Decisions. He has been a key contributor to the direction and success of Crystal Enterprise and has been instrumental in successfully guiding the direction and delivery of Crystal Enterprise since its inception three years ago. Roger has been working in the software industry for the past eight years and has been focused on information delivery systems for the majority of that time. Over time, Roger has developed expertise in several enterprise technology areas, including Web development, application integration, security, and networking.

Mitchell Chou graduated with a degree in Computing Science from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada in 1998. He has been working as a technical consultant with Crystal Decisions since April 1999.

James Church is director of Crystal Analysis at Crystal Decisions, Inc. with responsibility for the technical direction and leadership of Crystal Analysis Professional and Crystal Holos. He joined Crystal Decisions (then Holistic Systems) in 1993 as a Holos consultant and has been involved in a range of analytical application implementations ranging from analytical reporting to financial modeling. James earned a graduate diploma in Computer Science from North Staffordshire Polytechnic in 1987. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife and two children.

Evan Davies was brought up in South Wales and educated at London University and the Hatfield Polytechnic, where he gained his Masters in Computer Science. Evan has spent close to 20 years in the IT industry and has had significant (and painful) experiences ranging from mainframe through client/server to the current Web-based n-tier architectures. His roles have encompassed development, consultancy, teaching, database design and implementation, to his current sales role within Crystal Decisions. He currently serves as a presales engineer responsible for the western states of Arizona, Utah, and Nevada and lives with his wife Nadine and the Zigmeister in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Grant Eaton is a senior consultant for Crystal Decisions in Seattle, Washington. He has used Crystal software extensively for six years, starting in 1996 with the development of a sales revenue reporting system for Walt Disney World. Prior to Disney, he worked as a sales-force automation consultant, database administrator, technical writer, and professional trainer. Some of his recent customers include Pfizer, 3M, Discover Card, Siemens, Microsoft, and the Bank of Canada. Grant enjoys international travel and one-of-a-kind adventures, such as whitewater rafting, parasailing, and skydiving. He may be contacted at mail@granteaton.com.

Joe Estes has more than eight years of experience in the information technology industry. He has been involved with the data reporting and analytical aspects of data warehousing and business intelligence initiatives almost exclusively over the past six years. Throughout his career, Joe has held positions varying from system analyst and developer at a Big 5 consultancy to project manager and system engineer at business intelligence software companies. Currently, he is the manager of the Midwest Systems Engineer team at Crystal Decisions in Chicago, Illinois. Working in a consultative role with some of the largest companies in the world, he has helped design and deploy enterprise-level business intelligence solutions that focus on increasing an organization¿s efficiency and competitiveness in the market. Joe is an avid enthusiast of running, snowboarding, in-line skating, and squash.

Neil FitzGerald has more than seven years experience working with information delivery, business intelligence, and enterprise reporting tools. He has combined this experience with his Bachelor of Computer Science degree from Queens University in Kingston, Canada and his MBA from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada to help provide information solutions to an array of Fortune 500 companies throughout New York City and the northeastern United States. Neil currently is managing a top-shelf group of technical consultants in the New York/New England region for Crystal Decisions.

Justin Frank is a certified Crystal trainer and consultant for Crystal Decisions.

Henry Kam is a senior consultant who has more than six years of IT industry experience. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Science from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. He has consulted for more than 30 North American companies. Currently, Henry specializes in the design and implementation of enterprise reporting systems for Fortune 500 companies. Ben Lockett has worked in the consulting industry for seven years. His main focus has been on project management relating to the delivery of enterprise software to Fortune 500 customers based in America, Canada, and Europe. Ben currently works for Crystal Decisions as the Western Regional Consulting Manager and is based in Denver.

Stephen Mak has been with Crystal Decisions since 1999. As a program manager with Crystal, he is responsible for the SDK and application development in the Crystal Enterprise product. When he¿s not working, Stephen enjoys spending time with his wife and their dog, Eddie.

Quasar Business Solutions, Inc. is based out of Vancouver, BC (Canada) as well as Palmyra, Virginia (USA). They focus on the growth markets of business intelligence and data access across all markets and specialize in the areas of business intelligence, 3-tier client/server applications, and intranet/Internet application development and training and consulting. They offer solutions to the Crystal BI product family as well as provide add-on products, complementing Crystal Decisions¿ information suite.

Cynthia Shelley Version 3.0 is an MCP with experience in designing and developing multitier applications, system analysis, and administration, as well as designing and delivering end-user and developer training. Cynthia currently is a training consultant at Crystal Decisions, where she is designing training for developers in C# and Visual Basic .NET on Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET. Cynthia also is a Crystal Certified Trainer and Consultant on Crystal Reports and Crystal Enterprise.

Cynthia studied Greek and Roman Classics and Microbiology in university but has since expanded her language vocabulary from Ancient Greek, Latin, VBScript and JScript to VB, VB .NET, and C#. Any time she can find an excuse to "waste" is dedicated to advancing her RPG characters in PC, Console, and board gaming.¿"The last minute still has sixty seconds..."

Tim Weir has been with Crystal Decisions for more than three years and brings technical and business experience to the sales process. He resides in the Philadelphia area and provides support for the entire country. Prior to Crystal Decisions he spent several years with CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation) and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).