Getting the most from your BIRT reports Integrating Actuate iServer Express

1. Getting the most from your BIRT reportsIntegrating Actuate iServer Express Virgil Dodson – Actuate Corporation

2. 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

3. Actuate is the Engine Behind BIRT Founder 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

4. What is iServer Express?

5. iServer Express Deploy, 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

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

7. Evolution of an Application “We also need to dynamically link the customers’ to another report” 2 1

8. Evolution of an Application “We’d like to slice this by sales rep, too, grouped alphabetically.” 3 2 1

9. Evolution of an Application 3 4 2 1 “Actually, we’d like to be able to produce a completely separate report for each rep.”

10. Evolution of an Application 3 4 2 1 “Maybe they should be able to change their view by themselves.” 5

11. Evolution of an Application “We have quite a few users using this system now and there’s some fairly sensitive data in there...” 3 4 2 1 6 5

12. Evolution of an Application “We need to schedule these reports to run every other week.” 7 3 4 2 1 6 5

13. Evolution of an Application “We need to track which users have used the system.” 8 7 3 4 2 1 6 5

14. Evolution of an Application 8 7 3 9 4 “They need to set up their own reports with new data.” 2 1 6 5

15. Evolution of an Application 8 “We need a single version of the truth” “We need these dashboards linked to our business process” “We don’t want to be re-typing information from these dashboards into our other applications…can we export?” “We need to easily find stuff within the dashboard” “We need the output as Excel” 7 “We need to be able to approve or reject the changes” 3 “We need to be able to see the underlying detail” 9 “We don’t want to be waiting around for the results” 4 “We need to analyze the information in Excel” “We need Flash charts” 2 1 “We need a simple way to see the entire contents of the detail report” 6 “We need to know who’s looked at the information” “We need these dashboards in multiple languages” “We need a view that looks like an existing flow chart” “We need to print the dashboard out to take into meetings” 5

16. 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

17. What are the coolest features?

18. Scheduling is a Complex Problem to Solve • Self-service scheduling for end-users Web-based scheduler • Different batch outputs from the same report Parameter storage • Cope with growing number of batch jobs Integrated job management • Proactively manage hardware Batch monitoring • Fix report errors before users complain Completion and error notification • Trigger reports as soon as data is ready Event-based scheduling

19. 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

20. Security is a Complex Problem to Solve • Limit access to reporting functionality Secure report server access • Ensure users run only authorized reports Secure 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 relevant Different report output for different users • Manage privileges for multiple users simultaneously User groups

21. iServer Express Security • 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 • 1. Standalone Security • Usernames & roles are stored in iServer Express Direct login to iServer Express • 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 LDAP Server SSO System SSO System iServer Express iServer Express iServer Express Report Repository Report Repository Report Repository iPortal iPortal iPortal

22. What are all the pieces?

23. iPortal • Turn-key UI for end-users • Based on JSP pages and servlets • Customizable and personalizable via skins, functionality levels, modify JSPs BusinessReportStudio InteractiveViewer Standard Viewer Administration & Management • Job Scheduling • Email Notification • Document versioning • User Privileges & Security Roles <XML> Relational Flat Files Legacy ERP XML EJB iServer Express Architecture iServer Express • 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 Web Services API ReportStorage BIRT Report Engine Metadata Services • Designs, documents Data Sources

24. 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

25. 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)

26. Management Console Roles Administrator Operator User

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

28. 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.

29. 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

30. 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

31. How do I integrate into an application?

32. Typical iServer Express Reporting Environment

33. Typical iPortal for iServer Express Architecture

34. Off-the-shelf but Fully Customizable • Customize parameter and viewing UI to match application Editable JSP’s • Launch reports via simple web hyperlinks URL-based API’s • Access 100% of functionality from Java, PHP, other types of apps Comprehensive Web Services API • Leverage systems infrastructure Archiving integration Integrate with systems management tools Integrate with security infrastructure

35. Integration Scenarios • 1. 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 URL iServer ExpressReport Service App Server (Java, PHP, …) User • 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 Web Services iServer ExpressReport Service App Server (Java, PHP, …) User Note: All scenarios can be used in combination

36. Integration: Standalone

37. 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>

38. 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>

39. Integration: URLs (cont.) • 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>

40. Integration: URLs (cont.) • View Report with Navigation Bar • /iv • __report={</path>}/<reportname.rptdocument>{;<versionnumber>} • View Report without Navigation Bar • /iv • __report={</path>}/<reportname.rptdocument>{;<versionnumber>} • __ivcmd=run

41. 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 • …

42. Web Services API (iServer Express)

43. Web Services API (Encyclopedia Volume)

44. Web Services API (Files and Folders)

45. Web Services API (Jobs)

46. Web Services API (Jobs continued)

47. Web Services API (users)

48. Live Demo

49. iServer Express Delivers Immediate Value • Appropriate for BIRT applications requiring security and scheduling • Install, configure, deploy in under 60 minutes • Available immediately for download on BIRT Exchange along with documentation, demos, and forums.

50. Q&A Virgil Dodson