Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster
Your Name
Information Builders
Information Builders Summit 2008 User Conference
June 2008
Author: Rick Williams
Company: Information Builders
Presentation Title: Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster
Presentation Abstract: Learn how to use Report Caster to schedule and
distribute Web Focus Reports.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 1 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Guidelines
Launch the ReportCaster Main Page.
1. Click the
ReportCaster
icon.
The ReportCaster Development and Administration window opens.
2. Click Create
New Schedule.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 2 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
New Schedule Properties
Schedule Tab:
3. Description: Schedule 1
Run Interval: Once
Ensure that Enabled box is
checked.
4. Click the Tasks tab.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 3 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Tasks Tab:
5. Click New.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 4 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
New Task Properties:
6. Task Name: Orders Analysis PDF
Task Type: File
Save Report as: orders.pdf
File : d:\ibi\apps\class305\orders.pdf
7. Click OK.
Let's create another task for the current schedule.
8. Click New.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 5 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
9. New Task Properties:
Task Name: WebFOCUS URL
Task Type: URL
Execution ID: TRAIN1
Password: TRAIN1
URL Address: http://techsupport.informationbuilders.com/
Save Report As: TechSupport.htm
10. Click OK.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 6 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Next, let's set the distribution method.
11. Click Distribution.
12. Distribution
Properties:
Distribute Reports
by: Email
Type: Single
Address
To:
chuck_dickens@lo
calhost.com
From: IT Group
Reply Address:
[email protected]
om
Subject: Schedule 1
(PDF and URL)
Optional: Add a
message to the body
of the e-mail.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 7 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
13. Click Settings.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 8 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
14. Settings Properties:
Priority Level for the Job: 3
Notification: Never
15. Click OK.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 9 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Let's check the log file.
16. Ensure that admin is
selected.
17. Right-click on the
schedule and select
Log.
18. Click Ok.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 10 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
19. Review the Log
Report.
20. Close the Log
Report.
21. Minimize the
ReportCaster
window.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 11 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Let's check the mail system.
22. Click the taskbar
icon for Outlook
express.
Outlook express opens. If you do not see the mail message, click the
Send/Receive button.
23. Click the e-mail.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 12 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
24. Double-click on
the mail from IT
Group.
25. Double-click to
open orders.pdf.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 13 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
26. Click Open.
The PDF file appears.
27. Close the PDF
file.
28. Open the URL
attachment.
29. Close the
Browser window.
30. Close the e-mail
and exit Outlook.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 14 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
31. Click Create
a New
Schedule.
32. Type
Salary
Reports in
the
Description
input box.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 15 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
33. Leave the
default
Once in
the Run
Interval
dropdown list.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 16 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
34. Switch
to the
Tasks
tab.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 17 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
35. Click New.
36. Type Burst
Reports in
the Task
Name input
box.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 18 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
37. Select
Standard
Report
from the
Task
Type
dropdown list.
38. Click the
folder
icon to
the right
of the
Standard
Report
input box.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 19 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
39. Expand the
Human
Resources
domain.
40. Expand the
Payroll Reports
folder.
41. Select Salary by
Division from the
Standard Report
listing and click
OK.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 20 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
42. Check the
Burst
Report
checkbox.
43. Use the
default
Save
Report As
name.
44. Click OK.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 21 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Burst Reports is listed as a New Task in the Task tab.
45. Select
the
Distribut
ion tab.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 22 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
46. Use the
default of
Distribution
List in the
Type dropdown box,
then click the
folder icon to
open the
Address
book.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 23 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
47. Let us now
create an
address book.
Click the New
icon.
48. Enter the burst
values and
email
addresses as
shown.
49. Lets save the
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 24 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
list. Click the
Save icon.
50. Name the list
Management
Team and
click OK.
51. Close the
Address Book
window.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 25 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
52. Expand
admin and
select
Management
Team. Click
OK.
53. Type Training
Room in the From
input box.
54. Type
[email protected]
om in the Reply
Address input box
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 26 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Set Notification Options
55. Switch to
the
Settings
tab.
We will leave the priority default intact.
56. Select On Error
as the notification.
57. Type Training
Room in the From
input box, and
Salary Reports in
the Subject input
box.
58. Type
admin@localhost.
com in the Brief
Notification input
box.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 27 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Set Notification Options (continued)
59. Check the
Add
Reports to
Zip File
checkbox.
60. Type
adminzip1
as the file
name, and
click OK.
61. Return to
Outlook
Express
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 28 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
View a Burst Report
View a Burst Report (continued)
62. Select
Salary
Report
s in the
inbox
and
open it.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 29 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
63. Double -click
on the
Attached file
to open it
using winzip.
64. Double-click the
Salary by Division
file in the adminzip
archive to Open it.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 30 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
View a Burst Report (continued)
65. The Burst
Report for
CORP
opens in a
new
browser
window.
66. Open Managed Reporting.
67. Expand the Production Domain.
68. Expand Standard Reports and the Sales Group folder.
69. Right-click on the Sales folder and select New  Alert Wizard from the popup menu.
70. Name the alert Exceptional Sales in the New Alert wizard dialogue.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 31 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 32 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
71. Click Next in the Alert wizard dialogue.
72. Click the WebFOCUS Test radio button and click Next.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 33 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
73. Click the Procedure Viewer.
74. Select GGSALES as the data source and click OK.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 34 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
75. In the Report Assistant, click the Summary radio button. Add CATEGORY,
PRODUCT, DOLLARS and BUDDOLLARS to the Report Columns. Add
REGION, ST and CITY to Vertical sort Fields.
Click on the Selection tab; then click New.
76. In the Expression Builders add DOLLARS GT the field BUDDOLLARS
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 35 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
77. Click OK in the Expression Builder. Click EXIT and Yes.
78. Close the Procedure Viewer and return to the Alert Wizard.
79. Click Next in the Alert Wizard to start creating the report to be distributed.
80. Select New WebFOCUS Report and Next.
81. Select Procedure Viewer.
82. Select the GGSALES file.
83. Add DOLLARS as a column sum field.
84. Add REGION as a sort field.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 36 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
The Report Painter should now resemble the following:
85. Add selection criteria – WHERE DOLLARS GT BUDDOLLARS.
The Expression Builder should resemble the following:
86. Click OK to close the Expression Builder. Click Exit to close the Report
Painter. Click Yes to update the procedure. Close the Task Viewer to return to
the Alert Wizard.
87. Click Next in the Alert Wizard.
88. Click Save.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 37 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
89. Click the Schedule the Alert button to create the ReportCaster Schedule.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 38 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017
90. Create the Schedule called Exercise 7 with the following options:
 Run Once
 Task is a Standard Report – the Alert we created.
 Save as Exceptional Sales.htm
 Alert Options – Continue after the Alert
 Distribute to a single address [email protected]
 Notification is Never
91. Close the Schedule window.
92. Close ReportCaster.
93. Click Finish in the Alert Wizard.
94. Check email to view the results.
Scheduling and Distribution With ReportCaster Page 39 of 39
Copyright © 2008 Information Builders
7/28/2017