Database LogOn: Native, ODBC and DOR

Frequently Asked Questions

Database LogOn: Native, ODBC and DOR

Download PDF version of this faq: DatabaseLogOn.pdf

Native Database Connections

There are two 'levels' with which PCRE logs on and processes the jobs from the native databases.

Engine level ( PCREEngine class)
Java Code Sample
ASP Code Sample
Job Level (PCREJob class)
Java Code Sample
ASP Code Sample

Engine Level

At the engine level, the engine has to log on to the server every time it needs to create a report.
The logOnInfo structure must be explicitly populated as shown in the example below. The Engine level
is helpful when there is a requirement to run reports that need to access different databases on different
servers or machines. However, every time there is a need to have different information related to the
database, it must be set explicitly in the logOninfo structure. In this case use LogOnServer(), to log on
to the server, process the required job and then use LogOffserver() at the engine level as shown in the
example below.

Java Code Sample ( Engine Level )

Client = new PCREApplicationClient(“benchmark1”);
Client.Connect();
PCREEngine engine = client.OpenEngine();
PCREJob job = engine.OpenJob(“C:\\xxx.rpt”);

PCRELogOnInfo logOnInfo  = new PCRELogOnInfo();
logOnInfo.ServerName = "MSSQLTEST"; // server name
logOnInfo.DatabaseName = "xxxx";    // database used
logOnInfo.UserID = "dummyuser";     // user name
logOnInfo.Password = "12345";       // password

// logon to the server here 
boolean logOnStatus = engine.LogOnServer ( "p2ssql.dll", logOnInfo );
if ( logOnStatus )
   System.out.println ( "Log on succeeded" );
else
   System.out.println ( "Log on failed" );
          
job.OutputToPDF("C:\\xxx.pdf");

job.Start();

job.Close();

// logoff the server here
boolean logOffStatus = engine.LogOffServer ( "p2ssql.dll", logOnInfo );
if ( logOffStatus )
   System.out.println ( "Log off succeeded" );
else
   System.out.println ( "Log off failed" );

engine.close();

ASP Code Sample ( Engine Level )

Set objClient = Server.CreateObject("PCRE.PCREApplicationClient")
Set objGateway = objClient.getGateway
objGateway.SetHost "benchmark1"
objClient.Connect
Set objEngine = objClient.OpenEngine
Set job =objEngine.OpenJob("C:\xxx.rpt")

set logOnInfo = Server.CreateObject("PCRE.PCRELogOnInfo")
logOnInfo.ServerName = "MSSQLTEST"
logOnInfo.DatabaseName = "xxxx"
logOnInfo.UserID = "dummyuser"
logOnInfo.Password = "12345"

'logon to the server here
logOnStatus = objEngine.LogOnServer ("p2ssql.dll", logOnInfo)
If (logOnStatus)Then
Response.write("Log on succeeded")
Else
Response.write("Log on failed")
End If

job.OutputToPdf "C:\xxx.pdf", null
job.Start
job.Close

'logoff the server here
logOffStatus = objEngine.LogOffServer ( "p2ssql.dll", logOnInfo )
If (logOffStatus)Then
Response.write("Log off succeeded")
Else
Response.write("Log off failed")
End If
objEngine.Close

Job Level

At the job level the information of each server is obtained using GetNthTableLogOnInfo( ) method.
In this case all information from the database for the respective Job is obtained to make the
required logon. Hence different databases and server information is obtained as required by the
respective Jobs. However, there is only a need to explicitly specify the password in logOnInfo as
shown in the example given below. SetNthTableLogOnInfo() needs to be used to set the logOnInfo
at the Job level

Note: At the operational level and as far as the report generation is concerned, there is no difference between these
two methods and besides the differences discussed above. There are no advantages or disadvantages between the
two approaches. Obviously both will be generating similar reports.

Java Code Sample ( Job Level )

Client = new PCREApplicationClient(“benchmark1”);
Client.Connect();
PCREEngine engine = client.OpenEngine();
PCREJob job = engine.OpenJob(“C:\\xxx.rpt”);

// logon to database
PCRELogOnInfo logonInfo;

// get logon info from .rpt
logonInfo = job.GetNthTableLogOnInfo(0);

// only information that is required at the Job level
logonInfo.Password = "12345";

// set logon info to revised values
job.SetNthTableLogOnInfo(0, logonInfo, true);

job.OutputToPDF(“C:\\xxx.pdf”);
job.Start();
job.Close();
engine.close();

ASP Code Sample ( Job Level )

Set objClient = Server.CreateObject("PCRE.PCREApplicationClient")
Set objGateway = objClient.getGateway
objGateway.SetHost "benchmark1"
objClient.Connect
Set objEngine = objClient.OpenEngine
Set job =objEngine.OpenJob("C:\xxx.rpt")
' logon to database
set logOnInfo = Server.CreateObject("PCRE.PCRELogOnInfo")

' get logon info from .rpt
logonInfo = job.GetNthTableLogOnInfo 0

' only information that is required at the Job level
logonInfo.Password = "12345"

' set logon info to revised values
job.SetNthTableLogOnInfo 0, logonInfo, true

job.OutputToPdf "C:\xxx.pdf", null
job.Start
job.Close
objEngine.Close

ODBC Database Connections When connecting to the data source via an ODBC connection it is
important the a System DSN entry be made in the ODBC control panel for every data source used
in the main report as well as those used in subreports. The sample code above is the same for ODBC
connections but you must replace the native .dll with the ODBC .dll.

Data Object Reporting (DOR) alternative to standard database connections.
As an alternative to an ODBC or Native connection to the database please consider Parallel Crystal’s
DOR feature. PCRE includes a feature called Data Object Reporting (DOR) for acquiring a report's
data from a programmable object, rather than a database.

DOR uses the JDBC APIs (with our Java library) or ADO APIs (with our ActiveX/COM library) to "push"
result set data from the middle tier server into the report server. As soon as the report completes, the
copy of the data on the report server is deleted automatically.

This feature is proving to be popular with customers who want to maximize the role of Web Application
Servers as the "traffic cop" controlling all aspects of their middle tier servers.