Role of File Return

Download PDF version of this faq: FileReturn.pdf
FAQ# 25-06290102

The role of file return is to copy completed report files from a report server to middle tier, Web/Portal servers in an N-tier architecture where the two types of servers are on separate machines. To the extent that the report server and web/portal server are on the same machine, the retrieveOutputToClientDisk method in PCRE v2.7/setRetrieveMode method for PCRE v2.4, v2.5, v2.6, and v3.6 of Parallel Crystal should be set to False.

Please review that in the architecture diagram in which our File Return function copies reports to the middle tier server only.

How to use setRetrieveOutputToClientDisk method in Parallel Crystal v2.7

When File Return is turned off, the setRetrieveOutputToClientDisk method is passed with the argument value “false”. The report server will then place the generated output report document in a local or shared directory on the LAN or WAN that is accessible to the report server machine. The configuration of a shared directory is outside of Parallel Crystal. It is whatever the network admin sets up.

When File Return is turned on, the setRetrieveOutputToClientDisk method is passed with the argument value “true”. The completed report is then sent to the Web Portal Server and it is placed under its control. At that point, Parallel Crystal is out of the picture, the report document is treated the same as any other document on the Web Portal Server.

This method must be called before any of the Output or Export methods. The following code snippet demonstrates how this method can be used to return a PDF report to the client machine:

client.Connect();
PCREEngine engine = client.OpenEngine();
PCREJob job = engine.OpenJob("C:\\Dynalivery\\pcre\\SampleReports\\Box.rpt");
job.setRetrieveOutputToClientDisk (true);
job.OutputToPDF("C:\\MyReports\\Box.pdf", null);
job.Start();
job.Close();
engine.Close();

How to use the setRetrieveMode method in Parallel Crystal v2.4, v2.5, v2.6, and 3.6

When File Return is turned off, the setRetrieveMode property method is passed with the argument value “false”. The report server will then place the generated output report document in a local or shared directory on the LAN or WAN that is accessible to the report server machine. The configuration of a shared directory is outside of Parallel Crystal. It is whatever the network admin sets up.

When File Return is turned on, the setRetrieveMode property method is passed with the argument value “true”. The completed report is then sent to the Web Portal Server and it is placed under its control. At that point, Parallel Crystal is out of the picture, the report document is treated the same as any other document on the Web Portal Server.

The following code snippet demonstrates how the Report Retrieval Service is used to return a PDF report to the client machine:

client.setRetrieveMode(true);
client.Connect();
PCREEngine engine = client.OpenEngine();
PCREJob job =
engine.OpenJob("C:\\Dynalivery\\pcre\\SampleReports\\Box.rpt");
job.OutputToPDF("C:\\MyReports\\Box.pdf", null);
job.Start();
job.Close();
engine.Close();

See page 99 of the developer’s manual for additional information on this method.

Note of caution for Parallel Crystal v2.4 users.
Please do not attempt to test file return by running the client application on the report server. The report will take an unusually long time (4-12 minutes) to generate under WindowsNT4.0 with SP6a. If you are running WinNT 4.0 sp6a please test file return on a remote machine.