{"id":1683,"date":"2011-02-03T12:39:26","date_gmt":"2011-02-03T16:39:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru"},"modified":"2024-11-30T22:15:12","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T02:15:12","slug":"server-based-scheduling-engines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/comparisons\/server-based-scheduling-engines","title":{"rendered":"Scheduling Engines (Server)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have divided the dozen or so scheduling tools into two groups – desktop and server. Most people who need to schedule reports will be fine using a desktop scheduler, even if they have to deliver reports to many recipients.\u00a0 You can read my previous blog post for a comparison of desktop schedulers<\/a>. But in some environments there will be many people scheduling reports and in those cases it might make sense to upgrade to a server-based scheduler.\u00a0 This post will compare the server-based scheduling tools and should help narrow down your search.\u00a0 So below is a brief introduction to each product and a link to the vendor’s website.<\/p>\n

I have also created a detailed feature matrix (xls)<\/a> that compares roughly 100 characteristics, including prices. There is also a feature glossary<\/a> to define some of the more complex features so the comparisons are clearer. What has emerged is a short course in Crystal Reports scheduling technology. If you have any feedback on the features listed or their definitions please let me know. Furthermore, if you have already tried one of these products, or are currently using one, I would love to ask you a few questions, on or off the record.<\/p>\n

To avoid repetition, when I say a tool covers “all the basics” I mean that it:
\n1) Is designed to be installed on a server and used by multiple people simultaneously.
\n2) Automatically runs a report at a scheduled time using it’s own scheduling engine.
\n3) Allows you to schedule delivery to either a printer, a file folder or an Email address.
\n4) Runs as a service so you don’t need to stay logged in all the time.
\n5) Exports to all of the standard file formats supported by Crystal.
\n6) Can incorporate multiple reports into one scheduled job.
\n7) Allows you to name the exported files with a date time stamp.
\n8) Allows you to specify the report’s parameter values in the schedule.
\n9) Allows you to complete date parameters with values relative to today’s date
\n10) Remembers chosen parameter values for reuse.
\n11) Allows you to specify which data connection to use within the schedule.
\n12) Allows you to store (encrypted) the passwords needed to connect to a database.<\/p>\n

One very powerful feature to consider is bursting.\u00a0 Bursting takes a single grouped report and exports it to multiple files, one for each group.\u00a0 These individual exported files can then each be Emailed to the specific Email address or saved in specific folders.\u00a0 Most server tools, and several desktop tools offer some form of bursting.<\/p>\n

I have not tried to compare subjective areas like “ease of use” because in most cases I have not used the tools. I recommend that you use this review to narrow your search to 2 or 3 tools. Then talk to the vendors to confirm your features and pricing. And then use the free trials (they all have one) before making a decision.<\/p>\n

A note on version support.\u00a0 I have asked the vendors to list the version of the Crystal runtime engine that is used in their product.\u00a0 Some vendors provide the engine while others use the runtime engine in your own copy of Crystal Reports.\u00a0 The engine version is usually not an issue, but it becomes important if you are using the very newest features.\u00a0 All of the tools here can run reports from any version of CR.\u00a0 But if the tool uses an older engine then some new features will not be supported.\u00a0 So if you rely on the newest features you should use a tool that has the latest engine.<\/p>\n

A note on pricing.\u00a0 Many of these tools are sold in modules. To simplify the comparison I asked each vendor to select a single ‘sweet spot’ to use for comparisons to other tools. I then list the price and features of that configuration. \u00a0 For many tools you can pay for additional features or reduce the price by tweaking the configuration. Some of these configuration options are listed in the comments at the bottom of the feature matrix.<\/p>\n

Last, keep in mind that I rely on the vendor for this information. I have not road-tested all of these tools. So if you plan to purchase one, especially the more expensive ones, you will want to confirm with the vendor that they will do what you want in a way that works for you.<\/p>\n

ReportServer<\/a> by InfoFabrik GmbH<\/strong>
\nReportServer covers all of the basics except for including multiple reports in one scheduled job, although this missing item is possible with their scripting language.\u00a0 It adds event based scheduling and Web based administration.\u00a0 It can be used to schedule non-report tasks (like batch files) and provides for a basic audit trail of user actions. It can also handle Jasper Reports, Eclipse BIRT and several other types of files.<\/p>\n

To use it you will need to have both a valid CR license and one of their supported databases (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL or DB2). Documentation and an active support forum are available on the website reportserver.net.<\/p>\n

The cost is around $4,225, converted to euros at the time of this writing (\u20ac3,999).<\/p>\n

R-Tag Crystal Scheduler<\/a> by R-Tag:<\/strong>
\nR-Tag covers all the basics and adds many additional features. It provides single-pass bursting and has the ability to dynamically use report fields for things like the export file name, folder name, Email body and Email headers (subject, from, too, cc, etc). It also provides exception handling and empty report handling. You can do event based scheduling (run a job when a data condition is true).\u00a0 The scheduling engine includes Business Day schedules, Holiday exclusions and 4-4-5 scheduling.<\/p>\n

R-tag\u2019s Excel functionality includes exporting to multiple tabs, creating pivot tables and charts and exporting Excel formulas. This functionality is not dependent on having Excel installed. R-Tag also includes sophisticated workflow management that can determine which reports to send, and which external files to include, based on data retrieved at runtime. It can send multiple Emails and generate multiple files from a single task. It is available in both 32-bit an 64-bit versions and is UAC compliant for all Windows versions.<\/p>\n

R-Tag Crystal Scheduler is $749.<\/p>\n

Navarre Report Scheduler<\/a> by PCS Programming<\/strong>:
\nThis is one of the lowest priced tool in the bunch ($700). They have even lower priced configurations if you want to give up some features. It covers all of the basics and adds bursting (multi-run), and a multi-threaded engine.\u00a0 It can be used to schedule non-report tasks (like batch files) and can deliver to Secured FTP.\u00a0 To use it you will need to have both CR 2008 and SQL Server (2000 or later) installed.<\/p>\n

cViewSERVER by Chelsea Technologies:<\/strong><\/a>
\nChelsea Technologies is based in New Zealand.\u00a0 cViewSERVER<\/span> covers all the basics and can do bursting (multi-run) and provides a basic audit trail for logging who is scheduling which reports. It also allows Emails to be scheduled to distribution lists. These can be read from a text file or database query.\u00a0 The cost is $750 with several optional add-ons available for an additional fee.<\/p>\n

CrystalKiwi Scheduler<\/a> by CrystalKiwi Ltd:<\/strong>
\nCrystalKiwi is based in New Zealand.\u00a0 It covers all the basics and adds bursting (multi-run) and provides a detailed audit trail for logging who is scheduling which reports.\u00a0 It adds package delivery, empty report handling and the ability to schedule SQL updates.<\/p>\n

CrystalKiwi provides options for Web based administration as well as abilities to run reports from the command line.<\/p>\n

CrystalKiwi Scheduler costs $780.<\/p>\n

ToolSched<\/a> by Modal Logic Business Solutions:<\/strong>
\nToolSched is designed to leverage the bursting engine and command line functionality of Visual Cut from my desktop tools list.\u00a0 ToolSched covers all the basics.\u00a0 It adds ‘one-pass’ bursting, package delivery and empty report handling among other features.\u00a0 It can even schedule SQL updates and other non RPT actions.<\/p>\n

It also does archive management and provides a basic audit trail of user interactions with the product.<\/p>\n

ToolSched costs $1995 for the base server with a single user.\u00a0 Add $200 for each additional user.\u00a0 You will also need to purchase a copy of VisualCut ($360 with support).<\/p>\n

Liaison Messenger EDD<\/a> by Liaison Software Corp:<\/strong>
\nThis tool is designed to work with Microsoft Dynamics and Sage Software ERP\/Accounting products.\u00a0 It provides electronic distribution of both application and custom reports.\u00a0 It covers all the basics. \u00a0 It adds bursting, package delivery, empty report handling and exception handling among other features.\u00a0 It can even schedule SQL updates and other non RPT actions.<\/p>\n

One special feature is that it can monitor an Outlook “Hot Folder”.\u00a0 This allows it to respond automatically to inbox Emails. It provides a basic audit trail of user interactions with the product.<\/p>\n

Pricing is based on the number of user set up in your accounting in your accounting package.\u00a0 Anything up to 10 users is $2,595.<\/p>\n

rePORTAL SCR<\/a> by rePORTAL Software<\/strong>:
\nThis scheduling engine covers all the basics and adds bursting, package delivery, empty report handling and exception handling. It can compress and encrypt your attachments and can even schedule SQL updates and other non RPT actions.<\/p>\n

rePORTAL SCR can be administered from a browser, and provides a basic audit trail of user interactions with the product.\u00a0 It costs $700.<\/p>\n

Support for SSRS and Microsoft Power BI reports available for an additional fee.<\/p>\n

CRD Premium Edition<\/a> by ChristianSteven Software:<\/strong><\/p>\n

CRD has the most features, but the price varies based on volume of your output. The price listed here, $5,995, covers up to 200 report outputs per day. You can upgrade to the full version if you need more. \u00a0 In either case there is an additional 18.63% required each year for maintenance and support. This provides major & minor version updates as well as unlimited support calls.<\/p>\n

CRD covers all the basics and adds many key features like event based scheduling (reports triggered by queries) and having Email message content set by formulas. It does\u00a0 “one-pass” bursting and has web-based administration.\u00a0 It can be used to schedule other non-report actions, like running SQL Queries to update your data before or after a report is run. It can also do exception handling for reports that are empty or fail to run and stores a detailed audit log of all user actions.<\/p>\n

Their internal customer care team delivers support by phone, Email, web chat, GoToMeeting or in-person.\u00a0 Support is also provided by their international network of certified partners.<\/p>\n

They offer comparable tools for running reports in SQL Server Reporting Services, Power BI<\/span> and MS Access.<\/p>\n

Report Runner Batch Enterprise<\/a> by Known Keep:<\/strong>
\nThis tool has a large feature set, covering all the basics and adding features like event based scheduling (reports triggered by queries), bursting (multi-run and one-pass) and having Email message content set by report formulas. It can schedule other non-report actions. This includes running SQL Queries to update your data before or after a report is run. It can also do exception handling for reports that are blank or fail to run. And it stores a detailed audit log of all user actions.<\/p>\n

One last unique feature is the ability to set parameter values via VBScript Expressions, Constants, or SQL Select statements.<\/p>\n

The $7500\/year price includes a worldwide site license to all products, updates, and support. Known Keep also has staff available 24x7x365 for critical support. Critical tickets send pages out to on-call support every night 24\u00d77×365. They also provide support by phone, email, and online chat.<\/p>\n

This product is sold in many configurations. The price above is an all-inclusive price selected by the vendor, but you can remove features and capacity to get a lower priced product. And, it is available in 4 different Crystal versions so that you can choose the one that matches your version of Crystal Reports. And, it is available in 4 different Crystal versions so that you can choose the one that matches your version of Crystal Reports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have divided the dozen or so scheduling tools into two groups – desktop and server. Most people who need to schedule reports will be fine using a desktop scheduler, even if they have to deliver reports to many recipients.\u00a0 You can read my previous blog post for a comparison of desktop schedulers. But in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1596,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1683","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1683\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kenhamady.com\/cru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}