FIGURE E

This is the actual directory where all your pre-designed Crystal reports sit. Click picture for a larger image.

Note that all these directory mappings are set to Read Access and not Execute.

The last item needed in this configuration is a URL Redirection. It contains the name of the path your browser will reference. This URL will be used to call the CGI program from the Domino CGI directory. It should appear as it does in Figure F.

FIGURE F

The URL Redirection should appear like this. Click picture for a larger image.

Once you have configured your Domino server as described above, you'll want to restart it so that the changes take effect.

Considerations when running the Web Component Server with Domino
Though Seagate installs both the Page Server and Web Component Server as Windows NT Services on your server, they cannot be configured to run on startup. You must check them to make sure they are set as manual. Because both of these programs need the Java Virtual Machine to be initialized, they need to start after the Domino Web Server starts up. Both the Page Server and Web Component Server have .exe files that can be selected to launch them. Alternatively, you can choose to launch them manually via the services panel manually or via their icons in the program group.

When you go into a production implementation, you might want to consider writing a batch file that waits for the Domino Server to start up. (Set a small wait time to allow for the HTTP task and JVM to load.) This then starts up these executables after the time has elapsed. I have found in the past that this is a good workaround for the above problem.

Connecting to your data
For the purposes of this demonstration, we will work a sample dataset within a Notes database.

Crystal Reports 8 offers two options for connecting to Notes/Domino data: the standard Lotus Notes SQL (Structured Query Language) ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) driver or Seagate's own native Notes driver. I highly recommend using the native driver, because it solves some issues with string data (particularly unnecessary truncation on strings over 254 characters) that are a problem with the Notes SQL driver. The only functionality the Notes SQL driver offers that the native driver doesn't is the ability to perform equal joins.

To use the native driver, simply choose it from the "More data sources" option when creating your report in Crystal Report Designer. A list of native drivers will appear, and you'll select the Lotus Domino Server option.

Testing the Web server
Once you've properly configured your server, set up your data source, and designed a report, all that's left is to create a way for your users to execute report requests. This will be done via a URL line. In this sample database, I have created a simple form called "Reporting Home Page." This form appears in a database called "Web Reporting," and it's separate from the database I happen to be using for my source data. The form is pictured in Figure G.

FIGURE G

In this sample database, I have created a simple form called "Reporting Home Page." Click picture for a larger image.