Crystal Enterprise Architecture Overview | Crystal Enterprise Architecture

At the highest level, Crystal Enterprise has four main tiers: the client tier, application tier, Crystal Enterprise Server tier, and database tier (see Figure 24.1):

The client tier consists of Web-based and installed applications. You can alternatively categorize these applications into end-user applications such as the Web-based Web Desktop, which enables end users to access data, management applications such as the Web-based Crystal Management Console, and content creation applications such as Crystal Reports or Crystal Analysis. In the majority of cases, the client tier for a Crystal Enterprise user is his Web browser.
The application tier consists of application processingtypically on an application server, using the Crystal Enterprise Software Development Kit (CE-SDK). The CE-SDK provides a programmatic interface to the Crystal Enterprise server tier. These server-based programs are processed on an application server, such as BEA WebLogic, IBM's WebSphere, a Servlet container like Apache Tomcat or Microsoft .Net server. This application tier could provide an application centered on Crystal Enterprise functionality, like the Web Desktop, or an application that uses Crystal Enterprise functionality as part of a greater application (for example, an online banking application that provides full-service banking for customers, and provides detailed statements via Crystal Enterprise).
The server tier consists of services (in Windows) or daemons (in Unix) registered with the Crystal Enterprise Framework. (They are generically referred to as either services or daemons as these terms are interchangeable.) Although this chapter uses the term "service" or "daemon" for technical accuracy, you might see references to these services as "servers" as well, for instance the Crystal Management Server. The server tier is usually subdivided into the intelligence and processing tiers.
The data tier is composed of all data sources from which an organization can pull data. This data can be in a database, an application, a programmatic data source, XML, a Web service, or a variety of other sources.

Figure 24.1. The client, application, server, and data tiers compose an enterprise business intelligence infrastructure.

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With a high-level understanding of the role of the client, application, server, and database tiers, you now consider each one in depth.

Part I. Crystal Reports Design

Creating and Designing Basic Reports

Selecting and Grouping Data

Filtering, Sorting, and Summarizing Data

Understanding and Implementing Formulas

Implementing Parameters for Dynamic Reporting

Part II. Formatting Crystal Reports

Fundamentals of Report Formatting

Working with Report Sections

Visualizing Your Data with Charts and Maps

Custom Formatting Techniques

Part III. Advanced Crystal Reports Design

Using Cross-Tabs for Summarized Reporting

Using Record Selections and Alerts for Interactive Reporting

Using Subreports and Multi-Pass Reporting

Using Formulas and Custom Functions

Designing Effective Report Templates

Additional Data Sources for Crystal Reports

Multidimensional Reporting Against OLAP Data with Crystal Reports

Part IV. Enterprise Report Design Analytic, Web-based, and Excel Report Design

Introduction to Crystal Repository

Crystal Reports Semantic Layer Business Views

Creating Crystal Analysis Reports

Advanced Crystal Analysis Report Design

Ad-Hoc Application and Excel Plug-in for Ad-Hoc and Analytic Reporting

Part V. Web Report Distribution Using Crystal Enterprise

Introduction to Crystal Enterprise

Using Crystal Enterprise with Web Desktop

Crystal Enterprise Architecture

Planning Considerations When Deploying Crystal Enterprise

Deploying Crystal Enterprise in a Complex Network Environment

Administering and Configuring Crystal Enterprise

Part VI. Customized Report Distribution Using Crystal Reports Components

Java Reporting Components

Crystal Reports .NET Components

COM Reporting Components

Part VII. Customized Report Distribution Using Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition

Part VII. Customized Report Distribution Using Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition