Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 1 Scaling Large HTML Reports With Active Cache Mark Nesson,Vashti Ragoonath June 2008

Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 1

Scaling Large HTML Reports WithActive Cache

Mark Nesson,Vashti Ragoonath June 2008


Scaling Large HTML Reports With Active CacheOverview

An extension of Active Reports Overview of Active Reports

Self-contained Application as a single HTML file Packages the data and the data sets No software or browser plug-ins required No back-end calls to Reporting Server Can create numerous reports without rerunning the query.

Analytics built into the report. High Compression Online implementation as of Release 7.6.5 – Active Cache


Scaling Large HTML Reports With Active CacheBenefits of Active Reports

User can perform most commonly used EXCEL functions Slice and dice the data and share with others

e.g Telephone Bill Can sort and recalculate Change the report around as desired

Generate many reports from single Active Report 24/7 report availability

e.g Banks sometimes bring down their systems for maintenance and reports are inaccessible. Not so with Active Reports.


Scaling Large HTML Reports With Active CacheBenefits of Active Reports Cost effective

If you email users an EXCEL file, they need MS EXCEL to view it. With Active Reports, no EXCEL required.

Less load on back-end systems Reduced Administrative expenses all around Less load on Middle Tier, Database Servers

Portable device –having to go back to the server for a different view of the report subtracts from your data plan and charges for bytes of data transferred.


Scaling large HTML reports with Active Cache Methods of creating an HTML Report

There are many ways to generate an HTML Report Traditional HTML

No manipulation of data in report ON DEMAND PAGING

Page Navigation No other manipulation of data in report

ACTIVE REPORT – Offline Page Navigation Host of other EXCEL type functions

ACTIVE REPORT – Cache All Active Reports functionality Process large amounts of data without being subject to

browser limitations and memory requirements.



Let’s take a look at each of these methods of generating an HTML report with this request:

Traditional HTML TABLE FILE GGSALES PRINT * ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT HTML END




On Demand Paging TABLE FILE GGSALES PRINT * ON TABLE SET WEBVIEWER ON ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT HTML END




Active Report – Offline Mode TABLE FILE GGSALES PRINT * ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT AHTML END

In this demo, will make user customizations: Add comment, sort and filter on a column Save and email.


Scaling large HTML reports with Active Cache Active Reports Modes

Now let’s talk about an Active Cache report We can run an Active Report in two modes:

Offline or disconnected Connected or Active Cache

Active Reports Offline Data and Data Sets are packaged in single HTML file No backend calls to Reporting Server Subject to browser limitations with java script

Active Cache Data and Data Sets are cached on Reporting Server Never go back to original data source, only the cache Specify number of pages to send to browser at a time Handle large volumes of data

Let’s run an Active Cache report now


Scaling large HTML reports with Active Cache Active Cache Report

Run the same report as we did before – except now it’s in Active Cache mode: SET WEBVIEWER = ON TABLE FILE GGSALES PRINT * ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT AHTML END

Do you see the difference in Offline and Cache mode?

In this demo, will make user customizations: Add comment, sort and filter on a column Save and email.


Scaling large HTML reports with Active Cache Active Cache Report

Demo of Active Cache Create an Active Dashboard with combination of graphs and

tabular reports. Create graphs in Offline mode since we have less records. Tabular reports in Active Cache mode since we have a fairly

large number of data Show how to use SET CACHELINES to specify number of pages

sent to browser. Export the data to another application


Scaling large HTML reports with Active Cache Scaling with Active Reports

A new twist to scaling Imagine being able to deliver thousands of compressed Active

Reports to your end-users without any load on the middle tier or back-end?

That’s what some of the big telephone and credit card companies are doing with Active Reports.

Compress the Active Report with the ZIP option of ReportCaster and distribute Active Reports to thousands of telephone users via email or to Report Library.

That’s a new twist to scalability! You maintain the performance of your system and you meet all your SLA’s!


Scaling large HTML reports with Active Cache Conclusion

Questions and Comments.

Documents

Copyright 2007, Information Builders. Slide 1 Scaling Large HTML Reports With Active Cache Mark Nesson,Vashti Ragoonath June 2008