Asking a report on a birt server

Support - Assistance technique
1

We plan to have a strange situation.

We will have at least 5 servers (p) for dhis2 data entry. All that data will be agregated to a central server (c) where will have central reports.

The question: How can I make the dhis on p server to use the birt on c server?

It is just an ideia so far. So comments to make it better would be good.

Thanks
Caveman

2

Not entirely sure I understand your architecture, but I assuming that
all (p) servers will be pointed to the same central database (c). If
you design your BIRT report to point to the (c) server, it will make
no difference whether the report is run from the (p) servers, so long
as the data source points to the (c) server. If you are looking at
doing disconnected data entry, as opposed to a central database, you
will need to collate all of your data into the central server through
import/export. However, the report should still function in the same
way. Just be sure that you design the BIRT report with a data source
to the actual IP address of the server, and not the localhost address.
Obviously, the report will need to be distributed to the (p) servers,
but uploaded without a datasource, as this will need to be specified
in the report itself. Otherwise, perhaps you can just host the report
on the (c) server and have all the (p) servers run it from there by
logging in and running the report remotely.

Hmm, lots of c's and p's there, but this should certainly be doable.

Regards,
Jason

···

On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 7:55 PM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto <orvaquim@gmail.com> wrote:

We plan to have a strange situation.

We will have at least 5 servers (p) for dhis2 data entry. All that data will
be agregated to a central server (c) where will have central reports.

The question: How can I make the dhis on p server to use the birt on c
server?

It is just an ideia so far. So comments to make it better would be good.

Thanks
Caveman

_______________________________________________
Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net
Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp

3

Thanks!

This is on discussion here. And for now it sounds too bad.

For now it seems that we will have birt on p servers only.

Caveman

Jason Pickering wrote:

···

Not entirely sure I understand your architecture, but I assuming that
all (p) servers will be pointed to the same central database (c). If
you design your BIRT report to point to the (c) server, it will make
no difference whether the report is run from the (p) servers, so long
as the data source points to the (c) server. If you are looking at
doing disconnected data entry, as opposed to a central database, you
will need to collate all of your data into the central server through
import/export. However, the report should still function in the same
way. Just be sure that you design the BIRT report with a data source
to the actual IP address of the server, and not the localhost address.
Obviously, the report will need to be distributed to the (p) servers,
but uploaded without a datasource, as this will need to be specified
in the report itself. Otherwise, perhaps you can just host the report
on the (c) server and have all the (p) servers run it from there by
logging in and running the report remotely.

Hmm, lots of c's and p's there, but this should certainly be doable.

Regards,
Jason

On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 7:55 PM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto > <orvaquim@gmail.com> wrote:

We plan to have a strange situation.

We will have at least 5 servers (p) for dhis2 data entry. All that data will
be agregated to a central server (c) where will have central reports.

The question: How can I make the dhis on p server to use the birt on c
server?

It is just an ideia so far. So comments to make it better would be good.

Thanks
Caveman

_______________________________________________
Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net
Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp

4

Thanks!

This is on discussion here. And for now it sounds too bad.

For now it seems that we will have birt on p servers only.

Caveman

I think it is possible.

  • In BIRT report, you can set the report url refer to any machines (i.e via IP address or hostname)

  • You can put report.rpt file in any machines, you access them via http://sitePrefix/birt-viewer/
    frameset?option1=value1;option2=*value2;…

Thanh*

···

On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 3:04 AM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto orvaquim@gmail.com wrote:

Jason Pickering wrote:

Not entirely sure I understand your architecture, but I assuming that

all (p) servers will be pointed to the same central database (c). If

you design your BIRT report to point to the (c) server, it will make

no difference whether the report is run from the (p) servers, so long

as the data source points to the (c) server. If you are looking at

doing disconnected data entry, as opposed to a central database, you

will need to collate all of your data into the central server through

import/export. However, the report should still function in the same

way. Just be sure that you design the BIRT report with a data source

to the actual IP address of the server, and not the localhost address.

Obviously, the report will need to be distributed to the (p) servers,

but uploaded without a datasource, as this will need to be specified

in the report itself. Otherwise, perhaps you can just host the report

on the (c) server and have all the (p) servers run it from there by

logging in and running the report remotely.

Hmm, lots of c’s and p’s there, but this should certainly be doable.

Regards,

Jason

On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 7:55 PM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto > > > > orvaquim@gmail.com wrote:

We plan to have a strange situation.

We will have at least 5 servers (p) for dhis2 data entry. All that data will

be agregated to a central server (c) where will have central reports.

The question: How can I make the dhis on p server to use the birt on c

server?

It is just an ideia so far. So comments to make it better would be good.

Thanks

Caveman

Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs

Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net

Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs

More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp

Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs

Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net

Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs

More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp

–
Best regards,
Thanh

Center for HIS development
957, 3/2 st., Dist 11, Hochiminh city
Tel: 08-956 0150
Cell: 098 221 8623

5

I will try this! This is wonderfull.

Thanks
Caveman

Ngoc Thanh Nguyen wrote:

···

On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 3:04 AM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto > <orvaquim@gmail.com <mailto:orvaquim@gmail.com>> wrote:

    Thanks!

    This is on discussion here. And for now it sounds too bad.

    For now it seems that we will have birt on p servers only.

    Caveman

I think it is possible.
- In BIRT report, you can set the report url refer to any machines (i.e via IP address or hostname)
- You can put report.rpt file in any machines, you access them via http:///sitePrefix//birt-viewer/
frameset?/option1/=/value1/;/option2/=/value2;...

Thanh/

    Jason Pickering wrote:

        Not entirely sure I understand your architecture, but I assuming
        that
        all (p) servers will be pointed to the same central database (c). If
        you design your BIRT report to point to the (c) server, it will make
        no difference whether the report is run from the (p) servers, so
        long
        as the data source points to the (c) server. If you are looking at
        doing disconnected data entry, as opposed to a central database, you
        will need to collate all of your data into the central server
        through
        import/export. However, the report should still function in the same
        way. Just be sure that you design the BIRT report with a data source
        to the actual IP address of the server, and not the localhost
        address.
        Obviously, the report will need to be distributed to the (p)
        servers,
        but uploaded without a datasource, as this will need to be specified
        in the report itself. Otherwise, perhaps you can just host the
        report
        on the (c) server and have all the (p) servers run it from there by
        logging in and running the report remotely.

        Hmm, lots of c's and p's there, but this should certainly be doable.

        Regards,
        Jason

        On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 7:55 PM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto > <orvaquim@gmail.com <mailto:orvaquim@gmail.com>> wrote:

            We plan to have a strange situation.

            We will have at least 5 servers (p) for dhis2 data entry.
            All that data will
            be agregated to a central server (c) where will have central
            reports.

            The question: How can I make the dhis on p server to use the
            birt on c
            server?

            It is just an ideia so far. So comments to make it better
            would be good.

            Thanks
            Caveman

            _______________________________________________
            Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
            <https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs&gt;
            Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net
            <mailto:dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net>
            Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
            <https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs&gt;
            More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp

    _______________________________________________
    Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
    <https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs&gt;
    Post to : dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net
    <mailto:dhis2-devs@lists.launchpad.net>
    Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs
    <https://launchpad.net/~dhis2-devs&gt;
    More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp

--
Best regards,
Thanh

-------------------
Center for HIS development
957, 3/2 st., Dist 11, Hochiminh city
Tel: 08-956 0150
Cell: 098 221 8623
--------------------

6

Using BIRT directly (as Thanh suggests) will of course always be an option, but then you loose out on the integration of BIRT in DHIS2.
To the users it will be a lot easier when reports are run from within DHIS 2 and part of the DHIS2 dashboard. When using report tables as the data source for BIRT reports you will loose out on the automatic datamart/report table generation that happens in the background when you run a BIRT report from within DHIS2. That means you will have to manually make sure your data source is updated when using BIRT “standalone”.

Since BIRT is very loosely coupled to DHIS2 (you define BIRT’s location in Report Configuration when you start DHIS Reports the first time) I am quite sure it will be doable to specify a remote central location for BIRT in the 5 “local” DHIS instances using the Report Configuration. This way you will be able to use the local DHIS instances for both data entry and reports (which will open in a remote location (URL)).

Lars,
right now we have to specify the absolute path to BIRT on the local machine, can we alter this to provide the option to specify a URL in stead?

Ola

···

On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 4:07 AM, Ngoc Thanh Nguyen thanh.hispvietnam@gmail.com wrote:

On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 3:04 AM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto orvaquim@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks!

This is on discussion here. And for now it sounds too bad.

For now it seems that we will have birt on p servers only.

Caveman

I think it is possible.

  • In BIRT report, you can set the report url refer to any machines (i.e via IP address or hostname)

  • You can put report.rpt file in any machines, you access them via http://sitePrefix/birt-viewer/
    frameset?option1=value1;option2=*value2;…

Thanh*

Jason Pickering wrote:

Not entirely sure I understand your architecture, but I assuming that

all (p) servers will be pointed to the same central database (c). If

you design your BIRT report to point to the (c) server, it will make

no difference whether the report is run from the (p) servers, so long

as the data source points to the (c) server. If you are looking at

doing disconnected data entry, as opposed to a central database, you

will need to collate all of your data into the central server through

import/export. However, the report should still function in the same

way. Just be sure that you design the BIRT report with a data source

to the actual IP address of the server, and not the localhost address.

Obviously, the report will need to be distributed to the (p) servers,

but uploaded without a datasource, as this will need to be specified

in the report itself. Otherwise, perhaps you can just host the report

on the (c) server and have all the (p) servers run it from there by

logging in and running the report remotely.

Hmm, lots of c’s and p’s there, but this should certainly be doable.

Regards,

Jason

On Sun, May 24, 2009 at 7:55 PM, Orvalho Joaquim Augusto > > > > > > orvaquim@gmail.com wrote:

We plan to have a strange situation.

We will have at least 5 servers (p) for dhis2 data entry. All that data will

be agregated to a central server (c) where will have central reports.

The question: How can I make the dhis on p server to use the birt on c

server?

It is just an ideia so far. So comments to make it better would be good.

Thanks

Caveman