We are using v5.2.3 WebFOCUS Reporting Server, and SQL 2K. We are new to the game so our reports are not that complicated yet, but they will be. And the ones we have now, are starting to time out. Is there a way to configure our server to increase speed, or a way to write reports that will not crash the server. The error we recieve is 'Internal Error'

Is the "Internal Error" red text? thats a java error; not much information there, and a lot of possibilities; But no panic, its common, and usually caused by something fixable in your code.(at least in my experience). Sounds like you need a day with your tech rep who installed wf for you initially, to make sure you're on the right track with your overall reporting architecture. Or at least open a case with tech support, so that a customer service engineer can log on with you (that 'remote assist' thing they do, way cool) and help you. Your situation seems a little too broad for any of us focal pointers to be able to do anything but guess.

If you resolve your Internal Error and are still having trouble timing out, look back at a topic called; Efficiencies: WebFOCUS and SQL on one of the earliest topics. It shows code to turn the traces SQL on. It the SQL can't understand the Focus code, it slows down the request.

Old post:
One of the things that I do to speed up WebFocus reporting against SQL tables is to use TABLEF to retrieve the data, including any WHERE statements that SQL can understand to bring back fewer rows and eliminate any DEFINEs, EDIT's and anything that may turn optimization off. Keep the request simple, put the data in a hold file, then do all your fancy formating, defines, calculations, etc. against the HOLD file. If the fields your sorting BY are indexed on the SQL table, then use TABLE and let SQL do the ORDER by. It's very helpful to look at the trace and see the SQL is being generated.

Good Luck!