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How to burst report via FTP (Report Caster) to given destination folder

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February 01, 2008, 02:56 AM
<Vinod>
How to burst report via FTP (Report Caster) to given destination folder
I need to burst pdf report (that has got 1590 pages) to a destination folder.
Ex: 1.pdf to V:\abc\files
2.pdf to V:\abc\files
so on till 1590.pdf to V:\abc\files

Finally when we see in the folder V:\abc\files all the 1590 files should appear
February 01, 2008, 11:03 AM
TexasStingray
FTP it to a local ftp server on the BOX and have an alias that points to V:\abc\files.
February 01, 2008, 12:09 PM
Darin Lee
In RC, you turn on bursting and specify a location for the FTP. Assuming that the box that contains v:\abc\files can accept an FTP connection. You may have to set the default directory for the FTP userid on that box to \abc\files (or you can path to it from wherever the default location is by entering it in the "directory" box.

Next thought, does the data have one burst value per page or are you just wanting to created 1590 separate reports from 1590 pages of data? If the latter is true, you may want to use COMPUTE to create a dummy variable for bursting (i.e. number the records with a page number, counting from 1 to 57 or however many lines per page, then increment by 1 and count again.


Regards,

Darin



In FOCUS since 1991
WF Server: 7.7.04 on Linux and Z/OS, ReportCaster, Self-Service, MRE, Java, Flex
Data: DB2/UDB, Adabas, SQL Server Output: HTML,PDF,EXL2K/07, PS, AHTML, Flex
WF Client: 77 on Linux w/Tomcat
February 04, 2008, 01:59 AM
<Vinod>
Hi Texas,
I have checked the burst option. and as mentioned by you i have given the path too correctly.

Still I get the error No burst value specified, No report to distribute.

please check the below
In the distribution tab,
FTP server name - given
directory - \ssm\mpdf
ftp user - given
ftp password - given
distribution information
distribution file - \\TccSrv38\EucFtp\SSM\mpdf,STRNUM$

where STRNUM is my burst value which is the first by field in my fex.

Also in my fex i use filedef as shown below

FILEDEF TWF DISK \\TccSrv38\EucFtp\SSM\mpdf\TWF.PDF
-RUN
TABLE FILE TRAIL
....

....
ON TABLE HOLD AS TWF FORMAT PDF
...
...

See the above and let me know if i need to do anything more to achieve the desired result
February 04, 2008, 02:01 AM
<Vinod>
Hi Darin,

There is only one burst value per page that is the store number.
we have 1590 stores so 1590 pages
I need to burst each page by store number to a particular location given.
Finally the folder given should show 1590 different pdf files each for one store
February 04, 2008, 10:45 AM
Darin Lee
A few things to straighten out. Your distribution file specification is incorrect. It should be a file name only. The actual file contains the FTP locations and associated burst values of the STRNUM field. In you case, it would probably be easier to create a distribution list internal to WF or a Dynamic Distribution list. The manuals contain all the information you need to do either of these.

You also do NOT need a filedef.

The HOLD is one of the main things causing the problem. HOLD saves the file to disk instead of sending it back to the distribution engine, so there is "No report to distribute." Change it to ON TABLE SET ONLINE-FMT PDF or remove it altogether. You specify the output format in RC anyway so it is unnecessary.

In your fex, you must also have BY STRNUM as the first sortfield.

These are all basic concepts in understanding how RC works. Try going through the End-Users Manual for RC closely for a better understanding of all the functionality that it provides.


Regards,

Darin



In FOCUS since 1991
WF Server: 7.7.04 on Linux and Z/OS, ReportCaster, Self-Service, MRE, Java, Flex
Data: DB2/UDB, Adabas, SQL Server Output: HTML,PDF,EXL2K/07, PS, AHTML, Flex
WF Client: 77 on Linux w/Tomcat
February 12, 2008, 04:28 AM
<Vinod>
Hi Darin,

Sorry for late reply!!!

Yeah i did as you suggested and please let me know what i need to while using distribution list.
burst value - STRNUM
File - ????? which file is this i need to specify

Thanks,
February 13, 2008, 12:25 PM
Darin Lee
This is all clearly documented and explained in the user manual. That's the first place you should go.

Burst value is the VALUE of your burst field not the NAME of it
File is the name of the file that willl be created and FTP'd

for example:
BURST VALUE FILE
ENGLAND CARENGL
ITALY CARITAL
W GERMANY CARWGE


Regards,

Darin



In FOCUS since 1991
WF Server: 7.7.04 on Linux and Z/OS, ReportCaster, Self-Service, MRE, Java, Flex
Data: DB2/UDB, Adabas, SQL Server Output: HTML,PDF,EXL2K/07, PS, AHTML, Flex
WF Client: 77 on Linux w/Tomcat
February 14, 2008, 05:30 AM
<Vinod>
Hi Darin,

As suggested, i had given the burst values and the file it needs to go. Still i get the error as follows

Schedule ID: S12u0q3k5h03, Job Description: Store Fact Sheet - Page 9 Completed with errors/warnings
WCP_strSmry_T0003 unable to distribute to WCP-mthlyPDF;tccftp01.target.com: tccftp01.target.com

Note:
I checked the burst option.
saved the report as astore.pdf
given the format as PDF
all the above in the task option of FTP.

Next in the distribution tab,

I created a distibution list
burst value | file
WCP_strSmry_T0003 | WCP-mthlyPDF
WCP_strSmry_T0004 | WCP-mthlyPDF
WCP_strSmry_T0005 | WCP-mthlyPDF

My destination file path is

\\TccSrv38\EucFtp\StoreSupportMeasurements\WCP-mthlyPDF

Any idea in this regard would help immensely and appreciate the thoughts you have been advising all the while
February 14, 2008, 08:54 AM
GinnyJakes
Stupid question but does RC id or the execution id have permissions to write to that directory which appears to be on another box?


Ginny
---------------------------------
Prod: WF 7.7.01 Dev: WF 7.6.9-11
Admin, MRE,self-service; adapters: Teradata, DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, Essbase, ESRI, FlexEnable, Google
February 14, 2008, 10:54 AM
Darin Lee
So if you want 1590 different files, why are you naming every file the same thing? They should be named differently for each burst value.
I would also avoid using a dash in file names. And you also need the . before the extension.
Why does your path include the file name? It shouldn't.
If you are on windows platform, why does the path use a UNC location. I don't think this is supported. Path should be something like d:\files\ftpdir or /ftpdir.

I'm not trying to be critical, but as I suggested before, it doesn't sound like your are understanding the most basic concepts of how ReportCaster works. You REALLY should read through the End-User manual for the product.


Regards,

Darin



In FOCUS since 1991
WF Server: 7.7.04 on Linux and Z/OS, ReportCaster, Self-Service, MRE, Java, Flex
Data: DB2/UDB, Adabas, SQL Server Output: HTML,PDF,EXL2K/07, PS, AHTML, Flex
WF Client: 77 on Linux w/Tomcat
February 15, 2008, 04:43 AM
<Vinod>
Hi Darin,

I will do as suggested by you (Report Caster).
Please: WCP_mthlyPDF is the folder not the file.
I tried giving different file names for different burst values but it did not work.
May be because i gave them with _ .
I will try this out with removing the underscore once again and get back to you.

In the mean time Another Method:
My application folder is in Mainframe Server.

Is there any method of directly dumping them from the FEX using APP commands or any other commands from MAIN FRAME Server(db2)to destination folder given.
Please expalin me the / and \ logic how to give this in the path if any different in Mainframe when compared to UNIX or Windows Server.

Destination Path:
\\TccSrv38\EucFtp\StoreSupportMeasurements\WCP-mthlyPDF

All my 1590 files should go WCP-mthlyPDF folder

Help appreciated. You are not at all critical rather being patient enough to expalin me, though i have already gone through the manual, somehow unable to crack this out for last 10days.
February 15, 2008, 10:39 AM
Darin Lee
you only need to specify the destination folder once - in the distribution tab it asks for ftp server name and directory. You specify the name or IP address of the platform where you are sending the files. THIS BOX MUST HAVE AN FTP SERVER RUNNING.
The system admin for this platform can tell you if this is set up.

YOU ALSO MUST HAVE FTP CAPABILITIES FROM THE BOX WHERE REPORTCASTER LIVES. You might try testing this through an interactive FTP session. Get to a system prompt and FTP destination address - see if you can FTP a test text file from the RC server platform to your destination platform. You can also do "pwd" to show you the default directory.

When the user id specified as FTP user logs in/FTPs to the destination box, they end up in a default directory. The directory used in RC should be shown in relation to that default directory.

The use of drive letters, / and \ will depend on the platform and how you specify a directory path on that platform.

In your distribution list or file you should have 1590 entries (creating a dynamic distribution file is probably faster if you can follow those instructions from the manual.) Anyway, you wil have 1590 pairs of data. First one is the VALUE of the burst field, second is the name of the file that will be created for that value. like
STORE1 | store1report.pdf
STORE2 | store2report.pdf

Not quite sure what you are asking in your other question, but from the sounds of things you want to run the reports on one platform (mainframe) and save them to another platform (windows/unix). This can only happen if it can see the remote location as local. Might be possible from a windows or unix platform where 3rd party utilities like Samba allow you to view a remote platform/directory as local. From the MF, I don't think it can happen without RC. Someone else may correct me on that.

If you can't get it working from here, call your local IBI education representative and sign up for a couple days of reportcaster training.


Regards,

Darin



In FOCUS since 1991
WF Server: 7.7.04 on Linux and Z/OS, ReportCaster, Self-Service, MRE, Java, Flex
Data: DB2/UDB, Adabas, SQL Server Output: HTML,PDF,EXL2K/07, PS, AHTML, Flex
WF Client: 77 on Linux w/Tomcat