remiCrystal is a feature-rich and easy to use Crystal Report Scheduler and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Report Scheduler with additional support for automating Excel Workbook Reports and SQL Query Results. With remiCrystal, you can save time and money by automating your Crystal or SSRS Reports to email, disk, printers, FTP and more. Your reports can be delivered in a multitude of formats such as PDF, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and more.
Support for Multiple Reporting Platforms
- Crystal Reports: remiCrystal can schedule Crystal Reports 11 and above.
- SQL Server (SSRS) Reports: remiCrystal is compatible with SQL Server Reporting Services 2005 and above.
- Excel Workbooks: you can use remiCrystal to automatically refresh and schedule Excel Workbooks
- SQL Query Results: remiCrystal can schedule and deliver the results of any SQL Query in multiple formats
Advanced Scheduling Functionality
Basic Tasks
A basic task can consist of one or more reports. Using remiCrystal, you can schedule Crystal Reports, SSRS Reports, Excel Workbooks and SQL Query results in the same basic task. Each report in the basic task can be exported to a different format such as PDF, Excel, MS Word and they are all delivered to the same target destinations at the specified scheduled time.
Data-Driven Tasks
A data-driven task works in a similar manner to how data-driven subscriptions work in SSRS; except in our case, they work for all the above reporting platforms. A data-driven task provides a way to use dynamic data that is retrieved from an external data source at run time. A data-driven task can also use static text and default values that you specify when the task is created. You can use data-driven tasks to do the following:
- Distribute reports to a fluctuating list of recipients. For example, you can use data-driven tasks to distribute one or more reports throughout a large organization where subscribers vary from one month to the next, or use other criteria that determines group membership from an existing set of users.
- Filter the reports’ data by using report parameter values that are retrieved at run time from an external data source.
Crystal Report Bursting Tasks
Limited to Crystal Reports, a bursting task takes a single Crystal Report, runs it and then splits it into multiple files based on the Group Header 1 (GH1) values. Each split report can then be delivered to different recipients. You can combine data-driven tasks with bursting tasks to get the benefit of both task types.
PDF Bursting Tasks aka Single-Pass Bursting
This type of task, available for both SSRS and Crystal Reports, uses PDF Bursting logic to export the report to PDF and then split it into multiple report parts. Each part can then be delivered to different recipients. For more information on how to set up PDF Bursting, see here.
Inline and Post-Processing Actions
remiCrystal isn’t just limited to scheduling Crystal, SSRS, Excel and SQL reports; you can also use it run custom actions inline with reports where they are run in sequence with reports or as post-processing actions where they are only run if the reports have been executed successfully. The types of actions that are available in remiCrystal are:
- Send Email Action: this will send an email without any reports attached
- FTP Download Action: download any file from an FTP or SFTP server
- Copy Files Action: copies files from one location to another. You can use file masks for this
- Delete Files Action: deletes files from the local file system
- Write To File Action: write any information to a local file. This is useful for custom logging
- Run SQL Query Action: this executes a custom SQL query against the provided database. You can use this to update, insert or delete records from the database.
- Run a Program Action: this action is used to execute any program using command line and arguments.
Export Formats
remiCrystal can be used to export your Crystal Reports, SSRS Reports, Excel Workbooks and SQL Query results to the following formats:
- Acrobat PDF
- Microsoft Word (doc and docx)
- Microsoft Excel (xls and xlsx)
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- CSV
- HTML
- Rich Text Format (RTF)
- PNG Image
- Web Archive
- XML
- Crystal Report (rpt and rptr)
- TIFF Images
- EMF Images
- Plain Text
Destination Targets
Once reports are produced in remiCrystal, they can be delivered to one or more destination targets. These are:
- Email (remiCrystal supports both SMTP and MS Exchange email accounts and your report can be embedded in the email body)
- Printer
- Disk and Network Drives
- FTP Server: this includes support for FTP, FTPS and SFTP
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Dropbox
Scalability and Security
From the ground up, remiCrystal was designed with security and scalability as priorities with features such as:
- ability to zip files and add password protection to the Zip archive
- ability to add password protection to PDF files
- application wide password so that only users with the password can access the application
- task-level passwords that restricts access to app tasks
- multi-threaded execution of reports (up to 8 reports can be executed at the same time)
- ability to merge multiple PDF reports into a single file prior to delivery
- ability to detect when a Crystal Report or an SSRS Report is blank and defer report delivery
Reliable Scheduling Engine
remiCrystal uses the Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler service so that report scheduling is uninterrupted regardless of whether or not a user is logged on to the server/desktop. By using the built-in Windows Task Scheduler service, we also ensure that the report scheduling is reliable and with little to no configuration required.
Benefits to you
- Installs in seconds and very easy to use
- Eliminates manual processes that consume time and are prone to human error
- Consolidates all report scheduling functionality into a single application regardless of whether you are scheduling SSRS Reports or Crystal Reports
- Reduces labor costs by automating your business processes with Excel automation and business process custom actions.
- Improves your customer satisfaction by delivering timely and customized reporting to your clients.
- remiCrystal’s small footprint means you can leverage existing investments in hardware and software.
- Low training and implementation costs means you can begin getting a return of your investment in remiCrystal very quickly.
Transform your business today with remiCrystal by downloading the risk-free and fully functioning trial now.
