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Procedure: How to Distribute a Report Using E-mail

To distribute a report using e-mail:

1. In the Distribution window, select Email from the Distribute Reports by drop-down list.

   The following image shows the Distribute Reports by Email window, which contains options to specify the e‑mail destination of the report, the reply address, and whether the report will be distributed as an e-mail attachment or within the body of an e-mail message (inline).

   

2. From the Mail Information drop-down list, select Single Address, Distribution File, or Distribution List.

   Note: If the Email Delivery, Restrict Email Domains option is set to yes in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool, then only those e-mail domains (the portion of the e-mail address following the at symbol) listed in Allowed Email Domains (also in the Server Configuration tool) are valid e-mail recipients.

   • Single Address. In the accompanying text box, type the e-mail address of the single recipient. ReportCaster cannot validate the e-mail address. An incorrect or unresolved address may not be noted in the log file. This is dependent upon the ability of the SMTP mail server to validate the e-mail address. The SMTP mail server returns undeliverable e-mail messages to the reply address you specify for the schedule.

     Tip:

     • You can specify multiple e-mail addresses within the Single Address option. Separate each e-mail address with a comma or a semicolon. The e-mail addresses will appear in the To line of a single e-mail when the scheduled output is distributed. Each individual e-mail address can be a maximum of 130 characters as per SMTP specification. The total maximum length of this field is 800 characters.
     • Additionally, you can use group mail lists (defined on your mail server) with the Single Address option. Group mail lists enable you to distribute a report or notification to multiple recipients without having to maintain multiple e-mail addresses in the ReportCaster Repository. The format of the group mail list is dependent upon the mail server being used. For example, if you are using a Microsoft Exchange Server and your group mail list is defined as #group1, you would enter group1@listdomain in the Single Address field. If the group mail list contains a space within its name, it must be enclosed within quotation marks. For more information, see your mail server administrator.
     • You can retrieve e-mail addresses defined in an LDAP data source. For more information, see How to Retrieve E-mail Addresses for a Schedule Using Address Search.
   • Distribution File. In the accompanying text box, type the full path and file name of an external distribution file. The path and file must be accessible to the ReportCaster Distribution Server.

     The external distribution contains comma-delimited records that specify e-mail addresses, burst values, and encryption information. Distribution Files can also be automatically deleted after a schedule runs. For information on Distribution Files, contact your ReportCaster Administrator or see the ReportCaster Development and Administration manual.

     Tip: You can specify multiple e-mail addresses within a single record of an external distribution file. For more information, see Specifying Multiple E-mail Addresses.

   • Distribution List. The following image shows the Select Address drop-down list.

     

     From the Select Address drop-down list, select a Distribution List. Note that this drop-down list displays all e-mail Distribution Lists that you are the owner of, and all public e-mail Distribution Lists. For more information about creating a Distribution List, see Working With Distribution Lists in the HTML User Interface.

3. In the From field, type any value (for example, the name of the person creating the schedule). This field is not required by ReportCaster, but may be required by your e-mail system.
4. In the Reply Address field, type a valid e-mail address. If recipients reply to the e-mail, their messages are sent to this address. If your e-mail system is unable to deliver the content, the undeliverable output message is also returned to this address. This field is required by ReportCaster.

   Tip: You can retrieve e-mail addresses defined in an LDAP data source. For more details, see How to Retrieve E-mail Addresses for a Schedule Using Address Search.

5. In the Subject field, type the text you want to appear in the e‑mail subject line. This information is not required by ReportCaster, but may be needed by your e-mail system. If you do not type an entry in this field, the text that was entered in the schedule Description field will appear in the subject line of the e‑mail.

   When creating a schedule, you can place multiple parameters and burst values from the scheduled procedure in an e-mail subject line. This allows the subject to be dynamically created in order to personalize e-mails to recipients. Parameters referenced in the subject line must be stored with the schedule information in the ReportCaster tables.

   Parameters must be specified in the format '&parmname' (where parmname is the name of the parameter). Burst values must be specified using the syntax '%BURST'.

   Note:

   • The parameter name cannot also be the name of an existing WebFOCUS procedure. You can specify an unlimited number of parameters.
   • If you have multiple burst values in a Distribution List, only the first value sent to the ReportCaster Distribution Server is included in the subject.

   For an example of specifying parameters and burst values in an e-mail subject line, see Specifying Parameters and Burst Values in an E-mail Subject Line.

6. In the Save As Report Name field, type a name for the report to be distributed.

   By default, this value is populated as descname.ext, where descname is the descriptive name of the Managed Reporting procedure, and ext is the extension for the format you selected, for example, Regional Sales.htm. If the report is burst, it is distributed as Regional Sales_burstvalue.htm. If you decide to change the default value, and you specify an extension, be sure to specify the extension of the format you selected. If you do not specify an extension, ReportCaster automatically uses the extension of the format you selected. If you are distributing the report to the Report Library, the category name under which the report is stored is the domain name.

7. Specify whether you want to distribute the report as an e-mail attachment or within the body of the e-mail message (inline). (The availability of the inline option depends on your ReportCaster configuration.)
   • If you want to distribute the report within the body of an e-mail message, select the Select report as inline message option.

     When distributing to PDA or Blackberry, check the capabilities of the device. If the device does not support attachments, use the inline option. The WP format is recommended.

   • If you want to distribute the report as an e-mail attachment, select the Send report as attachment option. If you want to send an optional message within the body of your e-mail, type the message in the Enter message for body of email text box. The message can contain a maximum of 256 characters.
8. To continue to the Settings window, click Next. For more information, see Priority, Notification, and Zip File Options.

Note: For information on the e-mail distribution method, see Considerations When Distributing a Report Using E-mail.

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Example: Specifying Parameters and Burst Values in an E-mail Subject Line

The following image shows a schedule that specifies burst values and multiple parameters in the e-mail subject line.

This schedule will produce an e-mail similar to that shown in the following image.

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Procedure: How to Retrieve E-mail Addresses for a Schedule Using Address Search

The Address Search options only appear if your ReportCaster Administrator has set the Email LDAP Enabled parameter to YES in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool. If the Address Search options do not appear, contact your ReportCaster Administrator.

To retrieve e-mail addresses for a schedule using Address Search:

1. While creating or editing a schedule, click the Address Search icon that appears next to any e-mail address field.

   The following image shows action buttons, input fields, and drop-down lists in the Address Search pane.

   

2. In the Search Pattern fields, type the search string. You can search using the following combinations:
   • Last Name [Equals | Starts with | Ends with | Contains]
   • First Name [Equals | Starts with | Ends with | Contains]
   • Email [Equals | Starts with | Ends with | Contains]

   For example, if you type S after the Last Name Starts with field, as shown in the following image, ReportCaster retrieves all last names that start with the letter S.

   

   Note: By default, ReportCaster retrieves a maximum of 300 e-mail addresses. You can change this default value for the duration of your session. However, if you log out and log back in, the Address Search window displays the default value of 300. ReportCaster allows the retrieval of a maximum of 500 e-mail addresses. If you suspect your search will return more than 500 records, you should refine your search criteria.

3. Click Search. ReportCaster retrieves the specified names from the LDAP data source.

   The following image shows retrieved search data under the Name and Email Address column headings in the Address Search pane.

   

4. Select an e-mail address you want to use in your schedule, and then click the field (for example, Reply) for which you want to insert the e-mail address. Repeat this process if you want to select multiple e-mail addresses.

   Note:

   • Alternatively, double-click an e-mail address to automatically insert it into the field for which you clicked the Address Search icon.
   • If the Email Delivery, Restrict Email Domains option is set to yes in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool, then only those e-mail domains (the portion of the e-mail address following the at symbol) listed in Allowed Email Domains (also in the Server Configuration tool) are valid e-mail recipients.

   The following image shows a highlighted data selection under the Name and Email Address column headings in the Address Search pane.

   

5. Click OK to insert the e-mail address(es) into your schedule.

   The following image shows that the e-mail addresses have been added to the Reply Address field.

   

   By default, ReportCaster separates multiple e-mail addresses with a comma. The e-mail addresses appear in the To line of a single e-mail when the scheduled output is distributed.

Note: Repeat these steps if you want to change your search criteria or insert additional e‑mail addresses into your schedule. If you insert additional e-mail addresses while the original e-mail addresses are selected, the new e-mail addresses replace the old ones. If your cursor is positioned after the original e-mail addresses, the new e-mail addresses are appended to the old ones, separated by a comma. However, be aware that the maximum number of characters is 800 when inserting addresses.

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Example: Distributing a Report to a Fax Machine Using E-mail

To distribute an inline e-mail message to a fax machine, you must register your e-mail address with a third-party e-mail distribution provider. The features offered by providers, (such as supported area codes and file formats), in addition to requirements on the structure of e-mail parameter values, may vary. It is important that you select a provider whose features are compatible with ReportCaster.

The following example shows how to distribute a report directly to a fax machine. The e-mail address, john_doe@ibi.com, was registered with the e-mail distribution provider called emfax.com. During the processing of the request, ReportCaster generates the scheduled report output and then distributes it using the e-mail address of emfax.com. The reply address specified in ReportCaster is the registered e-mail address that is validated by emfax.com. If the e-mail address is valid, emfax.com distributes the report to the fax number 12129999999. The validation of the registered e-mail address is performed by emfax.com, not by ReportCaster.

Note: The syntax used in this illustration is specific to this example. The required syntax for your provider may be different.

1. On the Distribution window, select Email from the Distribute Reports by drop-down list.

   The following image shows the Distribute Reports by Email window, which contains fields, drop-down lists, and option buttons that enable you to specify the destination(s) for the scheduled report, an e-mail address to which report recipients can reply, the name of the report to be distributed, and whether you want to distribute the report as an e-mail attachment or inline within the body of an e-mail message.

   

2. From the Mail Information drop-down list, select Single Address.

   In the accompanying text box, type the e-mail address to be used by the e-mail provider according to their requirements. In this example, it is phone-number@emfax.com or 12129999999@emfax.com (where emfax.com is the name of your e-mail provider).

   Note: You can also select a Distribution List or a Distribution File. However, be sure to use the syntax required by your provider.

3. In the From field, type any value (for example, the name of the person creating the schedule). This field is not required by ReportCaster, but may be required by your e-mail system or by the e-mail provider.
4. In the Reply Address field, type your registered e-mail address. If your e-mail system is unable to deliver the content, the undeliverable output message is returned to this address. This field is required by ReportCaster.
5. In the Subject field, type the text you want to appear in the e‑mail subject line. This information is not required by ReportCaster, but may be needed by your e-mail system or e-mail provider.
6. In the Report Name field, type the name of the report to be distributed.
7. Select the Select report as inline message option button.

   Note: You cannot distribute an e-mail attachment to a fax machine.

8. To continue to the Settings window, click Next at the bottom of the Distribution window. For more information, see Priority, Notification, and Zip File Options.

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Reference: Considerations When Distributing a Report Using E-mail

If the Email Delivery, Restrict Email Domains option is set to yes in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool, then only those e-mail domains (the section of the e-mail address following the at (@) sign) listed in Allowed Email Domains (also in the Server Configuration tool) are valid e-mail recipients. The Distribution Server will not deliver output to an e-mail address whose domain is not on this list. Instead, the schedule will fail and an error message will be written to the ReportCaster log.

ReportCaster transfers e-mail asynchronously to your e-mail system. The delivery time depends upon your e-mail system.

Exchange Mail Server Considerations:

• If you do not see a From value that is specified in the schedule information for the e-mail you receive in the e-mail client inbox, then this is due to their mail server configuration. For more information on how to control this setting for a Microsoft Exchange Server, see the following URLs:
  • http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;288635
  • http://support.microsoft.com/kb/174755/EN-US/
  • http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;242301

  Alternatively, you can contact Microsoft customer support for assistance. If you are using a mail server other than a Microsoft Exchange Server, refer to the vendor documentation or contact their customer support for assistance.

• When distributing a report to an Exchange Server, attachment names have a .txt extension added to WP and DOC format output. This occurs because WP and DOC formats are not mapped to a standard MIME type. The Exchange Server interprets WP and DOC output as a text/plain MIME type and adds the .txt extension to the end of the file name. For example, hold.wp.txt or hold.doc.txt.
• Exchange Server individual recipient names (person@company.com) and Exchange Server-defined distribution lists (list@company.com) can be specified in ReportCaster Distribution Lists. However, Exchange Server user-defined distribution lists cannot be referenced in a ReportCaster Distribution List. They are defined internally on the users machine. The ReportCaster Distribution List is parsed by the Exchange Server and not the user's mail client. Since a ReportCaster Distribution List is parsed by the Exchange Server, when an external server submits an Exchange Server distribution list, it must contain the proper prefix and the proper domain (which is prefaced by an at (@) sign). Consult your Exchange Server Administrator for these values.

CC:Mail Considerations:

When you distribute ReportCaster generated e-mail attachments greater than 20K in size to users of cc:Mail, cc:Mail renames the attachment textitm.txt, ignoring the file name and extension supplied by the user. This change affects DOC, HTML, and WP formats on UNIX and Windows platforms. However, despite the naming convention issue, the attachments contain the correct output and can be viewed if the attachment is saved to disk with the correct extension.

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Procedure: How to Distribute a Report to a Printer

To distribute a report to a printer

1. On the Distribution window, select Printer from the Distribute Reports by drop-down list.

   The following image shows the Distribute Reports by Printer window, which contains a drop-down list and an accompanying field that enables you to specify distribution to a single printer or to multiple printers defined in a Distribution List.

   

2. From the Distribution Information drop-down list, select Single Printer or Distribution List.
   • Single Printer. Specify the printer using the following format.

     queue@printserver

     where:

     queue

     Is the name of the printer queue.

     printserver

     Is the host name or IP address of the printer.

     Although ReportCaster supports specifying only the host name (or IP address), we recommend that you specify both the printer queue and the host name (or IP address) when distributing ReportCaster output to a printer. ReportCaster differentiates between the printer queue and the printer host name (or IP address) when the at sign (@) is present as the separator. The maximum length of this field is 800 characters.

   • Distribution List. The following image shows the Select Address drop-down list.

     

     From the Select Address drop-down list, select a Distribution List. Note that this drop‑down list displays all printer Distribution Lists that you are the owner of, and all public printer Distribution Lists. For more information about creating a Distribution List, see Working With Distribution Lists in the HTML User Interface.

   Note: If the printer you specify is unrecognized, the Cannot connect to specified printer message is recorded in the log file when the ReportCaster Distribution Server tries to distribute the report.

3. To continue to the Settings window, click Next at the bottom of the Distribution window. For more information, see Priority, Notification, and Zip File Options.

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Procedure: How to Distribute a Report to Managed Reporting

To distribute a report to Managed Reporting:

1. In the New Schedule Distribution window, select Managed Reporting from the Distribute Reports by drop-down list.

   The following image shows the Distribute Reports by Managed Reporting window, which contains the Folder Name field where you must specify the Managed Reporting folder name to which you will be distributing the report.

   

2. In the Folder Name field, type the job description of the scheduled report. This entry must not exceed 90 characters.

   This is will be the name of the folder(s) in Managed Reporting that contain the output of the schedule when it runs.

3. To continue to the Settings window, click Next at the bottom of the Distribution window. For more information, see Priority, Notification, and Zip File Options.

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Procedure: How to Distribute a Report to the Report Library

To distribute a report to the Report Library:

1. In the New Schedule Distribution window, select Library from the Distribute Reports by drop-down list.

   The following image shows the Distribute Reports by Library window, which contains fields, drop-down lists, and option buttons that enable you to specify which users can view the report in the library, and how long to store the report in the library. You can also optionally specify e-mail information to alert users with appropriate access rights that the report is available in the library, and provide direct access to the report.

   

2. Optionally, specify a category in the Library where the report will be distributed. To do this, select the Category in Library option and type the name of an existing or new Library category.

   Note: By default, the report is stored in the Library under a category that is named with the Managed Reporting domain of the report.

3. Optionally, select the Send email after saving report to library check box if you want to send an e-mail message to users with access rights to the content in the Report Library. Any user with access to this report receives this e-mail message, which contains the URL address needed to access the scheduled report output.

   Note:

   • ReportCaster Administrators can limit to whom the Email for library option is available. For details, see ReportCaster Server Configuration the ReportCaster Development and Administration manual.
   • If the Email Delivery, Restrict Email Domains option is set to yes in the ReportCaster Server Configuration tool, then only those e-mail domains (the portion of the e-mail address following the at (@) sign) listed in Allowed Email Domains (also in the Server Configuration tool) are valid e-mail recipients.

   Selecting the Send email after saving report to library check box activates the following fields:

   • From (optional). This can be any value (for example, the name of the person creating the schedule). This is not required by ReportCaster, but may be required by your e-mail system.
   • Reply Address (required). The e-mail address of the sender. If report recipients reply to the notification, their messages are sent to this address. If your e-mail system is unable to deliver a report, the undeliverable report message is also returned to this address.
   • Subject (optional). Type the text you want to appear in the subject line of the e-mail message.
   • Enter message for body of email (optional). Type an e-mail message in the text box. You can overwrite the default message.

   Note: When a Managed Reporting report (Standard Report or My Report) is distributed to the Report Library and Public distribution is specified, the library e-mail is sent only to the Managed Reporting users authorized to access the Domain from which the report originated. For Access List distribution, there is no filtering or validation done for the library e-mail, as it is the responsibility of the Access List owner to maintain the list so that it only includes authorized users. Users who receive a library e-mail who are not authorized to view the report according to Managed Reporting security, cannot view the report in the library.

4. From the Access Options drop-down list, select one of the following option buttons to specify which users can view the report in the library. Depending on what you previously specified, these users may also receive an e-mail notification when the report is distributed to the library.
   • Owner. Only the owner of the schedule has access to the report in the library. This is the default value.
   • Public. All users with access to the Report Library can view the report in the library.
   • Access List. Only the users or groups defined in the Access List, and the owner of the schedule, can view the report.

   For more information about creating a Library Access List, see Creating and Maintaining a Library Access List.

   Note: ReportCaster Administrators can limit the Access Options that appear on the Distribution window. For details, see ReportCaster Server Configuration in the ReportCaster Development and Administration manual.

5. Optionally, select the Limit distribution to values in Access List check box. When you select this check box, only the burst values specified in an Access List are distributed to the Report Library. This option is used in combination with the Enable Report Bursting option (located in the Report Information window) and is only enabled when the Access List option is selected. For more information, see Considerations When Limiting Distribution to Values in an Access List.
6. From the Expiration of Reports in Library drop-down list, select one of the following options:
   • Never Expire. The report remains in the Report Library until it is manually deleted by the owner or ReportCaster Administrator.
   • Expire after. If you select this option, specify a number and then select one of the following options:

     version(s). The Report Library stores the output for the top number of versions specified. For example, if you specify 3 versions and the current version is 7, then versions 7, 6, and 5 are stored in the library. However, if you delete version 6, then only versions 7 and 5 are stored in the library. If you then distribute version 8 to the library, only version 8 and 7 are stored in the library since version 6 was deleted and version 5 is not among the top 3 versions.

     day(s). The Report Library stores the report for the number of day(s) specified.

     week(s). The Report Library stores the report for the number of week(s) specified.

     month(s). The Report Library stores the report for the number of month(s) specified.

     year(s). The Report Library stores the report for the number of year(s) specified.

     Note: ReportCaster automatically purges expired reports one hour after the scheduled Log Purge Time. The default Log Purge Time is 1:00 A.M., therefore, the default library purge time is 2:00 A.M. each day.

7. To continue to the Settings window, click Next at the bottom of the Distribution window. For more information, see Priority, Notification, and Zip File Options.

Note: When distributing a report to the Report Library, you can only drill-down to another report if it is a procedure on the WebFOCUS Reporting Server. There is currently no support for drill-down functionality to Managed Reporting procedures.

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Reference: Changing the Burst Option When Distributing to the Library

Enabling or disabling the burst option in a schedule being distributed to the library is not recommended because burst and non-burst reports appear differently in the library. Rather than editing your schedule and changing this option, we recommend creating a new schedule, as follows:

1. Clone your existing library schedule (see Cloning a Schedule) and specify a unique name for the new schedule job description.
2. Edit the new schedule as follows:
   1. Select the Enabled check box to activate the schedule.
   2. Enable or disable the burst option, as needed.
   3. Click Save to save the schedule.
3. Optionally, delete the original schedule if it is no longer needed and evaluate whether you need the existing content in the library.

Note:

• When ReportCaster distributes the new schedule content to the library, a new folder is created for the library content. To delete the original folder in the library, you must delete all versions of the report within the folder.
• If you disable the burst option for a burst schedule and you do not delete the content of the schedule in the library before making the change, the subsequent output will appear in a separate folder with the same report name as the burst report folder. The version numbering in the new folder picks up where the burst value versions ended. Version numbers will continue sequencing between burst and non-burst reports each time you enable and disable bursting. The following image shows an example of burst and non-burst versions of the same report in the Report Library.