Configuring Reporting Servers

In this section:

How to:

Reporting Server connection nodes contain all of the information necessary for WebFOCUS to connect with and make use of a Reporting Server. A node can enable access to one server or multiple servers. If the node specifies multiple servers, it is called a cluster node.

Procedure: How to Open the WebFOCUS Server Console From the WebFOCUS Administration Console

You can make global configuration changes in the server environment by using the Server Console.

  1. In the Administration Console, click the Configuration tab. Expand the Reporting Servers folder and expand the Server Connections folder.

    The existing Servers are shown.

  2. Right-click a Server node, and click Reporting Server Console.

    If you are prompted to sign in, type the credentials of the Server Administrator.

    The Server Console opens in a separate window.

For more information about the Server Console, see the Server Administration manual, or click Help.

Procedure: How to Add a Server Connection

  1. In the Administration Console, click the Configuration tab, and expand the Reporting Servers folder.
  2. Right-click the Server Connections folder and click New.

    The Client Configuration pane opens.

  3. In the Client Configuration pane, type the node name, host, and TCP/IP port. You can optionally specify a node description and HTTP(S) port.

    Note: The name cannot be the same as any other node name, and it cannot contain more than forty-eight (48) characters. When the client accesses this server, it will use this name.

  4. Select the type of security to use when connecting to this Server.
    • If you select Prompt for Credentials or HTTP Basic, proceed to step 8.

      Note: If you are using HTTP Basic authentication, you can verify the authorization header by selecting HTTP Request Info in the Diagnostics tab.

    • If you select Kerberos or SAP Ticket, proceed to step 8.
    • If you select Service Account, proceed to step 5.
    • If you select Trusted, proceed to step 6.

      Trusted is the default. This is the recommended approach to connect to a Server.

  5. If you selected Service Account, type the Service Account ID and password, then proceed to step 8.
  6. If you selected Trusted, configure the behavior of the trusted connection between the Client and the Server:
    • If you would like to pass the user ID and group information to the Server using the IBIMR_user and IBIMR_group script variables respectively, proceed to step 8. This is the default behavior.
    • If you would like to pass only the user ID, or to pass the user ID and/or group information with a different variable name or using HTTP headers instead of script variables, select the Custom radio button and proceed to step 7.
  7. If you selected Trusted - Custom, customize the information sent to the Server, and the script variables or HTTP headers used.
    1. User ID is pre-selected. Select TIBCO WebFOCUS script variable or HTTP Header field, depending on how you will pass user IDs. Accept the default script variable, IBIMR_User, or type an alternative script variable or HTTP Header field.
    2. If you would like to pass group information to the Server, select User's Groups, then select TIBCO WebFOCUS script variable or HTTP Header field, depending on how you will pass group information. Accept the default script variable, IBIMR_memberof, or type an alternative script variable or HTTP Header field.
  8. Optionally, expand the Advanced section to customize the properties for service name, Use HTTPS, Compression, Encryption, Connection Limit, Maximum Wait, and Security Object. If left blank, these options use the default properties.

    Note: When configuring the Client to make trusted connections to the Server, you must also enable the Server to accept trusted connections.

  9. Click Save.

    A node for the new Server connection appears in the tree under the Server Connections folder.

Procedure: How to Modify an Alternate Server Mapping

  1. In the Administration Console, on the Configuration tab, expand the Reporting Servers folder, and then expand the Alternate Server Mapping folder.
  2. Click the node of the server mapping you would like to modify.

    The connection properties appear in the Client Configuration pane.

  3. Make the desired changes and click Save.

    Note: Changes to the main server value automatically clear the value assigned to the alternate server. Therefore, if you change the value in the main server setting, you must also select an alternate server.

  4. When you receive the Successfully Saved message, click OK.

Procedure: How to Add a Cluster Manager Node

This procedure details the steps you take to create a cluster of servers in a node using the Cluster Manager.

  1. In the Administration Console, on the Configuration tab, expand the Reporting Servers folder.
  2. Right-click the Cluster Manager folder and click New.

    The Cluster Manager Configuration pane opens.

  3. In the Cluster Manager Configuration pane, type the Node Name, Remote CLM host, and Remote CLM port. You can optionally specify a Node Description.

    The default Remote CLM Port is 8120.

    Note: The Node Name provided in the Administration Console for Cluster Manager configurations must match the Cluster name of the Cluster Manager Server.

  4. Select the type of security to use when connecting to this Cluster Manager:
    • If you select Prompt for Credentials, HTTP Basic, Kerberos, or SAP Ticket, click the appropriate option and proceed to step 7.
    • If you select Service Account, proceed to step 5.
    • If you select Trusted, proceed to step 6.

    Note:

    • If you are using HTTP Basic authentication, you can verify the authorization header by selecting HTTP Request Info in the Diagnostics tab.
  5. If you selected Service Account, enter a user ID and password. Proceed to step 7.
  6. If you selected Trusted, by default, the client passes the user ID and group information to the Server using the IBIMR_user and IBIMR_group script variables. You can customize this behavior by using the different variable names, using HTTP headers instead of script variables, or not passing group information.
    1. If you would like to enable the default behavior, select Pass WebFOCUS User ID and their Groups and proceed to step 7.
    2. If you would like to use a TIBCO WebFOCUS script variable or HTTP header to pass user or group information, select Advanced.
    3. User ID is pre-selected because you will always send user information. Select TIBCO WebFOCUS script variable or HTTP Header field, depending on how you will pass user IDs. Accept the default script variable, IBIMR_User, or type an alternative script variable or HTTP Header field.
    4. If you would like to pass group information to the Server, select User's Groups, then select TIBCO WebFOCUS script variable or HTTP Header field, depending on how you will pass group information. Accept the default script variable, IBIMR_memberof, or type an alternative script variable or HTTP Header field.

    Note: You must configure the security provider on the Server to accept trusted connections.

  7. If you are using the default service name, use of SSL, compression, encryption, connection limit and wait time, and are not using cookies or headers, proceed to step 8. If you would like to customize these properties, expand the Advanced arrow and configure the desired fields.
  8. Click Save.

Procedure: How to Modify a Cluster Manager Node

  1. In the Administration Console, on the Configuration tab, expand the Reporting Servers folder, and then expand the Cluster Manager folder.
  2. Right-click the node you want to edit and click Edit.

    The node properties appear in the Cluster Manager Configuration pane.

  3. Make the desired changes and click Save.

Managing Legacy Cluster Configurations

Previous implementations of WebFOCUS clustering are still supported through the Legacy Cluster Configuration screen.

Procedure: How to Configure a Legacy Cluster

  1. In the Administration Console, on the Configuration tab, expand the Reporting Servers folder.
  2. Right-click the Legacy Cluster Configuration folder and select New.

    The Legacy Cluster Configuration pane opens.

  3. Type a Node Name and, optionally, a Node Description.
  4. Select the servers to include in the cluster as follows:
    • Click a single server in the Available list box, and click the right arrow.
    • Hold down the Ctrl key, click multiple non-adjacent servers, and click the right arrow.
    • Hold down the Shift key and click on the first and last adjacent server to include all of them, and click the right arrow.
  5. Click Save.

Procedure: How to Set a Default Server Node

Selecting a default Server node in the Configuration tab sets the node as the IBI_REPORT_SERVER value in the webfocus.cfg file. However, if a site profile, universal profile, or request URL specifies a different default Server node, that value will override this selection. Profiles and request URLs use the IBIC_server setting for that purpose.

  1. In the Administration Console, on the Configuration tab, expand the Reporting Servers folder, and then expand the Server Connections folder.
  2. Right-click a Server node, and then click Set as Default.

    A green check mark appears on the server icon indicating the default node.

Procedure: How to Test a Server Connection

  1. In the Administration Console, on the Configuration tab, expand Reporting Servers, and then expand Server Connections.
  2. Right-click the connection you want to test, and point to Test.
    • Select TABLE Request to test a table query on the server.
    • Select GRAPH Request to test a graph query on the server.
    • Select Stored Procedure to test a stored procedure on the server.
  3. On the test page, click Run.
  4. If the Valid credentials are required for reporting server page opens, enter your User ID and Password, and then click Sign in.
  5. Review the test results.

    If you receive a Server Error message, the server connection failed.

    If a page opens, displaying the results of your test, the server connection was successful.

  6. When your review of the results is complete, close the results page, and on the test page, click Cancel.

Reconnecting the Client to the Repository

Whenever a network, operating system, relational database system, or Application Server disruption temporarily disconnects the Client from the Repository, the Client automatically reconnects to the Repository as soon as the disruption is resolved. There is no need to stop and restart the Application Server to re-establish the connection between the Client and the Repository.

If you are able to remain signed in to a session during the disruption, you will automatically reconnect to the Repository as soon as the connection is restored. If the disruption forces you to sign out, you will automatically reconnect to the Repository when you sign in again. After the connection is restored, you can resume your work from the point at which you were interrupted.

Records of the events that disrupt and restore the connection between the Client and the Repository are captured in the System log.