How do I use Crystal Reports with Unidata
I have been using Crystal Reports for years with Oracle, but now I am doing some work for a sister company that runs on Unidata and I would like to use Crystal Reports. It seems like it should be possible, but when I try to set the location of the database in CR to the ODBC data connection, it shows "no items found" under the ODBC connection. It doesn't show any tables or views, but it does look like the connection has been made. I was able to produce data through a connection in MS Excel, so I know the ODBC connection is correct. The IT at the sister company doesn't know much about this, so I am just trying to figure this out myself. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Am I missing something here?
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no worries :-) no nothing
Regarding ODBC drivers check this link: http://www.download32.com/informix-unidata-odbc-software.html
Here is another link from IBM:
http://www-05.ibm.com/e-business/linkweb/publications/servlet/pbi.wss?CTY=US&FNC=SRX&PBL=G299-2105-00
http://www-05.ibm.com/e-business/linkweb/publications/servlet/pbi.wss?CTY=US&FNC=SRX&PBL=G299-2105-00
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I have downloaded the IBM UniData ODBC Driver and am using it successfully to retrieve some test data with Excel and Visual Studio. But when I try to connect in Crystal Reports, it makes the connection, but no tables or views show underneath it, so I can't select 'Add'.
CRconnection.docx
CRconnection.docx
Okay, it has been a while since I had to analyze data from our PICK/Universe system ; however, just to chime in and ensure you have tried this:
From my recollection, we had to install the UniVerse ODBC Driver (I have the UniDK also installed -- I recall having to set somethings up in the UCI editor, but that may be unrelated). However, what I have had to do in the past is to setup ODBC connection in the UVODBC Config and then using the UV/ODBC Configuration Name we had to create a normal Windows DSN using the IBM UniVerse ODBC Driver whose configuration we simply made the configuration name for both the ODBC Data Source Name and UV/ODBC Configuration Name entries.
On my SQL Server where I connected frequently to our UniData system from a linked server (possibly I removed the other installs and just don't recall), but we only have the UniDK installed and not the ODBC driver. What we do there is connect using IBM.UniOLEDB which connects to ODBC data sources configured in UCI Editor if I am not mistaken.
Hope that helps some.
Kevin
From my recollection, we had to install the UniVerse ODBC Driver (I have the UniDK also installed -- I recall having to set somethings up in the UCI editor, but that may be unrelated). However, what I have had to do in the past is to setup ODBC connection in the UVODBC Config and then using the UV/ODBC Configuration Name we had to create a normal Windows DSN using the IBM UniVerse ODBC Driver whose configuration we simply made the configuration name for both the ODBC Data Source Name and UV/ODBC Configuration Name entries.
On my SQL Server where I connected frequently to our UniData system from a linked server (possibly I removed the other installs and just don't recall), but we only have the UniDK installed and not the ODBC driver. What we do there is connect using IBM.UniOLEDB which connects to ODBC data sources configured in UCI Editor if I am not mistaken.
Hope that helps some.
Kevin
Since I recalled there being some setup on UniVerse side I referred to the manual which I remembered after posting I saved for such an occasion where I no longer remembered the information fresh in my mind. *smile*
"UniVerse tables and views are always accessible to ODBC applications, but UniVerse files that are not tables are not. To make UniVerse files accessible to ODBC applications, you must run the ODBC file access utility in the account."
So depending on what you are trying to access, you may need to update you configuration first. Look for your uvodbc.pdf file of the Universe Online Library and you will get a good bit of information on connecting via ODBC.
"UniVerse tables and views are always accessible to ODBC applications, but UniVerse files that are not tables are not. To make UniVerse files accessible to ODBC applications, you must run the ODBC file access utility in the account."
So depending on what you are trying to access, you may need to update you configuration first. Look for your uvodbc.pdf file of the Universe Online Library and you will get a good bit of information on connecting via ODBC.
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Would this "file access utility" be the same for a unidata database?
That is my understanding -- why are you accessing files here and not tables / views ?
My PICK system shows UniData / Universe interchangeably, so believe the UniDK/OBDC and documentation applies to both -- at least we have been able to use on both, but we are also on an old version as this system has been upgraded in at least 6 years.
My PICK system shows UniData / Universe interchangeably, so believe the UniDK/OBDC and documentation applies to both -- at least we have been able to use on both, but we are also on an old version as this system has been upgraded in at least 6 years.
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No tables were showing up, and only a few views in other tools like Excel, VS.Net, but nothing shows up under the connection in CR. The DBA there says they call their tables files. I would like to use tables and views, so I could just grab what data I need.
Think it just depends on the mode the U2 system was setup under. The administrator can choose to install as an RDMS or flat file style and then allow or disallow SQL / ODBC access on top of that. Since you can get to some things from Excel / VS.NET, I suspect that you have access but maybe it is a function of which driver -- as I mentioned, for some things I had to use the OLEDB driver which came with the UniDK whereas in other cases I could just use plain old ODBC Driver.
I wish I had Crystal locally to test as I have my Universe server sitting and available that I could have tested for you -- was just hoping that my limited input might help jog something in the minds of the Crystal Experts about.
The person who installed the system we use here made the later choice in both cases and so I inherited an NT system that had files for each table that didn't quite support querying from Excel and other tools they users were trying to use -- at that time I had to enable ODBC support -- I had to figure this out on my own and all I had handy was the UOL, so I am pretty confident I found all the details there. If you don't have a copy, I can try to go back through all the steps for the DBA, but they should be familiar once you start talking about things like ODBC.ACCESS, HS.SCRUB, etc. << TCL commands that come to mind
I wish I had Crystal locally to test as I have my Universe server sitting and available that I could have tested for you -- was just hoping that my limited input might help jog something in the minds of the Crystal Experts about.
The person who installed the system we use here made the later choice in both cases and so I inherited an NT system that had files for each table that didn't quite support querying from Excel and other tools they users were trying to use -- at that time I had to enable ODBC support -- I had to figure this out on my own and all I had handy was the UOL, so I am pretty confident I found all the details there. If you don't have a copy, I can try to go back through all the steps for the DBA, but they should be familiar once you start talking about things like ODBC.ACCESS, HS.SCRUB, etc. << TCL commands that come to mind
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Connected to database using OleDB.