Normally, Reporting4Act! stores its own data in a set of files. Some of these files, such as Users.dbf, are located in the Data subdirectory of the program folder while others, such as Reports.dbf and SFX files for each report, are located in a folder you specify the first time you run Reporting4Act! (which could also be the Data subdirectory).

If you want Reporting4Act! to store its data in a server database instead, do the following:

• Install Reporting4Act! on a workstation.

• Create a database to contain the Reporting4Act! data files. You do not have to create any tables in this database; Reporting4Act! does that.

• Create a file named Data.ini in the Data subdirectory with the following content:

[Options]
CommonFiles=REMOTE

• Run Reporting4Act!. In the Setup Wizard, fill in the connection string for the database you created and click Test to ensure the connection string is valid. For example:

driver=SQL Server;server=MyServer;database=QueryData

• Complete the rest of the Setup Wizard.

• Install Reporting4Act! on the rest of the workstations.

• Copy Data.ini from the Data subdirectory of the workstation you did the setup on to the the Data subdirectory of each workstation, since that file now contains the connection string for the database (encrypted). Alternatively, you can repeat the Setup Wizard step on each workstation.

Here are some notes about this:

• There are no SFX files for the reports, although you can create them manually using the Export Report function in the File menu.

• SFQuery.lic, the license file in the Data subdirectory, contains a local copy of the Licenses table on the server. This file is created every time Reporting4Act! is run.

• The server database will contain the following tables:

  • CalcFields: contains formulas.
  • Licenses: contains licensing information.
  • Reports: contain all report definitions.
  • Roles: the groups defined in the Maintain Users and Groups dialog.
  • Security: contains security settings for reports and folders.
  • UserRoles: the groups each user belongs to.
  • Users: the users defined in the Maintain Users and Groups dialog.

• Report snapshots are not supported, so the Samples page in the Reports Explorer and the Create and Display Report Snapshots setting in the Options dialog are disabled.

• Table and field favorites are not supported, so the Favorites button does not appear in step 2 of the report wizards and the Analyze Reports function does not appear in the Tools menu or Tools tab of the ribbon.

• Usage tracking is not supported, so the Support Usage Tracking setting in the Options dialog is disabled and the Usage Reporting function does not appear in the Tools menu or Tools tab of the ribbon.

• If Reporting4Act! crashes, it may think the user is still logged in and not allow them to log in again. If this happens, have someone log in as the ADMIN user on any workstation, choose Display Logged In Users from the Tools menu or Logged in Users from the Tools tab of the ribbon, select that user, and click the Unlock button.