Server: Auto-refreshing data in free Viewer?

DominicChan · September 18, 2012 9:56AM

Hi - We have the Server Edition license and wondering if I can enable my Omniscope reports so that end users using free-Viewer can refresh from source?

The data source is entirely loaded from SQL servers, I have selected from the "Database Table" blocks the 'Update Option' of "Scheduled. Update every: 10 minutes" (note: all these blocks are connected to the servers with username and password, not user authentication). And have selected "Enable auto_refresh" + "Retrieve new data, notify and apply immediately" from the main menu the Data>Automatic Refresh.

If I use our ServerPlus licensed server to save and distribute these files, will my end users be able to leave the report open on their computers using free Viewer, and the report will refresh itself from the database every 10 minutes?

What are the restrictions if any? Thanks a lot.... Dom

tjbate · September 18, 2012 4:54PM

Dominic - IOK files 'owned' by Server Edition licenses support live auto-refresh to open files in the free Viewer. Please note, however, that the data source of the distributed Report IOK file in the free Viewer needs to be a server-side IOK datamart file....the free Viewer cannot refresh directly from the SQL database. Please see the multi-file reference architecture doucument attached.

DominicChan · September 19, 2012 7:33AM

fantastic, thanks for the pdf. got it working

paola · September 19, 2012 7:37AM

This is a popular subject, so further info/clarification is added for reference:

A suitable solution that will work involves 3 IOK files:
• Data.IOK is present only on the server. End users don't see it.
It has the database connections configured, and doesn't need any tabs/views configured. It is scheduled to refresh every 10 minutes, and output a User.IOK file using Template.IOK.

• Template.IOK also is present only on the server. Has the configured tabs/views of the report, with some arbitrary stale (but compatible) data.
Configured for background refresh by reloading (Data > Background data refresh > Refresh by reloading IOK file).

• User.IOK is an output of the above process.
Inherits the tabs and views from Template.IOK, and also the background refresh setting.
Published/shared e.g. via a webserver or on a network file share.
Gets updated every 10 minutes. Empowered for background refresh.

... and 2 'tiers':
• The Server Scheduler ensures that User.IOK as published is updated every 10 minutes with the latest data.
(And because it's a Server license, it creates IOK files supporting background refresh in the Viewer.)
• The Viewer installations automatically check for changes to User.IOK and reload with new data.

This approach separates data sourcing (Data.IOK) from presentation (Template.IOK). It also separates unchanging 'source files' (Data.IOK and Template.IOK) from 'outputs' (User.IOK).

Mees · September 19, 2012 9:39AM

Paola, the pdf file contains the following sentence:

"For Users to be able to live-refresh their Distributed Report IOK files that have been either 1) e-mailed to them, 2) web-downloaded or 3) folder-synchronised."

Does "2)" also refer to the online viewer using Java webstart?

paola · September 19, 2012 10:24AM

Refresh in the Free Viewer works the same whether it is installed app, custom JAR or web start. If your publisher IOK file was created with a Server, and is configured to refresh from a remote IOK file, it will work in any viewer type.

Welcome!

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