Accessing and understanding Specops Reporting
The reporting package for Specops Inventory is entirely web based and you access it by browsing to the reporting web using your favorite web browser.
The URL for the web depends on where you installed it, but usually it is something like http://server/SpecopsReporting. During the setup of Specops Reporting different Web sites can be selected, so the actual path can vary, if you are uncertain, try browsing on the server directly from the Internet Information Services administrative tools.
Reporting Web Layout
The Specops Reporting start page |
The Start Page
On the left side of the web page is a category tree displayed. The tree displays a hierarchical view of all reports categorized by report type. There are also links for creating new reports and importing and exporting reports, and two search fields.
In the middle of the web page is a list of all reports defined for the currently selected category. If you have read/write access to the reports in the database an Edit link and a Delete link will also be visible.
Viewing a Report
Report Types
There are two basic types of reports in Specops Reporting, reports with no grouped columns and reports with grouped columns (drilldown reports). The two types of reports are displayed in different formats:
- a report with no groups is displayed in a grid like view with every data field visible at once,
- a report with grouped columns is displayed in a drilldown format where you have to click on a grouped value to expand that group and see more data for the group.
Selecting a Report to View
Select and expand the category tree until you see the name of the report you would like to view. You can view a report by either clicking on the report name in the category tree or by clicking on the report name in the report list. When you click on a report name the report will be generated and displayed.
Paging
Click on the desired page number in the page navigator to go to a specific page.
Click on the last or first page indicators to go to the last or first page.
Click on next or previous page indicators to go to the next or previous page.
Sorting
Click on a column header in the report to sort data by that column. The default is to sort in ascending order, clicking on a column will change to descending order, clicking one more time on the same column reverts back to ascending order.
Please note that sorting is only applicable on one column at a time.
Displaying a Chart
If the report contains a chart you can display the chart by clicking on the Show chart button. You can also hide a displayed chart by clicking on the Hide chart button. Please note that the Hide chart button is only visible when a chart is displayed.
Changing the Page Size
You can change the page size for the grid view if you need to see more or fewer rows of data. Just enter a new number of rows in the Page Size field and click on the Page size button.
Please note that the page size you enter does not affect the page size when exporting a report to, e.g. PDF-format.
Exporting and Printing Reports
You can export a report to different formats. The supported formats are:
- PDF This is the most useful format when printing a report since it supports page breaks and portrait/landscape mode printing.
- HTML - You can view an entire report as a single HTML-page. This may be useful if you want to save the report for later viewing.
- CSV - This shows the report as a text file with columns separated by commas. Use this format if you need to import report data into a database or statistical package.
- XLS - This selection exports the report as an MS Excel file.
- RTF - This selection exports the report as an RTF-document suitable for MS Word.
To export a report, select the export format in the dropdown list and click on the Export to button.
Exporting a drilldown report
A drilldown report will always be exported with every grouping level fully expanded.
Selecting a Print Format for Export
The print formats supported by Specops Reporting are currently A4 and US Letter, both formats are supported in portrait and landscape mode.
To choose a print format select the desired print format in the dropdown list just to the right of the export format dropdown list. The selected format will be used the next time you export a report.
Viewing a Drilldown Report
A drill down report at the top level |
A drilldown report is firstly displayed with only the top level grouped data values visible and the number of data records contained by the grouped data value next to it.
To see the next level of data you click on the grouped data value or the record count next to it; this will display the next level of grouped records. If you have drilled down to the lowest level every data field for that level of grouping is displayed in the same grid like format as a report with no grouping.
A drill down report at the second level |
You may back up in the grouping hierarchy by clicking on a data field name in the grouping hierarchy list just above paging navigator.
Creating, editing and deleting reports
There are many reports included by default when Specops Reporting is installed, but one of the main responsibilities of the administrator is to create new and edit existing reports, in Specops Reporting this is a very easy task compared to other reporting solutions, this chapter will show the different concepts involved.
Create a new report!!!
To create a new report and display an empty report editing page click on the Create new report button located just over the left category tree view. To edit your new report follow the steps described below.
- Name the report - Enter identification data for the new report in the Report name and Report description fields. Also select the category the report will be displayed under in the category tree by selecting a category in the Report category dropdown list. If you are planning to create a grouped report with a chart you may also checkmark the Include bar chart checkbox at this stage.
- Select data fields - To select the data fields that should be displayed in the report checkmark one or more data fields in the Selected fields tree view.
- Update the layout - When you have selected the data fields to use, either click on the Layout tab or the Update layout button; this will update the Layout view tab of the report with the selected data fields.
- Adjust the report layout - Adjust the layout of the report by moving and resizing the columns displayed in the Layout tab view. The following operations can be performed in the layout grid:
- Moving a column - Click and drag the column in the layout column list in the Layout tab view to the new position you want it to be displayed in.
- Resizing a column - Position the mouse cursor on the dividing line between two columns in the layout column list. When the mouse cursor changes to a Windows standard resizing icon you can adjust the size of the left column of the two columns involved.
- Removing a column - Uncheck the data field in the Selected fields tree view and click on Update layout or the Layout tab view.
- Sorting - To sort the report data by a data field, click on the column heading corresponding to the data field; this will display a small triangle icon in the column heading indicating the sorting order for the column. A triangle pointing upwards indicates ascending sorting and a triangle pointing down indicates descending sorting.
To remove sorting for a column hold down the Ctrl-key and click on the column heading.
- Grouping data - To group data in the report select a column in the layout tab view and drag and drop it on the group panel. This will remove the column from the visible columns in the Layout tab view and display a grouping rectangle for the column in the group panel.
By default a grouped column is sorted in ascending order as indicated by the sorting indicator in the columns grouping rectangle in the group panel, you can change the sorting order by clicking on the grouping rectangle.
To group by several data fields, drag them from the column list and drop them on the group panel one at a time.
- Ungrouping data - To ungroup a data field, drag the column from the group panel and drop it in a suitable position on the column list.
- Add optional filtering - Add any filtering of data by clicking on the Filters tab and selecting additional filter data fields and values to filter by.
- Selecting data fields to filter by - Checkmark one or more data fields in the data field tree view displayed on the left in the Filters tab view and click on the big green arrow pointing to the right; this will copy the checked data fields to the filter expressions list on the right side of the Filters tab view.
- Removing a filter expression - Click on the small green arrow pointing to the left next to the filter expression.
- Editing a filter expression - Select the desired expression operator in the Operator dropdown list and enter a value to compare against in the Value field.
- Using wildcard expressions - If you select the LIKE or NOT LIKE operator you can use wildcards to match string values. You can use either * or % to match zero or more characters. E.g. Bill* or Bill% will match values starting with Bill, *bill* or will match values containing the substring ‘bill’.
- Save the report - Save the report by clicking on the Save report button.
Editing an Existing Report
Click on the Edit link for the report in the main report list or the Edit tab when viewing a report. The report is displayed in edit mode and you may change anything you would like in the report. For specifics about how to edit a report see the sectionnamed Creating a New Report.
Deleting a Report
Deleting a report can only be done from the main report list. To delete a report click on the Delete link next to the report and confirm your choice when prompted.
Searching and Displaying Detailed Reports of Computers and Users
To display detailed information about a specific computer or user enter a computer or user name in one of the search fields located just under the category tree view in the left pane.
Click the Search button corresponding to the type of report you want, computer or user.
If only one computer or user matches the name you entered a detail report is displayed, otherwise a search list with all matches is be displayed and you can either click on a link in the list to display a detail report, or refine your search by entering a name that results in fewer matches.
Importing and Exporting Report Definitions
Exporting a report definition saves that report definition as a text file on the workstation you are using to browse the Specops Reporting web. The text file may then be shared and imported into another Specops Reporting web, or you might just save it as a backup copy before you start to edit a report.
You must have write access to the database to be able to import and export report definitions; otherwise the Export & Import link in the main left pane will not be visible.
Exporting Report Definitions
To export a report definition click on the Export link in the left pane of the main page, this will display the Export web page.
The Export page displays a complete list of all reports in the database grouped by report categories. Instead of displaying a full tree view of the categories, as in the left pane, the categories are displayed as category paths.
To export one or more report definitions select them in the list and click Export selected reports. If you want you may write a comment to be included in the exported file by filling in the field Comment.
Selecting several reports will save all report definitions in the same file. If you need to save individual report definitions in different files you have to select one report at a time and click Export selected reports for each report.
When you click Export selected reports you will be prompted by the browser to save the selected report definitions in a file on your workstation. By default the filename is SpecopsReportingExport.xml.
Importing Report Definitions
Importing reports, a file name must be entered |
To import report definitions click on the Import link in the left pane, this will display the Import web page.
To import report definitions from a file enter a complete path to the file in the Select import file field or click on Browse to select a file using the standard Open File dialog on your workstation, then click View file. Clicking View file will upload the selected file to the web application which will examine the file and either reject or accept it.
If the file is accepted a list of all report definitions in the file is displayed.
Importing reports. A file with exported reports has been opened |
A report definition with a warning sign in the list indicates a report definition that already exists in the database. Depending on what you are doing, like for example restoring report definitions or importing new definitions, you may want to skip importing some of the report definitions.
To import individual report definitions place a check mark next to the report definitions in the list and click on Import selected reports. You may also check or uncheck Select all to select or unselect all report definitions in the list.
Importing reports. Some reports have been selected for import |
When you click on Import selected reports the report definitions in the file will be imported and installed in the database and a status message is displayed when the process is finished. The status message shows you how many reports you selected and how many of these were added as new, updated in the database, or failed to install. A status for each individual report is also displayed in the Result column in the reports list.
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