Tips

• Migrating the ART Database
  • Migrating between the same RDBMS
  • Migrating between different RDBMSs
    • Using Pentaho Data Integration
• Using custom fonts in JasperReports
• Strange characters with charts
• Managing the ART_LOGS table
• Using the SQL Server driver

Migrating the ART Database

ART doesn't provide any in-built tools to migrate the repository from one database to another. The following are suggested techniques for such a migration.

Migrating between the same RDBMS

To migrate between the same RDBMS e.g. from a MySQL database to another MySQL database, use the backup/restore tools provided for your RDBMS

Migrating between different RDBMSs

To migrate between different RDBMSs e.g. from a PostgreSQL database to a MySQL database, use an ETL tool e.g. Pentaho Data Integration

Using Pentaho Data Integration

These steps illustrate the steps to migrate an ART repository database on PostgreSQL to MySQL.

• Create a new database on your MySQL server to serve as the destination. Run the art-tables.sql and quartz\tables_mysql.sql scripts on this database to create a new, empty ART repository
• Run the spoon.bat file in the PDI_HOME\data-integration directory
• From the Tools | Wizards | Create database connection menu, create connections for your source and destination database
• Select the Tools | Wizards | Copy tables menu
• Select the source and destination databases
• In the available items list, select all the tables except the qrtz_xx tables. This is so that you don't run into foreign key constraint issues when you run the job.
• Provide a name and directory where the job should be saved
• Run the job
• Run the following statement on your destination database e.g. using HeidiSQL

  update art_jobs set migrated_to_quartz='N'
  

The migration is done. You can now launch ART and define this new database as your ART repository.

Using custom fonts in JasperReports

If you want to use custom fonts in a jasper report, take the following steps to ensure the text is displayed correctly, especially in pdf view mode.

• When designing your report in iReport, select the Tools | Options menu
• Select the Fonts tab in the iReport section and click on the Install Font button
• Specify the location of your font file e.g. C:\windows\fonts\arialuni.ttf and click on Next
• In the PDF details section specify the required PDF Encoding e.g. For the Arial Unicode MS font, Identity-H would enable the display of text in most languages. You can select the option to Embed the font in the PDF document if your users may not have the font installed on their machines. This results in larger PDF files.
• Proceed with the Next steps of the wizard. The remaining configuration steps are optional.
• The custom font should now appear in the top panel of the Fonts tab.
• Select the font and click on the Export as extension button
• Select a path and file name for the font extension file e.g. C:\temp\arialuni.jar
• Click on OK to close the Options dialog
• Select the field in the report that should use the custom font. In the Properties editor, select the new font in the Font name field. For charts, you can set the appropriate field e.g. Legend Font etc. Preview the report in iReport to confirm that the report displays as desired. Ensure to also use the PDF Preview to confirm how pdf output will look like.
• Save your report
• Stop your application server
• Copy the font extension file to the ART_HOME\WEB-INF\lib directory
• Start your application server
• Create or modify your query and upload the report's .jrxml file
• When you run the query, the generated output should use your custom font

Strange characters with charts

On a linux server, if you have strange characters displayed for a Chart report type, try and install msttcorefonts. See https://sourceforge.net/p/art/discussion/352129/thread/b3b80ead/

Managing the ART_LOGS table

The ART_LOGS table can get quite large so you may consider backing it up and deleting old records from time to time

Using the SQL Server driver

When using the SQL Server driver (Microsoft driver), you may need to add ;trustServerCertificate=true or ;encrypt=false at the end of the JDBC URL for connections to work. Refer online for the implications of these settings or what else you can do to set up SSL connections with your SQL Server instance.