I'm interested to know the circumstances in which ART is used. If you are willing to share, perhaps you could give an indication of the number of users and number of reports in your deployment.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
My use case for ART is rather different from traditional BI use. I run it on my PC and use it to automate SQL statements and reports that are part of my job. I work for a multinational company that is invested heavily in Microsoft. I can set up a job to send a report in a matter of minutes in ART (once I have the SQL). So there is one user me, 20 recipients of reports who have no idea where the reports are coming from. I have about 30 reports in total. I use ART to run queries to monitor data.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Yes, from the users on the forum, I suspect that majority of deployments are for "making life a bit easy" for IT guys rather than really being targeted as a reporting solution for users.
But SSRS is not thaat difficult to use? Why wouldn't you use it for those 20 recipients.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Hello Timothy,
I'm using ART to share "queries". My users often wants data, and ART is a wonderful tool for this purpose : define a query and share it. I've got more than 400 queries and 100 users comming from active directory. Some users schedule queries. I'm using jxls to. If I want a "real" report, I think I would embed jasper's. I really appreciate the (new) dataSource parameter. It's so easy to develop a query and put it in production. For now, I'm using version 2.5.4. I experiment version 3, but the ui changed a lot and I have to train my users first.
Last word : ART is so much cool. 8-)
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I'm hesitating to use it or not, because the industry needs complex reports, and multiple header art doesn't seem to be satisfied, but the use of ART is cool.!
I installed Art to give a quick and easy access to some queries for a limited number of users. After 3 years , we finally developped over 400 queries (70 scheduled) for over 100 users in 3 countries.
For reports with complex layout, I used iReport Designer and embedded the jasper file in Art. It worked very well for the dozen of reports I developped. But if you seek for a platform mainly for the development/deployment of a large number of complex reports I would not recommend that solution.
I do not use Art anymore but I strongly recommend it !
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Sure. The reason I asked this question here was to get an answer to the question "Can ART be used across a whole organisation", or is it just for use for a small set of people.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
We use art as a reporting solution for computer performance and capacity planning.
We access 6 remote databases with our data and have 541 reports. It is used by our performance team and capacitiy planners.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
ART is used here in french educational administration ("rectorat" and "inspection académique") of Nice.
There's about 50 users, and dozens of reports addressing about 10 databases.
In fact, Business Object is deployed here, but is such a heavy tool that many users prefers the easyness of ART: they just want lists, and don't bother fancy reports.
Moreover, from the IT engineer point of view, most of the queries are too complex to be handled by Business Object's universes. That's why, taking into account that SQL is mandatory, a light tool like ART is more suitable than BO.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
We just started using ART and have 21 users, and 8 datasources with another 6 datasources planned. We are currently migrating several hundred reports over and have 45 moved so far. Previous reporting system was a shared MS Access database with some ad-hoc VB executables assisting.
We are using many aspects of the system, Dashboards for showing BI information in useful charts, queries for troubleshooting systems, or data lookups, automated report emails for metrics, and for helping out the IT guys, we've got our own engineering report group that allows us to keep tabs on equipment via logging systems like Kiwi.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I'm actually interested in adding ticketing system functionality to it as well to create a single portal for both applications. It has all of the functionality that is required, but there are two changes I'm having trouble making, adding a new page (made a copy of the reports page to test) and allowing two columns of entry fields for parameters. I've already created reports for data entry to enter in both feedback requests and trouble ticket records, which can then be reported on. I'm using SQL triggers to generate e-mails on ticket creation.
We're rolling this out to another department next week with another 15 users and that is one of their requests.
You kind of have the foundation here for a small scale ERP system, similar to ConnectWise. I've played with several open source systems and they lack the ease of use and configuration that you have here. All you really need to add are customizeable forms, a formal "ticket" page and some workflow processes to auto generate emails when tickets are created or details change.
Last edit: Acy Forsythe 2018-08-03
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Recent experience with handling upgrades to an existing deployment were that it's not as simple as just dropping the new WAR file into the Tomcat webapps/ directory as Tomcat upon seeing the WAR file timestamp is newer than the exploded directory it deletes it removing all database configuration and any jobs files that the upgrading document says to copy over. I haven't seen any way to be able to maintain the necessary files outside of the exploded WAR directory that would assist in automated deployments that handle upgrades. I've developed an Ansible playbook that can deploy ART but leaves the actual upgrade to be done manually as it requires backing up the webapps/art directory contents, letting Tomcat recreate the directory and explode the new WAR file then reconfigure the database and restore the backed up files.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I guess upgrading was considered to be a manual affair, so the upgrade instructions include deleting the existing art directory in tomcat before copying over the new one. Upgrading steps.
For having the generated files outside of the art webapps folder, you can try setting the workDirectoryCustom Setting, although this will still mean manual copying of the custom settings file upon upgrade, or using a script to backup it up and copy to the new installation.
For further discussion on the upgrade process, perhaps you can start a new thread.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I Started using ART last year, we planed to use it in the whole organization, but I don't know if it could work because some of our reports have more than 600 000 rows and many sheets. I'm using Jxls on many of them. Until here ART is cool.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I'm interested to know the circumstances in which ART is used. If you are willing to share, perhaps you could give an indication of the number of users and number of reports in your deployment.
My use case for ART is rather different from traditional BI use. I run it on my PC and use it to automate SQL statements and reports that are part of my job. I work for a multinational company that is invested heavily in Microsoft. I can set up a job to send a report in a matter of minutes in ART (once I have the SQL). So there is one user me, 20 recipients of reports who have no idea where the reports are coming from. I have about 30 reports in total. I use ART to run queries to monitor data.
Yes, from the users on the forum, I suspect that majority of deployments are for "making life a bit easy" for IT guys rather than really being targeted as a reporting solution for users.
But SSRS is not thaat difficult to use? Why wouldn't you use it for those 20 recipients.
Hello Timothy,
I'm using ART to share "queries". My users often wants data, and ART is a wonderful tool for this purpose : define a query and share it. I've got more than 400 queries and 100 users comming from active directory. Some users schedule queries. I'm using jxls to. If I want a "real" report, I think I would embed jasper's. I really appreciate the (new) dataSource parameter. It's so easy to develop a query and put it in production. For now, I'm using version 2.5.4. I experiment version 3, but the ui changed a lot and I have to train my users first.
Last word : ART is so much cool. 8-)
Thanks for this Philippe. 400 queries and 100 users is the most I've heard of in my time working with ART.
I'm hesitating to use it or not, because the industry needs complex reports, and multiple header art doesn't seem to be satisfied, but the use of ART is cool.!
Last edit: wall 2018-01-19
I installed Art to give a quick and easy access to some queries for a limited number of users. After 3 years , we finally developped over 400 queries (70 scheduled) for over 100 users in 3 countries.
For reports with complex layout, I used iReport Designer and embedded the jasper file in Art. It worked very well for the dozen of reports I developped. But if you seek for a platform mainly for the development/deployment of a large number of complex reports I would not recommend that solution.
I do not use Art anymore but I strongly recommend it !
Sure. The reason I asked this question here was to get an answer to the question "Can ART be used across a whole organisation", or is it just for use for a small set of people.
We use art as a reporting solution for computer performance and capacity planning.
We access 6 remote databases with our data and have 541 reports. It is used by our performance team and capacitiy planners.
ART is used here in french educational administration ("rectorat" and "inspection académique") of Nice.
There's about 50 users, and dozens of reports addressing about 10 databases.
In fact, Business Object is deployed here, but is such a heavy tool that many users prefers the easyness of ART: they just want lists, and don't bother fancy reports.
Moreover, from the IT engineer point of view, most of the queries are too complex to be handled by Business Object's universes. That's why, taking into account that SQL is mandatory, a light tool like ART is more suitable than BO.
Indeed. There are those users who just want lists/tables/spreadsheets. Then there are those who require more fancy things.
We just started using ART and have 21 users, and 8 datasources with another 6 datasources planned. We are currently migrating several hundred reports over and have 45 moved so far. Previous reporting system was a shared MS Access database with some ad-hoc VB executables assisting.
We are using many aspects of the system, Dashboards for showing BI information in useful charts, queries for troubleshooting systems, or data lookups, automated report emails for metrics, and for helping out the IT guys, we've got our own engineering report group that allows us to keep tabs on equipment via logging systems like Kiwi.
Hi Acy,
Thanks for sharing. Moving from a shared MS Access database is certainly one of the use cases for ART.
I'm actually interested in adding ticketing system functionality to it as well to create a single portal for both applications. It has all of the functionality that is required, but there are two changes I'm having trouble making, adding a new page (made a copy of the reports page to test) and allowing two columns of entry fields for parameters. I've already created reports for data entry to enter in both feedback requests and trouble ticket records, which can then be reported on. I'm using SQL triggers to generate e-mails on ticket creation.
We're rolling this out to another department next week with another 15 users and that is one of their requests.
You kind of have the foundation here for a small scale ERP system, similar to ConnectWise. I've played with several open source systems and they lack the ease of use and configuration that you have here. All you really need to add are customizeable forms, a formal "ticket" page and some workflow processes to auto generate emails when tickets are created or details change.
Last edit: Acy Forsythe 2018-08-03
Interested to hear if there's anyone new who can share their experience with using ART.
Last edit: Timothy Anyona 2022-02-20
Recent experience with handling upgrades to an existing deployment were that it's not as simple as just dropping the new WAR file into the Tomcat webapps/ directory as Tomcat upon seeing the WAR file timestamp is newer than the exploded directory it deletes it removing all database configuration and any jobs files that the upgrading document says to copy over. I haven't seen any way to be able to maintain the necessary files outside of the exploded WAR directory that would assist in automated deployments that handle upgrades. I've developed an Ansible playbook that can deploy ART but leaves the actual upgrade to be done manually as it requires backing up the webapps/art directory contents, letting Tomcat recreate the directory and explode the new WAR file then reconfigure the database and restore the backed up files.
I guess upgrading was considered to be a manual affair, so the upgrade instructions include deleting the existing art directory in tomcat before copying over the new one. Upgrading steps.
For having the generated files outside of the art webapps folder, you can try setting the workDirectory Custom Setting, although this will still mean manual copying of the custom settings file upon upgrade, or using a script to backup it up and copy to the new installation.
For further discussion on the upgrade process, perhaps you can start a new thread.
I Started using ART last year, we planed to use it in the whole organization, but I don't know if it could work because some of our reports have more than 600 000 rows and many sheets. I'm using Jxls on many of them. Until here ART is cool.