Hi,

I am planning to move to Windows 2003 with SQL 2005 for Baan IVc.

I am told using Crystal Report is easier than using Baan Report.

The vendor told me on SQL 2005 if use Crystal report can see the table def instead of table name which mean i can see the description which is more meaningful, is it true?

I am inform by Infor for below...

The inteface module is it for Baan Integration Kit?

For Crystal Report have 2 type connection one using ODBC connection and Crystal Report Baan Integration Kit is it?

So Crystal Report Baan Integration Kit will not be support later is it?

I am planning should i purchase the Crystal Report software or not.

What is BusinessObjects Crystal Report XI Integration Kit for Baan?

What is the different below?

Crystal Reports XI Professional Full Product (English)
http://store.businessobjects.com/store/bobjapac/en_AU/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.97871500

Crystal Reports 2008
http://store.businessobjects.com/store/bobjapac/en_AU/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.100546100

Please advise.

Thank you in advance.

-----Original Message-----
Crystal Report has been bought over by SAP and is named as Business Object X1 or R2.

Infor has provided an interface module between Baan IV and Business Object (formerly called Crystal Report). The interface is developed based on the information provided by BO. We do not support the BO software. Also, such inteface module for BO X1 R2 will no longer be supported by Infor by December 2009.

Infor does have our own report generator for Baan IV.

Business Objects, an SAP company, owns Crystal Reports. Crystal Reports still exists under it's name. The current version of Crystal Reports is version 2008 which superceeds XI R2. Crystal Reports XI R2 is the last version to have an Integration Kit for Baan developed for it. The Integration Kit was developed by Crystal Reports back in 1999 and allowed you to connect to a Baan system with your Baan userid and password. It is only licensed with the purchase of the (formerly Seagate Info and then Crystal Enterprise) Business Objects Enterprise product. Once connected it would display the tables and fields and their descriptions using the Baan data dictionary. You could use enum fields and text fields directly off the tables just as if you were in Baan. Business Objects will not voluntarily offer you this product if they know you're on Baan, so ask them about it if you want to get version XI R2. Alternately you can connect to your underlying Baan database using Microsoft ODBC and your database's drivers. The tables and fields will not resemble the look and feel of the Integration Kit. They will be the raw data that is stored in the database. You can still report against it but you have to do more to make it meaningful. You can also use Business Objects Universes to create a meta-layer against the Baan native database and report against the Universe.

Integration Kit for Baan can use for Baan IVc? so it is purchase from BO and not Baan?

how does the setup work? how is it link to Baan? connect to Baan Client direct?

can work for informix db?

The Integration Kit for Baan is only available from Business Objects. There is basically no setup, just install the kit on your PC and your BO Enterprise server. The Baan Server connection then appears under the Crystal Reports Database section. It is configured much like your BW.exe connection is because the Integration Kit is connecting to Baan. You just supply the connection window with the Baan server name or IP address, the $BSE pathname, the Baan userid and password, and the company number(s) your userid has permission to access. It does not matter what your underlying database is because Baan already talks to it. I have noticed that the Baan driver does not consume licenses when it is connected.

so the software require is Crystal Report XI R2 only?

or the Integration Kit for Baan is another software?

The Integration Kit for Baan and Crystal Reports are owned by Business Objects. Business Objects is not going to continue to offer the Integration Kit for Baan after Crystal Reports XI R2. Each release of Crystal Reports requires a specific matched version of the Integration Kit for Baan to be used with it. That specific version of the Integration Kit for Baan does not exist for Crystal Reports 2008 and beyond. The Integration Kit for Baan is added like an ODBC driver or like any other database client that you might want to use. It does not do anything on it's own and can only function when used with Crystal Reports or the Business Objects Enterprise report engine.

So if not using the Baan Kit.

CR will access thru the SQL 2005? is it thru Data Sources (ODBC)?

What System DSN should i create?