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Registering Report Templates

You must register a report template so that the user can choose the report in the Run Report pane.

You can associate each report with only one report template, but you can register the same report template with many reports.

This task is a step in Process of Creating Custom Reports.

To register a report template

1. Make sure the Oracle BI Publisher Server is running:
   1. In the computer where the Oracle BI Publisher Server is installed, click Start, Programs, and then the Oracle - BIPHomeX menu item.
   2. Choose Start BI Publisher.

      A command window displays. You must leave this command window open while the Oracle BI Publisher Server is running.

2. Log in to the Siebel client with administrator privileges, and then navigate to the Administration - BIP Publisher Reports screen.
3. In the template list, click New.

   For more information, see Views You Use to Register Report Templates.

4. Enter a name in the Report Name field and an optional description in the Description field.

   If you enter the name of a report that already exists, then Siebel CRM displays an error message. You must enter a unique name.

5. In the Integration Objects list, specify the Siebel CRM data that the report template uses.

   Ignore the Primary Integration Object Name field. Siebel CRM automatically enters a value in this field when you choose an integration object in the child Integration Objects list. For more information, see Specifying the Siebel CRM Data That Report Templates Use.

6. Choose the report template file that Siebel CRM uses to run the report:
   1. In the Template field, click the Magnifying Glass.
   2. In the Add Attachment dialog box, click Choose File and then navigate to the following folder:

   SIEBSRVR_ROOT\XMLP\TEMPLATES

   Siebel CRM stores report template files in this folder. For more information, see Directory Structure That Siebel Reports Uses.

   3. Choose the report template file that this report must use, and then click Add.

      For example, choose the file you saved in Step 8.

7. Define the optional fields, as necessary.

   For example, you can choose a start date in the Start Date field, and an end date in the End Date field to specify the time period when the user can run the report. You can also specify the default output type, how to do multiple language conversion, and so forth. For more information, see Defining Optional Fields When Registering Report Templates.

8. Upload the files:
   • If you use a connected client, then click Upload Files.
   • If you use a disconnected client, then click Generate Xliff.

     For more information about how to upload files, see How Siebel CRM Uploads Report Templates.

9. Verify that Siebel CRM uploaded the report:
   1. Log in to the Oracle BI Publisher Server with administrator privilege.
   2. Click the Reports tab, expand the Shared Folders tree, and then click SiebelCRMReports.
   3. Verify that the new report template and associated files were uploaded.

Views You Use to Register Report Templates

The Administration - BI Publisher Reports screen includes the following views that you use to modify and register a report template:

• Reports - Custom Templates. Lists custom report templates that Siebel CRM filters according to Position. If you can view the My Templates list in the Reports - Custom Templates view, then you can create your own custom report template. Only you can view or run a custom report template that you create. You can share a report template with another user if this user can access the view that you associate with this report in the Siebel client. The All Templates Across Organizations list allows a manager or administrator to view the report templates that a subordinate creates.
• Reports - Standard Templates. Lists predefined and custom report templates that are available across all organizations, but not according to Position. To prevent a user from creating a report template and then running it, you can disallow access to the views that the template references. For example, you can limit access to the Reports - Standard Templates view to only administrators. For more information, see How Siebel CRM Controls Access to Reports.

  CAUTION:  It is strongly recommended that you limit access to standard templates only to administrators and developers. If you do not do this, then a user might mistakenly modify a report template that all users can access. You can use Siebel responsibilities to limit access to this view, and you can assign the XMLP_DEVELOPER responsibility only to users who must access custom templates.

How Siebel CRM Uploads Report Templates

Figure 7 illustrates how Siebel CRM uploads the files associated with a report template when you register this template. For more information, see About Oracle BI Publisher Desktop.

Figure 7. How the Report Template and Translation Files Are Uploaded from Oracle BI Publisher Desktop to Run Reports

Figure 7 illustrates the following:

1. You use Oracle BI Publisher Desktop to create a report template, and then do one of the following:
   1. In a connected client, you click the Upload Files button in the templates list of the Administration - BIP Publisher Reports screen, and then Siebel CRM does the following work:
      • Uses the PublicReportServiceService Web service to do the upload.
      • Creates a new folder structure in the Oracle BI Publisher repository.
      • Uploads the RTF and XLIFF files to this new folder structure. This folder uses the same name that the uploaded report uses, and it contains the XLIFF and .xdo report template files. If the RTF and XLIFF files do not exist in this folder structure, then Siebel CRM cannot create the report.

        The Oracle BI Publisher Server creates the XSL file and the XDO report definition file when the user runs the report from the Run Report pane.

        Siebel CRM disables the Generate XLIFF button in a connected client.

        For more information, see How Siebel CRM Runs Reports in Connected Clients.

   2. In a disconnected client, you click the Generate XLIFF button in the templates list of the Administration - BIP Publisher Reports screen, and then Siebel CRM does the following:
      • Creates the XSL files.
      • Does not use the upload service.

        If you use a disconnected client to create a report template, then you must copy this report template to the Siebel Server, and you must upload the RTF, XLIFF, and XSL files to the Oracle BI Publisher XDO Engine. Siebel CRM stores report templates and XLIFF files in the Siebel File System and synchronizes them to the Siebel Server when a Mobile Client does a synchronization. If you click Upload, then Siebel CRM can use the Oracle BI Publisher Server to run the report in a connected client.

        All RTF, XLIFF, and XSL files are local to the Oracle BI Publisher XDO Engine when Siebel CRM runs the report. For more information, see How Siebel CRM Runs Reports in Disconnected Clients.

        Siebel CRM disables the Upload Files button in a disconnected client.

2. In a connected client, Siebel CRM uses the PublicReportServiceService Web service to store the RTF and XLIFF files in the Oracle BI Publisher repository.
3. In a disconnected client, Siebel CRM stores the report templates and XLIFF files in the following folders:

   SIEBEL_ROOT_CLIENT\xmlp\templates
   SIEBEL_ROOT_CLIENT\xmlp\XLIFF

Validations That Siebel CRM Does When You Upload a Report Template

Siebel CRM does the following work when you associate an RTF, XLIFF, or ZIP file with a report template during the upload:

• Makes sure the report template does not already use the RTF file name.
• Makes sure the Template field includes the name of an RFT file.
• Makes sure the XLIFF file name is the same name as the template file name.
• Makes sure the XLIFF field contains the name of an XLF or ZIP file.