Crystal Reports XI Runtime Installer

by Peter van Mil

The only supported way to deploy Crystal Reports XI applications using the Report Designer Component (RDC) is using merge modules. In this document is described how to make a Windows Installer based setup package, that does nothing more or less than installing the Crystal Reports XI runtime to run a VDF 11.1 sample report. I have used the following tools: Crystal Report XI Developer Edition, updated merge modules, Orca and Installer2Go.

Crystal Report XI Developer Edition

For developing RDC based applications you need Crystal Reports XI Developer Edition or Crystal Reports XI for DataFlex. Both versions copy the necessary deployment files on your PC. CR XI for DataFlex includes the Connectivity Kit for Crystal Reports, that supports native DataFlex files.

Merge Modules

Business Objects put all the necessary files and settings for the Crystal Reports XI runtime in merge modules. Merge modules are components, that can be included in Windows Installer based packes. Crystal Reports XI needs the license keycode to be included in the installer, so I isn't possible to convert somehow the four merge modules into one installer.
Updated merge modules are available at http://support.businessobjects.com/fix/merge_modules.asp. Copy these files to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Merge Modules.

Orca

Orca is a Windows Installer package editor provided as part of the Windows Installer SDK. You will find it by looking for PSDK-x86.exe in Google. The title of the download site is confusing: "Windows Server 2003 SP1 Platform SDK Web Install". When you install PSDK-x86.exe you will find Orca.Msi at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK\Bin. Install it and you will have a shortcut to Orca.exe.

With Orca you can open the file CrystalReports11_RDC_License.msm. It is tempting to change everything that is possible, but it might be better to change just one thing: the license keycode. In the left pane you can choose for property and in the right pane you can set the value of PIDKEY. This isn't the serial number, but the code with the format XXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX-XXXX. Orca saves the code in the merge module.

Es Basic Maintenance V57 Better ((new)): Drive

Drive ES Basic was the foundational software for parameterizing, commissioning, and diagnosing Siemens drives both online and offline. Its core strength was seamless integration within the SIMATIC Manager, allowing for unified data archiving and enabling SIMATIC Teleservice capabilities for remote drive access. The V5.7 iteration was a targeted update, replacing V5.6 SP2 to ensure support for newer Microsoft operating systems and the "monitoring the application integrity" feature of STEP 7 V5.7 and newer. It was officially released for delivery on , providing a lifeline for legacy systems.

V5.7 was not designed for modern cybersecurity threats. To maintain its integrity, the network containing the drives and the engineering station should never be connected to a wider IT network or the internet without a hardened firewall. drive es basic maintenance v57 better

The Drive ES Basic package allows the use and creation of script files for automating routine drive parameterization tasks, ensuring consistency across similar drive types. This is a powerful feature that is both a time-saver and a quality-control tool. Drive ES Basic was the foundational software for

: Enables system-wide routing across network boundaries (PROFINET, PROFIBUS) without reconfiguring communication paths. It was officially released for delivery on ,

V57 works best when operating system resources are not depleted by unnecessary background applications. 6. Documenting Drive Configuration

Since this product is now in "spare part" status and discontinued, you can optimize your maintenance workflow with these strategies: Delivery release for Drive ES Basic Maintenance V5.7

Crystal Reports Runtime

The end result is the installer Crystal Reports XI Runtime with a size of more than 70 Mb. Leaving away several option (export filters, etc) doesn't result in a smaller size. The installer doesn't include the Connectivity Kit for Crystal Reports. If you want to test a report, take the report "Crystal - Address Labels in the orderentry sample of Visual DataFlex 11.1.

Download

runtime installer ~ 135kB

related hyperlinks:
MSDN merge modules
DAW 2161-INFO: Running Reports from Crystal XI from Visual DataFlex Application