2625217 - How to dynamically point a report to a different database server in Crystal Reports, depending on the user logged in the SAP BI Server?

• Is it possible to dynamically point a report to different server?
• In Crystal Reports, how to point single report to multiple different database server based on the user that login to the SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform?

• SAP Crystal Reports 2008
• SAP Crystal Reports 2011
• SAP Crystal Reports 2013
• SAP Crystal Reports 2016 

• Crystal Reports does not have a functionality to dynamically point reports to different data sources depending on the user that are logged in to the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform, but the feature of pointing to different data source is possible in the semantic layer: Universe, by setting access restriction on different connections, for users or groups.
        
• Below are the general steps on using a Universe to point to different data sources depending on the user that are logged in to the SAP BusinessObjects BI Server are:
    
1. On the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform, in the Central Management Console (CMC), create the users and or desired groups.
      
2. In the Universe Designer Tool, create multiple connections pointing to different data sources that have the exact same schema.
      
3. Create a Universe, based on one of the connection created, and add the desired tables, and objects.
       
4. Save and export the Universe to the SAP BusinessObjects Repository.
     
5. Set the Access Restrictions for the connection of the Universe:
     
   5.1 In the Universe Design Tool, open the Universe.
     
   5.2 Under the menu “Tools”, select “Manage security – Manage Access Restrictions….”
     
   5.3 In the window “Manage Access Restrictions”, under the “Available Restrictions” on the left side, click on the button “New”
     
   5.4 In the “Edit Restriction” window, under the tab “Connection”, select the connection to use for the Universe,
         enter the name for the connection, and click “OK”
     
   5.5 Repeat steps 5.3 to 5.4 for each connections.
     
   5.6 Once all the necessary connections restriction have been created, on the right side, add a user or groups for which you want to apply the restriction.
       
   To do so, click on the “Add user and group” button, select the desired user or groups to add.
     
   5.7 Then select the desired connection to use under the “Available Restrictions”, and apply it to the desired user or group on the right side.
    
   5.8 Once all the restriction for the connections have been applied, click “OK”
       
   5.9 Save and export the Universe to the SAP BusinessObjects Repository.
           
          
6. In Crystal Reports, create a report off the Universe.
       
7. Save the report to the SAP BusinessObjects Repository.
     
       
   Now, when viewing the report, it will point to a different data source, depending on the user logged in to the SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform.

CR , KBA , BI-RA-CR , Crystal Reports designer or Business View Manager , How To

Crystal Reports 2008 V1 ; SAP Crystal Reports 2011 ; SAP Crystal Reports 2013 ; SAP Crystal Reports 2016