Importing CorStrategy Maps without real time connection in HyperVu

Posted by sw on April 14, 2009 under Corvu |

(AIM: Create a monthly or quarterly briefing book online and include CSM maps without a live link to CorStrategy)

 Normally if users want to import a CorStrategy Map into portfolio then usual approach would be to publish a portfolio page in HyperVu which has a CSM object embedded. This method is probably your best option to view maps in HyperVu if you have a site license or have equal number of CSM and Hypervu licenses.

For those who don’t know what benefit you would have by the two mentioned options then this would allow organisations to integrate HyperVu with CSM security, giving your organisation ability to have same logins in both Corvu applications. Once you have any of these methods implemented then you can seamlessly import a CSM map into CorPortfolio for example, change periods easily by adding a simple formula for last month so it updates itself every time somebody visits the page.

 In the past I have implemented this similar method where dozens of CSM maps on portfolio pages update themselves when you go into the next month automatically.

Well so much about the standard way of doing things, let’s talk about sites where HyperVu security isn’t integrated.

By default Corstrategy allows you to publish CSM maps in various formats (PNG, JPEG, PDF, HTML), you can test this by right clicking on any map name and choosing the publish option. If you aim to import the published file into a portfolio page then choose the jpeg format because PNG is not supported as of yet (even in 5.2). Specify a filename which makes sense to you and next it will prompt you with the schedule option, accept it and then disable it from the configuration menu/Jobs.

Basically by your actions earlier this has created a job under Configuration Menu which will export a jpeg in the following location (Tomcat5\webapps\CSM\Publish), you can create a CorBusiness schedule which will move the file from its current location to your desired location in the shared drive so you can simply import the jpeg in a portfolio page.

One thing that you need to beware of is that on a monthly or quarterly basis you have to visit each job that you created and change the period date in the properties window. If this becomes too much of a administrative task then write a quick stored procedure in SQL Server which is scheduled to update these dates frequently, if you can’t then I am sure any in house SQL developer would be able to do it. 

Properties Window:

OBJECT_URL=cs:map?name=Main&period=31-03-2009

 

SQL Aware Users Hint:

First time, set the end of month date two months ago and then write bit of SQL which searches for this date and replaces with last month end date so ongoing basis you always looking at last period information.

 

For forcing CSM job to publish these maps into jpeg format you will be required to use a batch file which will connect to CSM and execute this job. CorVu provides a template which is saved under (\csm\bin\triggerSchedule.bat), please make a copy in a desired location, amend configuration depending on your environment and either schedule it via windows tasks or execute it manually when desired on the server itself. If you don’t already know then this has to be a server based task as your machine can’t remotely execute batch files on your server (Windows/Security thing).

I think that’s about it, the aim was to highlight the possibility of importing CSM maps and if you have been using CorVu for few years than I am sure you will be able to achieve this without a problem.

For a teaser I am attaching a picture of a CorPortfolio page that I created with a imported CSM Map in JPEG format.

 

Till next time….

Shariq Wagener