Introducing BIRT iHub F-Type

Actuate recently released a new, free BIRT server called the BIRT iHub F-Type. It incorporates all the functionality of BIRT iHub and is limited only by the capacity of output it can deliver on a daily basis. It is ideal for departmental and smaller scale applications. When BIRT F-Type reaches its maximum output capacity, additional capacity can be purchased on a subscription based model.

Some of the key features of BIRT iHub F-Type that will help improve your BIRT content applications are:

• Interactivity – Allow end-users to modify and personalize reports, and answer questions themselves.
• Scheduling – Automate report generation based on rules and calendar, and then notify users.
• Sharing – Secure document management and distribution that allows users to only access content/data they are entitled to.
• Excel Emitter – Export as native Excel (not CSV) with formulas/pivot tables/worksheets/charts.
• Integration – JavaScript API to embed dynamic reports and visualizations in your web app.

Downloading BIRT iHub F-Type Before we get started with the installation process, we need to download BIRT iHub F-Type. There are three downloads available: Windows, Linux, and a VMware image. This blog will cover the Windows installation. If you’re installing either of the other types, you’ll find links to guides for them at the bottom of this blog post. Once you click on your chosen download, you’ll be asked to register. If you’ve already registered, click the “Click to Login” button. If not, fill out the short registration form to get started.

Next, read and accept the license agreement. Once you’ve done that, click the checkbox, and a link for the download will appear. Click that to start your download. At this point, you should also receive an email with an activation code. Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.

Installing BIRT iHub F-Type

After the download is complete, launch the executable file named ActuateBIRTiHubFType.exe.  A welcome message will appear.  Press Next to continue.  You must read and accept the license agreement on the next screen. Choose a destination folder for the installation.  The default is C:\Actuate\BIRTiHub.  If you have existing BIRT designs that depend on a JDBC database driver, you can optionally specify the folder where these drivers are located.  Press Next to continue.

Once the installation has finished, press Finish to launch the BIRT iHub F-Type.  A desktop shortcut is also created that points to the iHub F-Type URL at http://localhost:8700/iportal. The first time you launch the BIRT iHub F-Type, you will need to activate it.  Enter the activation code that you should have received in an e-mail.

After entering a valid activation code, you should receive a message that the code was accepted and the BIRT iHub F-Type should start initializing services. Once that has completed, you will be presented with the login screen.

The default user name is “administrator” and the password is blank for your first log in. You’ll be able to change this after you have logged in. Press “Log In” to continue. The first time you launch the BIRT iHub F-Type, you will be in tutorial mode which will help you get started loading your BIRT content and required resources. You can bypass the tutorial mode at any time by pressing the “Exit Tutorial” button at the top right. Select a BIRT design (*.rptdesign) file and press the Upload button.  If you don’t have a BIRT design, you can download a sample from the link on the same page.

The BIRT design file is automatically inspected and if there are any dependent files needed, like images, data files, BIRT report libraries, CSS styles, or other linked BIRT designs, you will be asked to upload those files as well.

Once your BIRT design and dependent files are uploaded, your BIRT report will be displayed in the BIRT iHub F-Type and is now ready to explore.

Thanks for reading. Now, it’s time to unleash the full power of BIRT into your application. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to use the comments section below or visit the BIRT iHub F-Type forum.

-Virgil

For more blogs in the “Introducing BIRT iHub F-Type” series, see the list below:

Installing iHub F-Type:  Linux | VMWare Image

- See more at: http://blogs.actuate.com/introducing-birt-ihub-f-type-installing-on-windows/#sthash.QPJhv2gw.dpuf