Reporting Service

Theme: Configure
Who Is It For? Business Analyst, Operations Staff

What Is It?

The Reporting Service is a Windows Service that extracts data from the OpCon database, transforms it, and loads it into a dedicated Reporting database. This isolates reporting queries from the operational database and makes the data viewable and downloadable through Solution Manager.

Overview

The reporting service is a Windows Service that processes OpCon reporting data viewable and downloadable through Solution Manager. It extracts data from the OpCon database, transforms it, and loads it into a dedicated Reporting database, isolating reporting queries from the operational database for better performance.

The service processes data immediately on startup and then by default at 02:00 (configurable via Schedule Time 1, with an optional Schedule Time 2).

note

This document covers the reporting service for on-premises Windows customers. Cloud users can configure the reporting service within Solution Manager. For details, see Reporting Service Cloud Configuration.

Installation

• The reporting service is installed automatically as part of the OpCon installer. No separate steps are required
• The service executable is named ReportingService

note

The reporting service must be installed by a user with SA privileges

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Configuration

The service uses appsettings.json in the service installation directory, which contains:

• TimeZone - Your timezone
• Connection strings - Database connection information (encrypted passwords)
  • OpConDb - Connection to the OpCon database (source data)
  • ReportingDb - Connection to the Reporting database (target data)
• Logging settings - Log level configuration

Example appsettings.json:

{
  "Scheduling": {
    "TimeZone": "America/Chicago"
  },
  "ConnectionStrings": {
    "OpConDb": "Server=localhost,1433;Database=OpConxps;User Id=sa;Password=<encrypted>;TrustServerCertificate=True",
    "ReportingDb": "Server=localhost,1433;Database=Reporting;User Id=sa;Password=<encrypted>;TrustServerCertificate=True"
  },
  "Database": {
    "DefaultCommandTimeout": 300
  },
  "HealthCheck": {
    "Port": 8080
  },
  "Logging": {
    "LogLevel": {
      "Default": "Information",
      "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore": "Warning"
    }
  }
}

Connection String Configuration Tool

Use the command-line tool to securely configure database connection strings:

ReportingService configure-connection --name OpConDb --server localhost --database OpConxps --user sa --password myPassword

Or with Windows Authentication:

ReportingService configure-connection --name OpConDb --server localhost --database OpConxps --winauth

Passwords are encrypted using Windows DPAPI and stored in appsettings.json. Encryption is machine-specific and user-specific.

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Logging

The service writes logs to:

• Windows Event Log - Service-level information
• File logs - Located in a log directory relative to the service installation path

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Troubleshooting

Service Won't Start

1. Check Windows Event Viewer for error messages
2. Verify connection strings in appsettings.json
3. Ensure database servers are accessible

ETL Processes Not Running

1. Check database connectivity (both OpConDb and ReportingDb)
2. Review log files for error messages

Connection String Issues

• Use the configure-connection command to encrypt and set connection strings
• Ensure the service runs under the same user account that encrypted the passwords (DPAPI is user-specific)
• For Windows Authentication, verify the service account has database access

Reporting Settings

note

This section applies to OpCon Cloud. On-premises customers configure the Reporting Service using appsettings.json and the configure-connection tool described under Configuration.

In OpCon Cloud, you configure the Reporting Service from Solution Manager at Library > Administration > Server Options > Reporting tab. The settings on this tab control the processing schedule, timezone, logging behavior, and download limits for the service.

To update Reporting Settings, complete the following steps:

1. Select Library in the Solution Manager navigation bar.
2. Select Administration, then Server Options.
3. Select the Reporting tab.
4. Update the fields described below and select Save.

Reporting Settings Fields

Field	Type	Description
Schedule Time 1	String	First daily processing time in 24-hour format (for example, 02:00). The service runs its ETL process at this time each day.
Schedule Time 2	String	Second daily processing time in 24-hour format (for example, 14:00). Leave blank to process once per day.
Time Zone	String	Timezone used by the reporting service when interpreting schedule times (for example, America/Chicago).
Default Command Timeout	Integer (seconds)	Maximum time in seconds the service waits for a reporting command to complete before timing out.
Log Level	String	Verbosity of log output written by the service (for example, Information, Warning, Error).
Max Log Size	Integer (MB)	Maximum size in megabytes a single log file may reach before the service rolls it over.
Max Log Days	Integer (days)	Number of days log files are retained before the service deletes them.
Max Download Records	Integer	Maximum number of records the service allows in a single CSV download (for example, 100000). Requests that exceed this limit return an error.

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Filtering and Sorting Reports

Every report in Operations > Reporting includes a filter and sort panel. You can narrow results using one or more filters, combine them with AND/OR logic, and sort by multiple columns simultaneously.

Logical Operator (AND / OR)

The Logical Operator toggle controls how the service combines all active filters when it retrieves results:

• And — a record must match every filter to appear in the results.
• Or — a record that matches any one filter appears in the results.

Filter Structure

Each filter entry has three parts:

Part	Description
Name	The field to filter on (for example, jobName, status, startDate).
Comparer	The comparison operator to apply.
Value	The value to compare against.

Supported comparer operators:

Operator	Meaning
=	Exact match
!=	Does not match
>	Greater than
>=	Greater than or equal to
<	Less than
<=	Less than or equal to
like	Contains the value (partial match)

Multi-Column Sort

The Order By setting accepts multiple sort columns. Each entry specifies a column name and a direction (asc or desc). The service applies the sort columns in the order you define them.

Example — sort by department ascending, then by job name ascending:

Column	Direction
department	asc
jobName	asc

This returns all records sorted first by department in alphabetical order, and within each department by job name in alphabetical order.

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FAQs

Q: What does the Reporting Service do?

The Reporting Service extracts data from the OpCon database, transforms it, and loads it into a dedicated Reporting database. This isolates reporting queries from the operational database for better performance. Reports are then viewable and downloadable through Solution Manager.

Q: When does the Reporting Service process data?

The service processes data immediately on startup and then by default at 02:00 (configurable via Schedule Time 1, with an optional Schedule Time 2).

Q: Why might the Reporting Service fail to start after a password change?

Passwords are encrypted using Windows DPAPI, which is machine-specific and user-specific. If the service account changes or the passwords are re-encrypted under a different user, you must re-run the configure-connection command under the same user account that runs the service.

Glossary

Solution Manager: OpCon's browser-based graphical user interface for managing automation data, performing operational actions, and administering the system.

OpConxps: The standard installation directory name for OpCon program files, configuration files, and output data on Windows machines.

Machine: A platform defined in the OpCon database that has an agent installed. OpCon routes job execution requests to machines via SMANetCom, and machines report job completion status back to SAM.

OpCon: Continuous' workflow automation platform. The OpCon server includes the database, SAM and Supporting Services (SAM-SS), and graphical user interfaces. agents installed on target platforms run jobs and report results.