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Web Reports Guide
Learn how the Web Reports feature extends the power of BigFix.
Tasks for advanced users
This section presents tasks unlikely to be needed by the typical user, but which can be of use to advanced users with specific customization needs.
Exporting activity reports to PDF documents
Web Reports can generate PDF documents for printing or mailing.
On Linux Systems
If you installed Web Reports on a Linux system, to export reports as PDF documents via Google Chrome, run the following steps:
Logging PDF generation on Linux systems
To gather and review the output from the call to athenapdf, redirect the stdout and stderr from athenapdf to a file.

Web Reports Guide
Learn how the Web Reports feature extends the power of BigFix.
- Configuring Web Reports
  Web Reports is used whenever you want to view BigFix data that is spread over multiple databases in your deployment.
- Using the Program
  The Web Reports interface is simple and straightforward.
- Exploring
  The Explore Data section of the program allows you to look at data collected from your entire BigFix network to filter it, and to create reports.
- Reporting
  The Report List section of the program is accessed by clicking the appropriate tab from the top tab bar.
- Administering the Program
  The Administration section of the program lets you manage activities, filters, addresses, users, and databases.
- Tasks for advanced users
  This section presents tasks unlikely to be needed by the typical user, but which can be of use to advanced users with specific customization needs.
  - Understanding the Web Report File
    Web Reports has a general report format using an XML wrapper. It can show reports from content sites and new reports can be added, edited, or removed.
  - Creating a Custom Report
    This page lets you create a custom report. A report like this is actually code that generates a printable report.
  - Web Reports XML
    A custom report is made of HTML, Relevance, and JavaScript, embedded in an XML file.
  - Creating a Portable Report for Propagation
    As you explore data, you can save a report at any time. In general, if you want to share the report with other users, you can set its visibility to Public in the Report List.
  - Exporting activity reports to CSV files
    To create a hardcopy of a report generated by BigFix, export the report to a CSV file and print it.
  - Exporting activity reports to PDF documents
    Web Reports can generate PDF documents for printing or mailing.
    - On Windows Systems
    - On Linux Systems
      If you installed Web Reports on a Linux system, to export reports as PDF documents via Google Chrome, run the following steps:
      - Logging PDF generation on Linux systems
        To gather and review the output from the call to athenapdf, redirect the stdout and stderr from athenapdf to a file.
    - Exporting the report output to a PDF file
      If you configured Web Reports to export reports as PDF, when you run a report from the Reports List panel, the entry Export to PDF is displayed in the top right corner of the report output window.
  - Customizing HTTPS on Web Reports
    BigFix Web Reports is configured to use HTTPS by default when it gets installed and creates its own certificate during the installation. If you want to replace it, you need to configure HTTPS manually.
  - Logging Web Reports
    You can keep track of your Web Reports usage by setting up a log file. In a fresh installation, Web Reports logging is disabled by default and its settings do not exist.
  - Changing the temporary files on Linux
    You can specify a directory for your temporary files of Linux Web Reports by setting up a parameter in the Web Reports configuration file.
  - Querying Using HTTP GET
    You can query and access Web Reports by using HTTP GET. Provide the URL and port for the Web Reports program, and then pass the command you want in your browser address line.
  - Querying Using SOAP
    You can also access Web Reports using SOAP. Most client libraries require the location of a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) file, a method name, and parameters to pass into the method.
  - Session Inspectors
    Console and Web Reports both depend on an in-memory session cache to provide an efficient view of your database.
  - Displaying Web Reports from Content Sites
    Web Reports accepts a report format that can display reports from content sites, allowing new reports to be added, edited, or removed by Fixlet actions or tasks.
  - Disabling local operators on Web Reports
    Starting from BigFix Version 10.0.8, you can decide to disable the local operators from logging into Web Reports, to use LDAP operators instead.

Logging PDF generation on Linux systems

To gather and review the output from the call to athenapdf, redirect the stdout and stderr from athenapdf to a file.

Before doing the redirection, ensure that you enabled logging for Web Reports as it is explained in Logging Web Reports.

Run these steps to do the redirection:

Make a backup copy of the script
/var/opt/BESWebReportsServer/BESReportsData/BESExe/generatepdf.sh

Update the script by changing the following line:

$besexe_folder$athena_folder$athena_executable --ignore-certificate-errors
 --delay 5000 --no-cache $arg1 $arg2

as follows:

$besexe_folder$athena_folder$athena_executable --ignore-certificate-errors 
--delay 5000 --no-cache $arg1 $arg2 1>/tmp/pdfout.txt

By doing so you redirect the stdout and stderr from athenapdf to the /tmp/pdfout.txt file.