Issue
Does Outlook need to be installed or running in order for ReportCmdLine to deliver email reports.
Does ReportCmd interact directly with the Exchange server.
Environment
- Continuum
- CyberStation
- WebClient
- Outlook
- Report
- ReportCmdLine
- Exchange
Cause
Troubleshooting problems with email delivery of reports.
Resolution
The ReportCmdLine.exe has no interaction with Exchange mail services whatsoever. It simply notifies the report object specified by the /o argument that the report should be created and sent in the form of an email, or a file, or both.
The effect is similar, though not precisely the same as opening the report object and selecting the Email button on the tool bar.
These two actions, i.e. sending a report email using by selecting the report email button or by using the ReportCmdLine's /t argument differ in the following way.
Report Email button:
The report Email button embeds the report HTML in an email.
The report email must then be sent manually.
If Outlook is not installed on the workstation, selecting the email button generates an error Send Mail failed to send message.
ReportCmdLine:
When the report object receives the email argument from the ReportCmdLine.exe it creates a report email.
The email cannot be sent until Outlook is running.
If Outlook is not running the Continuum caches the report email so that it can be sent once Outlook is up and running.
If Outlook is not running the ReportCmdLine batch file will not display a failure error.
In either case you need a mail client that supports Enhanced MAPI protocol (MS Outlook) installed and running on the Cyberstation in order to deliver the report via email. Since Continuum is not an Exchange client it cannot interact directly with and Exchange server.
Note: If the customer doesn't like the DOS box showing when the report runs.
Run DOS minimized by using start/min in a batch file Ex. Start /min Myreport.bat
Note: There has been a case where having Google Chrome as the browser has affected the sending of automatic reports. Removing it corrected the issue. This was not reproducible in PSS.
