Report Application Server (RAS)
One of the Business Objects technologies is the Report Application Server (RAS). RAS is both a client SDK and a server. You can use the RAS server to create and modify Crystal reports, and to process page requests. When a server process retrieves a requested report, RAS passes it to the report viewer.
The RAS server is only available as a part of Crystal Reports Server or BusinessObjects Enterprise.
Managed RAS server
A RAS server that is managed by other components of the enterprise framework is called a managed RAS server. Crystal Reports Server and BusinessObjects Enterprise provide a framework of servers that facilitates enterprise-wide, web-based management and distribution of reports. The managed RAS server is one of several servers in this framework. It can process reports located on the same machine as the web server and the RAS SDK (unmanaged reports) or reports located on a separate report repository server (managed reports).
The managed RAS server can use the ReportClientDocument Object Model (RAS) and the InfoObject Object Model (BOE).
The managed RAS server is included with Crystal Reports Server and with BusinessObjects Enterprise.
Unmanaged RAS server
An unmanaged RAS is no longer available as an upgrade option.
A RAS server that runs independently of an enterprise framework is called an unmanaged RAS server. The unmanaged RAS server provided access to Crystal report files on the local file system or on designated network folders (unmanaged reports). The unmanaged RAS SDK and the unmanaged RAS server can be located on two different machines.
The unmanaged RAS server used the ReportClientDocument Object Model (RAS).
Using the RAS API without a RAS server
In Crystal Reports, you can access the advanced report creation and modification functionality of the ReportClientDocument Object Model (RAS) from the CR .NET SDK. The deployment package in this scenario requires only the .NET assemblies, meaning you are using the RAS API in-process.
However, if you use the RAS API in-process, you lose the performance and stability benefits of a server-oriented, out-process system. To gain these benefits, use the RAS API in conjunction with a RAS Server in a Crystal Reports Server or BusinessObjects Enterprise environment.
For additional information and sample code, see the ReportClientDocument property of the CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument class in the API reference.