Abstract: The present invention presents security and user account integration with remote authentication servers, (e.g., repositories not owned by the server). Integration may occur with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), an operating system (e.g., Microsoft Windows™ NT™) authentication, custom account repositories and others. For example, the server may synchronize associated user lists with a remote repository. In another example, the server may also make external calls to remote authentication servers to validate a user's username and password. Other information may be validated.

Abstract: Security filters that manage user access to data based on user identification and other data when a user attempts to access information via a query or other mechanisms. Security filters may be implemented to prevent users from viewing or otherwise accessing certain data in a database or other source of information in a reporting or other system. The level of access authorized by a security filter may be based on a user's role, capabilities, or other criteria. For example, a regional manager may have a security filter that allows a user to view data from the user's particular region regardless of the report the user runs. A security filter may include a filter expression, a top level and a bottom level where each component may be further define a user's ability to access certain data.

Abstract: A layered architecture for communication of reporting system reports to users connecting via a web server. Users communicate via HTTP with web servers without download of plugins or executable files to the user system. The web servers are clustered to balance requests and transmit the requests. The web servers pass report requests via XML to the business intelligence servers to perform the work with the databases. The business intelligence servers convert reports into XML and provide the XML-based version to the web server. The web server then transmits an HTML or DHTML report back to the client over the web.

Abstract: A layered architecture for communication of reporting system reports to users connecting via a web server. Users communicate via HTTP with web servers without download of plugins or executable files to the user system. The web servers are clustered to balance requests and transmit the requests. The web servers pass report requests via XML to the business intelligence servers to perform the work with the databases. The business intelligence servers convert reports into XML and provide the XML-based version to the web server. The web server then transmits an HTML or DHTMNL report back to the client over the web.