Publishing Reports to the Web - Downloads - Oracle

Overview of Output Processing
destination (via the Reports Server), yet generates output independent of its
destination (via the Reports Engine). This provides a significant improvement in
efficiency by allowing one run of a report to be used in a number of different ways. It
also opens up the output processing architecture to allow for any number of
destination types.
In the past, the Reports Runtime engine was totally responsible for delivering the
output. Consequently, it had to know how to communicate with output destinations.
This resulted in a tight coupling between the engine and the supported destinations.
OracleAS Reports Services eliminates this tight coupling and its attendant restrictions.
The runtime engine now treats all destinations alike. It doesn't need to know the
destination type for which the output is being produced. The server hands output off
to destination handlers that prepare the material for delivery to their associated
destination types. You can use predefined destination types (with predefined
handlers) or create a handler for a custom destination type you intend to support.
Almost any type of destination can be plugged into Oracle Reports.
Figure 7–1 illustrates the main components of the OracleAS Reports Services output
processing architecture.
Figure 7–1 Main components of destination/distribution architecture
Requests flow through the output processing architecture in the following sequence:
1. The user submits a request from a client or browser to the Reports Server.
2. The server passes it along to the runtime engine.
7-2 Oracle Application Server Reports Services Publishing Reports to the Web