Multiple Database Reporting with JasperReports and UnityJDBC

Supporting Multiple Sources in JasperReports

JasperReports is a powerful open source reporting package, but generating reports with data from multiple sources is hard and often impossible without the enterprise version. Subreports may work in some cases, but joins between tables in different sources is not easily handled with subreports. Although these issues may be tackled at the data layer using ETL, data warehousing, or data virtualization, that represents an additional cost in infrastructure and time for deployment and management.

JasperReports and UnityJDBC Virtualization

UnityJDBC integrates directly into JasperReports and JasperReports Server and provides multiple source reporting and data virtualization without the need for additional infrastructure. UnityJDBC can be installed and producing reports in 5 minutes at a fraction of the cost of other technologies. Benefits:

  • Real-time reporting - live data directly from sources
  • Unlock business value - integrate data from anywhere immediately with minimal cost
  • No training - developers use SQL and existing tools
  • No new infrastructure - provides minimal total cost of ownership

UnityJDBC Features for JasperReports

  • Multiple source joins including inner/outer joins
  • SQL function translation for all SQL functions
  • Full query builder integration - use any of the Jasper graphical query builders without changes
  • Scaleable performance - supports large queries including results larger than memory
  • State-of-the-art optimizer - extracts minimal data from each source and performs push-down execution
  • No hassle deployment - by installing one JAR file
  • Download free trial. Feature list.

Multi-source Reporting with Jaspersoft and UnityJDBC

UnityJDBC provides real-time, multiple source reporting and data virtualization integrated into JasperReports.


Julius Baer Banking Case Study

Julius Baer, a multi-national Swiss bank, uses UnityJDBC for multiple source reporting with JasperReports server. Results:

  • Cross-platform reports deployed in a few days.
  • No data warehouse or new infrastructure, reducing costs and time by 80%.
  • No developer training required.
  • Read full case study

"Jasper is missing the ability to report across multiple data sources simultaneously. Without UnityJDBC we would be unable to make full use of JasperSoft BI and reposition our organization away from highly expensive tools such as SAP Business Objects."


UnityJDBC Deployment in Jaspersoft

These few steps will get you started using UnityJDBC to build multiple source reports in 5 minutes:

  1. Download UnityJDBC.
  2. Install UnityJDBC by placing the UnityJDBC.jar file in the classpath for your installation.
  3. Create your source description files that contain the schema and connection information. Video
  4. Register a UnityJDBC source in JasperReports.
  5. Build your SQL source query as usual but now with the power to join and translate data from all your sources. No subreports required or passing parameters or return values. To JasperReports, it looks like all your information is coming from one source.
  6. Finish your cross-database report that combines your valuable but distributed information in a few hours.

Five Minute Setup

UnityJDBC - Setup Multiple Database Querying in JasperReports