Self-deploy a Bold Reports® Server on Google Cloud Platform

You can self-deploy the Bold Reports® Report Server on a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) VM instance by creating the instance, connecting to it, and installing the server. Follow the steps for your instance type.

  1. Deploying Bold Reports® on a GCP Windows Instance
  2. Deploying Bold Reports® on a GCP Linux Instance

Deploying Bold Reports® on a GCP Windows Instance

Bold Reports® on a GCP Windows instance needs three tasks: set up the instance, connect with RDP, and install the server.

How do I set up a GCP Windows instance?

You set up a GCP Windows instance for Bold Reports® Server in the Google Cloud Console. Follow these steps:

  • Go to Google Cloud Console. and log in to your GCP account.

  • Navigate to Compute Engine and click VM Instances.

    VM-Instance

  • On the VM Instances page, click the Create Instance button to start creating a new VM instance.

create instance

  • Enter a name for your VM instance. Select the region and zone where you want to create the VM instance. Select the machine type for your VM instance.

    machine configurati++on

    machine type

  • Click Change in the Boot disk section to begin configuring your boot disk. Select Windows Server from the Operating system list on the Public images tab. Choose Windows Server 2019 or later from the Version list. Refer to the recommended system configuration for Bold Reports® Server and click Select.

    boot disc

  • In the Firewall section, allow specific network traffic. Then, click Create to create the VM.

    create gcp

  • Wait a short while for the VM instance to start. When it is ready, its status changes to running.

    running status

How do I connect to the Windows instance using RDP?

You connect to the GCP Windows instance that hosts Bold Reports® Server with Remote Desktop (RDP). Follow these steps:

  • Find your Windows VM instance and make note of its external IP address.

  • On your local machine (Windows), search for Remote Desktop Connection in the Start menu and open the application.

  • In the Remote Desktop Connection window, enter the external IP address of your Windows VM. Click Connect to establish the RDP connection.

    RDP

  • You may be prompted for credentials. Enter the username and password for the Windows user account on the VM, then click Yes in the prompted window.

    credentials

    RDP verify

  • After you connect, you see the Windows desktop of your VM, and you can interact with it as if you were using a local Windows machine.

  • Other methods are available for connecting to your Windows instance. Refer to the Google Cloud documentation:

    https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/instances/connecting-to-windows

How do I install and run the Bold Reports® Server on Windows?

Install and run the Bold Reports® Report Server on the Windows virtual machine (VM) by following these steps:

  • Install Bold Reports® Enterprise Reporting Server on the created Windows virtual machine (VM) using the Windows installation documentation.

  • Launch the Bold Reports® application from the desktop shortcut or IIS hosted URL after the installation.

    The following screenshot shows the application startup login page.

    start up

  • Complete the application startup and configuration process.

Deploying Bold Reports® on a GCP Linux Instance

Bold Reports® on a GCP Linux instance needs three tasks: set up the instance, connect with SSH, and install the server.

How do I set up a GCP Linux instance?

You set up a GCP Linux instance for Bold Reports® Server in the Google Cloud Console. Follow these steps:

  • Go to Google Cloud Console and log in to your GCP account.

  • Navigate to Compute Engine and click VM Instances.

    VM instance

  • On the VM Instances page, click the Create Instance button to start creating a new VM instance.

    create instance

  • Enter a name for your VM instance, select the region and zone where you want to create the VM instance, and choose the machine type for your VM instance.

    machine configuration

    machine type

  • Click Change in the Boot disk section to begin configuring your boot disk. Under the Public images tab, choose Ubuntu from the Operating system list. Select Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or later from the Version list. Refer to the recommended system configuration for Bold Reports® Server and click Select.

    ubuntu

  • In the Firewall section, allow specific network traffic. Then, click Create to create the VM.

    create gcp

  • Wait a short while for the VM instance to start. When it is ready, its status changes to running.

    status running

How do I connect to the Linux instance using SSH?

You connect to the GCP Linux instance that hosts Bold Reports® Server with SSH from the browser. Follow these steps:

  • Navigate to the VM Instances page.

  • Locate the VM instance you want to connect to and click the SSH button next to it. Click Open in browser window. A new browser window opens with an SSH connection to your VM.

    connect VM

  • When you connect to the VM instance for the first time, SSH may prompt you to confirm the connection.

    SSH connection

  • After you connect, a terminal window opens where you can interact with your Linux VM.

  • Other methods are available for connecting to your Linux instance. Refer to the Google Cloud documentation:

    https://cloud.google.com/compute/docs/connect/standard-ssh

How do I install and run the Bold Reports® Server on Linux?

Install and run the Bold Reports® Report Server on the Linux virtual machine (VM) by following these steps:

  • Install Bold Reports® Enterprise Reporting Server on the created Linux virtual machine (VM) using the Linux installation documentation.

  • After the installation, access the server using the VM IP address or configured domain name through a web browser.

    The following screenshot shows the application startup login page.

    Start Up

  • Complete the application startup and configuration process to begin creating and managing reports.

Frequently asked questions

Which operating system versions can I use for Bold Reports® on GCP?

For Bold Reports® Server on GCP, choose Windows Server 2019 or later for a Windows instance, or Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or later for a Linux instance.

How do I open Bold Reports® after installing it on a GCP Linux VM?

Access the Bold Reports® server using the VM IP address or configured domain name through a web browser.

See also