What's New in Argos 4.2?

Argos 4.2 introduces a new way to run dashboards and reports – the Argos Web Viewer. This much-anticipated feature allows users to view Argos reports and dashboards directly in a web browser in addition to the current method of running them in the Argos client software. The Web Viewer has an updated interface suitable for a wide variety of platforms including PCs, Macs, and tablets (iPad, Android). Supported browsers include Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer 9 or higher for PC; Safari and Chrome for iPad/Mac; and Chrome for Android tablet devices.

 

Interface Changes

One of the first things you’ll notice upon logging in to Web Viewer is that the interface has been optimized for mobile web devices (tablets). You should find it easy to navigate, with your dashboards and reports easily accessible from the Explorer, Shortcuts, and Recent tabs. We’ve also updated the way we deliver charts and OLAP cubes to better support web clients. These changes are intended to provide you with attractive and intuitive charts that will work well on nearly any device.

A few of the chart options you may have used in the Argos client are not supported by web clients, so you may need to modify some of your dashboards for optimal Web Viewer display. Our goal is to be able to offer more attractive charts and some new options that are not yet available in the Argos client. Eventually, we plan to streamline the chart wizard in the Argos client to include only the options you find most useful.

 

MAPS and Argos Updates

There are some minor changes to MAPS required to support the Argos Web Viewer. This guide contains a description of both MAPS and Argos changes, and an introduction to the Web Viewer. You can find detailed information on how to use every aspect of the Web Viewer in the in-product Help. The Argos client Help has also been updated to reflect the user interface changes related to the Web Viewer.

 

Configuring HTTP Secure (HTTPS)

Unlike the Argos client which uses AES encryption for all communication, the Web Viewer runs in a web browser using the HTTP protocol. Evisions strongly recommends configuring HTTPS (if not already configured) on your MAPS server to ensure secure communication between the MAP server and users running the Argos Web Viewer.

 

Please provide us with your feedback!

As always, we welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have. We developed the Argos Web Viewer based on your requests for multi-platform support, and we think you’ll like the results. We very much appreciate your thoughts and suggestions, so please keep the great ideas coming!

 

 

 

Argos Client

You can continue to view your dashboards and reports in the Argos client. The Web Viewer provides an additional method of execution that is available on a wider variety of platforms.

 

 

 

Charting Differences

Charts in the Argos client will continue to work the way they have in the past, but look and behave differently using the new charting libraries in the Web Viewer.

 

Tablet Screen Optimization

Dashboards developed on a PC may need to be optimized for tablet viewing, since tablet screen resolutions and sizes may be lower than those of your typical PC. The minimum resolution recommended to use the Web Viewer (on any device) is 1024x768,

 

 

 

Installing Argos 4.2

To install Argos and MAPS 4.1, check for updates in the MAPS Configuration Tool. If you are not already running Argos and MAPS 4.0, please refer to the Argos 4.0 Release Guide for additional information.

Summary of new features

The following is a summary of the new features. More detailed information is contained in this guide and in the Web Viewer, MAPS, and Argos in-product Help.

Introduction of Argos Web Viewer

  • Execute Argos reports and dashboards in your web browser.
  • Available on a wide variety of devices.
  • Simple, clean user interface optimized for Report Viewers.
  • Easily share or link reports to anyone who can log in to Argos
  • No need for additional setup or configuration-- users can access existing DataBlocks the first time they log in.
  • DataBlock Designers control whether or not a DataBlock is visible in Web Viewer.

Launch Page

  • Added button to launch Argos Web Viewer

Argos Client

  • Added Web View button when editing or creating DataBlocks to make it easy for designers to preview dashboards in Web Viewer.
  • DataBlock Designers have a Web Viewer Settings menu option added to the right-click menu for folders and DataBlocks to control their visibility in Web Viewer.
  • Added support for sending HTML formatted emails from Argos.

 

 

 

 

Supported Platforms

Argos Web Viewer runs on:

  • PCs
  • Macs
  • Tablets

MAPS

  • Assigned operation "Log on through Argos Web Viewer" which is automatically assigned to all system roles. MAPS administrators can choose whether or not to add this operation to custom roles.
  • Added operation "Manage Argos Web Viewer Settings" to DataBlock Designer and Administrator roles. This permission allows developers to specify whether or not a particular DataBlock or folder of DataBlocks is visible in Web Viewer.

 

 

Please see User Operations for details on the new Web Viewer role. For more information on role-based security, refer to the MAPS in-product Help.