How can a server get remote access to office installed on the other machine?

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Hello to everybody.
The task is next: the server creates nice charts (bars, pies, lines) from brut data from Database by using Microsoft.Office.Excel.Interop library and by the COM objects in Microsoft Office Object library 14. But there is a restriction to install Office on the server machine.

There is an idea to have Office installed on a remote machine, not on the server, and to access it from the server.
How can it be implemented? (via what and how).Any ideas?
Thank you in advance, any help is highly appreciated!

Posted 29-May-15 5:02am

Dzianis Igaravich Leanenka

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jk0391 29-May-15 11:27am

Use google.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-May-15 11:46am

It doesn't sound like a good idea for me. Why? Not only Office is restricted for server work, it's also not designed for that. It sounds like non-programming thinking.
—SA

Dzianis Igaravich Leanenka 29-May-15 12:45pm

So, "Office is restricted for server work" - exactly, so that is why I am looking for another way to use Excel not installed on the server. The question is how?

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 29-May-15 15:18pm

I just say it does not look like a good idea. This is not what Office normally does. It's a typical end-client thing.
Those "nice charts" is really nothing from the service standpoint. What nice feature could it possibly serve?
—SA

RedDk 29-May-15 13:18pm

Huh ...

"... server creates nice charts (bars, pies, lines) from brute data"

My doubt is with this statement because the server isn't doing any of this, a program on the server is doing this. Presumeably the one using the interop assembly. the bruteforcedness comes in the form of outputting .bmp or .jpg or .png. So I think this problem is trivial.

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Richard Deeming · Answer 1 · 2015-05-29T06:44:00

Considerations for server-side Automation of Office[^]

Microsoft does not currently recommend, and does not support, Automation of Microsoft Office applications from any unattended, non-interactive client application or component (including ASP, ASP.NET, DCOM, and NT Services), because Office may exhibit unstable behavior and/or deadlock when Office is run in this environment.

If you install Office on the server, you'll struggle to make it work. If you do get it to work, you'll have to be prepared for the fact that it could stop working again at any time without warning.

Whilst you might be able to use something like Remoting[^] or WCF[^] to drive Office on a different computer, you'd still need a non-interactive process on that computer to automate the Office application.

You'd be better off looking at a library which doesn't require Office at all. For example, EPPlus[^] can generate Excel workbooks, including charts. Or, if you just want charts, something like Chartist[^] or Chart.js[^] would do the trick.

ZurdoDev · Answer 2 · 2015-05-29T05:46:00

Solution 1

How is it accessed now? Was the Excel dll added as a reference?

I suppose you might be able to use Reflection to the load the dll over a network share but I believe you will be violating Microsoft's license agreement if you do it that way. Best to get a license and do it correctly and legally.

Posted 29-May-15 5:46am

ZurdoDev

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Dzianis Igaravich Leanenka 29-May-15 12:43pm

Now the only way to access Office is to have it installed on the server.
Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.dll is added as a reference.
Yeah, you are right about the license but actually I need a walk around way)

Dzianis Igaravich Leanenka 29-May-15 12:46pm

Sorry, but having license is not a solution)

Philippe Mori 29-May-15 21:44pm

You don't want to install Office on a server even if you can. See my solution. It is very well known that Office interop is not designed for server usage. Search Google and you will see.

Philippe Mori · Answer 3 · 2015-05-29T15:42:00

If you want to create Excel files:

Uses Open XML SDK or any third party product. Office interop is not designed to be used on server. It is slow and single-user.

Office interop is intended to be used locally by desktop application to automate some task on that computer.

With Open XML SDK, you can generate Excel files containing charts.

If you want to create chart images:

Use any third-party chart Library.

If you want to interact with the user on a web page, then use a chart based on jQuery.

There are a lot of options. Some free. Some commercials. With most package, you can get quite nice charts by some make it easier than others.

How can a server get remote access to office installed on the other machine?

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