When security and operations reports are still assembled by hand, the audit process is slow and error-prone.
Enterprise environments continuously generate security, traffic, health-check, WAAP attack and administrator action data. Turning that data into an audit document, executive presentation or customer report is, in most cases, still a manual process. The operations team exports the data, cleans the table, builds charts, adds the company logo and converts everything to PDF. Each repetition compounds both time loss and the risk of human error.
The problem is more acute in compliance reporting. Monthly, quarterly or annual reports must be produced in the same format, with the same metrics and in a verifiable way. If a report's date range, chart axis, logo, table or text format changes, audit consistency is compromised. The production standard matters as much as the content itself.
Different stakeholders need different outputs. The CISO and management want a PDF summary; the operations team wants a filterable XLSX table. The customer success team wants a branded report; the SOC team wants an incident list and attack distribution. A single raw log export satisfies none of these needs fully.
Report language and appearance are also operational requirements. A local customer may need a report in their language, an international auditor may need English, an inspector may need a more formal format and the operations team may need more technical output. Managing that variety by manually copying templates is not sustainable.
TR7 Advanced PDF Reporting converts reporting into a repeatable platform function: template-based PDF/XLSX generation, brand templates, chart helpers, multi-language support and a controlled render pipeline for long-running reports.
Our approach
TR7 treats reporting not as raw data export but as a production pipeline in which template, chart, brand and output format work together.
Chrome-based PDF render preserves page layout
PDF output is rendered from an HTML/CSS template. Report details such as A4 page layout, header/footer, page breaks and visual alignment are managed inside the template.
The template library keeps report families organized
Reports are stored in category-based template directories. Each template is managed with its own configuration, HTML content and helper functions.
XLSX output moves operations tables into Excel
PDF is the right format for executive and compliance reports; XLSX is used for detailed tables, filtering and operations analysis. The same data can be delivered in different formats to different stakeholders.
Chart and map helpers make reports visual
Chart helpers, color palettes and country-map components turn metrics inside the report into visual narratives. Attack distribution, time series, capacity trends and geographic density can all appear in a single template.
Capabilities
Advanced PDF Reporting combines PDF/XLSX generation, template helpers, a chart engine, brand assets and multi-language support in a single reporting infrastructure.
Chrome-based PDF render produces pixel-precise reports
PDF generation starts from HTML/CSS content and uses the Chrome render engine to ensure visual consistency. A4 page layout, table breaks, page-end control, header/footer and brand areas are all managed inside the template. This approach means the report renders into PDF in a form that closely matches the browser-rendered design. Executive reports and audit outputs look more professional as a result.
XLSX render delivers table-focused output for operations teams
PDF excels at readable and presentable reports, but operations teams typically need tables they can filter and process further. XLSX output is produced by converting an HTML table to Excel format. Capacity trends, health-check events, WAAP incident lists or service statuses can all be examined inside Excel. The same underlying data is therefore adapted to both management and operations formats.
The EJS template engine binds data to dynamic report content
Dynamic data binding inside templates is handled by EJS. Report data can be pushed into headings, tables, charts, summary text and conditional content sections. The same template can be regenerated with different date ranges, customer names, services or vTenant data. This structure removes reports from the category of manual copy-paste work.
Three main template families cover different reporting needs
TR7's reporting structure is organized around report-pdf, report-xlsx and waf-pdf as the main template families. The PDF family handles general reports, the XLSX family handles table-focused operations output and the WAAP-PDF family handles security and attack reports. Legacy template families can be retained. This separation makes report maintenance and version management more orderly.
Per-template helpers.js carries report logic alongside the template
Each template can include its own helper functions. Date formatting, metric conversion, table grouping, color selection or chart data preparation are kept in template-specific helpers. This preserves the shared render engine while allowing each report family to carry its own logic. The report template and report behavior are versioned together.
The assets system includes logos, styles and visuals in the report
Reports can use logos, icons, style files, custom visuals or brand assets. The assets structure ensures the report is generated in line with the customer or organization identity. This is especially important in customer reports, audit outputs and executive presentations. The report output looks like a corporate document rather than a raw system screen.
Chart helpers support time-series and distribution charts
Chart configuration and helper components are used to turn report data into charts. Attack count over time, service health, capacity trends or category distribution can all be presented visually. Charts allow the report reader to grasp the overall state without looking at a raw table. This is especially valuable in executive summaries.
Color palette and visual helpers create a consistent report language
Color management and palette helpers ensure charts and report components appear consistently. The same category can be shown with the same color logic in every report. This improves comparability across periodic reports. Using colors aligned with the brand template also makes the report look professional.
Geographic map components provide country-level security visibility
svgMap-based geographic visualization adds attack, access or incident distribution at the country level to reports. WAAP attack reports can show visually which countries generate heavy traffic. This helps SOC and management teams understand the threat geography quickly. Table and map together produce stronger evidence.
Multi-language support prepares reports for local and international stakeholders
With a language library and translation helpers, report text can be generated in different languages. A report in the local language can be prepared for domestic customers and an English report for international auditors. This approach makes it easy to produce different-language output from the same data. The need for manual translation when sending reports to external stakeholders is reduced.
Operational depth
PDF/XLSX reporting is operated together with the template directory, render call, CLI usage, Chrome parameters, timeout configuration and example data structures.
Template directory structure
Report templates are stored under `tr7-server/jsreport/templates/{templateName}/`. Each template is managed in its own directory. This structure makes it easy to version and maintain individual report types independently.
Three-file template model
Each template consists of `config.json`, `content.html` and `helpers.js`. config carries render settings, content carries the report HTML, and helpers carries template-specific JavaScript utilities. This separation improves template readability.
Render call
The render flow uses template configuration, HTML content, helper functions and a data object together. Source data is passed to the report as `data` and processed inside the template. The same template can be regenerated with different data sets.
CLI report generation
Report generation can be triggered from the command line by providing a template name and source data path. If no output path is specified, a timestamped temporary output is produced. This model is useful for ad-hoc report generation and automation scenarios.
Chrome render parameters
PDF rendering can be run with Chrome parameters such as no-sandbox and disable-extensions. These parameters provide more controlled render behavior in server environments. Security and isolation requirements in the operations environment should be evaluated separately.
Long-report timeout value
Large data sets and visually rich reports may require longer render time. The render timeout can be configured at the one-hour level. This helps prevent large WAAP or compliance reports from being cut short mid-render.
When to use it
Quarterly executive report for PCI compliance
The security team can produce a quarterly compliance report as a branded PDF. The report can include summary metrics, charts, audit findings and a signature field. A repeatable, standard output is delivered to the CISO and auditors.
WAAP monthly attack and threat report
With the waf-pdf template family, attack types, country distribution, the most-targeted paths and top source IPs can be reported. Chart and map support makes incidents easier to understand. The SOC team can present monthly trends to management.
Network operations weekly XLSX capacity report
The operations team can receive capacity trends, health-check changes and backend downtime events in XLSX format. Filtering, sorting and additional analysis can be done in Excel. This output is more workable for technical teams than a PDF.
Branded security report for customer audit
A managed service provider can produce a security report with a customer-specific logo, color scheme and table layout. WAAP events, access trends and risk summaries are presented in a single PDF. The report serves as an audit-ready document for the customer's review process.
Frequently asked questions
Which output formats are supported?
Can reports be scheduled automatically, or are they only produced on demand?
Can a different brand template be used for each customer?
Can large reports be cut short during rendering?
Can charts and geographic maps be added to reports?
Is it possible to produce reports in different languages?
Turn reporting into a repeatable platform function
Generate compliance, security and operations reports as branded PDF or XLSX. Let's walk through a live setup in your own environment.