Anil Desai

 Anil Desai
◦ Independent Consultant (Austin, TX)
◦ Author of numerous SQL Server books
 Certification
 Training
◦ Instructor, “Implementing and Managing SQL Server
2005” (Keystone Learning)
◦ Info: http://AnilDesai.net
I. Intro to Reporting Services
II. Developing Reports
a) Defining Data Sources and Data Sets
b) Report Design: Basics
c) Report Design: Adding interactivity & parameters
III. Deploying and Managing Reports
a) Administering Reporting Services
b) Reporting Caching and Execution
c) Managing Snapshots & Report History
IV. Integrating Reports in Web and Windows
Applications
 Part of the SQL Server 2005 Platform
 Report Development

◦ Visual report design

◦ Business Intelligence Development Studio
◦ Report Features
 Grouping
 Sorting
 Filtering
 Drill-Down and Drill-Through
 Charting
 XML-based Report Files (.rdl)
 Report Types
◦ Table
◦ Matrix
◦ Charts
 Report output:
◦ Report Viewer (web site)
◦ Page-based (HTML, TIFF, PDF)
◦ Application integration (Web / Windows Forms)
 Export Formats:
◦ Adobe PDF, XML, Microsoft Excel, CSV, TSV
◦ CSV
 Management
◦ Web-based interface
◦ Command-line management tools

 Report Builder
◦ Data models for creating ad-hoc reports

 Programmability / Integration:
 Application Programming Interface (API)
 Web Services / Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
 Command-line utilities
Creating new data sources,
data sets, and report layouts
 Report Wizard Goals:
◦ Provides a quick way to create basic reports
◦ Defines a data connection and query
◦ Includes formatting and grouping options
◦ Creates a new RDL file

 Launching the Report Wizard:

◦ New Project  Report Server Project Wizard
◦ Add Item  Report Wizard
 Specifies connection information for
reporting data
 Supported Data Sources:

◦ Any OLEDB / ODBC-compliant data source

◦ Relational
 SQL Server
 Oracle
 MS Access
◦ OLAP / Multi-Dimensional
 SQL Server Analysis Services
◦ XML, Excel, CSV, TSV, etc.
 Data Source Details
◦ Data source type
◦ Connection options
◦ Security credentials
 Private Data Sources (Report-specific)
◦ Stored within the report (.RDL) file
 Shared Data Sources
◦ Defined at the Project / Server level
◦ Can be used across multiple reports
◦ Useful for development/production environments
 Identifies data to be used for report
generation
◦ Can have many different datasets per report
◦ Requires a data source (shared or embedded)
◦ Fields are available for use in reports
 Dataset Options
◦ Query (Text or Stored Procedure)
◦ Fields
◦ Data Options
◦ Parameters
◦ Filters
 Query Designer Features
◦ Visual creation of joins
◦ Can access tables, views, and functions
◦ Column names and aliases
◦ Query sorting and filtering options
◦ Query results
 Screen sections
◦ Diagram Pane
◦ Grid Pane
◦ SQL Pane
◦ Result Pane
 Report
◦ Page Header
◦ Page Footer
◦ Body (Report Area)
 Table Regions
◦ Header
◦ Detail
◦ Footer
 Groups
◦ Can specify page breaks
 Report Requirements:
◦ Show a list of all products by Category /
Subcategory
◦ Drill-down, sorting, and grouping are not required

 Report Components:
◦ Page Header
◦ Report Title
◦ Page Number
◦ Report Data (Table)
Sorting, Grouping, and Drill-
Down
 Query Sorting
◦ Useful for setting a “default” sort order
◦ Use an ORDER BY clause in the dataset query
 Table-Level Sorting
◦ Default sort order specified in the “Sorting” tab
 Interactive Sorting
◦ Data is sorted during report generation
◦ Sorted values are used for report output
◦ Can use a field or complex sort expression
◦ May be dependent on grouping scope
 Grouping
◦ Helps to logically organize data
◦ Can create sub-totals in group footer

 Drill-Down
◦ Group visibility can be dynamically-controlled by
other columns/values
◦ Report exports are based on the current view
 Statements used to specify values
 Can be used in table cells
 Expression Editor

◦ Supports Intellisense
◦ Uses Visual Basic-style syntax
 Examples:
◦ Globals!ReportName
◦ Globals!PageNumber
◦ Sum(Fields!SalesTotal.Value, “Sales")
◦ CountDistinct(Fields!ProductCategory)
◦ Fields!Employee.LastName + “,” + Fields!Employee.FirstName +
Using Parameters to filter
reporting data
 Dataset / Query Level
◦ Uses parameter variables to restrict data returned
◦ Can also use stored procedure variables
 Report Parameters
◦ Determined at report run-time
◦ Useful when users will be frequently changing
settings
 Object Filtering
◦ Filter options for tables, charts, etc.
 Can improve performance by minimizing data
returned
◦ Best used when filtering details are known before
report generation
 Implemented using query parameters
◦ Variables: @StartDate, @EndDate
Query:
SELECT * FROM Sales
WHERE TransactionDate
BETWEEN @StartDate AND @EndDate
 Evaluated at report run-time
 Report Parameter Options:

◦ Data Types
◦ Prompt Options
 Allow blank / null; Multi-value
◦ Available Values
 Non-Queried or From Query
◦ Default values:
 Non-Queried or From Query
 Cascading Parameters
 SQL Server Reporting Services Service
 Report Manager Web Site
 Business Intelligence Development Studio
 Databases:

◦ ReportServer:
 Report definitions, security settings, etc.
◦ ReportServerTempDB:
 Cached data and user session information
 Components may be installed on different
servers
 From SQL
Server Books
Online
From www.microsoft.com/sql
 Always run this report with the most recent
data
◦ Enable caching
 Expired based on number of minutes
 Expired based on a schedule
◦ Render report from a snapshot
 Report Execution timeouts
◦ System Default
◦ Specified number of seconds
◦ None
 Cache is created when a report is first run
 Stores a copy of data in ReportServerTempDB
 Can reduce impact on production

performance
 Data may be out-of-date
 Expires after a pre-defined amount of time
 Data source security settings must be

configured
 Events are executed by SQL Server Agent service

 Schedule Types
◦ Report-Specific Schedules
◦ Shared Schedules
 Defined at the system level

 Tips:
◦ Keep track of time zones
◦ Use shared schedules whenever possible to allow
centralized management
◦ Distribute reporting processing workload over time
 Point-in-time view of the contents of a report
◦ Data never changes
 Report parameters must be defined before
running the snapshot
 Usually created on a schedule

◦ End-of-month or end-of-year reports

 Scheduling
◦ Report-specific schedule
◦ Shared schedule
 Used to maintain snapshot copies over time
◦ Often used for auditing or historical reference
 Scheduling:
◦ Store all snapshots
◦ Use a report-specific schedule
◦ Use a shared schedule
 Options:
◦ Keep an unlimited number of snapshots
◦ Limit the number of copies of report history
 E-Mail
◦ Uses SMTP server defined in Reporting Services
Configuration tool
◦ Can send report as attachment
◦ Can send a link to the report

 File Share
◦ Stores the output of a report to a file share
◦ Requires a shared folder accessible via UNC
 Example: \\ReportServer\MarketingReports
 Output file types
◦ XML
◦ Comma-separated values (CSV) – text file
◦ TIFF image files
◦ Web Archive
◦ Adobe Acrobat (PDF)
◦ Microsoft Excel (XLS)
◦ File Share Only
 Web Page (HTML)
 Web Archive
 Snapshot-Based Subscriptions
◦ Notification is sent whenever a snapshot is created
 Schedule-Based Subscriptions
◦ Uses a custom schedule (e.g., daily, monthly, etc.)
◦ Can have start and stop dates
 Data-Driven Subscriptions
◦ Report recipients are defined by a query
◦ Table and query must be created manually
◦ Useful when managing large or very dynamic lists
of recipients
 Hierarchical Security Model
◦ Folders can be used for logical organization
◦ Items inherit permissions

 Security Layers
◦ System-Level Role Definitions
◦ Site-wide Security
◦ Item-Level Role Definitions
 Role-Based system
◦ Roles are sets of permissions/capabilities
◦ Users can be assigned to multiple roles

 Based on Windows Authentication

◦ Provides for centralized security management
◦ May use Active Directory users and groups
◦ Other authentication can be developed
 Creates a “virtual report”
◦ Uses the same report definition (.rdl) as the parent
report, but with independent settings

 Purpose / Benefits
◦ Can setup different sets of permissions
◦ Can setup different sets of parameters
Embedding Reporting Services
controls in Windows Forms
and Web applications
 Windows Forms Applications
◦ Reporting Services Control
◦ Pointed to Reporting Services web site
 Web Applications
◦ Can point directly to the Reporting Services Web
Site
◦ Creating customized security for accessing reports
by automating the API
 Other Options:
◦ SharePoint Integration
◦ Using the Reporting Services API
 www.microsoft.com/sql
 Resources from Anil Desai

◦ Web Site (http://AnilDesai.net)

◦ E-Mail: [email protected]
 Keystone Learning Course: “Microsoft
SQL Server 2005: Implementation and
Maintenance (Exam 70-431)”
 The Rational Guide to Managing
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005
 The Rational Guide to Scripting
Microsoft Virtual Server 2005
 ReportingServicesGuru.com
◦ Course: “Administering Reporting Services”
◦ Online forums and news
◦ Consulting information

 SQL Server 2005 Books Online

◦ Database Engine
◦ Reporting Services

 Microsoft Resources:
◦ SQL Server Web Site: www.microsoft.com/sql
◦ Microsoft Developer Network: msdn.microsoft.com
◦ Microsoft TechNet: technet.microsoft.com