Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

1. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Eric Nelson Application Architect Microsoft http://blogs.msdn.com/ericnel (SQL Dev and UK ISV)

2. Reporting Services 101

3. SQL Server BI Platform Reporting Services Development Tools Management Tools Analysis Services OLAP & Data Mining Integration Services ETL SQL Server Relational Engine

4. What is SQL Server Reporting Services? • Reporting platform for both traditional and interactive reports • Scalable and manageable server infrastructure • Integrated with SharePoint, Office applications, browser and other familiar tools • Single platform and tools for all types of structured data (relational, hierarchical, multidimensional)

5. Authoring Management Delivery Reporting Lifecycle Reporting Services is an open and extensible platform supporting the authoring, management and delivery of rich, interactive reports to the entire enterprise.

6. Report Authoring • Reports are defined in Report Definition Language (RDL), a documented XML schema • Use Microsoft or 3rd party tools that support RDL • Create single reports from multiple data sources(SQL, OLE DB, ODBC, Oracle, and .NET data providers) More info on the RDL spec: www.microsoft.com/sql/reporting

7. Report Management • Report definitions, folders, and resources are published and managed in a reporting web service • Managed reports can be executed either on-demand or via schedule and can be cached for consistency and performance • Scalable & Extensible server architecture

8. Report Delivery • Traditional (paper) and interactive (web) reports • On-demand (“pull”) or event-based (“push”) delivery • Choose from multiple formats (HTML, Excel, PDF, XML) • Deliver reports to many devices (e-mail, file share, etc.)

9. Release Roadmap • SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services SP1 • Bug Fixes, Scalability, Excel 2000 support • SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 • Parity with SQL2K SP1 version • Cross SQL Server (AS, Management) integration • SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services SP2 • Web Parts, Client Printing • SQL Server 2005 April, June, Sept CTP • New Features, 64 Bit support, Report Builder • SQL Server 2005 RTM – very soon…

10. What is new in SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services

11. Themes • Core Product Enhancements • Extend features based on feedback from SQL2K version • Incremental enhancements, performance and scalability • Tighter Integration • Strengthen SQL Server end-to-end BI scenarios • Tighter integration with Office and SharePoint • Developer Focus • Integration for the Visual Studio developer • Freely redistributable Windows and ASP.NET controls • Empowering End Users • Report Builder enables end-user reporting scenarios • Increased interactivity

12. Printing from IE (SP2) Expression builder enhancements Multi-valued parameters Parameter Date Picker Interactive Sort Floating headers MDX Query builder Custom Report Item Management Studio Integration Configuration Tool Web Parts (SP2) VS Integration VS Controls 64 bit Support Multi-instance Support Report Builder What’s new in 2005

13. Rich Client Printing • Direct routing of print jobs without needing to export • Small ActiveX control downloaded via browser • Select page range, orientation, margins • Preview page output • Server enhancements for performance

14. Enhanced Expression Editor • Available for all expressions in VS Report Designer • List of available VB.NET functions • Inline parameter information • Statement completion • Real-time syntax checking

15. Multi-Valued Parameters • Report developer can specify any parameter is multi-valued • Report processing constructs SQL or MDX syntax • Multiple default values also supported • Value sets can passed via URL or SOAP API

16. Date Picker Parameters • Calendar control for choosing dates • Localized and Globalized • Windows and Web support

17. Interactive Sort • Report author can add ability for end user to resort data within data regions • Resorting happens without re-querying the database • Support for multi column and for nested / grouped sort

18. Floating Headers • New type of interactivity similar to freeze panes in Excel • Works Horizontally and Vertically • Table header • Matrix column and row headers • Table columns • Must be continuous columns anchored on the right or left

19. MDX Query Builder • MDX and data mining query builders • MDX parameter support • Member extended properties • Support for server aggregates

20. Custom Report Item • Enables ISVs and Developers to add custom visualizations to a report • Primary scenario is enhanced charting • Additional chart types • Maps • Gauges • Supports interactivity • Actions • Sort • Supports all data region features • Filter • Grouping • Group Filters • Etc… • The Report Designer supports a conversion API • Currently limited to images • Future plans for all report item types

21. Management Studio Integration • Single point of management for all SQL Server components • Superset of Report Manager functions • Script generation from property dialogs

22. Server Configuration Tool • Graphical configuration tool for Report Server • Database Settings • Virtual Directories • E-Mail • Key Management

23. SharePoint Web Parts • Report Explorer provides browsing of server namespace and subscription • Report Viewer used to view reports • Parts can be connected or used standalone • Works in both SPS and WSS

24. Visual Studio Integration • Report design completely integrated with Visual Studio language projects • Natural extension of VS data functionality • Included in VS Pro and above

25. Report Controls • Controls make it easy to embed reporting functionality into applications • Windows Forms (rich client) and Web Forms (ASP.NET) control • Local processing mode (no server) or connected server mode

26. Items Not in 2005 – sorry  • Rich Text support • RTF/Doc rendering • PPT rendering • Shared Styles (Styles sheets) • Templates • Font embedding in PDF • Many Chart enhancements • Heterogeneous Join • Edit in Preview

27. And….. Report Builder

28. Report Builder • A new ad-hoc report design tool for Reporting Services • Targeted at business users who want to find and share answers to interesting questions • Driven from a business model of the data so users do not need to understand the underlying data structures • Fully integrated with Reporting Services and delivered in SQL Server 2005

29. Report Consumers Business Users Power UsersDevelopers Why Report Builder? Report Viewer Report Builder Report Designer

30. What Report Builder is not… • A replacement for Pivot Tables • Can be used for some data slice and dice but not specifically designed for this capability • An analytical client • No support for advanced financial calculations, what ifs, writebacks, financial or business modeling, etc. • A developer-focused design tool • No nested data regions, freeform layout, multiple queries, conditional formatting, or custom code • An HTML-based design tool • Report Builder is a WinForms (.NET Framework) application

31. Report Builder Architecture SQL Mgmt Studio Report Designer Model Designer Report Manager Report Builder Client Web Service / URL interface Report Server Drill through report generation Query generation Data Sources (SQL Server, Analysis Services) SQL Server Catalog

32. Report Builder Client • Built on top of familiar Microsoft Office paradigms (Excel, PowerPoint) • Reports built via report templates (table, matrix, chart, combinations) • “Click once” application deployed from the Report Server • Users download and launch the client from Report Manager (new or existing report) • Finished reports can be saved on the server

33. Report Builder

34. Report Builder Reports • Report Builder reports are just like any other Reporting Services report… • Report Builder reports are defined in RDL • Managed by the same APIs • Secured by the same APIs • Except: Report Builder reports contain semantic model metadata • When an Report Builder report is requested by report processing, the metadata is used to generate a query in the source language • A new component on the Report Server handles the query generation

35. Infinite Drill • Automatic generation of new drillthrough reports allows users to explore data along model navigation paths • Queries for navigation reports are generated on the fly, passing the context of the user’s current “location” • Users can keep drilling as long as there is a path to follow from the current item • Custom reports can be specified for model items • Generated navigation reports are not saved unless the user explicitly saves them

36. Report Builder Model Designer • Hosted in Visual Studio (new project type) • For editing models used by Report Builder • Auto-generation of models from data sources

37. Model Design • Model Designer is interface for designing/editing a model • New project type in BI Development Studio • Define fields and roles • Define calculated fields • Organize model • Models can be auto-generated in Model Designer or on the Report Server • Generates entities, fields and roles based on source metadata • Auto-generation against SQL Server and Analysis Services databases

38. Model Designer

39. Report Models • Models define entities, fields and roles available for Report Builder • Models reference a data source (either SQL Server or Analysis Services) • Models are stored in the Report Server as a new item type • Includes new management APIs • Published models can be secured • Items within models (entities, fields, roles) can also be secured • Users only see items they have permissions to see • Model security and management through SQL Server Management Studio

40. Report Builder Model Designer

41. Report Builder vs. Report Designer

42. Wrap-up • Reporting Services in SQL Server 2005 • We have listened to feedback – smoothed off the rough edges • Report Builder is… • a new ad hoc report design tool for SQL Server Reporting Services • targeted at business users who want to find and share answers to interesting questions • driven from a business model of the data so users do not need to understand the underlying data structures • is fully integrated with SQL Server Reporting Services and delivered in SQL Server 2005

43. Resources • Product site • http://www.microsoft.com/sql/reporting/ • How to license • http://www.microsoft.com/sql/reporting/howtobuy/howtolicensers.asp • Articles: • Intro to Report Builder http://www.developer.com/db/article.php/3520116 • Webcasts: • Report Builder on MSDN TV http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdntv/episode.aspx?xml=episodes/en/20050531SQLServerCC/manifest.xml • Report Builder linked from http://blogs.msdn.com/ericnel/archive/2004/11/11/255724.aspx • Reporting Services http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/eventdetail.aspx?eventid=1032263305&culture=en-us • Books • Hitchhikers Guide to SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services – excellent! • Pubs and NorthWind http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=30196

44. © 2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This presentation is for informational purposes only. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, in this summary.