Learning SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Preface

• Chapter 1: Overview of SQL Server Reporting Services 2008
• Overview of enterprise reporting
• Some highlights of SQL Server Reporting Services 2008
• Scalability
• New Tablix design feature
• Enhancement to Report Design
• Data visualization
• Installing SQL Server 2008
• Version of SQL Server 2008 to be installed
• Hardware requirements
• System and software requirements
• Hardware and software used for working with the book
• Hands-on exercise 1.1: Installing a named instance of SQL Server 2008
• Getting ready
• Follow the steps
• Installation choices and notes
• Hands-on exercise 1.2: Reviewing the installation
• Program shortcuts
• Reviewing installed services
• Starting/stopping Reporting Services
• Accessing installed services from the SQL Server Management Studio
• Post installation checks
• Hands-on exercise 1.3: Installing a test database
• Getting sample databases into the server
• Hands-on exercise 1.4: Configuring the Report Services
• Report Server configuration options
• Summary

• Chapter 2: Overview of SSRS 2008 Architecture and Tools
• Architectural details and components
• Report Server
• Report Server and HTTP
• Report processing
• Report Server backend
• Reporting Services and the database engine
• Report Manager
• Starting Report Manager
• Model designer
• Report Builder
• Report Builder 1.0
• Report Builder 2.0
• Report Builder features
• Extension components
• Data processing
• Rendering
• Scheduling and delivery
• Support for reporting in Visual Studio 2008
• ReportViewer controls
• ReportViewer control for Windows applications
• ReportViewer control for Web applications
• Business intelligence support
• Reporting Server configuration file
• Summary of Extensions
• Summary

• Chapter 3: Report Integration with Microsoft ReportViewer Controls
• ReportViewer features
• Toolbar
• Difference between web server and Windows forms versions
• Hands-on 3.1: Using ReportViewer control for Windows
• Getting ready
• Follow the steps
• Create a Windows project
• Add a ReportViewer control
• Configure the report using the Report Wizard
• Report details of the RDLC file
• Features of report binding to form
• Hands-on 3.2: Modifying the previous report
• Follow the steps
• Modifying an existing report
• Hands-on 3.3: Adding a graphic to the report
• Follow the steps
• Hands-on 3.4: Using ReportViewer control for a web application
• Getting ready
• Follow the steps
• Creating an ASP.NET web site project and adding a dataset using the Query Builder Tool
• Adding a report template
• Summary

• Chapter 4: Visual Studio 2008 Business Intelligence Template Projects
• Visual Studio 2008 Business Intelligence Projects
• Using the Report Server project template
• Using the Report Server wizard project template
• Using the Report Model project template
• Report authoring
• Data sources used in reports
• Embedded data sources
• Shared data sources
• Report Data and Query Designer
• Report designer
• Report items toolbox
• Expression builder
• Other design tools
• Hands-on exercise 4.1: Creating a Report Server project using the Report Server Wizard project
• Connecting to a data source
• Building a query
• Designing the report
• Deploying the report to the Report Server
• Methods of deploying reports to the Report Server
• Hands-on exercise 4.2: Deploying and viewing the report designed in Hands-on 4.1
• Report Model
• Using the Report Model project template
• Hands-on exercise 4.3: Creating a Report Model using the Visual Studio 2008 template
• Getting ready
• Follow the steps
• Creating a new Report Model Project
• Defining a Data Source for the Report Model
• Defining a Data Source view for the Report Model
• Defining the Report Model
• Deploying the Report Model to the Report Server
• Hands-on exercise 4.4: Deploying the Report Model
• Hands-on exercise 4.5: Importing reports from MS Access 2003
• Getting ready
• Follow the steps
• Summary

• Chapter 5: Working with the Report Manager
• Report Manager components
• Folder structure and hierarchy
• Sub-items in folder hierarchy
• Hands-on exercise 5.1: Creating, deleting, and modifying folders
• Creating a folder
• Deleting a folder
• Moving a folder
• Modifying a folder
• Report management
• Permissions in Reporting Services
• Hands-on exercise 5.2: Assigning users (or groups) to roles and permissions to access reports
• Getting ready
• Hands-on 5.2.1: Assigning a Windows user to System Administrator role
• Creating a Windows user
• Assigning a user to the System Administrator role
• Hands-on 5.2.2: Assigning users to item-level roles
• Creating a Windows user
• Assigning users to roles
• Hands-on 5.2.3: Assigning a user to a custom role
• Hands-on 5.2.4: Creating a permission to a specific report
• Permitting only the user Navika to this report
• Report Data Sources
• Report viewing and printing
• Hands-on exercise 5.3: View, print, and search
• Viewing reports
• Printing reports
• Printing report from the Print button on report
• Changing report format for printing
• Search for reports
• Find text in a report
• Managing data source connections with Report Manager
• Connecting to report data sources
• Connect using user supplied credentials
• Connect using stored credentials
• Connect using Windows integrated security
• Connection that does not require credentials
• Hands-on exercise 5.4: Windows user access to a report on the Report Manager
• Getting ready
• Deploying reports
• Hands-on exercise 5.5: Deploying reports
• Deploying a single report
• Deploying a report with a shared data source
• Uploading a report using the Report Manager
• Creating a new data source in Report Manager and generating a model from the data source
• Hands-on exercise 5.6: Creating a new data source and generating a model using Report Manager
• Create new data source
• Generating a model using Report Manager
• Modifying reports on a Report Server and creating linked reports with Report Manager
• Modifying reports
• Linked reports
• Hands-on exercise 5.7: Downloading a report definition file from the Report Server
• Report delivery (new or cached)
• On demand
• Report caching
• Hands-on Exercise 5.8: Working with the report cache
• Turn on cache and cache a report
• Schedule a report cache
• Create a cache from execution snapshot
• Report subscription
• Hands-on exercise 5.9: Working with standard email, fileshare and data-driven subscriptions
• Creating an email subscription
• Creating a file share subscription
• Creating a data-driven subscription
• Summary

• Chapter 6: Working with the Report Builder
• Report Builder overview
• Report Builder 2.0 user interface description
• The menu for file operations
• The ribbon
• Home
• Insert
• View
• Report Data, the Report Designer, and the properties
• Report Data
• Report Designer pane
• Properties
• Server status and tools
• Hands-on exercise 6.1: Enabling and reviewing My Reports
• Getting ready
• Hands-on exercise 6.2: Modifying a basic report
• Getting ready
• Follow the steps
• Open Report Builder and open the ByOrders.rdl report
• Review the imported MS Access report
• Hands-on exercise 6.3: Creating reports with charts and gauges
• Getting ready
• Follow on
• Creating a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with some data
• Create an ODBC DSN to access the data
• Create a datasource using a DSN in Report Builder 2.0
• Create a Dataset based on the data in the Excel file
• Design a report to display the data
• Create a chart to display the data
• Create a bookmark and jump to it
• Summary

• Chapter 7: Report Authoring with Report Builder 2.0
• Report authoring
• Hands-on exercise 7.1: Filtering data at source using a query parameter
• Parameterized reports
• Follow on
• Creating a data source
• Query design
• Parameter design
• Viewing the Report
• Hands-on exercise 7.2: Working with a column group and setting up a document map
• Follow on
• Removing the parameter from the previous hands-on
• Group the results by "City"
• Adding a Document Map for the report
• Add interactive sort
• Hands-on exercise 7.3: Working with a subreport
• Follow on
• Create a data source for the subreport
• Add a dataset to the subreport
• Add a table to the subreport
• Changing background color of alternate rows
• Create a data source and a dataset for the main report
• Add a list to the main report
• Create a second dataset
• Get parameter list from this query
• Add the subreport to the report
• Making the subreport a drill-down
• Hands-on exercise 7.4: Creating a linked report
• Follow on
• Creating named folders for reports
• Customizing the linked report for London Office
• Customizing the linked report for Buenos Aires
• Hands-on exercise 7.5: Creating a drillthrough report
• Follow on
• Create a main report
• Verifying drillthrough action
• Hands-on exercise 7.6: Creating a report with XML data
• Follow on
• Create the dataset for the report
• Set image properties
• Hands-on exercise 7.7: Ad hoc 1: Creating a tabular report with a Report Model
• Follow on
• Create a data source
• Creating a dataset
• Fashioning a query
• Design and run the report
• Hands-on exercise 7.8: Ad hoc 2: Creating a matrix report with a Report Model
• Follow on
• Add customer details and product information to the query
• Apply filter to the report
• Creating a report based on the Analysis Services cube
• Summary

• Chapter 8: Programming Interfaces to Reporting Services
• Overview of programming interfaces
• URL access
• ReportViewer control
• The Reporting web services API
• Windows Management Instrumentation
• Reporting services utilities
• Miscellaneous
• Programming using URL access
• Hands-on exercise 8.1: Displaying a report on the Report Server with an ASP.NET Web application using URL access
• Follow on
• Using a link
• Using an <iframe/>
• Hands-on exercise 8.2: Integrating a report on the Report Server with a Windows application using URL access
• Follow on
• Programming the ReportViewer control
• Hands-on exercise 8.3: Integrating a report on the Report Server with an ASP.NET Web application
• Follow on

• Hands-on exercise 8.4: Displaying a report on the Report Server in a Windows application
• Follow on
• Publishing to the local web server

• Programming with the Report Server web services API
• Hands-on exercise 8.5: Rendering a report on the Report Server with an ASP.NET Web application to other formats
• Hands-on exercise 8.6: Rendering a report on the Report Server with an ASP.NET Web application to other formats.
• Follow on

• Windows Management Instrumentation
• Hands-on exercise 8.7: Identifying the Report Server instance and modifying some of the properties
• Setting up access permission to WMI namespace
• Accessing information about Report Server instances using WMI

• Miscellaneous
• Hands-on exercise 8.8: Creating a SQL Server Integration Services Package to display a report from the Report Server
• Follow on

• Hands-on exercise 8.9: Using custom code in an expression
• Follow on

• Summary

• Chapter 9: Crystal Reports 2008 in Visual Studio 2008
• Crystal Reports 2008
• Hands-on exercise 9.1: Integrating a saved Crystal Report into an ASP.NET application in Visual Studio 2008
• Follow on
• Review source and customize options
• Exporting the page using code
• Hands-on exercise 9.2: Creating a Crystal Report and integrating it into a Windows forms application
• Follow on
• Creating a typed dataset
• Add a blank Crystal Report and add META data
• Add the report to the CrystalReportViewer
• Hands-on exercise 9.3: Creating a Crystal Report and populating it with data at runtime
• Follow on
• Create project and add references
• Add a Crystal Report and apply fields
• Add code, build, and run
• Hands-on exercise 9.4: Creating a Crystal Report and populating it with data from a stored procedure at run time
• Follow on
• Create a stored procedure and test it
• Add Crystal Report and configure the field source
• Add fields to the Crystal Report
• Add code for data binding
• Hands-on exercise 9.5: Creating a Crystal Report and populating it with XML data.
• Follow on
• Summary

• Chapter 10: On Programmatically Creating an SSRS Report
• Introduction
• The XMLTextWriter Class
• Hands-on exercise 10.1: Generating a Report Definition Language file using Visual Studio 2008
• Follow on
• Create project and add reference
• Copy and paste code
• Build and execute
• Notes on adding style
• Summary

• Appendix A: Queries and Datasets in SSRS 2008
• Reporting Services data
• Queries
• SQL
• MDX
• Semantic queries
• Query Designer
• Datasets
• Summary

• Appendix B: Converting Reports between RDL and RDLC
• Conversion of report files with extensions RDL and RDLC
• Status of RDL to RDLC conversion
• RDLC to RDL conversion
• Hands-on exercise B.1: RDLC to RDL conversion
• Follow on
• Summary

• Appendix C: Command line utilities
• Command line utilities
• rs.exe
• Syntax for using rs.exe
• Hands-on exercise C.1: Creating a data source and deploying to a folder on the server which uses the Pubsx database in SQL Express
• Follow on
• Summary

• Appendix D: Notes and References
• Looking beyond Visual Studio 2008
• SQL Server bugs and remediation
• Best practices
• Report definition and security
• Report authoring
• Troubleshooting
• ReportViewer control
• Moving and migrating
• Free Microsoft software
• Source control
• White papers
• Forums
• Blogs
• Miscellaneous

• Index