Learning SQL server reporting services 2012

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Learning SQL Server Reporting
Services 2012

Get the most out of SQL Server Reporting Service 2012,
both Native and SharePoint Integrated modes

Jayaram Krishnaswamy

BIRMINGHAM - MUMBAI

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Learning SQL Server Reporting Services 2012
Copyright © 2013 Packt Publishing

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First published: March 2009
Second edition: June 2013

Production Reference: 1170613

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
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Credits
Author

Project Coordinator

Jayaram Krishnaswamy
Reviewers

Apeksha Chitnis
Proofreader

Satya Jayanty

Ting Baker

Ritesh Shah
Indexer

Maria Zakourdaev

Rekha Nair
Acquisition Editor
Mary Jasmine Nadar

Graphics
Abhinash Sahu

Lead Technical Editor
Production Coordinator

Azharuddin Sheikh

Manu Joseph
Technical Editors
Cover Work

Mausam Kothari

Manu Joseph

Amit Ramadas
Varun Pius Rodrigues

Lubna Shaikh

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About the Author
Jayaram Krishnaswamy studied at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore

and Madras University in India and taught at the Indian Institute of Technology in
Madras. He went to Japan on a Japanese Ministry of Education Research scholarship
to complete his PhD in Electrical Engineering at Nagoya University. He was a
Post-Doctoral Fellow at Sydney University in Australia; a Government of India
Senior Scientific Officer at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and Indian
Institute of Technology at Kanpur; a visiting scientist at the Eindhoven Institute of
Technology in Netherlands; a visiting professor of Physics at the Federal University
in Brazil; an associate research scientist at a government laboratory in Sao Jose dos
Campos in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and a visiting scientist at the National Research Council
in Ottawa, Canada, before coming to USA in 1985. He has also taught and worked at
the Colorado State University in Fort Collins and North Carolina State University
in Raleigh, North Carolina. He worked with Northrop Grumman Corporation on
a number of projects related to high energy electron accelerators / free electron
lasers. These projects were undertaken at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in
Long Island and in the Physics Department at Princeton University. He has over
80 publications in refereed and non-refereed publications and 8 issued patents.
He is fluent in Japanese and Portuguese and lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
He has been working in IT related fields since 1997. He was once a Microsoft Certified
Trainer in Networking and a Siebel Certified developer. He has worked with several
IT related companies, such as Butler International in their Siebel practice; and with
several IBM subcontractors and smaller companies. Presently he is active in writing
technical articles in the IT field to many online sites such as CodeProject.com,

APSFree.com, DevShed.com, DevArticles.com, OfficeUsers.org, ASPAlliance.
com, Egghead Café, SSWUG.org, Packt Article Network, databasedev.co.uk,
cimaware.com, and many others. Between 2006 and 2010 he wrote more than 400
articles mostly related to database and web-related technologies covering Microsoft,
Oracle, Sybase, ColdFusion, Sun, and other vendor products.

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He has written four books all published by Packt related to Microsoft database and
application development, namely, SQL Server Integration Services Using Visual Studio
2005, Learning SQL Server Reporting Services 2008, Microsoft SQL Azure, Enterprise
Application Development, and Microsoft Visual Studio Lightswitch Business Application
Development. He regularly writes on his four blogs on Blogger http://Hodentek.
blogspot.com, , http://HodentekMobile.
blogspot.com, and . He received the 2011
Microsoft Community Contributor award.
I would like to thank Packt Publishing for giving me this opportunity
to write the second edition of my book Learning SQL Server Reporting
Services 2012. Dilip Venkatesh, the Senior Acquisition Editor, my early
contact for this book was most helpful and without his guidance this
book would not have been possible. I am most grateful for his advice.
I would like to thank Mary Nadar, the Acquisition Editor, for
help with this book, in its early stages. I am obliged to Apeksha
Chitnis, the Project Coordinator, for having monitoring the flow
of correspondence successfully and for her timely reminders. I also
would like to thank Lead Technical Editors Sharvari Tawde in the
early stages, Azharuddin Sheikh for having stayed with this book
to the end, and Chalini Victor. I would like to thank the Technical
Editors Varun Pius Rodrigues, Mausam Kothari, and Lubna Shaikh

for their excellent support and detailed editing and patience. I would
also like to record the help of many others at Packt at different stages
of production.
I sincerely thank the reviewers for their valuable time and effort.
Satya Shyam K Jayanty, Maria Zakourdaev, Ritesh Shah (SQLHub.
com), and Bihag Thacker (MsSQLBlog.com) have contributed
enormously to the book. Their pointed questions and well directed
advice have made portions of this book more readable and clear and
I am most thankful to them. I particularly would like to thank Satya
Shyam K Jayanty who meticulously went through the book and
provided very valuable advice both technical and organizational.

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I would like to thank my parents who would have shared my joy.
I thank my brothers and sisters, and the whole hearted support of
our Subbagiri family. I cannot sufficiently thank my wife, Michiko
Fukumoto, my son, Krishna Jayaram, and his wife, Jannet Jayaram,
for their continuous encouragement and their dog, Oliver, who sat
by my side and gave me his company during the writing.
Last but not the least I would like to thank Microsoft Corporation
for making available evaluation software without which this book
would not exist. I am most indebted to the MSDN forums specially
related to SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 and SharePoint
2010, their moderators and mentors from whom I have received
unstinted support.

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About the Reviewers
Satya Jayanty is a Subject Matter Expert (Technical and Data Architect and DBA)

with more than 21 years of experience in the IT field that includes a wide range of
industries such as the stock exchange, insurance, tele-communications, financial,
insurance, retail, and manufacturing sectors among others. He has been a Microsoft
Most Valueable Professional (MVP) (Architecture – SQL Server) since the year 2006.
He was a Director and Principal Architect at DBIA Solutions Limited.
His Twitter handle is @SQLMaster.

He is also the author of the book Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Administration Cookbook
(May 2011). More information on the book can be found at />SJ-SQL2K8R2AdminCookBook from Packt Publishers. He was also a co-author on the
book MVP Deep Dives Volume II – SQL Server (October 2011). More information on
this book can be found at from Manning Publications.
He has also been a technical reviewer and provided a foreword for three books related
to high availability and disaster recovery topics. He has worked as an item writer and
technical reviewer for SQL Server 2008, 2008 R2, and 2012 Microsoft ITPRO and DEV
certification exams. He has written a foreword for SQL Server 2008 High Availability and
was a technical reviewer for the book SQL Server Denali – The Definitive Guide. He is
currently working on SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services Cube Security – Microbook and
has completed the draft for the same.
He is a regular speaker and SME volunteer at major technology conferences such
as Microsoft Tech-Ed (Europe, India, and North America), SQL PASS (Europe and
North America), SQL Bits – UK and manages Scottish Area SQL Server user group
based in Scotland.
D B I A Solutions Limited – Europe : an experienced consulting company
delivering manageable solutions for the customers across the Europe (a few
other parts in the globe).

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I want to thank my wife first for letting (helping) me complete the
review in time and my kids for relieving the stress in my day-to-day
schedule.
I give my appreciation for all the help and support from the Packt
Publishing team in completing the technical review.

Ritesh Shah is data professional with more than 10 years of experience in
Microsoft technology from SQL Server 2000 to the latest version and has worked
on Visual Basic 6.0 to .NET Framework 4.0. He has deployed many medium-scale
as well as large-scale projects using Microsoft technology.
He has authored a book called Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Performance Tuning
Cookbook with Packt Publication. He also writes articles on technology at blog,
Extreme-Advice.com and SQLHub.com.
I would sincerely like to thank Packt Publishing, for showing their
confidence in me and providing the invaluable opportunity of being
a part of this book. Individuals at Packt whom I am deeply grateful
to, are Apeksha Chitnis and Rukmini Iyer. They have been very cooperative and supportive at all the stages of this book.
Without my family support, a task such as reviewing a book would
not have been achievable, especially when you are committed to other
professional projects also. I would like to heartily thank my parents,
Mr. Ashwin Shah and Mrs. Divya Shah. It is because of them that I
exist, and I cherish their blessings, which are always with me.

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Maria Zakourdaev has more than 13 years experience working with SQL Server.

She is currently working at one of the most successful Israel startup company called
Conduit. She is in charge of the company's large scale and very dynamic SQL Server
environment. She has extensive knowledge in Microsoft replication solutions, table
partitioning, and advanced query tuning techniques. Prior to Conduit, she had worked
at many different companies, benchmarking different SQL Server features and flows,
such as partitioning, data import, indexes impact on DML flows, star transformations
in RDBMS, and Hierarchic queries and custom OLAP-like aggregations. She was
a speaker in the Microsoft Teched (Israel) on the SQL Server track. She frequently
delivers sessions on different local conferences is and an active member of the Israel
SQL Server Users Group.

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Table of Contents
Preface1
Chapter 1: Overview and Installation – SQL Server
Reporting Services 2012
9
SQL Server 2012 – mission statement by Microsoft
Overview of Reporting Services 2012
Installing software used in the book
SQL Server 2012 installation requirements
Operating system requirements (64-bit)

Hardware requirements
Software requirements

9
11
14
15
15
16
16

Configuring the hardware used for the book
Hands-on exercise 1.1 – installing SQL Server 2012

17
18

Hands-on exercise 1.2 – verifying the installation

33

Configuring SQL Server Reporting Services
Hands-on exercise 1.3 – configuring SQL Server 2012 Reporting
Services in Native mode

37

Installing sample databases

55

SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise Edition

56

Installing Reporting Services 2012 in SharePoint Integrated mode

60

Downloading the source file
Installation steps

Installation choices and notes

Report Server – configuration options
Downloading files and running scripts

Installing SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise Edition on Windows 7 (64-bit)
Reporting Services add-in for SharePoint 2010
Installing and starting the Reporting Services SharePoint Service

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18
37

38

50

55
56
61
62


Table of Contents

Hands-on exercise 1.4 – installing the Reporting Services
SharePoint Service
Creating the Reporting Services Service application
Activating the Power View site collection feature

63
65
71

Summary72

Chapter 2: SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 Projects
with Visual Studio 2012

73

What is business intelligence?
Introduction to SQL Server Data Tools

73
74

Creating reports using SSDT
Hands-on exercise 2.1 – creating a report using the Report Server
Project Wizard
Hands-on exercise 2.2 – deploying the report to the Report Server
Hands-on exercise 2.3 – creating a report using the Report wizard
in SSDT
Hands-on exercise 2.4 – modifying the report in Project RSPW2012
using an expression

79

BI Projects on SSDT
Report Server Project
Report Server Project Wizard

Report formats supported in Report Server Reports

77
78
78

79
87
90
96

98

Report-related projects in Visual Studio 2012
99

Creating reports using Visual Studio 2012
100
Software and hardware requirements
100
Hands-on exercise 2.5 – creating a report for a Windows Form
application using Report Viewer Control
101
Hands-on exercise 2.6 – creating a report using Report Viewer
Control for the Web
115
Hands-on exercise 2.7 – using Report Viewer Control in the
remote mode
121
Hands-on exercise 2.8 – converting an RDLC to a RDL file
123
Microsoft Report Viewer Runtime
129
Summary130

Chapter 3: Overview of SQL Server Reporting Services 2012
Architecture, Features, and Tools

131

Structural design of SQL servers and SharePoint environment
Native mode
SharePoint Integrated mode
Reporting Services configuration
Native mode

132
134
136
139
139

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Table of Contents

SharePoint Integrated mode
Hands-on exercise 3.1 – modifying the configuration file
in Native mode
Turn on/off the Report Server Web Service
Turn on/off the scheduled events and delivery
Turn on/off the Report Manager

Hands-on exercise 3.2 – turn the Reporting Service on/off in SSMS
Salient features of Reporting Services 2012
Report definition
XML-based report definition (the .rdl file)
Power View report contents

Creating reports

142
143

144
145
145

146
147
148

148
150

150

Report data
New toolbox items in Report Builder 3

151
153

Report parts and their reusability
Customizing reports
Saving and deploying reports
Report validation
Viewing reports
Managing reports

153
154
155
156

157
158

Report scheduling
Subscriptions and delivery

158
160

Features new in RS2012 SharePoint Integrated
Power View
Data Alerts

162
163
164

Implementing security – authentication and authorization

166

Authentication166
Authorization
170

URL access
171
Reporting Services extensions
172
Reporting Services tools

173
Tools for Report Server administration
173
Tools for report authoring
174
Tools for report content management
174
Summary175

Chapter 4: Working with Report Manager
Tasks performed using Report Manager
Starting Report Manager
Starting Report Manager for the URL
User access to Report Server (Report Manager)
Considerations for giving user access to the Report Server
First step – deploying reports
[ iii ]

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178
179
180
180
180
181


Table of Contents

Report Manager user interface
Customizing Report Manager
Hands-on exercise 4.1 – creating, modifying, moving,
and deleting folders
Navigating through the folders
Creating a folder and a subfolder
Moving an item into a folder

Configuring permissions from Report Manager
Configuring role-based security
Hands-on exercise 4.2 – assigning a Windows user to the
System Administrator role
Creating a Windows user
Assigning RSMax to the RS System Administrator role

Assigning users to item-level roles
Review users on a Reporting Services database
Hands-on exercise 4.3 – assigning a user to a Custom role
Hands-on exercise 4.4 – creating a permission to a specific report
Report data sources
An embedded data source
A shared data source
Hands-on exercise 4.5 – creating a shared data source on
Report Manager
Hands-on exercise 4.6 – creating a data model from a data source
Viewing, searching, and printing reports
Hand-on exercise 4.7 – view, print, and search on Report Manager

182

185
185
186
187
190

191
192
193

193
195

196
198
198
200
202
202
203
203
205
211
212

Viewing reports
212
Printing reports
213
Search215

Uploading and downloading files from the Report Server to
the filesystem
Uploading a report on the computer to the Report Server
Hands-on exercise 4.8 – uploading a report
to the Report Server
Hands-on execise 4.9 – downloading and reviewing a report
definition file from the Report Server
Report subscription and delivery
Hands-on exercise 4.10 – creating an event-driven report
subscription for delivery by an e-mail
Hands-on exercise 4.11 – creating an event-driven report
subscription for delivery to a file share
Hands-on exercise 4.12 – creating data-driven report subscription
for delivery to a file share
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217
217
217
218
220
222
227
229


Table of Contents

Create a Subscribers database in SQL Server
Creating the data-driven Subscription and testing it

230
231

Report caching
237
Report processing options
238
Cache refresh options
239
Hands-on exercise 4.13 – creating a cache refresh plan by
preloading the cache
240
Snapshot and snapshot history
242
Hands-on exercise 4.14 – creating a snapshot and snapshot history
242
Summary244

Chapter 5: Working with Report Builder 3.0

Report authoring with Report Builder
Downloading and installing Report Builder
Report Builder 3.0 user interface
Report authoring
Hands-on exercise 5.1 – creating a report with an embedded
data source
Hands-on exercise 5.2 – creating a report from a shared

data source
Creating a List report

245

246
246
248
248

249
259
263

Parameterized reports
Subreports
Hands-on exercise 5.3 – creating a report that has a subreport
Creating the subreport
Creating the main report
Embedding the subreport in the main report

267
267
268
268
270
272

Report with groups
Hands-on exercise 5.4 – setting up a group and creating

a document map

275

Drill-through and drill-down reports
Drill-through reports
Hands-on exercise 5.5 – Creating a drill-through report

284
285
285

Bring up the report from the previous hands-on exercise and remove parameter
Adding a group to the data
Adding a Document Map to the report
Configuring page breaks
Adding interactive sorting

Source report
Destination report
Set up the drill-through action

276

276
277
280
281
282

285
286
287

Drill-down report
Hands-on exercise 5.6 – Creating a drill-down report
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289


Table of Contents

Linked reports
Hands-on exercise 5.7 – creating linked reports

291
291

Creating a report with XML data sources
Creating a well-formed XML data
Displaying data with sparklines, maps, data bars, and indicators
Hands-on exercise 5.8 – creating a report and highlighting data
with data bars
Displaying data with sparklines
Hands-on exercise 5.9 – creating reports with sparklines

293
294
297

Customizing the linked report in the France folder

Creating a table
Creating a report and inserting sparklines

292

297
300
301
301
302

Indicators304
Hands-on exercise 5.10 – creating reports using indicators
304
Reports with map
307
Hands-on exercise 5.11 – creating reports with embedded maps
307
Report parts
314
Hands-on exercise 5.12 – creating report parts and reusing an item
314
Saving report as report parts
Reusing the report parts items

315
319

Summary323

Chapter 6: Power View and Reporting Services

325

What is Power View?
Helpful resources
What do you need to author a Power View report?
Creating a tabular model
Hands-on exercise 6.1 – creating a tabular model

325
326
327
328
328

Brief review of SSDT ribbon
Creating a connection to the Northwind database
Getting tables from the database
Default field set and table behavior
Adding measures

Deploying the model
Hands-on exercise 6.2 – deploying the model

Tabular model permissions
Hands-on exercise 6.3 – creating a role in SQL Server Data Tools
Creating a Power View
Hands-on exercise 6.4 – connecting to model from SharePoint
Server 2010
Connecting to the model
Creating a data source using the model as the source
Creating a Power View report using the data source
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330
331
332
337
339

340
340
341
341
344
344
347
347
349


Table of Contents

Hands-on exercise 6.5 – exploring a Power View report

Creating the first view of the Power View report
Creating a chart showing sales orders from NW Employees shipped from cities
Adding a second view to the Power View report
Highlighting of data
Displaying data as a card
Using tiles
Slicing the data
Advanced filtering
Scatter and bubble charts
Animation with Power View
Navigating the views of the Power View report
Save, do, undo, and refresh
Saving to PowerPoint

350

351
355
357
360
360
362
363
365
366
368
370

370
371

Summary372

Chapter 7: Self-service Data Alerts in SSRS 2012
Getting ready for data alerts

Granting permissions to work with data alerts

373
374

377

Creating a report and saving to the Report Server
385
Creating a report in Report Builder and saving it to the
Documents library
386
Hands-on exercise 7.1 – creating a report in Report Builder
and saving it to the SharePoint site
387
Giving permission to a report
389
Hands-on exercise 7.2 – giving full control of a report to a user
390
Creating a data alert
393
Hands-on exercise 7.3 – creating a data alert in Data Alert Designer

394
Editing data alerts
398
Troubleshooting402
Using PowerShell to review the log file
404
Alert logs and alerting database
406
Summary408

Chapter 8: Reporting Services and Programming
Overview of programming interfaces and utilities
URL access
Hands-on exercise 8.1 – URL access, Native mode Report Server
Accessing the Report Server
Listing contents of a folder
Accessing a component in report parts
Rendering a report
Accessing the contents of a data source
Exporting to supported formats
Rendering a report with the report parameter

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409
410
411

411
412
412
413
413
414
414


Table of Contents

Hands-on exercise 8.2 – URL access and SharePoint Integrated
mode Report Server

415

Accessing the Report Server in SP-integrated implementation
Accessing a report on the Report Server in SP-integrated implementation

415
416

ReportViewer control
417
Hands-on exercise 8.3 – using URL access and ReportViewer
controls with Web applications
418
Report Server Web Services API
422
Hands-on exercise 8.4 – rendering a report

on the native mode Report Server into different formats
423
Reporting Services in SharePoint Integrated mode
430
Hands-on exercise 8.5 – accessing SharePoint management
endpoints
431
PowerShell434
Hands-on exercise 8.6 – a quick review of basics
435
PowerShell and reporting services with SharePoint Integration
437
Hands-on exercise 8.7 – exploring reporting services in SharePoint
Integrated mode
438
Getting help about help
Application server of the Reporting Services Service Application
Finding all cmdlets related to Reporting Services SharePoint Integration
Proxy URL of the Report Server
SP service application pool

PowerShell and Native mode Reporting Services 2010
Hands-on exercise 8.8 – exploring Native mode Reporting Services
The Native mode Report Server
Native mode Report Server configuration
Extensions supported on a Windows Forms ReportViewer

Windows Management Instrumentation
Hands-on exercise 8.9 – exploring the native mode Report
Server programmatically

Providing access permission to WMI

438
438
439
440
440

441
441
441
442
444

445
446
446

Report Server properties using WMI
Reporting Services command prompt utilities
The RSS utility
What can rs.exe do?

448
451
452
452

Hands-on exercise 8.10 – creating a data source on the report
server using rs.exe and a script file

The Rskeymgmt utility
Rsconfig

453
456
457

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Table of Contents

Incorporating custom code into reports
Hands-on 8.11 – inserting custom code into a report
Summary

Chapter 9: Windows Azure SQL Reporting

What is Windows Azure SQL Reporting?
Hands-on exercise 9.1 – accessing the Windows Azure portal
Creating content for reports and viewing them
Preparing to author reports
Hands-on exercise 9.2 – creating a report using SSDT and
deploying it to the Windows Azure Reporting on the Cloud

Creating a SQL database on Windows Azure
Creating a table for the report
Populating the table in SSMS

Creating a SQL Reporting Service in Windows Azure
Creating a report based on the Skyblue database on the Windows Azure Platform
Deploying the report to the SQL Reporting Services on Windows Azure
Viewing the report on the SQL Reporting Web server

458
458
460

461

462
463
468
468
469

469
474
476
478
480
484
486

Hands-on exercise 9.3 – using the Windows Azure SQL Reporting
Services to create folders, share data sources, and upload reports

488

Managing your reports and users is easy
Managing users
Managing reports
Managing the report Dashboard
Status of activities
Managing permissions
Report viewing
Using Report Builder to view reports

491
492
493
494
495
496
496
497

Creating a shared data source in the portal

Making changes to the report and placing it on the Report Server

URL access to reports on the Report Server
Accessing the server and running a report
Do gadgets like indicators and data bars work?
SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services – Known Issues

Hands-on exercise 9.4 – migrating a table on an on-premise
SQL Server 2012 to the Windows Azure SQL database
Summary

Chapter 10: Applications Accessing Report Servers
Hands-on exercise 10.1 – accessing the Native mode Report
Server using SSIS
Creating the Report Server Web Service WSDL file

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500

502
502
502
503

505
506

507
508

513


Table of Contents
Providing the WSDL file to the Web Service Task

Adding a File System Task to the Control Flow page

513
515

Accessing reports from a Windows Presentation Foundations
classes project
517
Hands-on exercise 10.2 – accessing Report Server URLs in a
WPF project
518
Accessing Native Report Server reports from SharePoint
Web parts
524
Hands-on exercise 10.3 – viewing reports on the Native mode
Report Server using SharePoint Web parts
524
Accessing the Web parts
525
Summary532

Index533

[x]

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Preface
From Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 to Microsoft SQL Server

Reporting Services 2012 there have been many great changes. The landscape of
computing itself has changed with a proliferation of devices of various shapes
and sizes. As you might have already learned, and I am sure you will learn from
reading this book, Reporting Services has changed a lot especially as it relates to
integration with SharePoint, another great product from Microsoft.
The initial motivation to write the 2nd edition of Learning SQL Server 2008 Reporting
Services came from Packt. In my 1st edition, I had bypassed the part related to
SharePoint. SharePoint Integration with SQL Server 2012 becoming much more
robust leading to some great interactive features motivated me further. I wanted to
experience the thrill of investigating what these new features are and communicate it
to my readers. Also, Report Builder 3 came after the 1st edition, and the new features
that came with it compelled me to write this book.
The style of writing this edition is very similar to the first edition, which my
readers enjoyed. This style makes learning a pleasure, removing the drudgery of
reading a lot of text before tackling what is essential for the task. The task is made
easier because of Microsoft's wizard-based program flow, a keenly honed Rapid
Application Development (RAD) technology. The content of the book is not just
GUI-based, there is enough coding, but is kept to a minimum. All code has been
tested and is available for download at the Packt site. The background material,
a condensate of Microsoft documentation, is carefully added to each chapter giving
it an entry point. Sometimes entire portions of Microsoft documentation has been
added to leave out ambiguities. This is then followed by graded hands-on exercises
supported by screenshots with concluding remarks highlighting what is learned.
In each chapter there are a number of links to material on Microsoft sites (mostly);
some of them may be broken by the time the reader may reach out, however these
links are meant mostly for those who seek information beyond the book to further
the understanding of a particular item. I plan to present a list of all links in the book
on my blog .

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Preface

I recommend readers start with Chapter 1, Overview and Installation – SQL Server
Reporting Services 2012, and follow through. Chapter 1, Overview and Installation
– SQL Server Reporting Services 2012, is mandatory as the book depends on the
environment created in in this chapter. In Chapter 2, SQL Server Reporting Services
2012 Projects with Visual Studio 2012, the report viewer controlling both desktop and
web applications will be described with examples. Chapter 3, Overview of SQL Server
Reporting Services 2012 Architecture, Features, and Tools, is a summary of available
documentation regarding architecture and features. Chapter 4, Working with Report
Manager, describes the various tasks you can perform with Report Manager.
In Chapter 5, Working with Report Builder 3.0 (also part of Chapter 10, Applications
Accessing Report Servers) you will work with Report Builder 3.0 and the new
gadgets. Chapter 6, Power View and Reporting Services, is entirely devoted to Power
View, new and interesting in SQL Server 2012, and so is Chapter 7, Self-Service Data
Alerts in SSRS 2012, on Self-Service Data Alerts, both of which launched from the
SharePoint Site. A large number of programming tools are presented in Chapter 8,
Reporting Services and Programming, with a brief introduction to Power Shell in as
much detail as it is essential for configuring SharePoint Reporting Services service.
Chapter 9, Windows Azure SQL Reporting, describes fully the way to get acquainted
with the new Windows Azure SQL Reporting. Three applications accessing Report
Servers are described in Chapter 10, Applications Accessing Report Servers, which in
addition to those in the first edition completes the picture.
I am not new to reporting software and I have seen and worked with many. I believe
that Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is one of the best as it delivers what
is promised. Microsoft has tested and tried the various components that go into
Reporting Services over many years to make this happen such as Windows, .NET
Framework from v1.1 to v4.5, Microsoft SQL Server, Windows Azure, Microsoft

SharePoint, and Silverlight to mention only a few and I have a feeling that I might
have left out many others. Microsoft documentation has the last word and I would
recommend readers to access the MSDN/TECHNET forums and the Microsoft
Connect site to further their learning experience.
Writing this book was somewhat of a challenge. Windows 7 platform is not a
recommended platform for SharePoint. Installing and configuring SharePoint
on a Windows 7 platform was not easy. Two malware attacks during the writing
period made it lot worse. My educational and research background over 25 years
in academia has helped me a lot in delivering a book whose sole purpose is to take
a reader with little initial background to be productive in a relatively short time.
I do sincerely hope this has been achieved and that readers enjoy this book as
much as I have enjoyed writing it.

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Preface

Editors and reviewers have contributed a great deal of time and effort both
technically and otherwise to make this book possible. One could say, editors write
the book. However, I hold myself totally responsible for any errors and omissions.
I will be looking forward to hearing from my readers to share with me their
learning experience.

What this book covers
Chapter 1, Overview and Installation – SQL Server Reporting Services 2012, provides stepby-step instructions supported by detailed screenshots for installing/configuring
SQL Server 2012 Enterprise in Native and SharePoint Integrated mode, configuring
Reporting Services 2012 in Native mode, installing sample databases used in the book,

guidance to install SharePoint 2010 on Windows 7, and installing Reporting Services
2012 in SharePoint Integrated mode.
Chapter 2, SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 Projects with Visual Studio 2012, gives
details about Microsoft Business Intelligence projects, including an introduction to
SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), creating BI projects in SSDT, creating reports using
SSDT, and creating reports using Visual Studio suite.
Chapter 3, Overview of SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 Architecture, Features, and
Tools, provides readers a summary of Microsoft documentation related to SSRS 2012
regarding structural design of the environment, architecture of Native mode and
SharePoint Integrated mode of Reporting Services, Reporting Services Configuration,
and salient features of Reporting Services 2012. The reader will learn to work with
Reporting Services operational features and configuration files.
Chapter 4, Working with Report Manager, describes how to work with Report
Manager and administer the Report Server. Specifically the reader will learn all
aspects of reports that include management, viewing, security, and permission for
reports. The reader will also learn scheduling and delivery of reports, uploading/
downloading reports/resources, creating data models, and so on, which are all
described with examples.
Chapter 5, Working with Report Builder 3.0, describes all aspects of Report Builder
3.0 with examples. Readers will learn to author reports using this one-stop tool for
Reporting Services. In the process the reader will learn to access Native/SharePoint
mode Report Servers; author different types of reports, including embedded and
shared data sources, column grouping and document maps, subreports, drill-down/
drill-through reports, linked reports, reports based on XML data; and the use of
additional visual analytic gadgets/features not described in the first edition such
as maps, data bars, sparklines, and report parts.

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Preface

Chapter 6, Power View and Reporting Services, describes Power View as a new feature in
SSRS 2012 that does ad-hoc reporting accessible to all levels of expertise in the business
from data analysts to business decision makers, but depends on a model built using
SSAS (or PowerPivot). Readers will install SQL Server 2012 instance to support Tabular
Model, create model/models using SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), and use
the model to create data source in SharePoint site that has a Reporting Services service
running. Readers will create Power View reports using this data source and experience
a full dose of interactivity and fun.
Chapter 7, Self-Service Data Alerts in SSRS 2012, describes another new feature of SSRS
2012 when implemented in SharePoint Integrated mode that helps with monitoring
data changes on a report, very useful for any proactive organization. Readers will
learn details of Data Alert workflow and learn how to use the interfaces in SharePoint.
Reader will also learn details of Data Alerts including Data Alert designers and Data
Alert managers.
Chapter 8, Reporting Services and Programming, describes several programming and
interfaces used with SSRS 2012 that include URL Access, Report Viewer Controls,
Reporting Services Web Services APIs, PowerShell support for Native and SharePoint
Integrated mode implementation, Windows management instrumentation, Reporting
Services utilities, and incorporating custom code in reports that are described with
working examples.
Chapter 9, Windows Azure SQL Reporting, describes Windows Azure SQL Reporting as
Microsoft Reporting Services in the cloud. The readers will learn how to begin using
Windows Azure SQL Reporting Services and create reports using SSDT and deploy
them to Azure SQL Reporting Services. In doing so, readers will learn to work with
Windows Azure Portal, Windows Azure SQL Databases, and viewing reports on the
cloud-based Report Server. All aspects of creating, viewing, and managing reports

are discussed.
Chapter 10, Applications Accessing Report Servers, describes working through three
examples of accessing Report Servers via applications. In the first, SQL Server
Integration Services access the Report Server using a Web Service task; in the
second, a Windows Foundation Project accesses Report Servers, both native and
SharePoint Integrated mode using an embedded web browser control and in the
third, SharePoint web parts are used to access a Native mode Report Server.
Appendix, Reference, provides useful references that have been used in the book.
You can download this appendix from />files/downloads/9922EN_Appendix_References.pdf.

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