MSBI # 49 – SSRS # 6 – What is a Reporting Services report and Why Use Reporting Services with some more basic information

Hi friends

Continuing from my last post on SSRS series ..

1. MSBI # 47 – SSRS # 5 – What is a Report ? and Report Definition Overview Diagrams !
2. MSBI # 33 – SSRS # 4 – Everything and Explanation of Shared Data Source in SSRS
3. MSBI #  4  – SSRS # 1 – What is SSRS ? – (SQL Server Reporting Services)
4. MSBI #  7  – SSRS # 2 – Get familiar with BIDS–SSRS ? – (SQL Server Reporting Services)
5. MSBI # 16 – SSRS # 3 – Some Question about SSRS for Deeper Understanding !

In this article we are going to cover following topics .

1. Why Use Reporting Services?
2. What is a Reporting Services report?
3. What is a Reporting Services?
4. What’s New in Reporting Services 2008?
5. Basics for RDL and Report Manager
6. Which are Reporting tools available for Business Intelligence ?

Reporting is most important stage for collecting, storing, transforming and manipulating data.

What is a Reporting Services?

Reporting Services is a server-based reporting platform for the creation, management, and delivery of standard and ad hoc reports.

What is a Reporting Services report?

A Reporting Services report is a predefined, read-only, system-generated view of data which is human readable and addresses a specific data analytics need.

Reporting Services reports are system-generated. When you request a report, reporting

Services extracts data from the data source, combines data with the report layout, and renders the report.

Reporting Services includes two tools for creating reports:

1. Report Designer can create reports of any complexity that Reporting Services supports, but requires you to understand the structure of your data and to be able to navigate the Visual Studio user interface.
2. Report Builder provides a simpler user interface for creating ad hoc reports, directed primarily at business users rather than developers. Report Builder requires a developer or administrator to set up a data model before end users can create reports.

Why Use Reporting Services?

Reporting Services can address two of the most pervasive reporting needs in every organization: standard reporting and ad hoc reporting.

A standard report is a predefined (canned) report whose layout is not meant to be changed by end users. Standard reports are usually deployed to a web portal, such as a SharePoint portal, or ship with custom applications.

Ad hoc reporting empowers business users to create their own reports. Since standard reports Take significant time and effort to produce, many organizations are looking for ways to let end users create specific, customized reports

Enterprise reporting

Suppose that your company would like to implement an enterprise-wide reporting system

where reports are centrally managed and available to anyone on the corporate intranet who is authorized to view them. Because Reporting Services is a server-based platform, report authors can deploy reports to a designated report server.

Digital dashboards and portals

Many organizations build digital dashboards and web-based portals to gauge business performance and let users collaborate online. Information workers can use Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server to assemble such solutions by creating personalized dashboard pages consisting of web parts.

Web-based reporting

In keeping with the fast pace of the Internet age, everyone wants to have up-to-date information by accessing the latest data in real time over the web. Reporting Services reports are web enabled by default. Consequently, end users can view a report by requesting its URL in the browser.

Embedded reporting

Embedded reporting is a common requirement for both desktop and web applications. Typically, the application presents a list of reports to the user so the user can pick which one to view. The application then generates the report and displays it in the presentation layer. Depending on how involved your requirements are, your application might also call for validating report parameters, distributing report definitions with the application, and binding reports to application datasets. The Report Viewer controls are designed to handle these tasks.

SSRS 2000 does not included ad hoc reporting capabilities

What’s New in Reporting Services 2008?

1. Tablix data region (table and matrix form)

2. End-user design enhancements (grouping…)

3. Improved data visualization (charts…)

4. Enhancements for text and rich formatting

5. Robust report platform (Removes dependency on IIS and implemented new hosting Model )

having features

• Easier configuration
• Better resource management
• Simplified deployment and adoption

Enterprise scale reporting engine

You can integrate Reporting Services with Analysis Services to build synergetic business

Intelligence solutions. For example, you can use an Analysis Services cube as a data source for standard and ad hoc reports. You can also implement reports that leverage the Analysis Services data mining capabilities to display prediction results, such as forecasted sales the report server provides two communication interfaces: URL access and a Web service

Reporting Services supports two deployment modes.

• Native mode (default)—The report server as a stand-alone application server that provides all processing and management capability exclusively through Reporting Services components.
• SharePoint mode—The report server is integrated with Windows SharePoint Services or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. Report viewing and management happens inside the SharePoint portal.

What is RDL ?

Reporting Services reports are described in an open XML-based schema, called Report Definition Language (RDL).

Report Definition Language (RDL) is an XML-based schema for defining reports. RDL is an open standard proposed by Microsoft to promote interoperability of commercial reporting products.

Report Manager is implemented as a web-based application that supports two main features: report management and report delivery. Administrators can use Report Manager to manage the report catalogue, such as to create folders, upload reports, set up data sources, manage subscriptions, define security policies, and schedule report processing.

What are all Reporting tools available for Business Intelligence and there are vendor ?

No.	Reporting Tools	Version	Vendor
1	Oracle Enterprise BI Server	11g1	Oracle
2	SAP Business Objects Enterprise XI	r4	SAP
3	Microsoft BI tools (Integrated BI offering*)	2008/2010	Microsoft
4	SAS Enterprise BI Server	9.2	SAS Institute
5	Microstrategy	9	Microstrategy
6	IBM Cognos Series 10	10.1	IBM
7	QlikView	11	QlikTech
8	Board Management intelligence Toolkit	7.1	Board International
9	BizzScore Suite	7.3	EFM Software
10	WebFOCUS	8	Information Builders
11	Oracle Hyperion System	9	Oracle
12	SAP Net Weaver BI	7.3	SAP
13	Actuate	9.1	Actuate
14	Style Intelligence	11	InetSoft
15	Pentaho BI suite (open source)	4	Pentaho
16	Tableau Software	6.1	Tableau Software

Thanks to Prashant for helping and sharing this some basic information .

Hope this explanation is useful for you !!

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