Things You Should Know About SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

Enterprises are generating the data with great proficiency but utilizing all the generated data to gain more profits is still elusive. And to stand in this fast-growing world can be a challenging task. An enterprise needs a tool that can help them to survive in a world full of competitors. Thus, Microsoft comes up with an idea, with a tool and named SQL Server Reporting Services in short SSRS. So, let’s begin the blog with a basic introduction.

What is Server Reporting Services (SSRS)?

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a reporting services tool, which is used to create formatted reports such as graphs, tabular representation data, and charts, Matrix Reports, and Maps reports. There are three types of reporting services, let’s check them out:

• Microsoft SQL Server Integration services: It connects data from different sources, and supports in loading ETL data.

• Microsoft SQL Server Analytical services: It helps in the online analytical process and data mining.

• Microsoft SQL Server Reporting services: It allows for generating a visual representation of the data.

Component of the SSRS

To cater the needs of the end-users, SSRS provides the following tools for specific usages. Kindly check the tools for more detailed information:

Report Builder

It is a report creating and publishing tool that is executed on a client’s computer. It has a drag and drops functionality that is very easy to use.

Report Designer

The Report designer helps to create all types of reports. Report Designer helps users to create and publish the reports on a server that is hosted in Visual Studio or Business Intelligence Development Studio environment.

Report Manager

The report manager is a web platform for managing the reports.

Report Server

It is a server that uses the SQL Server database engine to store server information.

Report server database

It maintains the metadata, report definitions, resources, delivery date, and security settings.

Data sources

Reporting services fetch the data from multiple data sources for multidimensional data sources.

Types of the SSRS Reports

Tablix Report: The Tablix report is used to display the rows data, grouped data, or a combination of both in a paginated report.

Linked reports: The linked report is driven from an existing report, the linked report is a shortcut way to execute the existing reports and it returns to the original report definition

Snapshot reports: A snapshot report is a pre-executed report that contains layout information and query results data. And they can be retrieved at a specific scheduled time.

Cached reports: Cached reports are saved for a copy of the already processed reports.

Drilldown reports: Drill down Reports allows Users to expand or collapse a section of a report by providing plus and minus symbols on a text box.

Drill through reports: The drill-through report is reporting that allows the user to navigate to another report that contains more detailed information.

Sub reports: The main work of Sub reports is to display another report inside the body of the Main report.

Parameterized reports:

Parameters reports are the reports which can be used to filter the data it has the input parameter for filtering the data. The parameter allows the user to send specific filter criteria into the report and view the data according to that filter. Parameters are a logical way to allow the users to control the report output dynamically.

There are some different parameters

• Report Parameters: It will allow the users to enter a value within the textbox and then the report will filter that report data by the user-specified value or else the user can filter the reports dynamically by using the report parameters.

• Multi-Value Parameters: This allows the user to pass one or more input parameter values, this also provides the functionality to the user a “select all” option by which we can select all the parameters.

• Dropdown list Parameters: This allows the user to select a value from the dropdown list and then filter the report data by using a user-specified value.

• Multiple Parameters: This allows the user to filter the reports using these parameters dynamically.

• Cascading Parameters: This indicates that one parameter value will be filtered depending upon distinct parameters.

Conclusion:

Through this blog, now you know the concepts of SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Service) and also understood the circumstances where it finds its usage. I have shared all features that SSRS offers to its end users. With the support of the tool, you can look out what is going in the business.