Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2008 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies®

V.1.2. Understanding Reporting Services Components

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) has several components that are intertwined like a big jigsaw puzzle. Before getting too far, it's best to have an understanding of all the pieces of the SSRS puzzle.

Reports can be created by a developer or by an end user.

• Reports created by developers: These reports are created in the Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) as a report server project. Figure 1-4 shows the process of building a report using the Report Designer in BIDS. All the details of the report are specified in the Report Designer. The Report Designer specifies the data source, query, filters, and specifically how the report is displayed. After the report is published to the SSRS server, end users only need to query these reports to retrieve the data. The Report Designer is explored in greater depth in Chapter 3 of this mini-book.

  Figure V.1-4. Creating a report using Report Designer.

  

• Reports created by end users: A report model project is first created in BIDS by a database developer. Figure 1-5 shows the process of building a report from a report model. The developer creates a report model that works like a blueprint; the data source is specified, which identifies what data can be displayed. However, just as you can't live in a blueprint of a house, you can't view a report with a report model. Instead, users use ...