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Reporting Services Components and Tools

SQL Server Reporting Services is a set of processing components, tools, and programmatic interfaces that support the development and use of rich reports in a managed environment. The tool set includes development tools, configuration and administration tools, and report viewing tools.

Processing is distributed across multiple components. Central and specialized processors are used to retrieve data, process report layout, render presentation formats, and deliver to target destinations. Presentation processing occurs after the data is retrieved and is decoupled from data processing, allowing multiple users to review the same report simultaneously in formats designed for different devices or quickly change the viewing format of the report, from HTML to PDF or Microsoft Excel or XML, with a single click. The modular architecture is designed for extensibility. Developers can include reporting functionality in custom applications or extend reporting functionality to support custom features.

Programmatic interfaces for easy integration with new or existing applications and portals include:

  • Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)

  • URL endpoints

  • Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

In This Section

  • Report Server
    Describes the Report Server component, which provides data and report processing, and report delivery. The Report Server component includes several subcomponents that perform specific functions. This topic introduces each component of Report Server.

  • Report Designer
    Report Designer is a comprehensive report design tool that is appropriate for both administrators and developers. Report Designer runs in the Business Intelligence Development Studio, which is fully integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 or later, or can be run as a separate application. Report Designer provides several query designers specific to various supported data source types. Report Designer supports advanced reporting functionality such as free-form reports and custom report items.

    There is also a Report Wizard associated with Report Designer. The Report Wizard steps you through the report design process to produce a simple tabular or chart report, which can be opened and enhanced in Report Designer or used as is.

  • Report Builder 2.0
    Report Builder 2.0, the new version of Report Builder, features a Microsoft Office-like authoring environment. It offers many new features such as wizards for creating new tables, matrices, and charts, enhanced data layout, data visualization, richly formatted text, and on-demand rendering. You can customize and update all existing reports, regardless of where they were initially designed.

  • Report Builder 1.0
    Report Builder 1.0 allows information workers to explore business information in a report model without having to understand the underlying data source structures and create ad hoc reports for personal or organizational use. Report Builder 1.0 is fully integrated with Reporting Services. Ad hoc reports can be revised, managed, and secured by using the other Reporting Services tools. An unique feature of Report Builder is clickthrough functionality that enables people to explore the business data that is available to them via ad hoc reports.

  • Model Designer
    Model Designer is used to generate and customize report models of business data for use with Report Builder or Report Designer.

  • Report Manager
    Report Manager is a Web-based report access and management tool that you access through Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later. Information workers as well as content managers use Report Manager to find, run, and subscribe to published reports. Content managers use Report Manager to manage reports, data sources, and resources; configure report processing options and security

  • Reporting Services Configuration Tool
    The Reporting Services Configuration tool is used to configure a Reporting Services installation. Reporting Services can be reconfigured after installation to support changing business requirements and scenarios.

  • Report Server Command Prompt Utilities
    SQL Server Reporting Services includes three command line utilities that you can use to administer a report server. These utilities are installed automatically when you install a report server.

  • Reporting Services in Business Intelligence Development Studio
    SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio is a Visual Studio shell that hosts Report Designer and Model Designer.

  • SQL Server Tools for Report Server Administration
    SQL Server also provides tools that administrators can use to manage a Reporting Services installation.

  • Tutorial: How to Locate and Start Reporting Services Tools
    This tutorial introduces the Reporting Services tools that are used to configure a report server, manage report server content and operations, and create and publish reports and report models.