PROFESSIONAL MICROSOFT® SQL SERVER® 2016 REPORTING SERVICES AND MOBILE REPORTS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxix

▸ PART I GETTING STARTED

CHAPTER 1 Introducing Reporting Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CHAPTER 2 What’s New in SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services? . . . . . . . . . . . 23

CHAPTER 3 Reporting Services Installation and Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

▸ PART II BASIC REPORT DESIGN

CHAPTER 4 Report Layout and Formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

CHAPTER 5 Data Access and Query Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

CHAPTER 6 Grouping and Totals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

▸ PART III ADVANCED AND ANALYTIC REPORTING

CHAPTER 7 Advanced Report Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

CHAPTER 8 Graphical Report Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

CHAPTER 9 Advanced Queries and Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

CHAPTER 10 Reporting with Analysis Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

CHAPTER 11 SSAS Reporting Advanced Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

CHAPTER 12 Expressions and Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365

▸ PART IV SOLUTION PATTERNS

CHAPTER 13 Report Projects and Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397

CHAPTER 14 Report Solutions, Patterns, and Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429

▸ PART V REPORTING SERVICES CUSTOM PROGRAMMING

CHAPTER 15 Integrating Reports into Custom Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

CHAPTER 16 Extending Reporting Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 521

▸ PART VI MOBILE REPORT SOLUTIONS

CHAPTER 17 Introducing Reporting Services Mobile Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575

CHAPTER 18 Implementing a Mobile Report with Design-First Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593

CHAPTER 19 Mobile Report Design Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 623

CHAPTER 20 Advanced Mobile Report Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653

▸ PART VII ADMINISTERING REPORTING SERVICES

CHAPTER 21 Content Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 679

CHAPTER 22 Server Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753

PROFESSIONAL

Microsoft® SQL Server® 2016 Reporting Services and

Mobile Reports

Paul Turley

Microsoft® SQL Server® 2016 Reporting Services and Mobile Reports

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 10475 Crosspoint Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46256 www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

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This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife, Sherri.

You are beautiful in so many ways and I love you.

Thank you for managing the household and the

business, and helping me preserve a thread of sanity

while writing this book. You raised four great kids

who are now adults; and one overgrown kid who

refuses to grow up. Thank you for your word-smithing

skills, managing figure files, and correcting my run-on

sentences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAUL TURLEY is Principal Consultant for Intelligent Business, a Mentor with SolidQ, and a Microsoft Data Platform MVP. He consults, writes, speaks, teaches, and blogs about business intelligence and reporting solutions. He works with many organizations to model data, and visualize and deliver critical information to make informed business decisions using the Microsoft data platform and business analytics tools. He is a Director of the Oregon SQL PASS chapter and user group, and the author and lead author of 15 publications. He holds several certifications including MCSE for the Data Platform and BI. He posts and can be contacted through his blog at SqlServerBiBlog.com.

ABOUT THE TECHNICAL EDITOR

NIGEL PETER SAMMY is a Microsoft Data Platform Most Valuable Professional (MVP) with over 15 years of technical experience including 12 years of database and SQL Server experience. He cur-rently works at SoftwareONE as a Senior Data Platform Engineer where his responsibilities include consulting, solution design and implementation, hands-on training, and pre-sales. Besides work-ing at SoftwareONE, he is also a Lecturer at the School of Business and Computer Science (SBCS) where he teaches the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): SQL Server certification as well as other BSc courses for the University of London and University of Greenwich.

Nigel previously worked at Microsoft as an Account Technology Strategist (ATS) where he was responsible for providing pre-sales technical/architectural support for over 200 agencies in both the commercial and public sectors. As an ATS he delivered technical presentations and proofs of concept using SQL Server, Azure, Power BI, and Office 365. Nigel was also a Data Platform Architect (DPA) at SolidQ, a global provider of advanced consulting, mentoring, and education solutions for the Microsoft Data, Business Intelligence, Collaboration, and Development platforms. Microsoft and SolidQ have given him at least five years’ working experience with large international companies.

He has progressed through other roles in his career including Application Developer, Analyst, Database Administrator, Database Developer, Project Manager, Architect, Team Lead, and Manager. In 2010, Nigel co-founded the Trinidad and Tobago SQL Server User Group (TTSSUG), a volunteer, independent, non-profit organization providing a community for Microsoft SQL Server professionals, hobbyists, and enthusiasts. Nigel is a co-author of Microsoft’s SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Technical Guide and a technical editor of Wrox’s Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services book. For the last eight years he has been presenting on data platform topics for conferences locally and internationally. When he gets extra time, he blogs at www.nigelpsammy.com.

SENIOR ACQUISITIONS EDITORKenyon Brown

PROJECT EDITORTom Dinse

TECHNICAL EDITORNigel Peter Sammy

PRODUCTION EDITORAthiyappan Lalith Kumar

COPY EDITORKimberly A. Cofer

MANAGER OF CONTENT DEVELOPMENT & ASSEMBLYMary Beth Wakefield

PRODUCTION MANAGERKathleen Wisor

MARKETING MANAGERCarrie Sherrill

PROFESSIONAL TECHNOLOGY & STRATEGY DIRECTORBarry Pruett

BUSINESS MANAGERAmy Knies

EXECUTIVE EDITORJim Minatel

PROJECT COORDINATOR, COVERBrent Savage

PROOFREADERNancy Bell

INDEXERNancy Guenther

COVER DESIGNERWiley

COVER IMAGE© afby71/iStockphoto

CREDITS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My endless appreciation and gratitude goes to the co-authors and contributors of the four previous editions of this book series over the past 13 years. As technical reviewer, Nigel Sammy worked tire-lessly to test and research the 2016 product as it was readied for release, and to make sure we were current, complete, and accurate. This product continues to be a moving target, and Nigel went far above and beyond any reasonable expectation.

I appreciate my 2012 edition co-authors who helped refresh and update material for the new product version. Thanks go to Grant Paisley, Thiago Silva, and Robert Bruckner for your revisions and direction. Tom Dinse, thank you for your patience and persistence through this hardscrabble effort. Riccardo Muti and Chris Finlan from the product team, thanks for sewing the monster together and once again giving him life. Seriously, thanks for the direct product team access and on-going support for this set of marvelous tools.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION xxix

ParT I: GETTING STarTED

ChaPTEr 1: INTrODUCING rEPOrTING SErVICES 3

Who Uses Reporting Services? 4Information Workers and Data Analysts 5Information Consumers 6Business Managers and Leaders 6Software Developers 6System Administrators 7

Dashboards, Reports, and Applications 7Application Integration 7Business Intelligence and Analytics Solutions 10Mobile Reports and KPIs 11

Report Tool Choices 14Simple Report Design 15IT-Designed Reports 16User-Designed Reports 16Server-Based Reports 17Report Data Sources 18Enterprise Scale 19

Optimizing Performance 19Performance 20

Summary 20

ChaPTEr 2: WhaT’S NEW IN SQL SErVEr 2016 rEPOrTING SErVICES? 23

Report Builder and Designer Enhancements 25Modern Browser Rendering 26Parameter Layout Control 26Updated RDL Specification 27Mobile Reports 28KPIs 30Native Printing Control 31

xiv

CONTENTS

PowerPoint Rendering 31Integrated and Improved Web Portal 31New Charts and Visual Enhancements 32Standardized, Modern Browser Rendering 33Power BI Dashboard Pinning 33Summary 36

ChaPTEr 3: rEPOrTING SErVICES INSTaLLaTION aND arChITECTUrE 39

What’s Changed in SQL Server 2016? 41The Basic Installation 41

Installing Reporting Services 42Installing the Reporting Services Samples, Exercises, and SQL Server Databases 56

The Enterprise Deployment 57SQL Server Editions 58Default and Named Instances 58Topology 60Modes 61Installation Options 61

The Reporting Life Cycle 63Authoring 63Management 63Delivery 64

Reporting Services Tools 64Report Builder 64Web Portal 64SharePoint Libraries and Web Parts 64Reporting Services Configuration Manager 65SQL Server Management Applications 65Command-Line Utilities 65HTML Viewer 66Report Viewer Control 66Reporting Services Web Service 67

Reporting Services Windows Service 68HTTP.SYS and the HTTP Listener 69The Security Sublayer 69Web Portal and the Web Service 70Core Processing 71Service Management 71WMI and the RPC Interface 72

xv

CONTENTS

Reporting Services Processors and Extensions 73The Report Processor 74Data Processing Extensions 75Report Items 76Rendering Extensions 77The Scheduling and Delivery Processor 80Delivery Extensions 80

Reporting Services Application Databases 80ReportServer 80ReportServerTempDB 82

Summary 82

ParT II: BaSIC rEPOrT DESIGN

ChaPTEr 4: rEPOrT LaYOUT aND FOrMaTTING 87

Using Report Design Tools 88Understanding Report Data Building Blocks 89

Data Sources 89Datasets 90Data Regions 90Report Items 93

Samples and Exercises 93Preparing the Report Data 96Designing the Report Layout 100Reviewing the Report 104Setting Formatting Properties 105Validating Report Design and Grouping Data 108

Summary 112

ChaPTEr 5: DaTa aCCESS aND QUErY BaSICS 113

Database Essentials 114Relational Database Concepts 114What’s a Sequel? 114

Data Source Management 115Embedded and Shared Data Sources 115

Datasets and Fields 119Embedded and Shared Datasets 120Exercises 120Authoring a Query with SQL Server Management Studio 120Add the Query to the Report Dataset 124

xvi

CONTENTS

Design the Report Body 128Enhance the Parameter 131Using Multiple Parameter Values 134

Summary 138

ChaPTEr 6: GrOUPING aND TOTaLS 139

SQL Server Data Tools 140Getting Started 140Getting Started with Sample Reports Projects 144

Report Groups 150Adding Totals to a Table or Matrix Report 153Expression Basics 154Introducing Aggregate Functions and Totals 155Sorting 155

Exercise 158Design the Dataset Query 158Design and Lay Out a Table Report 160Add Summary Totals and Drill-Down 163Aggregate Detail Row Summaries 167Create Parameter List 168

Summary 171

ParT III: aDVaNCED aND aNaLYTIC rEPOrTING

ChaPTEr 7: aDVaNCED rEPOrT DESIGN 175

Pagination and Flow Control 176Headers and Footers 178

Tablix Headers and Detail Cells 182Designing the Page Headers 182

Composite Reports and Embedded Content 187Unlocking the Textbox 187

Padding and Indenting 188Embedded Formatting 189

Designing Master/Detail Reports 195Repeating Data Regions: Table, Matrix, and List 196Groups and Dataset Scope 200More Aggregate Functions and Totals 200

Designing Subreports 203Federating Data with a Subreport 205

xvii

CONTENTS

Navigating Reports 208Creating a Document Map 209

Exercises 210Exercise 1: Create a Report Template 210Exercise 2: Create a Report from the Template with Dynamic Expressions 215

Summary 219

ChaPTEr 8: GraPhICaL rEPOrT DESIGN 221

Visual Design Principles 222Keep Charts Simple 222Properties, Oh My! 223The Fashion of Visualization 223Visual Storytelling 224Perspective and Skewing 224

Chart Types 225Chart Type Summary 225Column and Stacked Charts 228Area and Line Charts 229Pie and Doughnut Charts 229Bubble and Stock Charts 233New Chart Types 233The Anatomy of a Chart 235Multiple Series, Axes, and Areas 237

Exercises 240Exercise 1: Creating and Styling a Simple Chart 240Exercise 2: Creating a Multi-series Chart 245Useful Properties and Settings 248

Summary 249

ChaPTEr 9: aDVaNCED QUErIES aND ParaMETErS 251

T-SQL Queries and Parameters 252Parameter Lists and Multi-select 252Cascading Parameters 257Arranging Parameters in the Parameter Bar 259Managing Long Parameter Lists 259All Value Selection 261Handling Conditional Logic 264

MDX Queries and Parameters 266Single-Valued Parameter 270

xviii

CONTENTS

Multi-Valued Parameter 270Date Value Ranges 271

Summary 275

ChaPTEr 10: rEPOrTING WITh aNaLYSIS SErVICES 277

Analysis Services for Reporting 278Using Reporting Services with Analysis Services Data 279Working with Multidimensional Expression Language 280

MDX: Simple or Complex? 280Building Queries with the MDX Query Designer 281Modifying an MDX Query 293

Adding Nonadditive Measures 302When to Use the Aggregate Function 304

MDX Properties and Cube Formatting 305Drill-Through Reports 307

Parameter Safety Precautions 308Best Practices and Provisions 308Summary 309

ChaPTEr 11: SSaS rEPOrTING aDVaNCED TEChNIQUES 311

Building a Dynamic Cube Browser with SSRS 312Cube Dynamic Rows 312

Cube Dynamic Rows Anatomy 313Cube Dynamic Rows Summary 322

Cube Dynamic Rows Expanded 324MDX Query Modifications 324Design Surface Modifications 325

Cube Restricting Rows 326Designing the Report 326

Cube Metadata 332Designing the Report 332Adding Other Cube Metadata 336

Cube Browser 342Anatomy of the Reports 342Behind the Scenes 346Final Thoughts 362

Summary 364

ChaPTEr 12: EXPrESSIONS aND aCTIONS 365

Basic Expressions Recap 365Using the Expression Builder 367

xix

CONTENTS

Calculated Fields 369Conditional Expressions 371The IIF() Function 372Using Custom Code 375

Using Custom Code in a Report 376Links and Drill-Through Reports 378

Reporting on Recursive Relationships 381Actions and Report Navigation 385Summary 392

ParT IV: SOLUTION PaTTErNS

ChaPTEr 13: rEPOrT PrOJECTS aND CONSOLIDaTION 397

SSDT Solutions and Projects 398Project Structure and Development Phases 399Shared Datasets and Data Sources 401Key Success Factors 402Report Specifications 403Report Template 406

Version Control 407Setting Up Version Control 408Getting the Latest Version 408Viewing a Report’s History 409Restoring a Previous Version of a Report 409Setting Check-out and Check-in Policies 409Applying Labels 409

Synchronizing Content 409Deploying an Individual Report 410Deploying a Suite of Reports 410Checking for Build Errors 410Excluding a Report from a Deployment 410

Managing Server Content 410Checking the Deployment Location 411Managing Content in Native Mode 412Managing Content in SharePoint 413

Report Builder and Self-Service Reporting Strategies 414Report Builder and Semantic Model History 415Planning a Self-Service Reporting Environment 416

You Need a Plan 416Design Approaches and Usage Scenarios 416Define Ownership 417Data Governance 418

xx

CONTENTS

Data Source Access and Security 419User Education 419Data Source and Query Options 421

User Report Migration Strategies 425Review 425Consolidate 426Design 426Test 426Maintain 426

Summary 427

ChaPTEr 14: rEPOrT SOLUTIONS, PaTTErNS, aND rECIPES 429

Super Reports 430Working with the Strengths and Limitations of the Reporting Services Architecture 431Seeking the Excel Export Holy Grail 431

Report Recipes: Building on Basic Skills 435Dashboard Solution Data Sources and Datasets 436KPI Scorecard 437Gauges 441Interactive Sparkline and Chart 443Thumbnail Map with Drill-Through Navigation 450

Summary 456

ParT V: rEPOrTING SErVICES CUSTOM PrOGraMMING

ChaPTEr 15: INTEGraTING rEPOrTS INTO CUSTOM aPPLICaTIONS 461

URL Access 462URL Syntax 463Accessing Reporting Services Objects 463Reporting Services URL Parameters 469Passing Report Information Through the URL 474

Programmatic Rendering 477Common Scenarios 478Rendering Through Windows 479Rendering to the Web 502

Using the ReportViewer Control 509Embedding a Server-Side Report in a Windows Application 512

Summary 519

xxi

CONTENTS

ChaPTEr 16: EXTENDING rEPOrTING SErVICES 521

Extension Through Interfaces 524What Is an Interface? 524Interface Language Differences 524A Detailed Look at Data Processing Extensions 527

Creating a Custom Data Processing Extension 529The Scenario 530Creating and Setting Up the Project 530Creating the DataSetConnection Object 533Creating the DataSetParameter Class 542Implementing IDataParameter 543Creating the DataSetParameterCollection Class 545Creating the DataSetCommand Class 547Creating the DataSetDataReader Object 562Installing the DataSetDataProcessing Extension 566Testing DataSetDataExtension 569

Summary 572

ParT VI: MOBILE rEPOrT SOLUTIONS

ChaPTEr 17: INTrODUCING rEPOrTING SErVICES MOBILE rEPOrTS 575

The Mobile Report Experience and Business Case 576Report Drill-Through Navigation 579When to Use Mobile Reports 579

Connection and Dataset Design Basics 581Introducing Mobile Report Publisher 581

Layout View 582Data View 582Dashboard Settings 583Preview 583

Visual Control Categories 584Navigators 585

Summary 592

ChaPTEr 18: IMPLEMENTING a MOBILE rEPOrT WITh DESIGN-FIrST DEVELOPMENT 593

Design-First Mobile Report Development Exercise 593Add Visual Controls 598Preview the Mobile Report 601

xxii

CONTENTS

Add Data to the Report 602Apply Mobile Layouts and Color Styling 613Test the Completed Mobile Report from the Server 616

Summary 620

ChaPTEr 19: MOBILE rEPOrT DESIGN PaTTErNS 623

Key Performance Indicators 623The Thing About KPIs 630

You Need Goals 630Time-Series Calculations and Time Grain 631

Creating a Time-Series Mobile Report 632Lay Out the Report Using Design-First Report Development 633Add Data and Set Control Data Properties 635Set Color Palette and Mobile Device Layouts 642Server Access and Live Mobile Connectivity 647

Summary 650

ChaPTEr 20: aDVaNCED MOBILE rEPOrT SOLUTIONS 653

Designing a Chart Data Grid Mobile Report 653Exercise: Chart Data Grid 654

Exercise: Adding a Drill-Through Mobile Report 662Exercise: Adding a Drill-Through Paginated Report 666

Getting Serious with Maps 671Summary 676

ParT VII: aDMINISTErING rEPOrTING SErVICES

ChaPTEr 21: CONTENT MaNaGEMENT 679

Using Web Portal 680Content Management Activities 683

Folders 684Shared Data Sources 685Reports 688Report Resources 694Shared Schedules 695

Site and Content Security 696Site Security 697Item-Level Security 697

Site Branding 707

xxiii

CONTENTS

Content Management Automation 710The RS Utility 710Reporting Services Scripts 713

Summary 714

ChaPTEr 22: SErVEr aDMINISTraTION 715

Security 716Account Management 717System-Level Roles 721Surface Area Management 723

Backup and Recovery 724Application Databases 725Encryption Keys 727Configuration Files 730Other Items 730

Monitoring 731Setup Logs 731Windows Application Event Logs 731Trace Logs 732Execution Logs 735Performance Counters 736Server Management Reports 741

Configuration 742Memory Management 742URL Reservations 743E-mail Delivery 745Rendering Extensions 747My Reports 749

Summary 751

INDEX 753

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FOREWORD

Riccardo MutiGroup Program Manager, SQL Server Reporting ServicesMicrosoft

On a mild Seattle day in 2010, I headed to the Microsoft campus to start my new job working onthe SQL Server Reporting Services product. Once there, I learned that my computer would take afew more days to arrive. What was I supposed to do for a few days without a computer? My man-ager handed me a book and said, “Read this.” That book was Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Recipes for Designing Expert Reports by Paul Turley and Robert Bruckner. For those fewdays, I could do nothing but get to know my teammates and pore over that book. By the time my laptop arrived, I was primed to put everything I’d studied into practice. It’s no exaggeration, then, to say that I’ve been learning Reporting Services from Paul’s books since my fi rst day on the ReportingServices team at Microsoft.

Long after I’d received my laptop, I kept that book on my desk, referring to it often as I workedto deepen my report design expertise. Whether I was trying to fi gure out the best way to design amulti-lingual report or to pass a multi-value parameter into a stored procedure, one of the many recipes in that book held the answer. Many people have turned investments in learning ReportingServices into rewarding careers, in no small part with the help of Paul’s many books on the topic, which expertly guide readers on a journey from foundational knowledge to the most advanced tech-niques. Professional Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services and Mobile Reports carries on that tradition. A must-read for novices and experts alike, it covers everything from setting up a report server to designing sophisticated reports to crafting enterprise solutions to optimizing for today’s mobile devices.

Last year, after a few years working on other parts of Microsoft’s Business Intelligence offering, I had the opportunity to rejoin the Reporting Services team and revitalize the product that hadn’t been updated in a few years. A year of a team’s hard work later, SQL Server 2016 ReportingServices, the product of an ambitious overhaul, offers a modern enterprise reporting platform, including a nifty mobile dashboard solution. What has powered the widespread adoption of Reporting Services goes beyond the product itself to the community that has fl ourished around it, thanks in large part to leaders such as Paul. In reading this book, you’re participating in that com-munity and learning from a master. If you’d asked me where to start learning Reporting Services, I would’ve handed you none other than this book. Enjoy!

fl ast.indd 01/11/2017 Page xxvii

FOREWORD

Christopher Finlan Senior Program ManagerSQL Server Reporting Services

“So, is Reporting Services dead?”

That question, and my non-answer, was usually the extent of my conversations with my Microsoft customers when it came to SQL Server Reporting Services. You see, prior to joining the productteam, I was part of the pre-sales team at Microsoft. My entire job was to get customers excited about the latest tools and products we had in the Microsoft Business Intelligence Suite. This meant we were generally avoiding the topic of SQL Server Reporting Services, which looked dated andhadn’t seen much added to it in the last few years. Instead, I was either talking about Power BI or about a little-known Microsoft partner called Datazen, which had these amazing mobile dash-boards that looked beautiful on every device you consumed them on.

Fast forward to today, and much has changed in these last 12–18 months. Nowadays, customers can’t get enough information about what’s new in SQL Server Reporting Services. In fact, it’s often the fi rst thing customers want to talk about when it comes to Microsoft Business Intelligence. The SQL Server 2016 release saw the product transformed, bringing a modern look and feel along with all the mobile capabilities previously available in the standalone Datazen product. Combine this with the planned improvements already communicated on the Microsoft BI roadmap, and it’s an incredibly exciting time to be a part of the Reporting Services product group. Just seeing our customer’s excitement atwhat’s been delivered and what’s still to come is incredibly gratifying to all of us.

But this same excitement also brings with it an entirely new set of challenges—many of you reading this book may never have touched Reporting Services before for the reasons mentioned earlier. Now that you’ve seen what you have available as part of your SQL Server investment, you’re looking to unlock it and don’t know where to start. Or perhaps you’ve used SSRS in the past, but want to dive into creating mobile reports and KPIs for the fi rst time. Regardless of why you are here now, be glad you are. There are few people better equipped to navigate you through what you can accomplishwith Reporting Services than the author of this book, Paul Turley.

For over a decade, Paul’s books on SQL Server Reporting Services have become “the SSRS bible” for thousands of SQL Server report developers every day. His writing style makes it easy for anyone tounderstand the wide-ranging topics he covers, from report design to server administration. There’seven a copy of one of his books in our team room. I know this because I’ve picked it up and used it on more than one occasion. And I’m looking forward to adding this version to our collection, as you all have already.

Thanks to Paul and all of you for being a part of the Reporting Services community, and enjoy the book!

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INTRODUCTION

FOURTEEN YEARS! I had to say that out loud just to make sure it was right… yes; fourteen years.That is how long it has been since I began using Reporting Services to create reports and reportingsolutions.

Consulting clients, conference attendees, and students often ask which of all the BI or reporting tools they should use for their business reporting needs. I have used several other Microsoft prod-ucts including SQL Server, Analysis Services, Integration Services, SharePoint, Access, Excel, andPower BI, but Reporting Services is the tool I keep coming back to because it does so much.

My peers and I have been tracking this product through every version since it was released in 2003;since that time, we have produced six Wrox Press books on Reporting Services. I have worked closely with the Microsoft product team leadership, and the product developers who continue toinnovate and move it forward. I have learned to use SSRS correctly, and, on occasion, incorrectly; benefi ting from some tough lessons about what it can and can’t do along the way. My goal is toshare this experience with you, in addition to the best practices we have developed over the years.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR

This book is written to meet the needs of a broad audience, and includes specifi c solutions for reportdesigners, developers, administrators, and business professionals. My goal for this book is to be acomprehensive guide and valuable reference. It is written for the novice report designer as well as theexpert interested in learning to use advanced functionality.

WHAT THIS BOOK COVERS

This book is divided into seven parts.

Part I: Getting StartedThis part covers what Reporting Services is and how it is used. The three chapters in this part of thebook will help you understand the capabilities of Reporting Services and the reporting platform.You will get to know the server platform and the report design tools used to create KPIs, paginatedreports, and mobile reports. You will learn what’s new in SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services.

Chapter 1 covers Reporting Services use cases, using and creating dashboards, creating reports, andbuilding integrated applications. We discuss how to choose the right reporting tool based on the business need, as well as optimizing report performance.

Chapter 2 is all about what is new in SSRS 2016. You learn about report designer enhancements, modern browser rendering, and parameter layout management. We introduce mobile reports and KPIs, new printing and rendering options, the new report web portal, and Power BI dashboard pinning and integration.

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INTRODUCTION

fl ast.indd 01/11/2017 Page xxx

In Chapter 3 you learn about how to install Reporting Services and understand the server architec-ture. We discuss what has changed in the SQL Server 2016 architecture, and how to install and set up a report server. You will understand how to build an enterprise report server deployment, andhow to use tools to manage the reporting lifecycle and leverage Reporting Services extensions.

Part II: Basic Report DesignThese chapters include hands-on exercises that step through the process of building reports, queries,and the solutions that are discussed in each chapter. Finished copies of all the reports and exercisesare provided for your reference. These chapters lead you through the building blocks that are fun-damental to all report designs. You learn the mechanics behind data regions, groups, report items, page breaks, tables, matrices, and charts.

Chapter 4 covers report layout and formatting. You learn to use datasets, data regions, and otherreport data building blocks. You’ll design report layouts using tables and matrices, and set grouping and formatting properties using expressions.

Chapter 5 teaches database query essentials. You learn to understand relational database principlesand concepts and data source management, and you build simple and complex datasets using thequery design tools. We will perform query authoring using the Report Builder query designer, SSDTreport designer, and SQL Server Management Studio. You will become profi cient using single- and multi-select parameters in queries.

Chapter 6 introduces SQL Server Data Tools for Visual Studio. You build more advanced reports in your chapter exercises using the graphical query designer and hand-written queries with parametersand complex query logic. You will understand query groups in table joins and the report datafl ow, and understand report groups and expressions used for complex grouping, sorting, and visibility.

Part III: Advanced and Analytic ReportingThese chapters deal with advanced and more complex reporting scenarios. You build on your group-ing and expression skills, incorporating more advanced queries with parameters, expressions, andprogramming logic.

Chapter 7 is about advanced report design. You will manage pagination and report page headers and footers. You will use conditional logic for text formatting and layout properties, embedded HTML text and styling, master/detail reports, subreports, and document maps.

In Chapter 8, you learn about graphical report design principles and standards. We review bothstandard and advanced chart types and design approaches, and we dive deep into more complex charting features, creating multi-series and multiple area charts. Also, you learn to use KPI indica-tors, sparklines, and data bars.

Chapter 9 is all about advanced queries and parameters. You learn more about T-SQL queries andparameters, and MDX queries and parameters.

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In Chapter 10 you use SQL Server Analysis Services as a data source for reports working withMultidimensional Expressions (MDX). You learn to build queries with the MDX query designer andlearn to handwrite MDX with parameters.

Chapter 11 is a complex example of a reporting solution that leverages the power of the MDX lan-guage and Analysis Services. In this cube browser solution, we use reports to enumerate and prompt the user for parameter selections and then dynamically navigate an entire cube structure. This example showcases some very useful, complex report navigation and design techniques.

In Chapter 12 you learn about interactions and report navigation. We revisit the expressions used to implement conditional logic. You learn to use common functions such as IIF and SWITCH indecision-based expressions and custom code, and you learn reporting techniques using recursiverelationships and actions to navigate between reports.

Part IV: Solution PatternsIf you use Visual Studio with integrated version control and work with teams to build solutions, this part of the book is for you. You learn to manage report projects alongside other report and solutiondevelopers using formal project methodologies.

Chapter 13 is about report projects and report consolidation. You learn to apply SSDT solution patterns, understand how to work with report specifi cations and requirements, and work within project development phases. You will create report templates and manage reports within projectsand solutions. You will also learn to plan self-service reporting solutions and how to support non-technical report designers who use Report Builder to create their own reports within a managed environment.

In Chapter 14 you learn about report solutions, patterns, and recipes. You will combine multiplereport components into super reports and business dashboards. You will design a KPI scorecard, an interactive sparkline report with a drill-through chart, and a map report with drill-throughnavigation.

Part V: Reporting Services Custom ProgrammingIn this part, you learn how to integrate Reporting Services into custom applications and to use reports outside of the web portal environment using URL access and web service calls.

Chapter 15 is about integrating reports into custom applications. You’ll use URL access and webservices to render reports, build a custom Windows form or web form application to enter param-eters, and render reports in your own custom interface. You will see how to create a custom-madeinput interface for Reporting Services reports.

In Chapter 16 you learn to extend Reporting Services and leverage extensibility options. We begin by discussing the reasons for extending SQL Server Reporting Services and creating custom exten-sions. Often, these options are complex and specifi c to the business needs outside of standardreporting scenarios. You will learn how each type of Reporting Services extension can be used to provide custom rendering, security, data access, and delivery of reports.

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Part VI: Mobile Report SolutionsThis section of the book introduces new mobile reporting capabilities introduced in SQL Server2016. You learn to use Mobile Report Publisher and the new mobile reporting platform to deliverreports specifi cally designed for tablets, smart phones, and other mobile devices. We start with basicmobile report design approaches and techniques. You will learn to use each of the visual controls,navigators and selectors, report navigation, and styling options.

Chapter 17 introduces Reporting Services Mobile Reports. You’ll learn to use the Mobile ReportPublisher to consume shared datasets and deliver interactive information for a mobile device. You’ll also learn the basic building blocks and how the components within each of the visual control cat-egories are used for navigation and visualization.

In Chapter 18 you implement a mobile report using design-fi rst development. Using the designer to add visual controls to your mobile report, simulated data is automatically generated to demonstratevisual control interactivity and report navigation. You will learn techniques for fast prototyping and effective user requirement gathering sessions. You will learn to use Time navigators, selectors, num-ber gauges, and charts. You will apply layouts for different device types and color styling, and thendeploy and test a complete mobile report.

Chapter 19 introduces mobile report design patterns for advanced reporting scenarios. You will use controls to create mobile reports for time-series, segmentation, performance, and geographic visual-ization and interaction. You will confi gure server access and publish reports that may be used from the web and on different mobile devices.

Chapter 20 covers Advanced Mobile Report solutions. We introduce the chart data grid visualcontrol, and learn to correlate multiple datasets in the control. You learn to use dataset and queryparameters in mobile reports, drill-through to a mobile report with dataset parameters, and drill-through to a paginated report with dataset parameters. Additionally, you learn to use map visuals, add custom maps, and manage map shapes for geographic reporting.

Part VII: Administering Reporting ServicesThese chapters will help you manage content and perform server administration, confi guration,troubleshooting, and maintenance.

Chapter 21 is all about report server content management. You learn to use the web portal as an administration tool where you will perform content management activities, which include security administration, as well as data source, shared dataset, and report optimization. You learn to manage and enforce security access to folders and reports for groups and individual users.

In Chapter 22 you learn about account management and system-level rules, implement surface areamanagement, plan for backup in disaster recovery, manage application databases, manage encryp-tion keys, and learn to use confi guration fi les. You learn to perform auditing and logging of the report server; and use performance counters and server management reports. You also learn propermemory and resource management for your report servers, and confi gure URL reservations, admin-ister e-mail delivery, and manage custom extensions on servers.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO USE THIS BOOK

The hardware and software requirements for designing and running SQL Server 2016 andReporting Services are such that they will run on newest business grade computers. Custom pro-gramming examples require that you install any edition of Visual Studio 2015 or newer. The requirements for SQL Server 2016 specifi ed by Microsoft may be found online in the MSDN library located at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143506.aspx.

➤ The Developer Edition of SQL Server 2016 is available for free with a Visual Studio DevEssentials account, available at: www.visualstudio.com/dev-essentials. You can alsodownload SQL Server 2016 Developer or Enterprise Edition, and Visual Studio if you havean MSDN subscription.

➤ Report design examples that use paginated Reporting Services reports will work with anyedition of SQL Server 2016 and will run on a computer meeting the minimum computerrequirements. Mobile Reports and KPIs require SQL Server 2016 Developer or EnterpriseEdition.

➤ Chapters 9, 10, and 11 require an installation of SQL Server Analysis Services in multidimen-sional storage mode. This is an optional part of the SQL Server setup.

➤ Examples of custom programming performed outside of the report designer will require aseparate installation of Visual Studio 2015 or later. This includes the material in Chapters 15and 16.

➤ The sample databases used in the examples and exercises are available to download fromwww.wrox.com along with the sample projects for this book. Additional resources may beavailable.

➤ The complete source code for the samples is available for download from this book’s web siteat www.wrox.com. For programming examples, versions are available in both Visual Basic.NET and C#.

CONVENTIONS

To help you get the most from the text and keep track of what’s happening, we’ve used a number of conventions throughout the book.

WARNING Boxes like this one hold important, not-to-be-forgotten information that is directly relevant to the surrounding text.

NOTE Notes, tips, hints, tricks, and asides to the current discussion are offset and placed in italics like this.

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As for styles in the text:

➤ We italicize new terms and important words when we introduce them.

➤ We show keyboard strokes like this: Ctrl+A.

➤ We show fi le names, URLs, and code within the text like so: persistence.properties.

For code:

We use a monofont type for code examples.We use bold to emphasize code that is of particular importance inthe current context.

SAMPLE REPORTS AND PROJECTS

Sample reports, Visual Studio projects, and completed copies of all the report fi les produced by fol-lowing the chapter exercises are provided in the fi les that accompany the book. All of the samples and completed exercise fi les are available for download at www.wrox.com. Once at the site, searchfor this book’s ISBN (978-1-119-25835-3), then simply click the Download Code link on the book’s detail page to obtain all the sample fi les for the book.

Once you download the fi le archive, just extract it with Windows File Manager or your favorite compression tool.

NOTE You can go to the main Wrox code download page at http://www.wrox.com/dynamic/books/download.aspx to see the code available for all Wrox books.

ERRATA

We make every effort to ensure that there are no errors in the text or in the code. However, no one is perfect, and mistakes do occur. If you fi nd an error in one of our books, such as a spelling mistake or a faulty piece of code, we would be very grateful for your feedback. By sending in errata, you may save another reader hours of frustration and at the same time you will be helping us provide even higher quality information.

To fi nd the errata page for this book, go to http://www.wrox.com and locate the title using the Search box or one of the title lists. Then, on the book details page, click the Book Errata link. Onthis page you can view all errata that have been submitted for this book and posted by Wrox edi-tors. A complete book list including links to each book’s errata is also available at www.wrox.com/misc-pages/booklist.shtml.

If you don’t spot “your” error on the Book Errata page, go to www.wrox.com/contact/techsupport.shtml and complete the form there to send us the error you have found. We’ll check the information

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and, if appropriate, post a message to the book’s errata page and fi x the problem in subsequent editions of the book.

P2P.WROX.COM

For author and peer discussion, join the P2P forums at p2p.wrox.com. The forums are a web-based system for you to post messages relating to Wrox books and related technologies and interact with other readers and technology users. The forums offer a subscription feature to e-mail you topics of interest of your choosing when new posts are made to the forums. Wrox authors, editors, otherindustry experts, and your fellow readers are present on these forums.

At http://p2p.wrox.com you will fi nd a number of different forums that will help you not only as you read this book, but also as you develop your own applications. To join the forums, just followthese steps:

1. Go to p2p.wrox.com and click the Register link.

2. Read the terms of use and click Agree.

3. Complete the required information to join as well as any optional information you wish to provide and click Submit.

4. You will receive an e-mail with information describing how to verify your account and com-plete the joining process.

NOTE You can read messages in the forums without joining P2P but in order topost your own messages, you must join.

Once you join, you can post new messages and respond to messages other users post. You can readmessages at any time on the web. If you would like to have new messages from a particular forum e-mailed to you, click the Subscribe to This Forum icon by the forum name in the forum listing.

For more information about how to use the Wrox P2P, be sure to read the P2P FAQs for answers toquestions about how the forum software works as well as many common questions specifi c to P2Pand Wrox books. To read the FAQs, click the FAQ link on any P2P page.

PART IGetting Started

What exactly is SQL Server Reporting Services? How is it used and what are its capabilities and boundaries? Is it a product, a part of SQL Server, or a development platform? The three chapters in Part 1 will get you started with understanding the capabilities of Reporting Services at a high level. You will become acquainted with the entire SSRS platform, the components it encompasses, and their capabilities.

You’ll learn about the new features introduced in SQL Server 2016: the new web portal, key performance indicators, and mobile reports. Chapter 2 introduces several key integra-tions with the Microsoft business analytics platform and advanced visualizations. You’ll also see how to install and configure Reporting Services tools and the server so you can get up and running.

▸ CHAPTER 1: Introducing Reporting Services

▸ CHAPTER 2: What’s New in SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services

▸ CHAPTER 3: Reporting Services Installation and Architecture