Implementing and maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services

Elements of this syllabus are subject to change.
This three-day instructor-led course teaches students how to implement a Reporting Services solution in an organization. The course discusses how to use the Reporting Services development tools to create reports, and how to use the Reporting Services management and administrative tools to manage a Reporting Services solution.


Audience
This course is intended for information technology (IT) professionals and developers who need to implement reporting solutions by using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.


At Course Completion

After completing this course, students will be able to:

· Describe SQL Server Reporting Services and its components.

· Create a Reporting Services report.

· Enhance a Reporting Services report.

· Create and manipulate data sets.

· Use report models to implement reporting for business users.

· Configure report publishing and execution settings.

· Implement subscriptions for reports.

· Administer Reporting Services.

· Implement custom Reporting Services applications.


Prerequisites

Before attending this course, students must have:

· Exposure to creating reports in Microsoft Access or other third-party reporting products, such as Crystal Reports.

· Conceptual understanding of the push and pull distribution/subscription paradigm.

· Experience navigating the Microsoft Windows Server environment.

· Experience with Windows services (starting and stopping)

· Experience creating service accounts and permissions

· Experience with Microsoft SQL Server, including:

· SQL Server Agent.

· SQL Server query language (SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE).

· SQL Server System tables.

· SQL Server accounts (users and permissions).


Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

This module introduces the role that Reporting Services plays in an organization's reporting life cycle, the key features offered by Reporting Services, and the components that make up the Reporting Services architecture.

Lessons

Overview of SQL Server Reporting Services

Installing Reporting Services

Reporting Services Tools

Lab 1: Using Reporting Services Tools

Exercise 1: Exploring Report Designer

Exercise 2: Exploring Report Manager

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Describe the features of SQL Server Reporting Services.

· Install Reporting Services.

· Describe the Reporting Services tools.


Module 2: Authoring Basic Reports

This module introduces the fundamentals of report authoring, including configuring data sources and data sets, creating tabular reports, summarizing data, and applying basic formatting.

Lessons

Creating a Basic Table Report

Formatting Report Pages

Calculating Values

Lab 2: Creating a Simple Report

Exercise 1: Creating a Basic Table Report

Exercise 2: Formatting Report Pages

Exercise 3: Adding Calculated Values

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Create a basic table report.

· Format report pages.

· Calculate values for a report.


Module 3: Enhancing Basic Reports

This module introduces navigational controls and some additional types of data regions, and discusses how to use them to enhance a basic report.

Lessons

Interactive Navigation

Displaying Data

Lab 3: Enhancing a Report

Exercise 1: Using Dynamic Visibility

Exercise 2: Using Document Maps

Exercise 3: Initiating Actions

Exercise 4: Using a List Data Region

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Create reports with interactive navigation.

· Display data in various formats.


Module 4: Manipulating Data Sets

This module explores data sets to a greater depth, including the use of alternative data sources and interacting with a data set through the use of parameters. Students learn how to dynamically modify the data set underlying a data region by allowing parameters to be sent to the underlying query. They also learn to use best practices to implement static and dynamic parameter lists when interacting with queries and stored procedures.

Lessons

Defining Report Data

Using Parameters and Filters

Using Parameter Lists

Lab 4: Manipulating Data Sets

Exercise 1: Using parameters to restrict query results

Exercise 2: Using parameters to filter report data

Exercise 3: Creating dynamic parameter lists

Exercise 4: Using parameters with a stored procedure

If Time Permits: Displaying all categories in a parameter list

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Define report data.

· Use parameters and filters.

· Use parameter lists.


Module 5: Using Report Models

This module describes how to create a report model so that business users can create their own reports without using the full Report Designer development environment. Students also learn how to use Report Builder to create a report from a report model.

Lessons

Creating Report Models

Using Report Builder

Lab 5: Working with Report Models

Exercise 1: Creating a Report Model

Exercise 2: Using Report Builder to Create a Report

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Create Report Models.

· Use Report Builder.


Module 6: Publishing and Executing Reports

This module explains the various options you can use to publish reports to the report server and execute them.

Lessons

Publishing Reports

Executing Reports

Creating Cached Instances

Creating Snapshots and Report History

Lab 6: Publishing and Executing Reports

Exercise 1: Publishing Reports

Exercise 2: Executing a Report On Demand

Exercise 3: Configuring and Viewing a Cached Report

Exercise 4: Configuring and Viewing a Snapshot Report

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Publish reports.

· Execute reports.

· Create cached instances.

· Create snapshots and report history.


Module 7: Using Subscriptions to Distribute Reports

This module describes how to implement subscriptions so that you can distribute reports either automatically by e-mail or by publishing reports to a shared folder.

Lessons

Introduction to Report Subscriptions

Creating Report Subscriptions

Managing Report Subscriptions

Lab 7: Implementing Subscriptions

Exercise 1: Creating a Standard Subscription

Exercise 2: Creating a Data-Driven Subscription

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Describe report subscriptions.

· Create report subscriptions.

· Manage report subscriptions.


Module 8: Administering Reporting Services

This module discusses how to administer the Reporting Services server, how to monitor and optimize the performance of the report server, how to maintain the Reporting Services databases, and how to keep the system secure.

Lessons

Server Administration

Performance and Reliability Monitoring

Administering Report Server Databases

Security Administration

Lab 8: Administering Reporting Services

Exercise 1: Using Reporting Services Configuration Manager

Exercise 2: Securing a Reporting Services Site

Exercise 3: Securing Items

After completing this module, students will be able to:

· Administer the reporting server.

· Monitor performance and reliability.

· Administer the Report Server databases.

· Administer security.


Module 9: Programming Reporting Services

This module explains how to query Reporting Services information programmatically and how to automate report management tasks. Students also learn how to render reports without relying on Report Manager, and how you can extend the feature set of a report server by creating custom code.

Lessons

Querying for Server Information Using a Web Service

Automating Report Management

Rendering Reports

Creating Custom Code

Lab 9: Programming Reporting Services

Exercise 1: Using URL Access to Display a Report

Exercise 2: Building a Reporting Services Web Service Client

Exercise 3: Using the Report Viewer Control

After com p leting this module, students will be able to:

· Query server information by using a Web service.

· Automate report management.

· Render reports.

· Create custom code.