SQL Server Reporting Services in a Development Context

Speaker: Lisa Nicholls, DBA

SQL Server Reporting Services does a lot to streamline and de-mystify the process of getting great BI results from your data. However, at least for now, it doesn't do a lot to integrate reporting with standard practices, whether you're a SQL or a .NET developer.

In this session, we'll look at some tools and practical methods for developing reports consistent with your usual working habits, and exposing them consistent with your users' expectations.

We will:Compare and evaluate different syntax and methods that SSRS provides for sending and rendering output
See various tips and tricks for improving RDL results to resolve some common user requests
Look at using the RDL's containership model effectively, and discuss why some things seem to be harder than they ought to be
Evaluate different places to put the query code and different levels on which query parameters can be placed
Investigate using RDL data output (XML format) as an interim output format and a testing device
Notice what difference RS 2008, and R2 in particular, have made to some of our practices.

You'll see examples of existing reports and RS exposure methods, as well as some development tools designed to make your RS life easier. No commercial products will be demonstrated.

Lisa Slater Nicholls has recently transitioned from her role as a Microsoft Technologies Practice Manager and Solutions Architect for EC Wise, a BI-focused consulting company, to become the DBA for the City of Santa Rosa School District. Previously, with Colin Nicholls, she provided enterprise data integration and analysis services using XML in a variety of environments and languages (dba Spacefold). She has worked as a contractor to the MS Visual Studio Data team in many capacities, ranging from Program Management to Dev to Test to User Ed, and has a special interest in reporting tools of all kinds.

Lisa blogs on SSRS-related topics at Spacefold (https://www.spacefold.com/lisa/default.aspx).