1. Reporting with Reporting Services
Western Carolina University
Stanley W. Hammer

2. Questions Needing Answers
What is Reporting Services?
Why Reporting Services? How is RS licensed? What does RS cost?
How does RS work with Oracle/Banner?
Hardware and Software Requirements and Configurations
How do you Create and Deploy reports?
Difficulties? Issues?
Banner Specific Issues?

3. Tiers of Functionality
Focus of
Presentation
Data Exploration
& Ad hoc Query
Reporting
Data Warehousing

4. GOALS
Focus on entire University needs, not just reporting services or Banner
IT needs
Functional needs
Keep Simple and Understandable
Report Design
Report Usage
Security
Portal
Database

5. Not Yet Focused on. . . Data Exploration or Adhoc Query Tool;
Data Warehouse or OLAP
However, SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services will provide self service, end-user ad hoc report creation, enhanced query development for online analytical processing (OLAP) environments and enhancements in scale allowing for rich and easy-to-maintain enterprise reporting environments

6. Why Reporting Services?
Distributed processing - Portal
Uses Active Directory
Easy to install and administer
Integrated report development
Uses standard Internet technology
(HTTP & XML)
Works with Oracle and more

7. The Real Reason Needed Reporting Tool Now!
Least expensive solution (No budget for Reporting Tool)
Already owned software SQL Server
Based on products already used by WCU
Works with Oracle/Banner
Installed RS ourselves
Very Good Product Help available

8. Microsoft and Non-Microsoft sites Books and Magazines
GOOD HELP
Online
Microsoft and Non-Microsoft sites
Books and Magazines
Good Help = Do it all ourselves without help from vendor

9. Reporting Services
Cost
Agility
Security
Performance &
Administration

10. Pricing – MS Campus Agreement
Enterprise Edition
Much less than Web Focus or Oracle
No Annual Maintenance
Already Owned
Enterprise Edition
= $ 0.0 +
Standard Edition
3x less than
SQL Enterprise Edition

11. SQL Server License RDBMS; OLAP/Data warehouse; Management Tools;
Integrated Security;
Reporting Services;
Notification Services;
More…
License includes all Features.
Features are not priced separately

12. Requirements Microsoft Windows SQL Server IIS (Web Server)
2000, 2003, & XP
SQL Server
IIS (Web Server)
ASP.NET
Reporting Services is
Clusterable and
Scalable (Web Farm)
Reporting Services is an ASP.NET application that uses SQL Server for its data storage

13. Reporting Lifecycle Phase Description Authoring
Description
Authoring
Creation of the report definition, via an authoring tool, containing:
Connection
Query
Layout
Management
The published report definition is saved on a report server, and managed with Report Manager by the report server administrator.
Access and Delivery
The generated report is viewed via an application, or is routed to a delivery target where it is accessed by consumers.

14. Full Reporting Life Cycle Support
Authoring: Report developers can create reports to be published to the Report Server using Microsoft or third-party design tools that use Report Definition Language (RDL), an XML-based industry standard used to define reports
Management. Report definitions, folders, and resources are published and managed as a Web service. Managed reports can be executed either on demand or on a specified schedule, and are cached for consistency and performance
Delivery. Supports both on-demand (pull) and event-based (push) delivery of reports. Users can view reports in a Web-based format or in

15. Reporting Services
Link on Banner Page

16. Provide Detailed Descriptions

17. PORTAL – Only Authorized Reports/Folders are Shown

18. Portal Security Uses WCU’s Directory Service
Report Authentication & Authorization via by Active Directory
Can Utilize Web Server & other security technology
SSL, IPSec, Firewall, etc

19. Portal Security
Active Directory
Security Group
Or Single User

20. Define Portal Security

21. Example - Banner Report
Oracle/Banner
Active Directory
(Account + Authorization)
Reporting Services
Browser Based
IE and Netscape
Enterprise Level Integration
Users

22. Example – Non-Banner Report
Not Oracle/Banner
Active Directory
(Account + Authorization)
Identical Experience;
Identical Capabilities;
Identical Development
Reporting Services
Browser Based
IE and Netscape
Enterprise Level Integration
Users

23. Reports use a Data Source (database and database login)+
Login
Access to data used by a report is defined and stored in the Portal

24. Database Connection Information Not just Oracle! MS Access/Excel
Login
Information
Not just Oracle!
MS Access/Excel
SQL Server
DB2/SYBASE
ODBC
Many more

25. Oracle/Banner Connectivity
Uses Oracle’s .NET Provider
Oracle Data Provider for .NET
Copyright (C) Oracle Corporation 2004
This document provides information that supplements the Oracle Data Provider for
.NET (ODP.NET) documentation.
IMPORTANT INSTALLATION INFORMATION
==================================
ODP.NET depends on Oracle Client that needs to be installed
in the same Oracle Home.
Free Download from Oracle;
Standard Oracle
Database Access;
Required only on Reporting Services Server;

26. Oracle/Banner Security
Uses Database Roles
Common Tables & Views
Alumni
Finance
Student, etc.
Common
Tables & Views
Common
Alumni
Tables & Views
– OR –
Alumni Power User
Roles are independent
from Reporting Services!
= REUSE
Alumni Report User

27. EXAMPLE REPORT

28. 1984

31. Banner Issues #1 - Knowing the data, reporting tool is irrelevant
Oracle - SQL Based
Sharing Reports?
Training
SQL training
Relational Design
Tool use

32. Issues II Non-Technical Performance Security Change
database, Reporting server not stressed
Security
Utilize Database roles & Active Directory groups
No integrated security with Banner

33. Multiple Reporting Needs
Enterprise - WCU needs the ability to provide timely information to widespread employees. Solution should be fast and cost-effective to deploy, and must leverage existing systems and expertise. Users in these organizations want up-to-date information — when they need it — without learning new client tools or requesting special reports from IT staff. IT organizations need enterprise-class manageability and performance to manage large numbers of report subscriptions and to ensure that report distribution is consistent with corporate security requirements
Embedded – WCU’s IT Applications and Independent software vendors need a reporting solution that can integrate seamlessly into their packaged solutions, without adding cost or complexity for the end user. Customers should be able to make minor modifications to packaged reports without special development support from the ISV. Real business value from reporting solution, not the mechanics of reporting
WCU has great needs for both enterprise and embedded reporting

34. Report Uses To access reports directly by URL as follows:
To access reports directly by URL as follows:
name>/<report name>
Use reports from our applications (web or non-web, passing in parameters)
. . . {
// show user’s account information
ReportingServices.ShowReport(ReportURL,userid); }

35. Report Styles Report Layout Description Tabular
Fixed number of columns
Matrix
The number of columns depends on the query results
Chart
Data represented graphically (pie, line or bar chart)
List (free-form)
Data arranged free-form on the page; useful for creating forms

36. Interactive Reports Feature Description Parameterized
Parameterized reports filter data to provide only that which is appropriate for the user
Hidden or drill-down
Hidden items on a report can toggle in and out of view based on user actions
Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks embedded in reports direct users to Web pages
Drill-through links
Drill-through links open another report from within a report, such as a detailed report from a summary. The originating report typically passes parameters to the drill-through report
Bookmark links
Bookmark links direct users to another area of the current report
Document maps
In HTML Viewer, a document map appears as a table of contents next to the report. Users can click an item in the table, and the browser jumps to that item in the report

38. Design and Deployment Reports are authored and deployed
MS Visual Studio
Reports are authored and deployed
With MS Visual Studio

39. Add Report to Project Very similar to MS Access, Crystal Reports,
GUI Report Designer
Very similar to MS Access, Crystal Reports,
or any standard reporting tool

40. Deployment Very Simple Point and Click GUI Portal Based Distributed
Deployment is via Visual Studio or Portal

41. Report Format is XML

42. Data Access Demos SIS and SQL Server based Admissions data Admissions
Joined with SIS
Report
SIS
Uses
Cost = $0
SQL
Server
Access to SIS via Connx

43. Data Access Demos SIS and Banner/Oracle Banner/Oracle Joined with SIS
Report
SIS
Uses
Cost = $0
Oracle
Access to SIS via Connx