This is a collection of articles that will explain what SSRS is, how it works, and how to install and configure reporting services either locally on your computer or remotely on a server.
What is SSRS?
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is a server-based report-generating software system that allows administrators to share reports with users or integrate the reports into internal or web applications based on access permissions and user groups. It is used as a solution to build custom reports from a variety of data sources, such as Flat files, SQL databases, and other external sources.
Why it is used?
Easy to install and configure:
Installing and configuring SQL Server reporting services is straightforward. The installation wizard is simple to use and has a very small number of steps. To build its own databases, in which its metadata would be stored, it needs to connect to an existing database engine.
Export in various file formats:
The report can be exported in a number of file formats once it has been created. A handful of the file types in the list are shown below.
- XML file with report Data.
- CSV ( Comma delimited)
- PDF.
- MHTML (web Archive)
- Excel.
- Tiff file ( Tags Image file format)
- Word ( MS Word document)
Easy Integration into websites and portals:
The report can be shared with users or groups or integrated into internal or external web applications once the RDL file has been added to the reporting services.
Automation:
The report can be scheduled to be generated, processed, delivered, or distributed in the required file format on a particular day, week, or period.
Interactive Sorting:
A user can switch between ascending and descending order for the rows in a table or for the rows and columns in a matrix by using interactive sorting.
Excellent Reporting Features:
- Parameterized reports, linked reports, snapshots, cached, ad-hoc, clickthrough, drill-down, and drill-through reports can be created.
- It has the ability to aggregate and summarize data
- SSRS also has a built-in scheduling tool to perform basic report deployments via email, file share, or SharePoint.
Intuitive Display:
The SSRS visibility settings enabled interactive reporting. When the report is initially run, the report developer can specify which data is displayed and which data is hidden. The toggle options then enable the end user to go down to more detail inside the same report by clicking the +/- sign.
Windows Security:
Access management is one of SSRS’s functions. Certain users or roles can be given access to reports in order to read, change, or take ownership of them. Access may be granted on a folder, parent, or root level or on a report-to-report basis.
Big Data and SQL 