reporting for duty - best practices for reporting services with sharepoint
DESCRIPTION
Presented by John P White at the Toronto Sharepoint Summit, May 2012TRANSCRIPT
7.4 - Reporting for DutyBest Practices for Reporting Services with SharePoint
#sp_summit74
John P WhiteChief Technology Officer, UnlimitedViz Inc
@diverdown1964http://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com
Who Am I?
SharePoint Server MVP
SQL Server v-TS
CTO/Co-Founder of UnlimitedViz
SharePoint Focus – BI, Forms and Workflow
+20 Years in IT Field
whitepages.unlimitedviz.com
@diverdown1964
about.me/diverdown
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Agenda
Reporting Services in the BI Stack
Native Mode vs SharePoint Integrated Mode
Architecture and Installation
Enabling SharePoint – Lighting Up
Building And Using Reports
Discussion
The Microsoft BI SpectrumTeam BI Organizational BIPersonal BI
Our Context
BI Solution created by power user. Context is for a small team & it’s managed on a
server.
My Context
BI solution created by user. Context is
only for user & exists as document.
The Org’s Context
BI Solution created by IT, Established corporate
context & is reusable, scalable and backed up.
Empowered Aligned
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The Tools
Excel
PowerPivot
Visio
Data Mining Add-in
Data Cleansing Add-in
Excel Services
PowerPivot for SharePoint
PerformancePoint
Visio Services
Reporting Services Add-in
BCS
Chart Web Part
KPIs
Filter Web Parts
Access Services
PowerView
SQL Server
Analysis Services
Integration Services
Reporting Services
Data Quality Services
SQL Server Data Tools
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Architecture – Native vs SharePoint Integrated
Integrated Mode Introduced in SSRS 2005R2
All Reporting Services Objects stored in SharePoint LibrariesSimplify StorageUnified Security Model
Report Builder Accessed through SharePoint
With SQL Server 2012 – Reporting Services is a SharePoint Service Application
Architecture – Where Do We Put This Thing?
Typical SharePoint 2 Server Farm
Server OS
SharePoint Foundation
WFE Profile Indexer Search …….
Server OS
SQL Server
DB SSAS SSIS SSR
S
Far Too Typical SharePoint 2 Server Farm with RS Integration
Server OS
SharePoint Foundation
WFE Profile Indexer Search …….
Server OS
SQL Server
SharePoint Foundation
DB SSAS SSIS SSR
S
RS Integration – A Better Approach
Server OS
SharePoint Foundation
WFE Profile Indexer
Search SSRS …….
Server OS
SQL Server
DB SSAS SSIS
RS Integration – Even Better
Server OS
SharePoint Foundation
WFE
Server OS
SQL Server
DB SSAS SSIS
Server OS
SharePoint Foundation
Profile Indexer
Search SSRS …….
Setup Screen – SQL 2008 R2
13Setup Screen – SQL 2012
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Configuration Manager – 2008 R2 and earlier
15Config Utility – 2008 R2
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Native Mode to Integrated Mode Migration Tool
Downloadhttp://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29560
Usinghttp://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com/2012/04/migrate-reporting-services-from-native-mode-to-sharepoint-integrated-mode/
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Shared Service Application - 2012
Configuration - 2012
Lighting Up
Demo Adding Content TypesUsing Report BuilderUsing Data Tools
Deployment Model – Centralized or Distributed?
Centralized Distributed
All Report items stored centrallyEasy to manage Easy to discoverRequires explicit securityUsers must navigate to central location for reportsSingle point of failure
Report items stored throughout the site collection(s)Easy to enable power users“Intrinsic” securityReport are in contextMultiple management points
Answer – It DependsRequirements of IT will need to be balanced with needs of Power Users (if any) and End Users
Separate Connection Libraries from Report Libraries
TIP – Avoid the use of the name “Reports” for a subsite.http://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com/2010/05/deploying-reporting-services-reports-to-sharepoint-using-business-intelligence-development-visual-studio/
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Design Tools – BIDS SQL Data Tools vs Report Builder
Answer – It DependsA mixture is likelyAnalysts IT own enterprise assets and would likely use Data ToolsPower Users would own Team assets and use Report BuilderDo NOT mix on a single library
TIP – Make Enterprise assets read only to avoid collision
SQL Data Tools or BIDS Report Builder
Heavy client footprintDaunting for end usersProject files stored locally and deployed to serverAnalyst Tool Relatively simple to redeploy (backup)Can’t use Shared Datasets (BIDS only)Can use Team Foundation Server (DT only)
One Click installMeant for power usersVery friendly UI – Office RibbonReport items are edited in placeSingle point of failureVery quick to get up and running
Building and Using
Demos Reporting on SharePoint DataReport Processing OptionsUsing Parameters Effectively
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Reporting on SharePoint Data
Report Directly On SharePoint DataVery easy to implementPlaces load on SharePoint Server“One Off” approach
Move SharePoint Data into a Data WarehouseLess FlexibleHighly PerformantCan be integrated into warehousing strategy
Answer – It DependsBut will almost always be the Warehouse approach
SP Data Source for SSIS
http://sqlsrvintegrationsrv.codeplex.com/releases/view/17652
Using the SP Data Source for SSIS
http://dataqueen.unlimitedviz.com/2011/06/how-to-use-a-sharepoint-list-as-a-data-source-in-your-ssis-package/
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Processing Options
CachingReport Data is stored for a period of time Can be automatically refreshed
SnapshottingVersions of reports are stored in the databaseCan be used as primary report source
SubscriptionsReports are delivered according to predefined criteriaUse Shared SchedulesReports delivered to Libraries get indexedData Driven subscriptions run concurrently
Null RendererUsed to refresh cache for parameter driven reports with caching
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Use Parameters Effectively
Drive options with dataUnless controlled elsewhere….(SP Filters)
Pull from shared data sets when possible
Queries vs FiltersFilters for Cascading Parameters, dynamic content, small data setsQueries for Report Data
Use an All Selector
Use SharePoint FiltersWhen connected, Parameter disappears from view
http://dataqueen.unlimitedviz.com/2011/06/how-to-default-to-all-in-an-ssrs-multi-select-parameter/
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Shared Data Sources/Sets/Models
Data SourcesShould be secured separately from report libraryCan use current or proxy accounts
Data SetsChange Field Names in Your Data SourceGood for reusabilityUse for parameter optionsCan’t pass parameters to them
Data ModelsIntroduced with SSRS 2005Becoming deprecatedLook to BISM to replace
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Other Items
Use the Reporting Services Web Part!
Web ServicesCan use to manage Reports or RenderDifferent Endpoint Depending on Versionhttp://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms155398.aspx
Pre-Render Reportshttp://whitepages.unlimitedviz.com/2012/04/how-to-automate-sharepoint-report-creation-with-ssis-and-ssrs/
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In Conclusion
Add RS to SharePoint, DON’T add SharePoint to SQL Server
SSRS Integrated Mode > SharePoint + Reporting Services
Understand your usage and design model
Never mix models in a single location
Report from a data warehouse when possibleEspecially with SharePoint data
Filter your data as close as possible to the source
Understand your loads
Take advantage of report processing where possible
Reuse as much as possible
Take advantage of SharePoint features
Never, ever forget about the end user
Questions
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