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Microsoft Reporting Services
Has anyone used SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services?
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/reporting/
We are looking, possibly, to replace Crystal reports in our application. The last two versions that have been released have been flaky (9.0 and 10.0) and we have some concerns about the direction the company, now Business Objects, might be taking.
Canuck
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
Let's see...
-Can deliver reports in Excel, pdf, html, or Word formats
-Users can subscribe to reports
-Reports can draw from any source (not just SQL Server)
-Reports can be cached
-Reports are designed in Visual Studio
-The reporting language is an open format
-Can import Access Reports
And oh yes, if you have SQL Server, it's free.
Does that cover it?
Philo
Philo
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
As one of the requirements is Visual Studio .NET does that mean that clients need .NET?
Or is it just some IDE requirement that could really be satisfied with an editor and command line?
Simon Lucy
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
Philo, you mentioned Visual Studio.
Does the user have to purchase that to make reports then?
Nigel
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
No support for MSDE :-(
Microsoft Reporting Services are only available for SQL Server 2000. You can't use them with MSDE. I guess I'm still stuck with Crystal 8.5.
Eric Budd
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
Humorously I was just trying to get an install of Reporting Services going to discover that I can't setup a development copy against a local "Desktop Edition" of SQL Server 2000 (I just wanted to trial it to see if it fits the bill, but you need a bonafide SQL Server Standard or above I presume). Otherwise it sounds fairly impressive, but I suppose I'll have to fire up VMWare to try this out.
As an aside, I will take issue with the statement that it is "free" if you have SQL Server -- A more correct statement (or such is my interpretation) is that it is free if you install the reporting service on the same machine as a licensed copy of SQL Server (what if you use per processor licensing -- does it subdivide the licensed processor quota between them? A cursory glance of the FAQ seems to indicate that in that case you have to buy a processor license for RS). Realistically everyone knows that reporting is generally a very intensive process, and invariably you'll end up splitting it off onto another server...yoink! Suddenly it isn't free anymore.
Nonetheless it looks like a neat product.
Dennis Forbes
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
You need vs.net. Period.
ho chi max
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
"And oh yes, if you have SQL Server, it's free"
Well, it might be more accurate to say the cost of it is bundled in SQLServer whether you use it or not. And it requires IIS. But we're also looking at it to replace Crystal.
Anon This Time
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
http://www.datadynamics.com/
ActiveReports Plug
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
"And it requires IIS"
Which is why it's a no no for a lot of environments.
sad to say
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
The client does not need .Net - the client interface is browser-based and the reports are straight html/excel/pdf
I apologize for the language about "it's free" - I keep looking for the perfect way to say it, since "it's bundled with SQL Server" keeps getting the response "what if we already have SQL Server?"
It's like Analysis Services - it's essentially a no-cost add-on to SQL Server, and will ride whatever license you have for SQL Server.
It's really a neat product - for anyone with VS.Net 2003 and access to a SQL Server (or MSDN and VMWare or VPC), I highly recommend trying it out before recommending a reporting solution next time around.
Philo
Philo
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
I wish Microsoft would learn to interoperate, if it really does require IIS that just kills it as a usable product.
(For me :-))
Simon Lucy
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
SQL Reporting Services will soon replace Crystal in our shop. It rocks.
Rick Watson
Tuesday, February 3, 2004
>>I wish Microsoft would learn to interoperate, if it really >>does require IIS that just kills it as a usable product.
Isn't that what they call a "marketing strategy" ?
Not saying that it's good or anything ... but it's been a known fact that MS is ok to interop except at the few strategical points where it actually matters.
Renaud Martinon
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
yeah... but.. how do you get it?
I can only seem to find a link to download the trial version. I'd really like to ditch Crystal. SQL and IIS.. no problem here.
Bryan
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
I don't s'pose this is available with SQL 7.0?
Joe
Wednesday, February 4, 2004
Have you began the conversion from Crystal to Reporting Servcies?
My company plans to move to Reporting Services. We had great diificulting migrating from CE 8.5 to 9.0 which we eventually scrapped.
I converted one report and begun documenting difference between Crystal Reports and Reporting Services. It will not be easy to convert from a product that most likely has more reporting features and feaxibity due to it's many years of existance to one that is just starting out, but we will try. We are looking for comparisons that are out there between the two.
We are also looking for a vendor to come forward that will provide a non-Visual Studio development environment that will generate RDL. We do have non-technical uses who have worked with Crystal that will want to do their own reports. Visual Studio is not for them.
Dave Sundell
Dave.Sundell@Fiserv.Com
Dave Sundell
Thursday, February 5, 2004
We're on a slow migration path to it - basically won't switch over until we have parity on the new system.
We are a pretty small shop with only a few dozen reports, however.
We use SQL only so the decision is really a no-brainer.
When I was at the PDC in October 2003 (Nov?), it was mentioned that in the near-term VS.Net will be what's produced by the SQL Reporting team.
In the longer term, they said to look for the Microsoft Office team to provide a client which will generate RDL; which kind of makes sense to me.
The SQL Reporting team provides an API and services to help developers to begin with. Then later, other teams leverage that and provide different clients.
Of course this might not fit your timeframe, but this is the info I have.
Rick Watson
Thursday, February 5, 2004
RS can import Access Reports so if you are looking for an easy to use designer... Look No Further!
RDL is going to be the key thing can and will the other companies implement RDL.
I was very interested in the comments on Crystal 9 and 10, last version I used was 8.5. I have Never been a fan of Crystal, say what you will but Access is the best tool I have ever used. I can write a report in Access that will bring Crystal to it's knees (I did with the first Crystal report I ever wrote - we then went with Access as our reporting tool and never looked back).
Dazz
Monday, February 9, 2004
As you can see that MS Access was a far better Reporting tool, you can also be assured that Microsoft will provide more with MS Reporting Services, i hope ... :)
Ashin Antony
Monday, February 9, 2004
What is the need for .net when I 'm installing Reporting Services
Ganesan
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
What is the need for .net when I 'm installing Reporting Services
Ganesan
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services deployment will look for .NET framework, as dotnetfx.exe in located \redist\1.1.
Also, its mentioned in System Requirements
"If Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 is not installed, the setup process will automatically install it."
It would surely need .NET framework to create, run and deploy as the RS framework is tightly coupled with inline architecture. I tried installing RS with .NET Framework 1.2 (beta) but the setup failed.
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #003300; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">I'm looking forward to gather some feature comparison data among prominent reporting tools (Data Dynamic's <A href="http://www.datadynamics.com/Products/ProductMenu.aspx?Product=ARNET"> ActiveReports </A>and Business Object's <A href="http://www.businessobjects.com/"> Crystal Reports</A>). <A href="http://weblogs.asp.net/ashben/archive/2003/11/21/39022.aspx">Nilkanth</A> tried collecting some during beta launch; Now when the release is out, it would be great to know what developers think of Reporting Services in comparision to ? Do real experiences agree with <A href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/reportingservices/casestudies.asp"> MS case studies</A> or does this technology need to be mature to face competitors? </SPAN></P>
-Adnan Masood
Adnan Masood
Thursday, April 1, 2004
You do not need Visual Studio .NET. The Reporting Services design tool can run in Visual Basic .NET Standard. This is a $100 tool. Not bad compared to the cost of Crystal Reports.
John Walker
Sunday, April 25, 2004
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