Reporting Services

  • This topic is an overview of NetForum Reporting Services. Most of the information here relates to Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, but much of it is also relevant to Crystal Reports.

  • NetForum renders reports using Microsoft's SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reporting tool. This document provides an overview of the SSRS configurations for NetForum, a tutorial for getting a datasource and format started, instructions for setting up a report in NetForum, and references for error resolution and troubleshooting

Use the following topics to learn more about Reporting Services:

Report Manager Configuration: This section briefly describes the folder and user configuration that Abila implements for use with NetForum sites. Abila's hosting staff will configure servers housed at the hosting data center in accordance with these standards. Premise-based clients who are configuring their own servers for Reporting Services use should also follow the same standards.

Report Windows Folders: Reporting Services reports (RDLs) are run from their deployed, or "stored", location within the Report Server database. See article for more.

Switching Report Service Providers: NetForum sites existing prior to the 2006.01 build that are using Crystal Reports will eventually be switched to Reporting Services, but Reporting Services will not be the sole reporting tool until all of the custom (non-baseline) Crystal formats have been developed in Reporting Services and deployed.

Dynamic Dashboards: Graphically-rendered reports embedded on dynamic profile pages are called Dashboards. Each report can be clicked to drill further down to List pages to get more informative data about the report. Administrators can configure and create templates for report formats while users may configure their dashboards to view which reports and design they want to see for each module dashboard available.

Report Development: This documentation explains the standard operating procedures for developing SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports for NetForum. This documentation does not explain the finer points of developing a report format as it assumes that the developer knows how to create Reporting Services report formats. Rather, this instruction is geared toward explaining how a report must be developed to operate in NetForum.

Quick Reports For Lists: NetForum provides "quick reports" from list Result screens and query result screens through Reporting Services. The ReportServiceProvider system option setting determines which tool, Reporting Services or Crystal, is used to render quick reports. If the option is set to "Mixed", NetForum will use Crystal to render quick reports.

HTML Quick Reports: In addition to writing Crystal Reports, NetForum allows the administrator to drive a query or stored procedure with parameter to a dynamic HTML report page.

Report Management Tool: The report management tool is availablefrom Admin>Reports>Report Management Tools. It provides a quick way to view and manage reports in NetForum.

Report Samples: As noted by the last system option listed in the previous sample, there is a stored location for all of the RDL report samples. The location set in the system option is relative to the "iweb" folder in a standard NetForum installation. All of the samples are PDF files. When Reports Central is rendered by NetForum and the ReportServiceProvider system option is set to "MRS", and the a particular report's file name has a match in the samples folder (with a .PDF extension instead of a .RDL), then the magnifying glass icon will activate and may be clicked to display the sample.

Adding logos/images to reports: This topic describes how to add logos and images to a report.

Report Security: How to lock down your reports so only the right users will be able to run them.

Report Troubleshooting: This topic includes troubleshooting tips for reports.