In this chapter, we'll walk through the process of creating a basic SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) report. As we learned in the previous chapter, there are two tools we can use to create SSRS reports: Report Builder and Report Designer. We will be using Report Designer in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), which comes with the SQL Server 2012 installation media. After the report is created, we will deploy it to a local report server installed in Native mode.
The development activity in this chapter is broken up into the following sections:
- Creating a Reporting Services project
- Creating a report object
- Creating a shared data source
- Adding reference to the shared data source
- Creating a dataset
- Adding a report item
- Deploying a report project
Before you start this exercise, you will require the following prerequisites:
- Access to a Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services report server installed in the Native mode with the appropriate permissions required to deploy reports and shared data sources
- Access to a Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Database Engine instance with the Adventure Works DW 2012 sample database deployed
- SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) or Visual Studio 2010
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 is available in a 180-day trial version (which includes SQL Server Data Tools) from the location at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29066 and Adventure Works DW 2012 sample database is available for download from the location at http://msftdbprodsamples.codeplex.com/releases/view/55330.