SSRS: How to open Solution Explorer in SSRS

Solution explorer is window which manage use to manage project solutions. When we open a report project it actually opens in solution explorer and it appears top right corner side. You can open this solution explorer window by selecting below menu.

  1. Click on view menu
  2. Click on Solution Explorer
  3. It will highlight below window 

        

SSRS: What is Project Solution in SSRS

Project Solution is container which contains multiple projects. And each report project can have multiple reports. In layman's terms, we can say to give a complete solution of project, we can have multiple dependents projects which needs to be bundle together and produce one solutions. So, project solution is the same things.

We can think like, CAR is the final product to prepare. So, we can say car is a solution where different department like engine, wheel, interior are different projects.

See this article to see how to create new project/solutions.

SSRS: How to open or create new report project in SSRS

In this article I will walk you through about how to create or say open a new SSRS report project in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT). And in further article will step out to create sample reports. Please follow below steps by steps order to open new report project.

  1. Open SSDT tool 
  2. Click File menu option
  3. Choose New -> Project 
  4. It will open up a dialog window to choose one from four-five options

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SSRS: How to open SSRS reporting development tool in SSRS

In every version, Microsoft is almost changing the reporting development tools of SSRS and other SQL Server services. In SQL Server 2008 we had “SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio” which they changed or came up with new tool in SQL Server 2012 with “SQL Server Data Tool”. Some we use to keep looking the old tool in installed package where new set of tools already introduced. NP, today I will walk you through how to open reporting tool in different SQL Server version. 

How to open SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) in SQL Server 2005 and 2008

  1. Click Start button
  2. Browse SQL Server 2008 or 2008 R2 which one is installed
  3. Choose SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) and then click
  4. It will open Microsoft Visual Studio 2008

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SSRS: How to display a message when no row or data found in SSRS

Since I created many reports in SSRS. Today, I got a request from a user saying that there is one report which doesn’t display any row in report pan. Although report is good as no row is expecting. But since report is blank it looks weird. Initially I thought there must be few changes in dataset and then further properties change. It will sometime. But I browsed the properties tab I found a good table properties where you can simply put your message which you expect when there is no data. And it’s done. Very easy way. I will walk you through the steps.

  1. Go to design pan.
  2. Select table or Matrix in which you want no row data message
  3. Go to properties window
  4. And find NoRowMessage properties
  5. Type your message in text box next to this properties. And you are done. 

Please see below screen shot.

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DBA: The EXECUTE permission was denied on the object xp_cmdshell

Recently, one of the user complaint about the permission issue. It was showing user doesn’t have xp_cmdshell execute permission. When we analyzed, then found this particular user actually can’t use xp_cmdshell as he is not the part of sysadmin role. Now question comes here, how we can assign xp_cmdshell execute permission to non sysadmin user. This article is all about this. Below is the error user sent us in screenshot.

4200 -- [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Friver][SQL Server]The EXECUTE permission was denied on the object 'xp_cmdshell', database 'mssqlsystemresource', schema 'sys'

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DBA: How to get SQL Server Expiry Date in SQL Server

In my last article, we see how to get last patch installation date and SQL Server installation date. In this article I am going to let you know how to get the expiry date. It is same table which we query to get the installation date i.e. sys.server_principals. Below is the Query.

-->> Using Name

SELECT DATEADD(DD,180,CREATE_DATE) AS 'EXPIRYDATE', NAME

FROM SYS.SERVER_PRINCIPALS

WHERE NAME='NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM' 

OUTPUT

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DBA: How to get SQL Server Installation Date in SQL Server

I was working on checking patch of my SQL Server. I queried @@version table which gave me below details. 

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2(SP2) - 10.50.4000.0(X64)

       Jun 28 2012 08:36:30

       Copyright(c) Microsoft Corporation 

       Enterprise Edition(64-bit) on Windows NT 6.1 <X64>(Build 7601: Service Pack 1)(Hypervisor)

 

It gives us the date part in the string. Now my curiosity was to know that is it last patch installed date or it is the date of SQL Server was installed. It is actually date of last patched. Then next question is how to know when this SQL instance was installed. I tried to query different system tables but couldn’t find it. We can get the same by querying system table sys.serverprincipals. Let have the query below. 

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SSRS: What are different role assignment are there to manage permission in SSRS

In SSRS, when we deploy the project, its task of report administrator to manage it. Manage in terms of security, deployment, report server setting, data source, data set setting and report folder settings. One of important is to manage permission to the responsible parties who is responsible for manage different reports. Some time to just view, sometimes to do some alterations. Here I am showing what are the different role SSRS provides to manage the users. Please see below screen shot listing name and its brief descriptions. 

  1. Browser
  2. Content Manager
  3. My Reports
  4. Publisher
  5. Report Builder

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SSRS: Different way of deploying report definition file in SSRS

Once you prepare reports in SSDT. It is very important to know different way of deployment of report definition file. Being a SSRS report designer and developer and database administrator it is always good have expertise in all kind of different deployment method. I am going to list you out all the different way a report definition file can be deployed.

  1. Report Designer (SSDT): It is most used method. You can deploy from SSDT only by just doing right click and deploy.
  2. Report Builder: You can directly deploy from report builder by just simply saving it
  3. Report Manager: It is also a good and very easy of report definition deployment. You can deploy by simply uploading report definition file from report manager itself.
  4. SharePoint: SSRS report support SharePoint mode too. All the SSRS report can be deploy on SharePoint
  5. Programmatically: It is also a favorite choice of programmer. You can deploy the report by using SOAP API interface.  

Additional information