How do you make sure business metadata your clients will be using for reports meet their needs? I generate an Excel spreadsheet with lists of measures and dimensions and their properties and present them to my clients for reconciliation. They review the definitions and suggest names that are more intuitive for the business. They also [...]
If you are starting in business intelligence development and would like to get a sense of scope and get familiar with basics, you can: Watch Business Intelligence Webinars provided by Pragmatic Works Get to know the Report Builder Learn How to communicate OLAP Cube Design Decisions to Clients
There are several techniques you can apply to develop reports with Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder 3.0: Start reporting with Report Builder Implementing parameterized dates ranges Filtering parameter values list Implementing ‘Start From’ date parameter Cascading parameters Implementing interactive sort Automate report deployment
After you have created reports in the development environment, are you wondering how to deploy them to UAT or Production server? Luckily, there’s a Reporting Services Scripter utility that allows you to script SQL Server Reporting objects, including your reports, data sources, datasets, and user roles. Select reports and datasets you need to deploy to [...]
So you want to allow your report users sort data interactively. First, decide what the default sorting should be. Tip: It is beneficial to rely on an attribute ordering defined in your OLAP cube. When properly defined, the ‘Unknown’ member will appear on the bottom of the list. So, remove any sorting specifications (follow the [...]
To simplify filter selection for report user, you can create a series of related parameters so that the values of next parameter depend on the selection in previous one. This is fairly easy, and Report Builder will set most of the relationships between parameters for you automatically. (Read before how to add parameters to your [...]
You can now add parameters to your report, and filter parameters values based on business requirements. Do you want to set ‘From Date’ filter only and avoid the need to reset the upper limit every time data grows? 1. Use the same Range operator and leave the upper filter expression blank or delete it: 2. [...]
Now that you’ve implemented your report parameters, you want to minimize their drop-down values and display only applicable to your actual facts. To filter list of parameter values: 1. To determine what dataset provides parameter with a list of values, find a parameter you want to change: 2. Open parameter properties dialog box and notice [...]
So you’ve designed your first report with Report Builder 3.0 and want to add some parameters. 1. Drag attribute into the top right area of the Query Designer: 2. Choose an Operator: 3. Select Filter Expressions: 4. To make filter a parameter that user running report can change, select Parameters checkboxes: 5. Your report now [...]
Let’s say you’ve got an OLAP cube for your reporting needs. Your application has built in Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services control to run the reports, and you’re going to create them with Report Builder 3.0 tool. How do you go about implementing reports with all the so much needed functionality? 1. You launch Report [...]
Olga Klimova
business intelligence consultant
Published with SQLServerCentral
Phone: (905) 845-6673
olga@returnonintelligence.ca
Twitter: @oklimova
LinkedIn: OlgaKlimova