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Reporting Services and SharePoint Technology Integration

You can configure a report server to run within a deployment of a SharePoint product or technology and use the collaboration and centralized document management features of Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Reporting Services. Running a report server as part of a larger SharePoint deployment provides these levels of integration:

  • Shared storage.

  • Shared security.

  • Same site access for all business documents, including reports, report models, and shared data sources.

Server Integration Architecture

When you integrate a report server with an instance of a SharePoint product or technology, items and properties are stored in the SharePoint content databases. This provides a deeper level of integration between the server technologies that effects how content is stored, secured, and accessed.

Storing report items and properties in SharePoint content databases allows you to browse SharePoint libraries for report server content types, secure items using the same permission levels and authentication provider that controls access to other business documents hosted on a SharePoint site, use the collaboration and document management features to check reports in and out for modification, use alerts to find out if an item has changed, and embed or customize the Report Viewer Web part on pages and sites within the application. If you have sufficient permissions within a SharePoint site, you can also generate report models from shared data sources and use Report Builder to create reports.

The report server continues to provide all data processing, rendering, and delivery. It also supports all scheduled report processing for snapshots and report history. The following diagram shows the server components together:

architecture diagram

When you open a report from a SharePoint site, the ReportServer2006 endpoint connects to a report server, creates a session, prepares the report for processing, retrieves data, merges the report into the report layout, and displays it in the Report Viewer Web part. While the report is open, you can export it to different application formats, or interact with data by drilling into underlying numbers or clicking through to a related report. Export and report interaction operations are performed on the report server.

The report server synchronizes operations and data with Windows SharePoint Services and tracks information about the files it processes. When you modify properties or settings for any report server item, the change is stored in a SharePoint database and then copied to a report server database that provides internal storage to a report server.

For more information about topologies and requirements, see Deployment Topologies for Reporting Services in SharePoint Integrated Mode and Requirements for Running Reporting Services in SharePoint Integrated Mode.

Components That Provide Integration

To combine the servers in a single deployment, you integrate an installation of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services with an instance of Windows SharePoint Services or Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Integration is provided through SQL Server and the Reporting Services Add-in for SharePoint Technologies. The Reporting Services Add-in is a freely distributable component that you can download from a Microsoft Web site and then install on a server that is running Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007.

  • On Windows SharePoint Services, the Reporting Services Add-in provides the ReportServer2006 proxy endpoint, a Report Viewer Web part, and application pages so that you can view, store, and manage report server content on a SharePoint site or farm.

  • On Reporting Services provides updated program files, a SOAP endpoint, and custom security and delivery extensions. The report server must be configured to run in SharePoint integrated mode, dedicated exclusively to supporting report access and delivery through your SharePoint site.

After you install the Reporting Services Add-in on Windows SharePoint Services and configure the two servers for integration, you can upload or publish report server content types to a SharePoint library, and then view and manage those documents from a SharePoint site. Uploading or publishing report server content is an important first step; the Web Part and pages become available when you select report definitions (.rdl), report models (.smdl) and shared data sources (.rsds) on a SharePoint site.