Getting Started

[AlexCuse]

Hello All,

I am trying to get started with reporting services for SQL Server 2000. Reporting is currently being done through Access.

We use SQL Server 2000 and it is currently set up on one server. I am also still using Visual Studio 6 (ugh). I am trying to figure out a way to implement this without asking the company to spend a lot of money. Here are the main questions I have:

1. Can my ReportServer be setup on the existing server? If not, can we setup a vmware drive running SQL Server Express to serve as report server?

2. Will I be able to write basic reports using Visual Basic Express? I plan to ask for Visual Studio 2005 eventually but it would be nice to show some results first...

Note that I don't plan on pushing reports to the web in the near future, they are only meant to be sent to internal users. Obviously web-based reporting is the goal (and this will require separate report server and new Visual Studio if we want to do it right) but I'd like to start working on it as soon as possible.

Any advice you could give would be invaluable.

Thanks a lot,

Alex

 

[Sheco]

You need an instance of SQL Server and an instance of IIS but they can be on the same box. You can definately use the "Developer" edition of SQL Server but I'm not sure about the "Express" version.

A great book is the HitchHiker's Guide to Reporting Services.

 

[AlexCuse]

I have hitchhiker's guide, and I am loving it. I just was not clear on whether they can be on same box, I've only read intro and first chapter so far.

I believe we have Enterprise or Developer edition of SQL Server, so we're probably good. I didn' want to have to buy a new license for another box was all. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[AlexCuse]

I just thought of another question. Will I need to use Visual Studio 2003 to design reports or will 2005 or even 2005 Express Edition work? Thanks in advance for helping me out here as I'm trying to get things moving,

Alex

 

[Sheco]

use 2003 for reporting services 2000

 

[AlexCuse]

Eek! I was hoping to do evaluation with trial software to decide how urgent upgrade to SQL 2005 is. Unfortunately they don't have trial for .net 2003. This should get interesting.

 

[Sheco]

it may be possible to "downgrade" your .rdl files by editing them with something like notepad but it would be really ugly.

 

[AlexCuse]

um yeah I'm all set with that.

I'll just tell IT they're going to have to buy Visual Basic 2003.net for the development machine. I'll buy it myself and expense it if I have to. They can take care of SQL Server for the IIS Server (don't want to run IIS on the SQL box).

I'm also going to recommend that we go straight to the full version (after all, the price is the same), because this install is looking pretty brutal. Don't want to go through it twice.

On the bright side, if we survive the install this looks like it will beat the heck out of access! Then I will just have to get them past their fear of actually delivering reports to clients over the web...