ChristianSteven BI Blog

Automate, Schedule & Deploy SSRS Data Driven Subscriptions

Hundreds of companies of varying verticals and sizes rely on SQL Server’s reporting system. Known as SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), it is used to design and generate reports on a scheduled or adhoc basis. SSRS has a basic scheduler designed for simple automated report distribution, but what if your business requires complex event driven and data driven subscriptions? What if you not only needed to automate SQL reports, but you require tasks to be automated such as database updates or system alerts? In the first part of this blog, I will discuss how SSRS automated report generation, Data Driven Subscriptions, and business process automation using PBRS can solve this problem.

Reasons to use SSRS to Design, Generate, and Deploy Business Reports

SQL reporting services is a server based report designer, builder, and deployment engine made by Microsoft. This can be used to prepare and deliver various interactive and printed reports. With SQL reporting services combined with SQL Server, firms have a unified solution for both report design and data warehousing. SSRS can help you to create tabular, graphical and free-form reports from relational, multidimensional and XML based data sources. The reports can also be published and accessed on demand. SSRS also has a built in scheduling tool to perform basic report deployments via email, file share, or SharePoint.

Hundreds of companies of varying verticals and sizes rely on SQL Server’s reporting system. Known as SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), it is used to design and generate reports on a scheduled or ad hoc basis. SSRS has a basic scheduler designed for simple automated report distribution, but what if your business requires complex event driven and data driven subscriptions? What if you not only needed to automate SQL reports, but you require tasks to be automated such as database updates or system alerts? In this blog, I will discuss how SSRS automated report generation, Data Driven Subscriptions, and business process automation using PBRS (formerly SQL-RD) can solve this problem. Additionally, I will give a little insight into Zintel, a leading provider of communications technology solutions to businesses across New Zealand and Australia, and how PBRS solved this problem for them.

Customers want to have it their way in all things, including the way they view relevant information. Users want their reports (invoices, sales slips, system snapshots) to be presented in the format they want, showing only the information relevant to their needs, and delivered to the location of their choice. On demand reporting environments naturally give users this level of customization to their reporting. Can the same “have it your way” mentality be applied to a scheduled report environment? Let’s look at a few ways SSRS Data Driven Subscriptions let customers and users get reports any way they want them.

 Accessing information about how your company is faring through multiple perspectives can be daunting. SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) allows your company to view data that improves your Business Intelligence.  Unfortunately, most of the licenses are expensive and narrow in scope. Even worse, they give you an ‘SSRS data driven subscription not available’ notice. Our SSRS Data Driven Subscription software, SQL-RD, allows you to use this feature even on a SQL Server Standard Edition license.