SSRS Interview Questions and Answers (2023)

Important architecture components of SSRS includes

• Report Manager
• Report Designer
• Browser types supported by reporting services
• Report Server
• Report Server and Command line utilities
• Report Server Database
• Data Sources

Data regions are report items that show repeated rows of summarized information from datasets. Different data regions include:

• Chart
• Gauge
• List
• Matrix
• Table

Different stages of Report Processing includes:

Compile: It analyze expressions in the report definitions and save the compiled intermediate format internally on the server.

Process: It run dataset queries and combine intermediate format with data and layout.

Render: It sends processed report to a rendering extension to tell how much information fits on each page and create the page report . Export: It exports the reports to a different file format.

New features in SSRS includes

Excel File Export: The files can be exported into Excel file formats, earlier only XLS files were only exported.

Data Alerts: The new data alerts allow to create alert threshold which are evaluated on a user defined schedule, also there is data alert manager for alerting administrators.

Power View: With the new RDLX file format, power view is a new interactive Business Intelligence feature.

These are the new features included, apart from these, if you are using SSR on SharePoint it gives additional benefits like drag and drop ad hoc reporting and sending e-mails when data changes.

Sub-report are inserted into the main part, just like a main report, you also pass queries and parameters to it. In other words, a sub-report can be considered as an extension to your main report, but it consists of a different data set. For example, you can prepare a report of customers and then use a sub-report to show a list of orders for each customer.

Most of the times companies use SQL server with SSRS, but there are other servers you can integrate:

• Oracle
• ODBC and OLEDB
• Hyperion
• Teradata
• Flat XML files

The core components of SSRS includes

• A set of tool to View, Create and Manage report.
• A report server component that hosts and processes reports in a different formats like PDF, HTML, Excel, CSV.
• An API, which enables developers to integrate with custom applications or to create custom tools to manage or build reports.

The different types of reports include:

• Parameterized reports
• Snapshot reports
• Cached reports
• Clickthrough reports
• Drilldown reports
• Drillthrough reports
• Sub-reports
• Linked reports
• Ad-hoc reports

Some of the open source software alternative are

• Jasper Reports
• JFree Report
• BIRT (Business Intelligence Reporting Tool)
• OpenReport
• DataVision, and so on.

The reporting service components in SSRS includes.

Report Designer: It is a place where the report is created or designed

Report Server: It provides services for delivery of reports and for implementations

Report Manager: A web based administration tool to manage the report server

Yes, it is possible to implement data mining in SSRS by using DMX designer to create data mining queries for SSRS reports.

To configure a running aggregate in SSRS, you can use the Running Value function.

The main function of a query parameter is to filter data in the data source.

Caching reports enables users to access and view reports much faster. SSRS does allow Cache reports on reporting server.

The three command line utilities include

RsConfig.exe: It is used to determine the connection properties from the SSRS instance to the Report Server database

RsKeyMgmet.exe: It executes scale out deployment set-up and encryption key operations

Rs.exe: It executes Report server Script files which can perform management operations and report deployment

SSRS report can be deployed in three ways

By Visual Studio: You can directly deploy the report in Visual Studios through solution explorer, by declaring the report server URL in project properties at Target Server URL.

By Report Server: By browsing the report from the disk location of the server you can deploy the report to report server

By creating the Utility: Another option is to create customized utility to deploy the report

Cached reports and Snapshots can be used to reduce the overhead of Reporting Services Sources.

Tabular Report: Tabular report is the most basic type of report. Each column relates to a column chosen from the database

Matrix Report: A matrix report is a cross-tabulation of four groups of data.

Storing SQL queries directly in text format in the data should be avoided. Instead, it should be stored in a stored procedure in the database server. The advantage is that the SQL would be in a compiled format in an SP and gives all the benefits of SP compared to using an ad-hoc query from the report.

Often there is a requirement to be able to send an SSRS report in Excel, PDF or another format to different users from an SSIS package once it has finished performing a data load. To do this, first, you need to create a subscription to the report. You can create an SSRS report subscription from the Report Manager. At the report subscription, you can mention the report format and the email address of the recipient. When you create a schedule for the SSRS report, a SQL Server Agent Job will be created. From the SSIS, by using sp_start_job and passing the relevant job name you can execute the SSRS report subscription.

Before you schedule any (Selenium Training )caches, snapshots, or subscriptions,

Make sure:

• SQL Server Agent is running.
• There are proper Execution Accounts.
• Account Credentials are stored in the report server.
• The schedule properly follows the requirements.

Reporting Services does not import data. It only queries data in whatever format it is stored in its native storage system. I will assume that you’re asking whether you can create reports and use Excel spreadsheets as data sources. The answer is Yes, Reporting Services (Sap Fico Online Training )supports a wide variety of data sources, including Excel files. You’ll get the best performance with the built-in native .NET providers but you should be able to connect to any ODBC or OLE-DB data source, whether it comes from Microsoft or a third-party company.

Microsoft offers reporting services free as part of SQL Server Express with Advanced Services edition. But it has the following limitations:

• Management Studio cannot be used to administer report server.
• Report Models will not be available.
• Report Builder is not available.
• Caching, History and Delivery of Report is not available.
• SQL Server agent is not available.
• No scheduling is possible.
• Remote server database is not available for Report Data Source (Local SQL Server is a only option,).
• We cannot store the report server database on a remote server (it has to be local only).
• Reports can be rendered only in Excel, PDF, Image formats only.
• Reporting Services will not be able to use more than 1 GB of RAM.
• No Subscriptions (Standard and Data Driven) can be made.
• Can not be integrated with SharePoint.
• Can not implement Role based security.
• Only named instances is supported.
• Scale-out Report Servers will not be available.

SSRS allow many ways of rendering the reports:

• HTML (MHTML)
• Excel
• Acrobat
• Tiff (image)
• XML
• CSV

SSRS uses different data sources. Some of them are listed below:

• Microsoft SQL Server
• OLEDB
• Oracle
• ODBC
• SQL Server Analysis Service
• Report Server Model
• SAP Net weaver BI
• Hyperion
• Teradata
• XML

SSRS includes the following core components:

• A complete set of tools that can be used to create, view and manage report.
• A Report Server component that hosts and processes reports in a variety of formats like HTML, PDF, TIFF, Excel, CSV, and more.
• An API that allows developers to integrate in custom applications or to create custom tools to build or manage reports.

In reporting services, the Tablix is a sum of tables with matrices. Every report we create using SSRS technology is based on the Tablix data region. In other words, It can be managed with the combined capabilities of a table and a matrix.

It is an extension for XML used for SSRS reporting services. These files are written in XML (Extensible Markup Language).

Rsreportserver.config is the reporting services file and it can be found in settings in Report Manager or that used in Report Server Web Service and background processes.

Ad Hoc Reports enable users with limited technical skills to create new, easy to access reports on their own. Usually, these reports are created from report models. Also, users can select their priorities and requirements whether to save the reports to a personal server or to share with others by posting them to the reporting services center. Ad hoc reports can generate quick reports which are created to meet user needs and requirements. Users can modify these reports with a powerful analysis of report data.

Cache results are based on the format of the report.SSRS allows cache reports on the reporting server, you will also find built-in caching capability. However, the server only caches for one instance of the report in most cases. It also enables users to access and view reports quickly.

When using the bit-type column to add a query for your report, go to Parameter properties to set the data type to boolean. As it is to show Radio Buttons, Or else, a text box will appear for the parameter value.

Use the row number function to generate a sequence number for all the records in your SSRS report. You can do that by put in a new blank column to your Tablix and then click on the cell to pivoted to expressions and write expressions.

The SQL queries should be stored in a stored procedure in a database server. As practices of storing SQL queries in text format are not considered to be good anymore and it should be avoided. By storing queries in SP to a data server SQL would be in an accumulated format while providing all the benefits of using an SP.

Following is the list of utilities of the command prompt for SSRS.

RSS Utility: Command ‘RS.exe’, is the command-line utility that supports SharePoint and Native development modes. That can perform many scripted operations related to SQL SSRS and also be used while publishing reports on the report server or move another report from the server.

Powershell cmdlets: Powershell is getting popular amongst power users as well as IT pros as their preferred language and CLI. CMdlets are important to interact with CLI, in PowerShell, most of them are likely to be written in 'C' and perform functions that return a .NET object. It supports only SharePoint modes, and it installs SSRS service and proxy servers while providing provisioning and managing of SSRS applications and proxies.

List of the most useful cmdlets in PowerShell:

• Get-Command
• Get-Member
• Get-Help
• Get-Process

Rsconfig utility: Rsconfig utility is a script host that is used to perform scripted operations such as Publish reports, create items in a report server database, also configuring and managing report server connection with report server database. The command file is ‘rsconfig.exe’, which only supports native developer mode.

RsKeymgmt utility: The command ‘rskeymgmt.exe’, it is an encryption key management tool used in database recovery operations. It supports only the Native development mode. Also used to back up, apply, recreate, and delete symmetric keys using the command line.

The multi-value parameter enables users to enter and pass more than one query for the parameter while creating an SSRS report. In any report parameters that we use to filter out the data and extract useful information that is required for the current scenario. In the multi-value parameter, you can choose to enter either static values or we can get values from the databases.

At the point when you install SQL Server, it's smarter to get a different SQL Server user name and password when signing in to the database server. As windows are not considered to be the most secured database security option. In SSRS you have the alternative to allow SQL Server to integrate with Windows or require your users to keep a different SQL Server user ID and password. Your reports will require their username and password key to run reports from SSRS.

Here is the list of software required for the SSRS framework :

Operating System - Windows Server 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003.

Processor - Intel Pentium 2.

Hard Disk - A report server, required approximately 50 MB space. For the .NET framework, it needs 100 MB of space. For a Report designer, it would be 30 MB and needs 145 MB for samples.

RAM - Needs a minimum of 256 MB RAM for the report server.

Database- Needs SQL server 2000 and a minimum service pack of 3.

The multiple roles offered by the SSRS include Browsers, Content Managers, My Reports, Publishers, and Report Builders etc.

• Data – This part contains the dataset that can be used for writing queries and it is always well connected with the data source.
• Design – Here, you can design the report in the form of tables or matrix etc. You just have to drag and drop the information you wanted to use.
• Preview – It is used to check the preview of a report after the run command is executed.