SQL Server Reporting Services Architecture

Report server concepts

A report server is a computer that has an instance of Reporting Services installed. A report server internally stores items such as reports, report-related items and resources, schedules, and subscriptions. A report server can be configured as a stand-alone single server or as a scale out farm, or it can be integrated with SharePoint Server. You interact with report server items through the Reporting Services Web service, WMI provider, URL access, or programmatically through scripts. The way that you interact with a report server depends on the deployment topology and the configuration.

A Native mode report server

A report server configured in native mode is a computer that has SQL Server Reporting Services installed and configured as a stand-alone server. You interact with the report server, reports, and report related items by using a browser with Report Manager or URL access commands, SQL Server Management Studio, or programmatically through scripts. For more information, see Reporting Services Report Server (Native Mode).

A SharePoint mode report server

A report server integrated with SharePoint has two possible configurations. In SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services (SSRS), Reporting Services is installed with SharePoint Server as a SharePoint shared service. In earlier releases, the report server integrates with SharePoint Server by installing the Reporting Services SharePoint Add-in. In both cases, you interact with the report server, reports, and report related items by using application pages on the SharePoint site. You use the SharePoint document library and other libraries that you create to store the content types related to reports. For more information, see Reporting Services Report Server (SharePoint Mode).

Report server items

Report server items include reports, models, shared data sources, shared datasets, and other items that you can publish, upload, or save to a report server. Organize items in the report server hierarchical folder structure on a native report server, or in SharePoint content libraries on a SharePoint site. For more information, see Report Server Content Management (SSRS Native Mode).

Folders

On a native report server, folders provide the hierarchical navigation structure and path of all addressable items stored in a report server. You use the folder hierarchy and site and folder permissions to help control access to report server items, known as item-level security. By default, role assignments that you define for specific folders are inherited by child folders in the folder hierarchy. If you assign specific roles to a folder, the inheritance rules no longer apply. The folder structure consists of a root node named Home, and reserved folders that support the optional My Reports feature. In a browser, the root node is the name of the report server virtual directory, for example, http://myreportserver/reports. For more information, see Folders.

On a SharePoint site, use SharePoint folders in document libraries and content libraries to organize items.

Roles and Permissions

On a native report server, the report server system administrator manages access permissions, configures the report server to process report requests, maintain snapshot histories, and manage permissions for reports, data sources, datasets, and subscriptions. For example, a published report is secured through role assignments using the Reporting Services role-based security model. For more information, see Roles and Permissions (Reporting Services).

On a SharePoint site, use the SharePoint site administrators page to manage access permissions on reports and report-related site content.

Schedules

On a native report server, you can schedule reports, shared datasets, and subscriptions to retrieve data and deliver reports and dataset queries at specific times or during off-peak hours. Schedules can run once or on a continuous basis at intervals of hours, days, weeks, or months. For more information, see Schedules.

Subscriptions and delivery

A subscription is a standing request to deliver a report at a specific time or in response to an event, and in an application file format that you specify in the subscription. Subscriptions provide an alternative to running a report on demand. On-demand reporting requires that you actively select the report each time you want to view the report. In contrast, subscriptions can be used to schedule and then automate the delivery of a report. You can deliver reports to an e-mail inbox or a file share. For more information, see Subscriptions and Delivery (Reporting Services).

Extensions

SQL Server Reporting Services provides an extensible architecture that you can use to customize report solutions. The report server supports custom authentication extensions, data processing extensions, report processing extensions, rendering extensions, and delivery extensions, and the extensions that are available to the users are configurable in the RSReportServer.config configuration file. For example, you can limit the export formats the report viewer is allowed to use. Delivery and report processing extensions are optional, but necessary if you want to support report distribution or custom controls. For more information, see Extensions (SSRS).

Report access

On-demand access allows users to select the reports from a report viewing tool. Depending on your report server configuration, you can use Report Manager, a Microsoft SharePoint 2.0 Web part, a SharePoint library when Reporting Services is installed in SharePoint integrated mode, an embedded ReportViewer control, or a browser using URL access. For more information about on-demand access to reports, see Finding, Viewing, and Managing Reports (Report Builder and SSRS ).

Subscriptions provide an alternative to running a report on demand. For more information, see Subscriptions and Delivery (Reporting Services).