3.3 Using the Reporting Center Console

After you install and open the Reporting Center Console, you can start setting up your reporting environment.

3.3.1 Managing Data Source Connections

Data source connections are the basis for the reports that you run with Reporting Center. The setup program automatically configures your initial data source connections according to the information you provide during installation. These data source connections point to specific database servers that provide the data for your reports. Data source connections use either Windows authentication or SQL authentication, depending on the security configuration of the source SQL Server and the choices you make when installing SQL Server. After installation, you can configure additional data source connections and modify connection properties in the Reporting Center Console.

Specifying a Default Data Source Connection

Before you run reports for the first time, Reporting Center Corporation recommends that you specify a default data source connection for each connection type. This allows you to run reports supplied with Reporting Center, which do have a specific data source connection configured.

To specify a default connection:

  1. From the Navigation Tree, click Data Source Connections and right-click a connection.

  2. Click Data Source Connection Properties > General and select Default Connection.

  3. Click OK.

Adding a new Data Source Connection

You can add and configure a new data source connection.

To add a new Data Source Connection:

  1. From the Navigation Tree, right-click Data Source Connection.

  2. In the Add New Data Source Connection window, click General, and specify the following:

    • Data Source Connection Name

    • SQL Server Name

    • SQL Database Name

    • Authentication type- Windows or SQL Server

  3. Click OK.

3.3.2 What’s Next?

After you install Reporting Center and become familiar with the interface and data source connections, you can start using Reporting Center. The following list is an overview of the key tasks you can perform with Reporting Center. This is a suggested order, but the order in which you perform these tasks might vary, depending on the way your organization is structured.

  1. Create reports from templates provided. For more information, see Section 4.1, Understanding Reports.

  2. Deploy a report to SSRS and set up a subscription for it. For more information, see Section 4.3, Deploying Reports.

  3. Create a hierarchy of Reporting Center users and groups. For more information, see Section 5.1, Understanding Reporting Center Security.

  4. Set up permission sets for the users and groups and assign them to objects. For more information, see Section 5.2, Assigning Security to Objects.