SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a server-based reporting platform that enables the creation, management, and delivery of a wide range of reports to different audiences. SSRS allows users to create interactive, tabular, graphical, or free-form reports from various data sources, including SQL Server databases, Analysis Services, and other relational or multidimensional data sources.

Cataloging and documenting SSRS

Report catalog

Dataedo imports and catalogs reports from SSRS:

Datasets

Dataedo imports and catalogs datasets with their queries from SSRS:

Linked Sources

Dataedo documents external sources of data as Linked Sources. In those objects, you can view connection details, as well as dialect and default schema.

Linked Sources can be used in objects as reference in tab Metadata & Settings.

Data Lineage

Dataedo will identify and create data lineage on a column level from Dataset to Report always for embedded and shared datasets. Lineage from Datasources to Dataset will be created if:

• Datasource is SQL Server/Azure SQL/Azure Synapse Analytics
• Parsing of SQL query in dataset succeeds

Connection requirements

To connect to an SSRS server, you need access to the ReportService2010.asmx web service (usually located at https://your_ssrs_server_address/ReportServer/ReportService2010.asmx).

Required privileges:

• At least the Browser Role on the SSRS Home folder
• At least the Browser Role and the Content Manager Role on Reports and Datasets

Connecting to SSRS

SSRS Server web service URL

To get Report Server URL and Web Portal URL you can check them in Report Server Configuration Manager.

Connecting in Dataedo

To connect to SSRS create new documentation by clicking Add documentation and choosing New connection.

On the connection screen choose SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) (beta).

Provide connection details:

• Report Server Web Service URL - provide an address where ReportService2010.asmx web service is located. E.g. https://your_ssrs_server_address/ReportServer.
• Web Portal URL - optionally provide an address of SSRS web portal. If you don't fill it and the address is other than https://your_ssrs_server_address/Reports report URLs in Dataedo will not work.
• Authentication - choose Windows Authentication or Standard Authentication
• User and password - if you chose Standard Authentication provide your username and password

Saving password

You can save the password for later connections by checking the Save password option. Passwords are saved in the repository database.

Importing objects

When the connection is successful Dataedo will read objects and show a list of objects found. You can choose which objects to import. You can also use advanced filter to narrow down the list of objects.

Confirm the list of objects to import by clicking Next.

The next screen will allow you to change the default name of the documentation under which your schema will be visible in the Dataedo repository.

Click Import to start the import.

When done, close the import window with the Finish button.

Your SSRS has been imported to new documentation in the repository.

Importing changes

To sync any changes in the schema in SSRS and reimport any technical metadata simply choose the Import changes option. You will be asked to connect to SSRS again and changes will be synced from the source.

Scheduling imports

You can also schedule metadata updates using command line files. To do it, after creating documentation use the Save update command option. The downloaded file can be run in the command line, which will reimport changes to your documentation.

Specification

Supported versions

From 2008 R2 to 2022

Imported metadata

	Imported	Editable
Datasets	✅	✅
Dataset Description	✅	✅
Script	✅
Columns	✅	✅
Datatypes	✅
Nullability
Column comments		✅
Reports	✅	✅
Report Description	✅	✅
Script
Columns	✅	✅
Datatypes	✅
Nullability
Column comments		✅

Supported features

Feature	Imported
Import comments	✅
Write comments back
Data profiling
Reference data (import lookups)
Importing from DDL
Generating DDL
FK relationship tester

Comments

Dataedo reads comments from the following Redash objects:

Object	Read	Write back
Dataset comments	✅
Report comments	✅

Data Lineage

Source	Method
Datasets - object level	From SQL Parsing
Datasets - column level	From SQL Parsing
Reports - object level	From XML Parsing
Reports - column level	From XML Parsing