Reporting Services Data Access Features

SSRS data-processing extensions use ADO.NET-managed providers and support a variety of data sources. SSRS includes the following providers: SQL Server (7.0-2005), SQL Server Analysis Services (2000-2005), Oracle, ODBC, and OLEDB. Other providers are usually available from corresponding database vendors . In general, SSRS can populate reports with relational and multidimensional data from SQL Server, Analysis Services, and other .NET Framework data providers. Developers can also create custom data-processing extensions if there is no provider available for the specific data source.

SSRS allows using multiple data sources and multiple data sets within a single report. This allows developers, for example, to combine data from the SQL Server transactional database, SQL Server Analysis Services data warehouse, and Oracle database on the same report.

Developers can add parameters to refine a query or filter a data set. Dynamic parameters get values at runtime based on user selections (the selection of one parameter can build the value list for a second parameter).

Several new features were added to SSRS:

• ^{NEW in 2005} Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) query parameters A tool that allows you to pass parameters to multidimensional queries.

• ^{NEW in 2005} MDX query designer An intuitive tool to develop multidimensional queries with a simple drag and drop.

• ^{NEW in 2005} Data Mining Extension (DMX) query designer An intuitive tool to develop data-mining queries with a simple drag and drop.

• ^{NEW in 2005} Multivalued parameters A tool that allows you to select multiple parameters. For example, a user might like to be presented with sales data for 2002 and 2003, but not for 2001 and 2004. In technical terms, this is IN(list) selection criteria.