Microsoft SharePoint Web Parts

Microsoft SharePoint Web Parts

SSRS 2000 Service Pack 2 included two SharePoint web parts: SPExplorer and SPViewer . The same web parts are included in SSRS 2005. Web parts can be used on a SharePoint site (Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server or Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services site). As the names imply, SPExplorer is designed to browse reports deployed on the Report Server and SPViewer is designed to view reports. SPExplorer and SPViewer can be used as standalone controls or can be integrated with each other. When used as a standalone control, the SPExplorer web part opens a new browser window to display a selected report. The standalone viewer is used to show a single report. The Page Viewer web part (part of the default SharePoint web parts library) can supply much of the functionality of either a standalone viewer using URL Access or standalone SPExplorer by accessing Report Manager's interface. SPViewer and SPExplorer web parts provide an additional SSRS-specific functionality that improves both the management and viewing experience. For example, SPViewer and SPExplorer can be connected with each other and as a user clicks through report links in SPExplorer , SPViewer displays the report. SPExplorer also provides a basic interface to create and manage subscriptions.

Note

SharePoint can be managed through administrative pages or the command-line administrative tool stsadm.exe . More details can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/wss/2/all/adminguide/en-us/stsf01.mspx ("Introducing the Administration Tools for Windows SharePoint Services"). The default location for stsadm.exe is C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\60\BIN\ . Local Administrators group permissions are required to execute stsadm.exe .

SSRS and Windows SharePoint services can be installed in any order. For SSRS to properly function, a SharePoint administrator needs to perform the following steps:

1.	Add Report Server and Report Manager virtual directories to the list of exclusions: STSADM.EXE -o addpath -url http://localhost/ReportServer -type exclusion STSADM.EXE -o addpath -url http://localhost/Reports -type exclusion
2.	Make sure that the Report Server and Report Manager are using an application pool that is different from the one used by SharePoint services.

By default, SQL Server setup places SSRS web parts in the following location:

 C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\Tools\Reporting Services\SharePoint\ RSWebParts.cab. 

To deploy the web parts, a SharePoint administrator can use the following command:

 STSADM.EXE -o addwppack -filename "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL  Server\Tools\Reporting Services\SharePoint\RSWebParts.cab" 

Because we did not specify a virtual server in this example, the package should be installed on all Windows SharePoint Services-enabled virtual servers on the computer. To provide a specific virtual server for the package deployment, you can add an additional option: -url <Virtual Server URL> .

A site allows users to load only those web parts that are listed as safe in a Web.config file for a virtual server. The Stsadm.exe tool automatically adds the control to the <SafeControls> section for the virtual server specified on the command line.

After web parts are deployed, users (who have permissions to create websites and add content) can add SPExplorer and SPViewer web parts to a Web Part Page through the SharePoint window.