Delivery Platform Options

There are plenty of options for creating BI applications, but every viable option has to support a basic set of functions. At a minimum, the tool must provide the ability to:

• Define the contents, layout, and formatting of a report

• Provide user interaction controls for navigation, parameter setting, and drill down

• Define the execution options for a reportscheduled, interactive

• Define the distribution options for a reportweb, email, file directory, and so on

• Participate in existing security systems, and potentially augment them at the user/report level

• Keep extensive metadata about each report

• Keep logs of report access and execution

There are several delivery platform options available from Microsoft, including Microsoft Excel and Access. In particular, SQL Server Reporting Services has been designed specifically to address the BI applications area. Most of our discussions here focus on Reporting Services. A typical DW/BI system chooses a platform to create the officially sanctioned standard reports , and that same platform often supports a range of other options for creating and accessing the BI applications set. Tools for organizing and navigating the report set, like Windows SharePoint Services, or at least a basic web design tool like FrontPage, are a critical piece of the puzzle. Other add-ins or components like PivotTables in Excel or the .NET grid control might also play a significant role in the application environment. As we discuss in Chapter 9, Microsoft has also included a basic ad hoc reporting tool called Report Builder as part of Reporting Services.

Note 

As we discuss in Chapter 9 , Reporting Services includes basic portal functionality. We suggest you supplement this out-of-the-box functionality by integrating with Windows SharePoint Services or other portal technology. Nonetheless, many companies find the basic Reporting Services portal meets enough of their needs that they cant justify the additional expense of a fancier portal.

Our focus in this chapter and the next is on using the Microsoft reporting toolset to create standard reports. There are options other than Microsoft in this space. The market has consolidated in recent years , leaving two leading front-end tool vendors: Business Objects and Cognos. These two companies both have product functionality dedicated to meeting the BI application requirements. There are also front-end tool vendors who specialize in Analysis Services reporting. ProClarity and Panorama are leading providers in this area. Beyond these, literally dozens of companies offer tools in this space. If you dont find something that meets your specific needs, just keep looking. Whatever you choose, the process and principles for creating BI applications we describe here still apply.