Plan for Report Design and Report Deployment (SSRS 2012)

SQL Server Reporting Services offers several approaches for authoring and deploying reports. This topic provides an overview of report definition support by Reporting Services components. A report definition is an XML file that is written in the Report Definition Language (RDL) or the Report Definition Language for Clients (RDLC). Each report definition conforms to a specific schema version that is listed at the beginning of the file.

RDL files are authored in Report Designer in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) projects, and in Report Builder. RDLC files are authored by using the ReportViewer controls that are included in Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008.

Use this topic to help plan for a report authoring environment and report server that work together. This topic provides the following information:

• The list of the versions of report definition schemas that are supported.

• Which report versions can run on a SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services (SSRS) report server.

• Which versions of which authoring environments can create, deploy, and locally preview which report versions.

RDL Schema Versions

The following table lists each available schema version and the abbreviation that is used throughout the rest of this topic:

For more information about specific RDL schemas, see Microsoft SQL Server XML Schemas and Report Definition Language Specifications.

For more information about ReportViewer controls, see ReportViewer Controls (Visual Studio).

Report Server Processing Support

On a SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services (SSRS) report server, you can publish report definition files in the following ways:

• Report Designer: Deploy a report from Report Designer in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).

• Report Builder: Save a report to the report server from Report Builder.

• Report Manager: Upload a report to a native mode report server from Report Manager.

• SharePoint: Upload a report to a SharePoint site that is configured with a SharePoint mode report server.

• Programmatically: Programmatically publish a report by using the SOAP API interfaces to a report server. For more information, see Report Server Web Service.

The following table lists support for report definition schemas by report server version.

When you upload a report definition to the report server by using Report Manager, the report server preserves the report definition in the original format. On first use, the report server upgrades the report in the report server database to a binary format that is preserved for subsequent views. The report definition itself is not upgraded. From Report Manager on the General Properties page for the report, you can extract a read-only copy of the report definition in the original format. For more information, see Extract, Update, or Edit the Source File of a Published Report Definition (Report Manager).

For more information about report upgrades and the schema versions that are supported, see Upgrade Reports.

Report Authoring and Deployment Support

Report authoring environments include Report Designer in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) projects, Report Designer in Visual Studio and, and Report Builder. Report authoring environments provide a variety of support for report upgrade, report design, report preview in local mode, report preview on the report server, and report deployment. For more information about feature support, see Comparing Report Authoring Environments.

The following table summarizes support for authoring and deploying report definitions for different schema versions:

ReportViewer Controls

A ReportViewer control in visual Studio can display a report in local preview or can display a report on a report server. The following table provides the list of report schema versions that a report viewer control can display:

For more information, see Reporting Services and ReportViewer Controls in Visual Studio.

See Also

Concepts

Reports, Report Parts, and Report Definitions (Report Builder and SSRS)

Tools (SSRS)

Report Definition Language (SSRS)

Other Resources

Report Manager How-to Topics