Creating and
Using a Standard Subscription
1.
Click the Properties
tab atop the FoodMart
Sales report view.
We
arrive at the Properties page.
2.
Click the Data
Sources link in the left margin of the page.
We
arrive at the Data Sources page. Here we will embed our data source
access credentials, for purposes of completing the immediate exercise.
3.
Click the
radio button labeled Credentials
stored securely in the report server in the Connect
Using: section (in the lower half)
of the Data
Sources page.
4.
Type your actual Windows User
name and Password information into the respective boxes. (The
information that is being passed from Windows with integrated security in
force).
NOTE: If you are using a different authentication
method than Windows integrated security, make the appropriate adjustments on
this page to embed your credentials into the report.
The Data Sources page appears as shown in Illustration
13, with my adjustments.
Illustration 13: Data
Sources Page: Settings to Store Credentials
5.
Click Apply
to apply the settings.
6.
Click the Subscriptions
tab (shown circled in the above illustration).
The Subscriptions
page appears, with a "no
items to show in this view" statement in place, assuming no subscriptions
have been created. Illustration 14 depicts this circumstance.
Illustration 14: Subscriptions
Page: No Subscriptions Defined
Because the report is
parameterized, and because we know the parameter that we wish to pass upon its
execution (we wish to present the Non-Consumables sales data), we need
to pass the parameter as part of the process of subscription; otherwise the
manual elements of report generation that existed before we obtained the new
business requirement will remain with us. We will begin our setup of subscription
for the FoodMart
Sales Report by taking the
following steps:
7.
Click the New
Subscription link (shown circled in the above illustration).
The Subscription
properties page opens. Here we make the settings for the subscription we
are creating.
8.
Select Report
Server File Share in the Delivered by: selector box.
The
options on the properties page change to reflect those that are relevant to our
Report Server File Share delivery choice. It is important to keep in
mind that, although we can chose to have any report delivered to a respective
designated file share, any reports that contain interactive features (including
drill-down, drill-through, and so forth) will be delivered as static files.)
9.
Modify File
Name to reflect the following:
Foodmart Sales Report
10.
In the Path
box, type in a valid share name.
The
name must be in UNC (Uniform
Naming Convention) format. For
example, my entry here is as follows:
\\MOTHER1\D$\RS_SubsTest
A Books Online
reference specifically states that trailing backslashes (or "slatches,"
as I have been calling them awhile now) are not to be used here.
11.
In the Render
Format selector, select Excel (unless you do not have MS Excel
on your PC. If that is the case, substitute Web Archive).
Our
report file, with an .xls extension, will be delivered to the specified file
share with the name we have given it. Within the Render Format
selector, we can select various file formats (to the delight of many clients to
whom I have presented this feature to date, most of whom had to write macros,
etc., to handle the same functionality in Cognos, Business Objects, and other
enterprise solutions). Options include:
- XML file with report data
- CSV (comma delimited)
- TIFF File
- Acrobat (PDF) file
- Web page for IE 5.0 or later
(.htm)
- Web page for most web browsers
(.htm)
- Web archive
- Excel
Others
are certainly possible (Lotus, etc.), with the flexible API afforded by
Reporting Services, as well as through other easy approaches.
12.
Add the
appropriate credentials to access the file share stipulated, if
required.
13.
Click the Select
Schedule button in the Subscription
Processing Options section (lower
half of the page).
The related properties
page opens, providing access to the scheduling settings for the subscription we
are creating.
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