Friday, February 24, 2012

Best approach for creating SQL Server 2005 reports to run against SQL 2000 database engine

We have a client who is running SQL Server 2000. They have Business Objects reports. We want to create those same reports using SQL Reporting Services and get rid of Business Objects. The trick is, we'd prefer to create them in SQL Server 2005 with VS 2005, so that we have the reports created with the newest version rather than having to use the older, less functional version to create them. What are our options here? Can we create the reports in 2005 and somehow run the reports against a 2000 database without making our client have to install a SQL Server 2005 instance?
Or will we need to create the reports in SQL Server 2000? Are there other combinations that would work where we can still create them in 2005 but run against 2000?
I'm sure they will upgrade eventually, but I'd rather not rush them at this time.
Thanks much!I think I didn′t get you right, so here are two explanations to your problem:

You can run reports against every supported datasource, this does not have to be SQL Server, it can either be Oracle, a text file, a Webservice or any other source. You can use the out-of-the-box functionality and sources or you can create your own custom provider which leaves with unlimited variety for sources. The Report Server has to be installed on a SQL Server 2005 Server. Therefore you need a SQL Server 2005 licence. If you have one of these you can also install a SQL Server 2005 database. If the clients don′t have a SQL Server 2005 licences you will be stuck to SQL Server Express Advanced Edition, which is capable to distribute it as you want but will only have access to local SQL Server database sources.

So I hope I hit on of your problems withthat answer :-)


HTH, Jens Suessmeyer.

http://www.sqlserver2005.de

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Jens,

Thanks - I think that does answer my question. My customer only has SQL Server 2000 right now, so it seems I will need to build the reports in SQL Server 2000 using Visual Studio 2003 as the IDE. In our development shop we have moved on to VS 2005, so I am assuming that for new clients we can upgrade our reports to 2005 without too much effort. If you know of any issues about upgrading reports from SQL Server 2000 reporting services to SQL Server 2005, please let me know.

Thanks much!

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