Tutorial: How to locate and start Reporting Services tools (SSRS)

This tutorial introduces the tools used to configure a report server, manage report server content and operations, and create and publish paginated and mobile Reporting Services reports. If you're already familiar with the tools, you can move on to other tutorials to learn how to use Reporting Services. For other tutorials, see Reporting Services Tutorials (SSRS).

Report Server Configuration Manager (native mode)

Use the Native mode configuration manager to complete the following tasks:

  • Specify the service account.
  • Create or upgrade the report server database.
  • Modify the connection properties.
  • Specify URLs.
  • Manage encryption keys.
  • Configure unattended report processing and e-mail report delivery.

Installation: Reporting Services Configuration Manager is installed when you install Reporting Services Native mode. For more information, see Install Reporting Services native mode report server.

Start the Report Server Configuration Manager

  1. In the Windows start menu, enter reporting and in the Apps search results, select Report Server Configuration Manager.

    Screenshot that shows the Report Server Configuration Manager button in the Start menu.

    Or

    Select Start, then choose Programs, then Microsoft SQL Server, then choose Configuration Tools, and then select Report Server Configuration Manager.

    The Report Server Installation Instance Selection dialog box appears so that you can select the report server instance you want to configure.

  2. In Server Name, specify the name of the computer on which the report server instance is installed. The name of the local computer is specified by default, but you can also enter the name of a remote SQL Server instance.

    If you specify a remote computer, select Find to establish a connection. The report server must be configured for remote administration in advance. For more information, see Configure a report server for remote administration.

  3. In Instance Name, choose the SQL Server Reporting Services instance that you want to configure. Only SQL Server 2008 and later report server instances appear in the list. You can't configure earlier versions of Reporting Services.

  4. Select Connect.

  5. To verify that you launched the tool, compare your results to the following image:

    Screenshot that shows the Report Services Subscription Settings tool.

Next Steps: Configure and administer a report server (SSRS Native Mode) and Report Server Configuration Manager (native mode).

Web portal (native mode)

Use Web portal (SSRS native mode) to set permissions, manage subscriptions and schedules, and work with reports. You can also use the Web Portal to view reports.

Installation: The Web Portal is installed when you install Reporting Services Native mode: Install Reporting Services native mode report server

Before you can open the Web Portal, you must have sufficient permissions (initially, only members of the local Administrators group have permissions that provide access to the Web Portal features). The Web Portal provides different pages and options depending on the role assignments of the current user. Users who have no permissions get an empty page. Users with permissions to view reports get links that they can select to open the reports. To learn more about permissions, see Roles and permissions (Reporting Services).

Start the web portal

  1. Open your browser. For information on supported browsers and browser versions, see Browser support for Reporting Services.

  2. In the address bar of the Web browser, enter the Web Portal URL. By default, the URL is https://<serverName>/reports. You can use the Reporting Services Configuration tool to confirm the server name and URL. For more information about URLs used in Reporting Services, see Configure report server URLs (Report Server Configuration Manager).

  3. The Web Portal opens in the browser window. The startup page is the Home folder. Depending on permissions, you might see other folders, hyperlinks to reports, and resource files within the startup page. You might also see other buttons and commands on the toolbar.

  4. If you run the Web Portal on the local report server, see Configure a native mode report server for local administration (SSRS).

Management Studio

Report server administrators can use Management Studio to manage a report server alongside other SQL Server component servers. For more information, see the SQL Server Management Studio tutorial.

Start SQL Server Management Studio

  1. From the Windows start menu, enter sql server and in the Apps search results, select SQL Server Management Studio.

    Screenshot that shows the SQL Server Management Studio from the Windows button in the Start menu.

    Or

    Select Start, then choose All Programs, then Microsoft SQL Server, and then select SQL Server Management Studio. The Connect to Server dialog box appears.

  2. If the Connect to Server dialog box doesn't appear, in Object Explorer, select Connect and then choose Reporting Services.

  3. In the Server type list, select Reporting Services. If Reporting Services isn't on the list, it isn't installed.

  4. In the Server name list, select a report server instance. Local instances appear in the list. You can also enter the name of a remote SQL Server instance.

  5. Select Connect. You can expand the root node to set server properties, modify role definitions, or turn off report server features.

SQL Server Data Tools with Report Designer and Report Wizard

You have a choice of two different tools for creating SQL Server paginated reports: Report Designer and Report Builder.

Report Designer is available in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) - Visual Studio. The Report Designer design surface includes tabbed windows, wizards, and menus used to access report authoring features. The report designer tool becomes available when you choose a Report Server Project or a Report Server Wizard template in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT). To learn more, see Reporting Services in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).

Download SQL Server Data Tools.

Start Report Designer

  1. Open SQL Server Data Tools.

  2. On the File menu, point to New, and then select Project.

  3. In the Project Types list, select Business Intelligence Projects.

  4. In the Templates list, select Report Server Project. The following diagram shows how the project templates appear in the dialog box:

    Screenshot that shows the New Project template dialog box.

  5. Enter a name and location for the project, or select Browse and choose a location.

  6. Select OK. SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) opens with the Visual Studio start page. Solution Explorer provides categories for creating reports and data sources. You can use these categories to create new reports and data sources. Tabbed windows appear when you create a report definition. The tabbed windows are Data, Layout, and Preview.

To get started on your first report, see Create a basic table report (SSRS tutorial). To learn more about query designers you can use within Report Designer, see Query Design Tools (SSRS).

Report Builder

Report Builder in SQL Server is a stand-alone application you can use to create paginated reports outside SQL Server. You can customize and update all existing reports, regardless of whether they were created in Report Designer or in previous versions of Report Builder. Install it from the SQL Server web portal or from the Microsoft Download Center.

When your paginated report is ready, publish it to a report server or save it to the Power BI service. Download Report Builder from the Microsoft Download Center.

Start Report Builder

  1. In the SQL Server web portal, on the New menu, select Paginated Report.

    Screenshot that shows the New menu options.

  2. If Report Builder isn't installed on this computer yet, select Get Report Builder.

    Or

    Download Report Builder from the Microsoft Download Center.

  3. Report Builder opens and you can create or open a paginated report.

SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher

Note

SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher is deprecated for all releases of SQL Server Reporting Services after SQL Server Reporting Services 2019. It is discontinued starting in SQL Server Reporting Services 2022 and Power BI Report Server.

Use SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher to create mobile reports you can view in the SQL Server web portal and in mobile devices such as iPads and iPhones.\

You can install it from the SQL Server web portal or from the Microsoft Download Center.

Download SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher from the Microsoft Download Center.

Start Mobile Report Publisher

  1. In the SQL Server web portal, on the New menu, select Mobile Report.

    Screenshot that shows the New menu options.

  2. If Mobile Report Publisher isn't installed on this computer yet, select Get Mobile Report Publisher.

    Or

    Download SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher from the Microsoft Download Center.

  3. Mobile Report Publisher opens and you can create or open a mobile report.

Download SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher
Download Report Builder
Download SQL Server Data Tools
Install Reporting Services SharePoint mode
Reporting Services report server
Query design tools
Reporting Services tutorials

More questions? Try asking the Reporting Services forum