Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 15-1.
Continued
Application
Description
Pros
Cons
Excel Services
and Visio
Services
Add-ons to SharePoint.
You can share Excel and
Visio documents through
a SharePoint server that
can then be reviewed
with a web browser.
Anyone with a web browser can
see the reports from SharePoint.
Comparably high setup
requirements.
Excel Services are available
only on SharePoint Server
2010 Enterprise.
A complex way of sharing
documents.
Power View
Combines features
from Excel, PowerPivot,
Report Builder, Report
Server, and SharePoint.
Allows for professional-looking
ad hoc report building.
Comparably difficult setup
requirements.
Anyone with a web browser can
view reports from SharePoint.
Microsoft SharePoint
Server 2010, SQL 2012
data engine, Reporting
Services 2012, Power
View add-in for Reporting
Services, and PowerPivot
add-in for SharePoint
are all required for
installation.
Most of these applications' features overlap with each other, and it is likely that Microsoft will continue to
combine them in the future. But, currently all of them may be considered valid options for BI reporting.
Digging through Microsoft's documentation and web pages reveals that Microsoft has classified its reporting
software into three basic categories: personal, departmental, and organizational. Figure
15-1
shows a breakdown
of Microsoft's most common BI reporting tools and which category they are associated with.
Personal BI
Departmental BI
Organizational BI
Excel
PowerPivot
Report Builder
Power View
Excel
PowerPivot
Reporting Server
Report Builder
SharePoint
Power View
Reporting Server
SharePoint
Performance Point
Excel Services
Visio Services
Figure 15-1.
Mircrosoft's BI reporting software categories
You can see that many applications overlap between the different categories. To give you a better
understanding of each category, take a look Table
15-2
.
