Report Management - Professional SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services - page 402

The root of the folder hierarchy is the Home folder. Each item in the database automatically inherits the
user permissions of the parent folder it's contained in.

There are four types of content items stored in the database:

❑ Report

❑ Folder

❑ Data Source

❑ Resource

You'll read details about all these items throughout the rest of this chapter.

Managing Content Items
Generally, content in the Report Server database isn't worked directly. In other words, you typically don't
work with content by manipulating records in the Report Server database tables using Transact-SQL or
SQL Server Enterprise Manager. The functionality to work with the database content is abstracted and pro-
vided through other interfaces. Graphical user, command-line, and programmatic interfaces are all avail-
able. Depending on the requirements, several approaches can be taken to performing management tasks.

Two primary tools are provided for performing content management tasks. The Report Manager web
application is both a management tool and report viewer. Integration with SQL Server Management Studio
also provides a Windows forms environment for managing the Report Server, and custom applications can
expose their own interfaces to those same functions. These tools enable you to configure common manage-
ment properties such as report execution, subscriptions, and security. Let's explore each.

Report Manager
Report Manager is a web-based management application included with Reporting Services. It's built
using ASP.NET and interfaces with the Report Server using the Web Service API.

The Report Manager application resides on a web server and is accessed using a web browser. It pro-
vides a management interface for the contents in the Report Server database. The Report Manager web
application works against another ASP.NET web application, which is the Report Server Web Service
interface. Figure 10-1 shows the stack between the Report Server and the client browser when using the
Report Manager application.

You could even build your own version of the Report Manager by creating an application that works
against the same Reporting Services Web Service API. You can use the Report Manager to:

❑ Create folders and folder structures to act as containers for report collections.

❑ Create and modify data sources, and add additional resources to the Report Server database.

❑ Implement an identity-based security model, controlling access to Reporting Services resources.

❑ Configure automated report generation and delivery.