Best Practices SSRS

7/28/2019 Best Practices SSRS

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Whitepaper:

SQL Server Reporting Services Integration

Best PracticesV1.0



Whitepaper: SSRS Integration Best Practices v1.0

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Table of Contents

Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

Specifications .............................................................................................................................................. 5

SSRS Portal Connector .............................................................................................................................. 6

Roambi Connector Configuration...................................................................................................................................6

Roambi Plugin for SSRS .......................................................................................................................................................7

Roambi Views.............................................................................................................................................. 9

SuperList View ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Pie View .................................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Trends ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 17

Cardex ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 21

CataList ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 25

Data Refresh .............................................................................................................................................. 31

Auto Sync Folder .................................................................................................................................................................. 31

Batch Process ......................................................................................................................................................................... 31

Security ....................................................................................................................................................... 32

Appendix A – FAQs ................................................................................................................................... 33

Appendix B - Known Issues ............ ............. ............. ............. ............. ............ .............. ............ ............. 34

Appendix C – Supported SSRS Data Formats .................................................................................... 35

Appendix D – Technical Specifications .............................................................................................. 37






Overview

Roambi offers users the option of utilizing SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) reports as thesource for Roambi Views. Additionally, the Reporting Services Server can function as a portalwhich houses Roambi files (*.rbi) and enables seamless communication to source systems whileleveraging security features which are part of the SQL Server Platform.

In many situations existing SSRS reports will be able to import into the Roambi Publisher without modification. However, SSRS is a free-form design interface that offers a near limitlessnumber of design options. To successfully create a Roambi View the data elements contained inan SSRS report must be mapped to Roambi’s proprietary format. Heuristics are used to

accomplish this mapping task. However, with SSRS’s free-form design interface it is possible toexceed the ability of these heuristics to accurately read and map each report element correctly.

This document contains Roambi capability and limitation specifications related to SSRS reportmapping. By following a few simple guidelines SSRS reports can be easily mapped to a Roambiformat making view creation a simple task.

In addition to report design best practices this document describes other important features thatare essential to a Roambi deployment in an enterprise environment. Security options and datarefresh strategies are discussed as they relate to a SQL Server Platform. Finally, a set of FAQsand answers has been provided.






Specifications

Roambi is able to integrate with existing SQL Server Reporting Services instances whether named or default. Supported SQL Server versions include:

1. SQL Server 2005 (9.0 or Yukon)

2. SQL Server 2008 R1 (10.0 or Katmia)

Roambi is able to consume data from components embedded in SQL Server Reporting ServicesReports. These components include:

1. List

2. Table

3. Matrix

Starting with SQL Server 2008 the above listed components are templates of the Tablixcomponent. The majority of this document will focus on reports that utilize the Tablixcomponent in a variety of formats.

SSRS offers two design interfaces; Business Intelligence Development Studio (part of VisualStudio) and Report Builder 2.0. Roambi supports reports developed in either interface.






SSRS Portal Connector

Roambi is capable of utilizing the SSRS report server to directly consume SSRS reports andstore Roambi files (*.rbi) that are consumed by end user devices. To configure this

interoperability a connection definition must be updated and the Roambi renderer must be addedto the report server. Accomplishing these tasks is typically done during the initial installation of a Roambi Enterprise Server. However, additional portals can be configured at any time. Thefollowing instructions should be completed for each portal to be used as an SSRS Roambi datasource.

Roambi Connector Configuration

During the installation of Roambi ES the below configuration file was created.

<Tomcat-Folder>/webapps/Roambi/WEB-INF/roambi-settings.xml

This file contains all of the portal connection configurations data that must be updated to connectto an instance of SSRS. Add the below repository node to the roambi-settings.xml for eachinstance of SSRS to be use utilized by Roambi. Updated the bold italicized fields with valuesrelevant to your SSRS environment. Field definitions and examples are below.

<repository><name>SSRS Friendly Name </name><id>SSRS_ID </id><type>com.mellmo.roambi.portal.plugins.ssrs.SSRSContentSourceFactory</type><description>SSRS Descri ption </description>

<hasDefaultPublishDir>YES</hasDefaultPublishDir><source>ssrs</source>

<params><param name="nt_domain" >Domain </param><param name="server_type" >ReportServer2005</param><param name="webservice_url ‖>SSRS Report Server URL</param>

</params></repository>

SSRS Friendly Name – This is the name that will appear in the Roambi Publisher. The nameshould clearly identify which SSRS portal is being configured.SSRS_ID – Provide a contiguous string to be used by Roambi as the Portal ID.SSRS Description – Provide a short text description of the Report Server.Domain (Optional) – Provide the domain which the SSRS sever is on. If the report server is not

on part of a domain, then provide the report server DNS name. If this value is not supplied, thenthe users will be asked to provide domain credential.SSRS Report Server URL – Provide the fully qualified Report Server URL. In default instanceconfigurations this name will be in the format: http:// server:port /

If no instance name is defined, ReportServer is assumed.






The below repository node contains sample values.

<repository><name>SSRS - Operations </name><id>SSRS_Ops </id>

<type>com.mellmo.roambi.portal.plugins.ssrs.SSRSContentSourceFactory</type><description>Operati ons Department SQL Server Report Server </description>

<hasDefaultPublishDir>YES</hasDefaultPublishDir><source>ssrs</source><params>

<param name="nt_domain" >ACMECO </param><param name="server_type" >ReportServer2005</param><param name="webservice_url ‖>http://ssrsOps:80/ </param>

</params></repository>

Roambi Plugin for SSRS

The SSRS Plugin is installed on the MS SQL Server where the SSRS server is activated. This plugin allows integration between Roambi Enterprise Servers and MS SQL Server by adding aRoambi renderer to the SSRS server. Once you make these changes you need to restart the SSRSservice for the changes to take effect.

1. During installation of the Roambi ES a file named “Roambi-reportingservices-

plugin.dll” was placed in the SSRS folder within the installation directory. Copy this

file and paste it into the SSRS directory at “…MSRS##.MSSQLServer\Reporting

Services\ReportServer\bin”.

2. Three SSRS configuration files need to be edited. All three of these files are located

in the ReportServer directory located here:

“…MSRS##.MSSQLServer\Reporting Services\ReportServer\”

rssrvpolicy.config – Edit the url (bold & italicized) in the below <CodeGroup> xml section suchthat it points to the file copied to the SSRS server in step 1 above.

a. Scroll to the bottom of the XML file and enter the lines below after the closing

</CodeGroup> tag which correlates to the first <CodeGroup> section. Tags

in grey are for context. Save and close the edited file.






<CodeGroup> Potentially includes nested <CodeGroup> tags

</CodeGroup><CodeGroup

class="UnionCodeGroup"

version="1"PermissionSetName="FullTrust"

Name="Roambi Render"Description="This code group grants Roambi Renderer code full trust.">

<IMembershipConditionclass="UrlMembershipCondition"version="1"

Url="C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS10.MSSQLSERVER\ReportingServices\ReportServer\bin\roambi-reportingservices-plugin.dll" />

</CodeGroup></PolicyLevel>

</policy></security>

</mscorlib></configuration>

b. rsreportserver.config – Open rsreportserver.config in a text editor. Locatethe closing render tag - </Render>. Copy the below <Extension Name> node

directly prior to the closing render tag.

<Extension Name="ROAMBI"Type="Roambi.ReportingServices.MellmoReportingServicesPlugin,roambi-reportingservices-plugin"

/>

c.

web.config – Open web.config in a text editor. Locate the <httpRuntime>tag. Ensure this tag contains the below values highlighted with bold

italicized font. Edit as needed and save the edited file.

<httpRuntimemaxRequestLength=" 102400" executionTimeout="9000"useFull yQualif iedRedirectUrl =" false"

minF reeThreads=" 8"

minLocalRequestFr eeThr eads=" 4"

appRequestQueueLimit=" 100" />

Restarted the SSRS service and test that it is working correctly by opening your web browser and pointing it to the SSRS server’s Reports folder (http://server_dns_name/Reports). Run a reportand under export format options you should see “Roambi Renderer”.






Roambi Views

Roambi views are report design templates that contain a set of customizable visualizations in a predefined structure. It is the job of the Roambi developer to determine the most appropriate

view to present data to end-users. The below view specific documentation describes each view’sfeature set, describes typical use examples, and provides SSRS report design guidelines.

While Roambi offers the capability of presenting large amounts of data on a mobile device, viewdesigners should always keep in mind the end-user experience. Distributing large and complexdata sets in blob format will often degrade ease of use and consequently reduce usage overall.Instead, consider the end-user requirements and design Roambi Views that have focused uses.For example, sales representative will likely desire to have all of their CRM data on the mobiledevice related to their accounts as well as all accounts with similar characteristics. Instead of dropping all of this data into a SuperList, Roambi designers may segment the data in a logicalmanner. Key account information such as contact data, current sales stage, and estimated

opportunity may be presented in a Cardex View. A Trends View might be used to show salestrends by account or by sales representative. The CataList view would be a good option for presenting hierarchical data such as sales by Region, Product Category, and Organizationstructure. By thoughtfully determining the most appropriate Roambi View to presentinformation the end-user experience will be improved resulting in high Roambi utilization andusers who are in tune with the information critical to making successful decision.

An important Roambi feature for designers to keep in mind is the ability to design and publishone Roambi and view the Roambi on any supported end-user device. Each device consumes thesame data and presents it in a very similar manner. However, Roambi also leverages the uniquecharacteristics of each device. For example, a CataList View on an iPhone will present the end

user with one level of a hierarchy at a time. As the user makes a selection the next level of thehierarchy is presented. The same view on an iPad will present the same data, but due to thelarger screen size Roambi presents multiple level simultaneously. There are many such designdecisions that are seamlessly consumed but are critical to providing an excellent experience tothe user consuming information while on the go.

Roambi Views that are sourced from SSRS are presented in the exact same manner as RoambiViews sourced from any of the other supported data sources (Excel, Business Objects, Cognos,etc…). The view specific SSRS design guidelines that follow are pertinent only to the Roambidesigner. These design guidelines are in place to ensure that SSRS reports are imported intoRoambi in a format that is able to be mapped. Once the data is imported designing and publishing a Roambi is the same regardless of the chosen data source.






SuperList View

The SuperList View provides the ability to view data on end-user devices in a spreadsheetformat. The SuperList presentation is very familiar to users who are accustomed to working with

in Excel or other spreadsheet tools. This simplicity and familiarity make the SuperList a greatway to ease new Roambi users into the mobile BI frame of mind.

Key Features- Up to 999 total columns of data- Unlimited number of rows of data- One selectable frozen column & frozen header row- Numeric data can be rendered as data bars- Phone numbers and email addresses create clickable hot links

While the SuperList is a quite simple it also offers a few key features. The column headers will

be frozen in place. Header names will be wrapped, and long names can be viewed by selectingthe column header.

One column will be frozen in place in the left most column of the device. This helps the user maintain a frame of reference when browsing other columns of data. The user is initially presented with the published column frozen, but this can be overridden on the device. By defaultthis locked column will be correlated with the left most column in the SSRS report.

Columns of numeric data can be toggled between a horizontal data bar view and a numericrendering. Additionally, detail data containing telephone numbers or email addresses will provide a single click call or email feature via live links. To ensure that Roambi identifies dataformats accurately assign supported format values to each data element. Data format details arelisted in Appendix C.






The user has the ability to filter and sort data by defining criteria for one or more columns. Themobile device will be auto-populated with a list of column header values for the user to selectfrom.

If the source SSRS report contains parameters & the Roambi refresh option is not set to “None”(see data refresh section), then end users will be able to make parameter selections on their mobile device.

In the above example a Tablix component formatted in a tabular structure was used as theSuperList View source. While this type of format does most closely correlate to the SuperListView, other SSRS formats are also supported.

The below SSRS Tablix component utilizes the matrix format. In this example there are threegroups of data on rows (Category, Subcategory, & Product) and two groups of data on columns






all in a nested structure. Upon importing this report into Roambi the publisher will detect the rowgroups and provide the user with an option to filter the SSRS report data. This feature can bevery useful when source reports contain large amounts of data. Filters can be applied in the publisher resulting in a much smaller Roambi file (*.rbi) for users to download.

Roambi will automatically place the lowest level of the row groups into the far left position of the SuperList View. By doing this the lowest level row group data becomes the fixed column bydefault in the publisher.

The SuperList View presents the user with a consolidated column header. In the example matrixwe have two column groups (Country & State_Providence). These group names will becombined to form a single string that represents the detail data.






Pie View

The Roambi Pie View utilizes a common pie chart while enabling key interaction with the end-user. Pie charts are perfect for providing user with a graphical representation of how individual

components combine to makeup a whole. Roambi designers should keep in mind that pie chartsare best viewed when the individual slices are of significant proportion to visually provide theuser an understanding of the component’s weight. Roambi’s Pie charts are limited to 10 slices.

If more than 10 slices are provided, then the top 9 slices will be displayed as individual slicesand the remaining components will be combined into a single 10th slice which can be drilled intofor detail.

Key Features- Up to 10 slices per Pie View (excess is grouped into “other” slice) - Up to 12 swipes representing Pie variations- Up to 999 columns of data

- View multiple Pie charts simultaneously (iPad)- Phone numbers and email addresses create clickable hot links

When designing an SSRS report to be a Pie View source the rows are meant to be the slices of the pie and the columns are versions of the pie. A table component is used in the belowexample.






Subcategories will make up the individual slices of the pie while the columns will providevariations of the pie in this example. By swiping the Pie View, users can alternate through eachvariation (annotated via dots at bottom of view).

Subcategory “Others” is a combination of all subcategories that are not in the top 9. Theindividual subcategories that makeup this slice can be viewed by tapping the chevron in thelower right of the view.

Users can rotate the Pie View to view numeric values representing each slice’s quantity and percent of the whole. The quantity is taken directly from the SSRS report, and the Pie Viewcalculates the percent.

Users can gain a broader understanding of a single slice by rotating the pie to place the slice infocus and then clicking the chevron. This provides the user a view of the data points in the rowcorresponding to the selected slice.






The row level details can be configured to utilize any of the available chart types. In thisexample the comparison chart is used.

If the source SSRS report contains parameters & the Roambi refresh option is not set to “None”

(see data refresh section), then end users will be able to make parameter selections on their mobile device.

In the above example a Tablix component formatted as a table was used as the SSRS source for

the Pie View. Report authors may create reports utilizing a variety of designs and the Pie Viewis capable of consuming a wide range of these report structures. The below exampledemonstrates the use of a SSRS matrix report as a Pie View source.

The above SSRS matrix has two column groups (Year & Month). Upon initially importing intothe Roambi Publisher an option to regroup the column headers will be available. This optiontransposes the header groups and can simplify the publishing process where appropriate.

The publisher will detect row level groups and provide the option to filter the SSRS report data.In this example we have one row level group, Country. If multiple row level groups are present,then multiple filter options will be presented.






As a best practice it is recommended that only one row group be included in SSRS Pie Viewsource reports. The Pie View is going to create slices for each leaf level row group member. If multiple row groups exist, then the leaf level may have repeating members within each group.This can cause confusion for the end user. In cases where leaf members are unique within across

all row groups, then the multiple row groups may be appropriate.

If multiple column groups exists, then totals should be included in the SSRS report. The PieView is not going to calculate the group totals and must have this data available in the sourcereport. In the above example the SSRS report must have totals for the Year.

These totals must be placed after the details level data. By doing so, Roambi will map the totalsto the parent member. In the example, the FY 2002 member will utilize the totals after eachmonth member. Commonly these parent totals will be used as the Pie Values and the monthlydata will be available as details for each pie slice. However, this is configurable from within theRoambi publisher.

Always format data according to the guidelines in Appendix C. Filter & Sort options will beavailable via the mobile device. See SuperList View for details on Filter & Sort Options.






Trends

The Trends View features an interactive two-dimension chart. Evaluating a numeric data serieswhile enabling the user to zoom in or out on specific segments of the series is the primary role of

the Trends View. Commonly the x-axis of the Trends View chart is related to time and the y-axis is a measure of units. However, this is not a design constraint. The Trends View can beused to view non-time related series such as income by age or weight by height.

Key Features- Maximum number of columns are limited by the following formula:

Number_categories * Number_of_Subcategories * Group_Levels_in_x_axis <= 999

- Unlimited number of rows of data (x-axis)- Up to 4 x-axis groups (typically period level)- Columns (trend charts) can be grouped- Phone numbers and email addresses create clickable hot links

A matrix component should be used to take full advantage of Trends View’s features. The

below example provides the end user with the ability to view trends at the semester, quarter, andmonth level.

Row group totals must be included in the SSRS report to enable the multiple x-axis groupings.Additionally, it is recommended the row and column groups be named in the SSRS report toassist the publishing process.

Upon importing the matrix SSRS report into the Roambi Publisher an option to regroup header rows will be available if multiple column groups are included (Subcategory & Product) in thesource report. This option will transpose the header groups.






Next the Roambi Publisher will allow the view author to modify the x-axis group settings. Bydefault groups will be named based on the row groups in the SSRS report (Semester, Quarter,Month). Options are available to rename the groups, group abbreviations, and labels.

Next, the Trends View layout is defined. By default the column groups will be used as groups inthe layout. For example the above matrix SSRS report will group products by subcategory.These layout settings can be overridden in the publisher.






Aesthetic options are available in the Roambi Publisher to define the y-axis units and chart type.After completing the publisher the view will be available for end user to download and consume.

If the source SSRS report contains parameters & the Roambi refresh option is not set to “None”(see data refresh section), then end users will be able to make parameter selections on their

mobile device.


On the mobile device users can alternate between values, value change from previous period, and percent change from previous period.

After selecting a trend member (product) the end users will be able to view a trend chart withinteractive options. The chart can be toggled to view each x-axis grouping previously defined(Semester, Quarter, Month).






A trend line is also included on the trend chart. The user has the option of defining the trendalgorithm being used or to remove the trend line.

The mobile device user also has the ability to zoom in on specific x-axis values, get details onspecific series data points, and make comparisons between two data points (using 2 fingers toselect).






Cardex

The Cardex View provides a simple interface for browsing through a large number of distinctitems and making comparisons between combinations of user selected items. Detailed data can

be included on each item providing a very customizable visualization. When large number of items (cards in the cardex) are included the filter option on the device can provide a effectivemeans of focusing on the subjects of interest.

Key Features- Up to 999 columns of data- Up to 9000 individual cards with 1 level of grouping- Compare multiple cards side-by-side (iPad)- Phone numbers and email addresses create clickable hot links

A matrix report is a perfect layout for SSRS reports used as a Cardex View source. Rows

become individual cards and card groups while columns provide the view data. The belowTablix is formatted as a matrix and provides 2 row level groups as well as 2 column level groups.It is always a best practice to name each group in the SSRS report to ease the publishing process.

Notice that totals are included on the column groups. Including column totals enables Roambiauthor to add parent level data (Fiscal Year) to the report details.

This report will render in SSRS as the below image describes. Note that there are more rows andcolumns that are not included here for simplification.






Upon initial import into the Roambi Publisher the report author has the option to regroup columnheaders. Doing so will transpose the column groups. This option is very useful when staticvalues are included in column headers. Static column must be placed directly above the detaildata for Roambi to correctly map the SSRS report. If the static columns (typically detail data

caption) should be considered as parent level groups, then the regroup option will restructure theSSRS report providing the required view.

Next the Roambi author will have the option to filter the SSRS report data to a subset. Roambiwill provide this option for each row group that exist in the SSRS report.

Next the Roambi author will select the attribute to be used as card tabs. In this example the cardtab will be automatically selected by the Roambi Publisher as “Country” because this is the parent group on rows. If multiple row groups exists, then the author can select the appropriatedata to be used as tabs.






The individual card names will be automatically mapped to the leaf level of the row groups.This is also a user customizable option in the Publisher.

Standard options to modify the layout and customize the type of chart to be used for each

element’s rendering are available in the publisher. Upon publishing the user will be able to flipthrough the cardex, select individual cards, and view the detailed data.

If the source SSRS report contains parameters & the Roambi refresh option is not set to “None”(see data refresh section), then end users will be able to make parameter selections on their mobile device.






If a large format mobile device is used such as the iPad, then users will be able to select multiplecards and make comparisons of detailed data.







CataList

The CataList View is very popular amongst the Roambi community of users. Unique to theCataList View is the ability to present hierarchies of data. The ability to present hierarchical data

and enable the user to drive analysis by drilling down into the specific area of interest is animportant feature for mobile BI consumers. Additionally, the CataList provide the ability toswipe between data points and can render data in a micro chart format which provides context ata glance.

Key Features- Up to 6 hierarchical levels- The maximum number of columns are limited by the following formula:

Number_categories * Number_of_Measures * Hierarchical_Levels <= 999

- Unlimited rows of data- Up to 12 swipes- Micro charting ability- Phone numbers and email addresses create clickable hot links

The CataList report is designed to display hierarchical data in a format that is easily consumedon a mobile device. While many SSRS report layouts can be used as a CataList View source, amatrix takes full advantage of the all of the CataList features. The following example used theTablix component in the matrix format.

Notice that on columns we have one group followed by two static cells. The static cells mustalways be placed directly above the detailed data for Roambi to map the SSRS report correctly.To enable BIDS to display static cells in the group designer select the “Advance Mode” option.






Below is a partial image of the above-described SSRS report in BIDS preview pane.

Directly after importing the SSRS report into Roambi Publisher the author has the option toregroup data. Selecting this option will transpose the column header rows.

In this example we want to display detailed data grouped by “Reseller Sales Amount” and

grouped by “Reseller Order Quantity”. By detault Roambi will group data in the order that it is provided starting with the highest parent level (Quarter). The publisher provides an example of this grouping option during the publishing process. Below we can see that our data is groupedfirst by quarter.

After selecting the “Regroup Data” option the “Reseller Sales Amount” is shown as the firstgrouping option.






After regrouping the data (or not) the Roambi author is provided with the option to filter theSSRS report data. This option can be very useful in limiting the size of individual RoambiViews. Remember that these views must be downloaded to the mobile device and longdownload times can result from large Roambis.

Next the Publisher provides the option to define the “card title”. The lowest level of the

hierarchical data should be automatically identified. The report author can customize thisselection in the Roambi Publisher.






Next the layout is defined. In this example the header groups were transposed which hascorrectly defined our layout groups without further modification. A simple reordering of thequarters will get the data into the desired format. However, the layout may also be manuallydefined by the Roambi author in the publisher at this step. Renaming of groups and or individualattributes is also available.

Next the report author assigns chart types and charting options to the individual groups. Anygroup of numeric data that has a single series of data included will optionally have a micro chartadded to the view.






Each micro chart becomes a swipe on the mobile device.

Drilling into the hierarchy is accomplished by simply tapping the member to drill into.

Once the leaf level of the hierarchy has been reached, the user can further drill into the detailedreport.






If the source SSRS report contains parameters & the Roambi refresh option is not set to “None”

(see data refresh section), then end users will be able to make parameter selections on their mobile device.







Data Refresh

Roambi data is contained in a *.rbi file on the designated portal. Refreshing the data diplayed ona mobile device require that the *.rbi file is updated and the new *.rbi file is downloaded to the

mobile device.

When publishing a Roambi View the author is presented with three data refresh options. Thissetting will determine the options available to the end user.

1. None – If none is selected, then the end user will not have the option to refresh theRoambi View. In order for users to get an updated version of the view the Roambi

will need to be republished.

2. Manual – Manual refresh enables the user to refresh the data on demand. The

mobile device will have a refresh icon added to the display screen. By clicking this

option the user will trigger the *.rbi to be refreshed by querying the source SSRS

report and will download the new *.rbi to the mobile device.3. Automatic – Automatic refresh ensures that the end user always has the latest

available data on their mobile device. Each time a user opens the Roambi

application on their mobile device and accesses an auto refresh view the *.rbi will be

updated from the source system and the new *.rbi will be downloaded to the mobile

device.

Auto Sync Folder

Roambi ES offers the ability to designate a portal folder as the “Auto Sync” folder. By doing so

users will have the latest *.rbi automatically pushed to their device and deleted from their device

in synchronization with the “Auto Sync” folder. For detail on setup please refer to the Roami ESinstallation guide.

Batch Process

In some situations the source data system can add latency to the data refresh process. If thislatency becomes excessive, then a batch *.rbi refresh process will help mask this issue from endusers by querying the source system and refreshing the *.rbi prior to the user’s request.

Batch mode *.rbi refresh also offers the benefit of parameterizing *.rbi creation as well asmanaging the location which *.rbi files are housed. These features are very useful whenimplementing a deployment that depends on portal security for data access.

When an *.rbi is refreshed with the batch process it will not query the source system again unlessthe batch process is rerun. This is true even if the Roambi View is set to manual or auto datarefresh. Batch is meant to take control of the *.rbi process and mask this task from end users.Refer to the Install guide for batch setup details.






Security

Roambi leverages the security infrastructure in the existing business intelligence system. Thiscreates a simple integration process. Basic authetication is used to access the Portal which

houses the *.rbi files. If the *.rbi is setup such that the underlying system should be queried torefresh the *.rbi, then the user supplied credentials are used.

If data level (aka role & row security) are setup in the source data system, then these featureswill be exposed in the Roambi View. For example; Suppose that a Sales Representative CardexView Roambi is created which includes a card for each customer. Also suppose that the sourceis an SSAS OLAP cube. If a role has been defined which limits the customers returned to onlythose which the sales representative has access, then the Roambi report will only create cards for those customers. Note that the same Roambi can be used to create a different version for eachsales representative.

However, in this case it might be more appropriate to use the batch process to pre-create the *.rbifiles for each of the sales representatives. This will greatly reduce the demand on the sourcesystem and speed up the Roambi refresh process. The trade off is that the data will only berefreshed when the batch process is rerun regardless of the state of the source data system.

For further details on security integration refer to the Roambi ES Installation Guide.






Appendix B - Known Issues

SQL Server 2008 R2 – SSRS reports created in BIDS via manual methods (not using wizard)will at times fail to import into Roambi. This issue is resolved in the latest Roambi builds.

Please upgrade to the latest build or use the Report Wizard in BIDS to design new SSRS reportsin SSRS 2008 R2.

Report Builder 3.0 – Reports created in Report Builder 3.0 will at times not import into Roambi.. This issue is resolved in the latest Roambi builds. Please upgrade to the latest build or use theReport Wizard in BIDS to design new SSRS reports in SSRS 2008 R2.

Adjacent Groups – SSRS reports created with adjacent column groups along with a single staticcell directly above detailed data occasionally does not detect the name of the static elementcorrectly. When publishing the Roambi View, edit the group and filed names from withing the publisher.

Data Formatting – Complex data formats are not detected in the Roambi Publisher. SeeAppendix C for supported data formats.

Static Row Fields – When row groups include static row elements the static fields are notavailable after importing into the Roambi Publisher. Replace the static row fields with staticcolumn fields to enable the Roambi Publisher to make these fields available.






Appendix C – Supported SSRS Data Formats

Roambi will detect and copy the data format used in SSRS reports when rendering on mobiledevices. To ensure that data formats are correctly mapped utilize the following format strings.

P for PercentageA for AmountC for Currency N for numeric

Each format string can be followed by a number representing the number of decimals. “P2”equals percent with two decimal place. “C2” equals currency with two decimal places. Customformats can be built using the #, $, & 0 parts.

Format setting can be accessed by right-clicking on a data element and selecting “Text Box

Properties”.

From within the “Text Box Properties” window select the format pane, custom format, and input

the desired format in the expression area.






Optionally, the format value can be set via the properties window after highlighting the cell to beformatted.






Appendix D – Technical Specifications

The SSRS connector for Roambi supports a wide range of RDL elements. The connector usesheuristics to map the report into the Roambi format. These heuristics work best when you follow

a few simple rules when creating your reports. Reports that the SSRS to Roambi connector supports can be broken down into the following categories:

Tabular - these are reports with a heading, columns and a total. Tabular reports can be designedusing either the Tablix, Table or List elements (all based on Tablix component starting withSSRS 2008). Most of the rules below are based on commonsense notions of report design.However, the flexibility of RDL allows reports to be prepared in many different ways not all of which can be interpreted by the connector.

If your report uses the Table element...

Place your rows into the Details section of the report. The connector looks to the detailssection for the report data.

Column names are determined from the Table header so place your field names in theheader element

If you have report level totals put those into the Footer element so they can be found. InBIDS or Report builder this is done by placing totals after the group.

Summarization levels are determined by looking at the grouping element. Groupingsshould contain GroupExpressions so that the connector can find the field.

Tables only support row level summarization.

If your report uses the List element...

Data columns are located by looking in the ReportItems element for any textboxes. Keepyour List style reports to simple concatenated sets of textboxes to provide the best format.

Totals outside of detail group Names in header Rows in details group






Summarization is supported via the grouping element. As with the table, groupingsshould contain GroupExpressions so they can be identified as summary levels.

If your report uses the Matrix element...

Place your data rows into the first MatrixRow element so they can be found. MultipleMatrixRow elements will confuse the heuristics and result in missing data.

Row and column summarization is supported via the DynamicRows andDynamicColumns elements. Subtotal elements are supported so that intermediatesubtotal rows can be displayed. These elements must have a grouping with an expressionto be recognized as a summarization level.

In order to allow the connector to find the summary levels for column data, place thesummaries directly below the column they summarize.

Column titles are taken from the first static row in the report that does NOT contain anyfield expressions. Therefore to allow the connector to properly name the data columnsyou should put a StaticRow above the report.

`

If your report uses the Tablix element...

While the Tablix allows you to specify a variable number of columns in each columngrouping, this can sometimes confuse the connector. For best results use the same

number of TablixCell definitions in each row.

Summarization is supported when you provide nested TablixMember elements that haveGroup elements with expressions. For best results each nested TablixMember shouldhave an expression and a corresponding TablixHeader that gives the group value and provides a name for the column. This allows the connector to more easily determine thereport format and find the report data.

Titles in first static row

without expressions

Data Rows

Summarization after detail






When specifying a TablixHeader only the first Textbox is looked at for the field name.

Report totals are located by looking for TablixRow elements that represent summaries.These rows will have field expressions in them. The connector uses a sophisticatedalgorithm to match TablixRow elements with their corresponding TablixMember elementso that the proper cell is matched with the proper summary level. You can help theconnector by not mixing titles with summary values. i.e. don't place totals in the reportheading as this will confuse the connector.

Report details are located by identifying a TablixMember with an empty Group definition( <Group Name="Details"/> ). This is typically inserted by the report builder when providing a details level to a report. If the connector sees this it assumes that theTablixMember represents details and does not include it in the summary hierarchy for thereport.

Group Expression

Group Name

Summarization after detail

No group expression - Detail






Tablix style reports support container elements such as Rectangle. These type of containers can confuse the connector and should be avoided.

Report column titles are found by looking for the first statically defined TablixRow that

doesn't contain any field expressions. The TablixCell elements of this row are assumedto contain the user visible names of the cells immediately below.

Keep your summaries in the same column as the data they summarize. The connector will not be able to properly locate the summary data if you place your summary in adifferent column.

Using an empty or detail level group in your grouping structure will cause the connector to include a detail level in the report. If you do this you should include a table row todisplay it. An empty group is designated with <Group Name="Details"> in the reportdefinition. If no row is included the report will not contain data at the detail level but theRoambi display will show one. This will result in an unused report level.

When using grouping do one of the following to ensure that the title is properly found:

Place the group title in a <TablixHeader> element with the group expression

Place the title into a static <TablixMember> immediately above the dynamicmember

Static row without valueex ression



Place the title into a static TablixRow containing only titles

or as a last resort name the title <TextBox> element with the title you want i.e.<TextBox Name='Sales'>

Textbox name – Fields Title

Best Practices SSRS

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