Reporting Services Deployment - deployment

Question

I need to create a repeatable process for deploying SQL Server Reporting Services reports. I am not in favor of using Visual Studio and or Business Development Studio to do this. The rs.exe method of scripting deployments also seems rather clunky. Does anyone have a very elegant way that they have been able to deploy reports. The key here is that I want the process to be completely automated.

Answer 1

We use rs.exe, once we developed the script we have not needed to touch it anymore, it just works.
Here is the source (I slightly modified it by hand to remove sensitive data without a chance to test it, hope I did not brake anything), it deploys reports and associated images from subdirectories for various languages. Also datasource is created.
'=====================================================================
' File: PublishReports.rss
'
' Summary: Script that can be used with RS.exe to
' publish the reports.
'
' Rss file spans from beginnig of this comment to end of module
' (except of "End Module").
'=====================================================================
Dim langPaths As String() = {"en", "cs", "pl", "de"}
Dim filePath As String = Environment.CurrentDirectory
Public Sub Main()
rs.Credentials = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials
'Create parent folder
Try
rs.CreateFolder(parentFolder, "/", Nothing)
Console.WriteLine("Parent folder created: {0}", parentFolder)
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
PublishLanguagesFromFolder(filePath)
End Sub
Public Sub PublishLanguagesFromFolder(ByVal folder As String)
Dim Lang As Integer
Dim langPath As String
For Lang = langPaths.GetLowerBound(0) To langPaths.GetUpperBound(0)
langPath = langPaths(Lang)
'Create the lang folder
Try
rs.CreateFolder(langPath, "/" + parentFolder, Nothing)
Console.WriteLine("Parent lang folder created: {0}", parentFolder + "/" + langPath)
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
'Create the shared data source
CreateDataSource("/" + parentFolder + "/" + langPath)
'Publish reports and images
PublishFolderContents(folder + "\" + langPath, "/" + parentFolder + "/" + langPath)
Next 'Lang
End Sub
Public Sub CreateDataSource(ByVal targetFolder As String)
Dim name As String = "data source"
'Data source definition.
Dim definition As New DataSourceDefinition
definition.CredentialRetrieval = CredentialRetrievalEnum.Store
definition.ConnectString = "data source=" + dbServer + ";initial catalog=" + db
definition.Enabled = True
definition.EnabledSpecified = True
definition.Extension = "SQL"
definition.ImpersonateUser = False
definition.ImpersonateUserSpecified = True
'Use the default prompt string.
definition.Prompt = Nothing
definition.WindowsCredentials = False
'Login information
definition.UserName = "user"
definition.Password = "password"
Try
'name, folder, overwrite, definition, properties
rs.CreateDataSource(name, targetFolder, True, definition, Nothing)
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
End Sub
Public Sub PublishFolderContents(ByVal sourceFolder As String, ByVal targetFolder As String)
Dim di As New DirectoryInfo(sourceFolder)
Dim fis As FileInfo() = di.GetFiles()
Dim fi As FileInfo
Dim fileName As String
For Each fi In fis
fileName = fi.Name
Select Case fileName.Substring(fileName.Length - 4).ToUpper
Case ".RDL"
PublishReport(sourceFolder, fileName, targetFolder)
Case ".JPG", ".JPEG"
PublishResource(sourceFolder, fileName, "image/jpeg", targetFolder)
Case ".GIF", ".PNG", ".BMP"
PublishResource(sourceFolder, fileName, "image/" + fileName.Substring(fileName.Length - 3).ToLower, targetFolder)
End Select
Next fi
End Sub
Public Sub PublishReport(ByVal sourceFolder As String, ByVal reportName As String, ByVal targetFolder As String)
Dim definition As [Byte]() = Nothing
Dim warnings As Warning() = Nothing
Try
Dim stream As FileStream = File.OpenRead(sourceFolder + "\" + reportName)
definition = New [Byte](stream.Length) {}
stream.Read(definition, 0, CInt(stream.Length))
stream.Close()
Catch e As IOException
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
Try
'name, folder, overwrite, definition, properties
warnings = rs.CreateReport(reportName.Substring(0, reportName.Length - 4), targetFolder, True, definition, Nothing)
If Not (warnings Is Nothing) Then
Dim warning As Warning
For Each warning In warnings
Console.WriteLine(warning.Message)
Next warning
Else
Console.WriteLine("Report: {0} published successfully with no warnings", targetFolder + "/" + reportName)
End If
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
End Sub
Public Sub PublishResource(ByVal sourceFolder As String, ByVal resourceName As String, ByVal resourceMIME As String, ByVal targetFolder As String)
Dim definition As [Byte]() = Nothing
Dim warnings As Warning() = Nothing
Try
Dim stream As FileStream = File.OpenRead(sourceFolder + "\" + resourceName)
definition = New [Byte](stream.Length) {}
stream.Read(definition, 0, CInt(stream.Length))
stream.Close()
Catch e As IOException
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
Try
'name, folder, overwrite, definition, MIME, properties
rs.CreateResource(resourceName, targetFolder, True, definition, resourceMIME, Nothing)
Console.WriteLine("Resource: {0} with MIME {1} created successfully", targetFolder + "/" + resourceName, resourceMIME)
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine(e.Message)
End Try
End Sub
Here is the batch to call the rs.exe:
SET ReportServer=%1
SET DBServer=%2
SET DBName=%3
SET ReportFolder=%4
rs -i PublishReports.rss -s %ReportServer% -v dbServer="%DBServer%" -v db="%DBName%" -v parentFolder="%ReportFolder%" >PublishReports.log 2>&1
pause

Answer 2

I used the script #David supplied but I had to add some code (I'm typing this up as an answer, as this would be too long for a comment.
The problem is: if there is already a "shared datasource" attached to a report in the report definition, this is never the same datasource as the one that is created in the script.
This also becomes apparent from the warning emitted by the "CreateReport" method:
The data set '' refers to the shared data source '', which is not published on the report server.
So the data source has to be set explicitly afterwards. I've made the following code changes:
I added a global variable:
Dim dataSourceRefs(0) As DataSource
At the end of the CreateDataSource method, that variable gets filled:
Dim dsr As New DataSourceReference
dsr.Reference = "/" + parentFolder + "/" + db
Dim ds As New DataSource
ds.Item = CType(dsr, DataSourceDefinitionOrReference)
ds.Name = db
dataSourceRefs(0) = ds
And in the PublishReport method, that data source gets explicitly set (after CreateReport has been called):
rs.SetItemDataSources(targetFolder + "/" + reportName.Substring(0, reportName.Length - 4), dataSourceRefs)
Note that this last call is only RS 2005 or higher. If you want to load your reports onto a RS 2000 server, you have to use SetReportDataSources in stead:
rs.SetReportDataSources(targetFolder + "/" + reportName.Substring(0, reportName.Length - 4), dataSourceRefs)

Answer 3

Well not really elegant. We created our own tool that uses the reportingservices2005 web service. We found this to be the most reliable way of getting what we want.
It's not really that difficult and lets you expand it to do other things like creating data sources and folders as required.

Answer 4

I strongly recommend RSScripter. As noted in the overview:
Reporting Services Scripter is a .NET
Windows Forms application that enables
scripting and transfer of all
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting
Services catalog items to aid in
transferring them from one server to
another. It can also be used to easily
move items on mass from one Reporting
Services folder to another on the same
server. Depending on the scripting
options chosen, Reporting Services
Scripter can also transfer all catalog
item properties such as Descriptions,
History options, Execution options
(including report specific and shared
schedules), Subscriptions (normal and
data driven) and server side report
parameters.

Answer 5

I know you say that you're not in favor of the Business Development Studio to do this, but I've found the built-in tools to be very reliable and easy to use.

Answer 6

Have you looked into any Continuous Integration solutions such as CruiseControl.NET? If you are able to deploy Reports using rs.exe then you can setup an automated process in CruiseControl to build and deploy your Reports on a timer or whenever a report is modified.

Answer 7

In our environment, we develop in VS with version control then deploy to DEV SSRS. Once the report is validated, we use ReportSync program to deploy reports from ReportServer DEV to ReportServer PROD. The RS.EXE scripts still have their place, but I have found ReportSync to be a much simpler and agile way to promote a report.
ReportSync:
ReportSync is an open source program free to download and use. It works great for downloading reports in bulk, and it can even push a report from one server to another server.
How to get download the program?
Download the source code files from Github: Phires/ReportSynch, Run VS, Open the solution file (.SLN), compile the program, find the executable file (.EXE) from the C:\Temp\reportsync-master\bin\Release folder. Finally, saved the .EXE somewhere for you to use regularly
How do I copy SSRS reports to a new server if I am not the owner of the reports --> ReportSync answer by nunespascal
How to deploy a report?
Run the executable and the interface will launch.
Use the SOURCE and DESTINATION dialogues to choose a single report, multiple reports, or an entire folder of reports. You can any target folder you would like. (HINT: You can even target the same server if you are wanting to duplicate a report on the same server.)
After making your selections press the Sync button
Go to the target server, and validate the change took effect by reviewing the Changed By Date.
This tool has been very convenient, but I have noticed some quirks. For example when I want to update just one report that already exists in the destination, here is what I have to select-- [Source:Report> Target:Folder> Sync]. WARNING: You might think you would select the target server report to update it, but I have tried this and the report does not get updated.
What else can ReportSync do?
There is also an Export feature, which works marvelously for simply dumping all the RDL files to a folder for me to access. This is helpful in the event you need to migrate the server, add the files to to a VS Solution Project, or do anything else will all the files.
In my testing this program does not migrate other content-- subscriptions, shared data sources, shared data sets. It is just applicable to the report files.
I know this post is old, but I came across it when researching RS.EXE scripts, so I thought I would provide an answer this question.