sql server reporting services:
We currently have SQL 2005 (enterprise) reporting services hitting an
odbc based backend (mysql usually). It works great. I run Visual
Studio Pro (and have msdn sql server on my local machine), develop
reports locally and deploy them.

I know the express edition of SQL 2005 reporting services cannot use
an ODBC datasource. Only the standard and up versions.

My question is: For other employees to create and deploy reports what
software (and licenses) are needed? Ideally, I'd love to just deploy
Visual Studio Express and SQL 2005 Express for the users that need to
modify reports, but I have a feeling that won't work...

any ideas?

thank you!

If they are just designing reports then you can give the BI Studio (not sure
if that is what it is called). When you install the designer it installs a
version of VS if you do not have it installed. This is free. Also, there are
no licensing issue either. RS is licensed by the server, not by where you
have the client tools installed.

You will want to have a server they can deploy to as part of the development
process, however, for most of their testing they can do this from the
development environment.

If the users can't handle Report Designer (which is really a developer
targeted tool) then check out report builder.

Note, you do not need SQL Server install locally in order to design reports.


--
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services


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