SSRS Folder Security and Multi-Client Reporting (SQL 2008 R2)
In the world of business intelligence and data analysis, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is an invaluable tool that provides a comprehensive reporting platform for data stored in SQL Server databases. One of the critical aspects of managing SSRS effectively is understanding and implementing appropriate folder security. This is especially important in multi-client reporting scenarios where different clients need access to different sets of data and reports. This article delves into the details of SSRS folder security and how to manage it in SQL Server 2008 R2, with references to newer technologies such as SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2014, MySQL 5.6, DB2 10.5, and Azure SQL.
In SSRS, folder security is implemented using roles and permissions. Each folder can be assigned one or more roles and each role can have one or more permissions. For example, you can create a role for report developers that grants them permission to view and modify reports but not to manage security. You can create another role for business users that only allows them to view reports. Here is a T-SQL example that creates a new role and assigns permissions to it:
-- T-SQL code to create new role and assign permissions
CREATE ROLE 'ReportDeveloper';
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON Schema::Reports TO ReportDeveloper;
In a multi-client reporting scenario, you may want to create separate folders for each client and assign roles and permissions accordingly. For example, you can create a folder for each client and assign the 'ReportViewer' role to the respective client's users. This ensures that each client can only access their own reports and data.
Besides the built-in roles, SSRS also allows you to create custom roles. This can be useful when the built-in roles do not exactly match your requirements. For example, you can create a custom role that allows a user to view and run reports but not to modify them. Here is a MySQL example that creates a new role and assigns permissions to it:
-- MySQL code to create new role and assign permissions
CREATE ROLE 'ReportUser';
GRANT SELECT ON db.Reports TO ReportUser;
In addition to SQL Server, SSRS can also be used with other database technologies such as MySQL, DB2, and Azure SQL. This means that you can manage SSRS folder security regardless of the underlying database technology. The principles and concepts remain the same, although the exact syntax and commands might vary depending on the database technology.
In conclusion, managing SSRS folder security is an important aspect of SSRS administration, especially in multi-client reporting scenarios. By understanding and implementing roles and permissions, you can ensure that users have the right level of access to the data and reports they need, without compromising data security. As SSRS is compatible with a wide range of database technologies, you can apply these principles and techniques whether you are using SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, or Azure SQL.