Generating and Printing Reports

I've created a data flow where I have linked to an OLE DB Source then created a Flat File Destination. My file is now on my c: drive. I'd like to use that data to create a report, then print to a PDF. How would I do that?

Currently I was doing this in Access, but I am moving my processes to SSIS.

You wouldn't use SSIS to do that. SSIS is an ETL tool, not a reporting tool.

-Jamie

|||But if I created my report in Reporting Services for instance, how could I put that in my data flow in SSIS?|||I was also assuming that I could put this in a Script Task, but I didn't know how far I could go with generating a report from there.|||

I don't know what you mean by "put a report in the data flow" or "put it in a script task". Can you expand on that?

There is a way that you can consume a SSIS dataflow from within SSRS but that doesn't seem to be what you're after here. You seem to want to build a report on top of a text file (that just happens to have been created by SSIS). I'm sorry, I don't understand what it is you actually want SSIS to do.

-Jamie

|||

I've gotten my answer:

Write an application in VB using the Report Viewer from the toolbar to create and print the report

Then execute that application from SSIS.

|||

So you're calling the SSRS API, is that correct? If so, you don't have to write another app to do that - you can embed it into SSIS.

-Jamie

|||What do you mean by calling the SSRS API? I'm using Visual Studio 2005.|||

ifaber wrote:

What do you mean by calling the SSRS API? I'm using Visual Studio 2005.

Shall we start again. What exactly is your VB app going to do?

|||My application is going to pull data from many tables, then export to a flat file. Our network person will pick up the files, and put the data on a website. Then from 2 of those tables, I pulled a list of instructors that currently is on our website in PDF reports. In Access, I have pulled the data, created a report and exported to a PDF. Our network person pulls those reports and puts them on the website. It's pretty simple compared to some other stuff I have done.|||

Fair enough, if it works for you that's good. I was just wondering if there was an option to utilise SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) seeing as that is a reporting application. I mistakenly assumed that seeing as you were using SSIS that you would be trying to use SSRS for reporting - my mistake. Sorry.

I also thought you were trying to automate the creation of PDF files - something that I suspect could be done from SSRS and ergo from SSIS if there is an API available for doing that. Again it looks like my assumption was wrong.

To me, it seems strange that you would use a differrent application to do all this when it can all be achieved with SSRS but then again I am a SQL Server zealot so I would say that :)

Good luck with it.

-Jamie

|||Wellllll, I know how to use SQL Server Reporting Services too. In fact, I have a lot of reports using SSRS. Pretty much, after I have updated the flat file, I'd like to run something that would create a report and would print to PDF.|||

Right. Well what I was driving at is if SSRS can create PDF reports (and I'm reliably informed that it can) then you can call the SSRS API from SSIS in order to create those reports for you. I haven't actually done it but I'm sure its possible.

-Jamie

|||Bingo!! Now how do I call the API :)|||

ifaber wrote:

Bingo!! Now how do I call the API :)

I was worried you were about to ask that.

I don't actually know, but I've no doubt that you can do it. To know more about the SSRS API you;d be best checking out the SSRS forum.

What I DO know is that SSRS itself is a web service which means that everything that can be done in SSRS can be called via that web service. essentially that web service IS the SSRS API.

You can calls web services from SSIS using the Web Service task. HOWEVER, I am aware that there are limitations with SSIS's web service task (search this forum to find out more) but don't despair because you have another optionavailable to you. You can call web services from within the SSIS script task.using dotnet APIs.

I hope that is useful and I hope you didn't mind me continuing the thread. Its just that you seemed to want to do all from within one package and I figured it would be possible. Anything that can be accessed via dotnet code can be done from SSIS's Script Task..

-Jamie