SQL Server Reporting Services

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a server-based report generation software system from Microsoft.It can be used to prepare and deliver a variety of interactive and printed reports. Reporting services features a web services interface to support the development of custom reporting applications.

SSRS competes with Crystal Reports and other business intelligence tools, and is included in Express, Workgroup, Standard, and Enterprise editions of Microsoft SQL Server as an install option. In SSRS, reports are defined in Report Definition Language (RDL), an XML markup language. Reports can be designed using recent versions of Microsoft Visual Studio.

Reports defined by RDL can be generated in a variety of formats including Excel, PDF, CSV, XML, TIFF (and other image formats), and HTML Web Archive. SQL Server 2008 SSRS can also prepare reports in Microsoft Word (DOC) format.