Importing events from an earlier database version
The new version of the Active Roles reports is incompatible with the database of an earlier Collector version. To create reports based on the events held in that database, you need to import the events to the database of the new Collector version, and then specify the database of the new Collector version as the data source for the reports of the new Report Pack version. For instructions on how to configure the data source, see Configuring the data source later in this document.
To import events from the database of an earlier Collector version, start the Collector wizard (see Starting the Active Roles Collector wizard), and complete the wizard pages as follows.
- On the Select Task page, select the option Import events from an earlier database version.
- On the Source database page, click Specify, and supply the name, database type, and SQL database server used by your Collector of an earlier version. You can also choose the authentication option for connection to SQL Server.
- On the Target Database page, click Specify, and supply the name, database type, and database server of the database used by your Collector of the current version. You can also choose the authentication option for connection to SQL Server.
Deploying reports to the Report Server
Active Roles reports require Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). Make sure that you have SSRS in your environment. To use Active Roles reports, you first need to deploy them to your SSRS Report Server by using the Collector wizard.
To deploy the Active Roles reports to the Report Server, start the Collector wizard (see Starting the Active Roles Collector wizard), and complete the wizard pages as follows.
- On the Select Task page, select the Deploy reports to Report Server option.
- On the Report Server page, type the URL of your SSRS Report Server in the Report Server Web Service URL box.
By default, the URL is http://<serverName>/ReportServer. You can use the Reporting Services Configuration Manager tool to confirm the server name and URL. For more information about URLs used in Reporting Services, see the topic “Configure Report Server URLs (SSRS Configuration Manager)” at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/ms159261.aspx.
- Optionally, on the Data Source page, configure the data source for the Active Roles reports:
- Click the Configure Data Source button.
- Use the Configure Data Source dialog box to specify the Database Server instance that hosts the database you have prepared by using Collector, the name of the database type, and the authentication method to use for connection to the database.
Configuring the data source is an optional step. If you do not have a database prepared by Collector, you can configure the data source later, after you have deployed the reports. For instructions, see Configuring the data source later in this document.
Once you have deployed the reports to your SSRS Report Server and configured the data source, you can create and view Active Roles reports using Report Manager, a Web-based tool included with SSRS. For instructions, see Generating and viewing a report later in this document.
Working with reports
You use the Active Roles Collector to prepare data for reporting. The data is stored in the database you specify when configuring the data collection job (see Collector to prepare data for reports earlier in this chapter). In order to make the data available to the report server, the data source on the report server must be configured to connect to the database that holds the report data. Then, you can generate and view Active Roles reports.
Configuring the data source
You have the option to configure the data source when deploying Active Roles reports to the report server (see Deploying reports to the Report Server earlier in this document). If you have not configured the data source, or need to change the data source, then you can do this by using Report Manager on the report server on which the Active Roles reports were deployed.
To configure the data source by using SSRS Report Manager
- Start SSRS Report Manager from your Web browser.
Report Manager is installed during setup of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) on the same computer as the report server. To start Report Manager, open your web browser and type the Report Manager URL in the browser address bar. By default, the URL is http://<ComputerName>/reports.
- Perform the following steps on the Contents page that appears:
- Click Active Roles. The Version and SharedDataResources components are displayed.
- Click SharedDataSources.
- Click the data source named Active Roles Report Data.
If the SharedDataSources item is not displayed, click Details View.
- In the Connection string box on the Properties page that appears, specify the database server instance, database type, and the name of the database that holds the report data prepared by the Active Roles Collector.
For example, if the name of the database is ARServerReporting and the database is on the SQL Server instance named MyServer\Enterprise, then the connection string is as follows:
data source = MyServer\Enterprise; initial catalog = ARServerReporting
- Click Apply.