Managing Report Processing

Reporting Services - Managing and Working With Published Reports

Report execution refers to processing that takes place when a user or the report server accesses a report. During report execution, the report server processes a report in stages that include report processing, data processing, and rendering.

Report processing begins with a published report definition. A report definition contains one or more queries, layout information, and code references or expressions. Report and data processing combine a resulting dataset with layout information in the report definition to construct a report in an intermediate format that can be saved for fast retrieval, or directed to a rendering extension that processes it into a format that the user sees. After processing is complete, reports are compiled as a common language runtime assembly and executed on the report server.

The report server can use the intermediate format in a variety of ways. Caching, snapshots, and report history are all features that use reports stored in intermediate format.

When a report is accessed, either through on-demand or push access, the report server either performs end-to-end processing, or returns a report saved in intermediate format that is subsequently rendered in a specific format. Report execution settings determine which outcome occurs. If a report server administrator specifies that a report be accessed from cache or as a snapshot, the intermediate format is retrieved from the report server database and then rendered for viewing. Otherwise, all stages of processing are performed.

The following diagram shows the progression of a report as it moves through different processing phases. Data and report processing are performed on a report definition, resulting in a report that is in the intermediate format. Reports that are in intermediate format are subsequently rendered to a specific viewing format.

report processing diagram

The following table describes the topics in this section.

Topic	Description
Configuring Report Execution	Describes ways of configuring a report to process a certain way, and how to set time out values.
Managing a Running Process	Provides information about viewing, pausing, and canceling a running process.
Verifying a Report Run	Explains ways of determining when a report was executed.

See Also