Introduction to SSRS Interview Questions And Answers

SQL Server Reporting Services, shortly known as SSRS, is a Microsoft component, which is used to create reports using charts, graphs, maps, and other visualization techniques from multi-dimensional sources. You use SSRS to create, manage, test and deploy reports to the business users. SSRS is one of the components of the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform.

So you have finally found your dream job in SSRS but are wondering how to crack the 2023 SSRS interview and what could be the probable SSRS interview questions. Every interview is different, and the scope of a job is different too. Keeping this in mind, we have designed the most common SSRS interview questions and answers to help you get success in your interview.

Below are the top SSRS Interview Questions that are mostly asked in an interview

Part 1 – SSRS Interview Questions (Basic)

This first part covers basic SSRS Interview Questions and Answers.

1. List out some of the important features of SSRS?

Answer:
Below are some of the important features of SSRS that are useful in creating Business Reports:

The reports can be built by using relational, XML, Excel, or multi-dimensional sources and can recover data from ODBC and OLE DB connection providers.
In SSRS, users can create reports in different forms like tabular, free-form, graphical, charts, and matrix form.
It also supports web-based features; anyone can interact with the report server on the web directly and can view reports in web-based applications.
Any ad hoc reports can be created by using graphics, images, or external contents and saving them on a server.
All the reports created in the SSRS can be exported in various formats like XML, CSV, TIFF, PDF, HTML, and Excel.
It has the automated option for subscribing reports to the user’s mailbox, mobile and shared location.
It supports the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) programming interface and pluggable architecture.

2. What are the advantages of SQL Server Reporting Services?

Answer:
Below are some of the advantages of SQL Server Reporting Services:

It is very easy to deploy, as reports are stored in one centralized web server where users can run a report from one place.
Since SSRS allows exporting reports in various formats, it is very easy to further analyse reports with multiple file-formats.
The processing of final reports is faster on relational or multidimensional data.
Delivery of information to a business organization is faster, so it helps provide better decision support.
There is no need for a specialist to manage SSRS, so no need for expensive specialist skills.
Business users can interact with information without involving IT professionals.
Security can be applied to folders as well as reports and is managed in a role-based manner.

3. What are the drawbacks of SQL Server Reporting Services?

Answer:
Even though SSRS is a great tool with many advantages, there are few drawbacks of it, they are:

SSRS is mainly built for developers. To make use of all the SSRS features, you need to learn SQL code and SSRS functions. It is not understandable to the average business users.
When you are running a huge report with lots of data, it takes up many resources in the server.
SSRS runs only in windows, so many companies that are not using windows cannot use this tool.
A separate Mobile server is required to run reports on mobile devices.
There is no option to share values between main reports and subreports; you can only pass the values from the subreport to the main report through parameters.
You required an expert to debug the expression and custom code.

Let us move to the next SSRS Interview Questions.

4. What are the minimum software requirements of SSRS?

Answer:
Below is the list of minimum software requirements of SQL Server Reporting Services:

Processor: Intel Pentium II or higher processor
Operating System: Windows Server 2003 (Standard or Enterprise edition), Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional with Service pack 4 or higher.
Memory: 256 MB of RAM and 512 MB or more based on requirements.
Hard Disk: 50 MB for report server, 100 MB for .Net framework, 30 MB for report designer, 145 MB for samples.
Database: SQL Server 2000 with service pack 3 (standard, enterprise, and developer edition)

5. List and explain the components of SSRS architecture?

Answer:
Below are the important components of SQL Server Reporting Services:

Report Builder: In this component, you can use report design functionality that is very helpful for creating ad-hoc reports. It serves as a report-publishing tool that executes the report on the client computer.
Report Designer: It is used to develop simple and complex reports; it is used as a publishing tool.
Report Manager: All the web-based reports can be accessed using this component.
Report Server: This is a server that stores the metadata information using the SQL server database engine.
Report Server database: It is used to store metadata, report definition, security settings, data delivery, and other information.
Data Sources: SSRS receives the data from relational, XML, Excel and multidimensional data sources.

6. What are the core components of SSRS?

Answer:
Below are the three main components of SQL Server Reporting Services:

Full set of tools: that is used to develop, test, manage and view reports
Report Server Component: used to process report in various formats like HTML, XML, PDF, Excel, CSV etc.
An Application Programming Interface (API): to integrate with other applications and also to build and manage reports.

Part 2 – SSRS Interview Questions (Advanced)

Let us now have a look at the advanced SSRS Interview Questions.

7. List out the different types of reports that SSRS creates?

Answer:
Below are the different types of SSRS reports that are created:

Ad-hoc reports
Drilldown reports
Drillthrough reports
Linked reports
Subreports
Parameterized reports
Cached reports
Snapshot reports
Clickthrough reports

8. What is the different Reporting Life Cycle in SSRS and Explain?

Answer:
There are three phases in the Reporting Life Cycle of SSRS; they are:

Report Development: This phase involves mainly the developers; here, all the reports are designed and developed by report developers
Report management: This phase involves mainly the Data Base Administrator (DBA), where he has to make sure
- Only authorized users can access the reports.
- Optimize the data source performance when executing the report
- Maintaining the scheduling of reports to users.
Report Delivery: This phase will ensure that the developed and executed reports would reach the business users for decision-making. If any flaws or changes are required in reports, then it goes back to the development phase for the correction or changes.

Let us move to the next SSRS Interview Questions.

9. List out and explain some of the command prompt utilities for SSRS?

Answer:
Many command prompt utilities for SQL Server Reporting Services can be used to administer the report server. These utilities will be automatically installed when you are installing a report server. Below is the list of utilities:

RSS Utility: The command file is ‘RS.exe’; this supports Native and SharePoint development modes. This is used to perform a scripted operation and also used to deploy the reports on the report server.
Powershell cmdlets: This supports only SharePoint mode; it will install Reporting SharePoint service and proxy servers; it also provides provisioning and managing of Reporting service applications and proxies.
Rsconfig utility: The command file is ‘rsconfig.exe’; this supports only Native development mode. It is used to configure and manage the report server connection to a repository database.
RsKeymgmt utility: The command file is ‘rskeymgmt.exe’; it supports only Native developer mode. It is an encrypted key management tool used to backup, delete, apply and recreate symmetric keys via the command line.

10. List the different types of data sources supported in SSRS?

Answer:
SSRS supports many data sources; below is the list of data sources in SSRS:

Oracle
XML
ODBC
OLE DB
SAP BW
Teradata
Microsoft SQL server
Hyperion
Report Server Model
Microsoft SharePoint List
Microsoft Azure SQL DB

Quiz Result
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