Came across this piece of code for ensuring the end date comes after the start date.  Just what I was about to write but a quick Google search saved a bit of time. Yay!

The function below checks for the Start and End date ranges .

Function:

Function CheckDateParameters(StartDate as Date, EndDate as Date) as Integer
Dim msg as String
     msg = ""
     If (StartDate > EndDate)  Then
        msg="Start Date should not be later than End Date"
     End If
     If msg <> "" Then
        MsgBox(msg, 16, "Report Validation")
        Err.Raise(6,Report)                    'Raise an overflow
     End If
End Function

Steps:

1.) Go the Report Parameters and add a parameter with the datatype is string.

2.) Check the Hidden checkbox and Allow blank value ckeckbox.

3.) From Default Values choose Non-Queried radio button and then press the FX button and paste this code.

=CODE.CheckDateParameters(<parameterStartdate>.Value,<parameterEnddate>.Value)

Then press OK.

Blessings.

This use case is unique since the typical approach is to create a report with criteria parameters and then use a daily/weekly/etc timed subscription to run the report and email to the users. This methodology sends the report to the users even if no records match the actual report run-time criteria. Also, this may allow the report to keep a particular record in a report for as long as the record meets the criteria, and thus doe not fulfill the “one-time” only notification desired above.

To address this use case we are investigating the use of data driven subscriptions for a solution. The concept is to use a subscription history table that records all records for which notifications are sent to users. Additionally, the query driving the report will look at this table to determine if any new records match the other reporting criteria. If not, the email distribution will be nulled, to keep users from being notified of no matching records.

I would love to hear other suggestions on how to create this type of report notification/alerting. Again we want to send notification one-time per matching record, regardless if the record shows up multiple times in the raw report criteria results. And, we want nothing to be sent to the users if no matching records exist.

Blessings

So just to set the foundation for this scenario, we are using SSRS 2008. The chart is being created via Dundas Chart for Reporting Services, not the included Microsoft Chart control. Our Y value expression is:

=RunningValue(Fields!Total.Value,sum,
"DundasChartControl1_DRG_PMTFiscalYear_agg")

As you can see in the chart to the left,  for the current fiscal year we are currently in March. There are still a number of months left in the fiscal year and in our dataset, there are no values for those future months. Unfortunately, using the RunningValues() function means the Y value just remains where it was for March through the rest of the fiscal year. Not the behavior we want.

What we are looking for is that if there is no value we do not want to show a line or marker. In the Dundas Chart properties you have the option to set how empty data points should be handled. We ensured that this was set to the “zero” setting rather than “average”. Of course this did not resolve our issue because the Y value is not empty as it contains the running value.  So how can we ensure that the empty datapoints are seen by the Dundas custom chart control in order to be properly handled? Custom code is the answer.

First we changed the Y value expression to simply be:

=Sum(Fields!Total.Value)

This sets each datapoint to the individual year/month income value rather than the RunningValue expression we were using. Next in the Advanced –> View Code area we found and selected the PostApplySeriesData event. Finally we added custom code that modifies the Y value for the chart to essentially be the running total.

' Parameter: chartObj - represents the chart object
' Parameter: series  - the series that is currently being populated
' Parameter: codeParams  - user defined code parameters

Dim runningTotal As Double = 0

For Each point As DataPoint In series.Points
  point.YValues(0) = point.YValues(0) + runningTotal
  runningTotal = point.YValues(0)
Next

Why does this work? It is actually quite simple.

At the time the series data is applied to the chart, the charting component is seeing the actual Y series datapoint value. For those future months, the datapoints are empty and the chart property for handling empty points works. After that is out of the way, we then come back and adjust the Y values for the existing datapoints. (Our empty datapoints aren’t there.)

Voila, our problem is fixed.

Below is a list of some of the better video tutorials we’ve found on the web.

Tutorials (Reporting Services)

SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services (SSRS) includes the following report design tutorials to help you learn basic skills one step at a time.

Designing Ad Hoc Reports: Tutorials

You can use the following tutorials to learn about ad hoc reporting features in Reporting Services. The tutorials can help you learn necessary skills for creating reports based on models.

Designing Report Models: Tutorials

The tutorials can help you learn necessary skills for creating models that you can use in Report Builder or Report Model Query Designer.

Developer’s Guide: Tutorials (Reporting Services)

Developer’s Guide: Tutorials (Reporting Services)

Tutorial: How to Locate and Start Reporting Services Tools

This tutorial introduces the tools used to configure a report server, manage report server content and operations, and create and publish reports and report models. The purpose of this tutorial is to help new users understand how to find and open each tool.

SQL Server Express 2005 – Getting Started with Reporting Services

This is a good intro albeit for SSRS 2005.

YouTube – SQL Server Reporting Services Playlist.

Great little playlist of some of the better SSRS videos on YouTube.

Presentation and slide content by IT Mentors

1. SSRS 2008 Architecture/Runtime
2. Configuration
3. New Controls
a. Tablix
b. Gauges and Indicators
4. Deployment

### Benefits of Eliminating IIS from the SSRS Architecture
* Easier configuration
* IIS settings for other applications impact SSRS
* Better resource management
* IIS designed for static or dynamic HTML pages, not report execution for large reports to many concurrent users.
* Memory management easier to implement outside of IIS
* Consolidation of two services into one
* Communication process between services eliminated
* More efficient allocation of memory across server
* Elimination of deployment obstacles
* SQL Server DBAs lacking IIS skills
* IT policies prevent IIS and SQL Server on same server

### Architecture
* HTTP Listener
* Uses HTTP.SYS directly from the operating system
* Accepts requests directed to the configured URL and port
* Authentication Layer
* Confirms identity associated with request
* Supports Windows, Basic, or anonymous Access with a custom authentication
* Application Domains
* Provide a front-end component with Report Manager
* Process reports interactively with Report Server Web service
* Support scheduled operations with background processing
* Application Domain Management
* Replaces IIS functionality

Notes: Speaker does not discuss the complications that running IIS and SSRS 2008 on the same server. Instead he talks about how they both can run on the same server. Might want to be sure you understand the complications that can arise from both on the same server, especially when it comes to SSL needs.

### Configuration
* Memory Management
* Disabling Features

Notes: Speaker states the obvious about the importance of these items. Disabling features = reducing surface area.

### Memory Management
* Memory Broker monitors and responds to memory pressure fluctuations
* Memory events trigger switch from RAM to file system cache as needed
* Configurable thresholds determine report server response to memory pressure changes

Notes: Good simplistic explanation of these by the speaker. Might want to research a bit more if you really need to tweak memory optimization for peak performance.

* Low Memory Pressure
* Current requests continue
* New Requests accepted
* Background low priority
* Medium Memory Pressure
* Current requests continue
* New requests _might_ be accepted
* Memory allocations reduced for all applications
* Background items get the largest reduction
* High Memory Pressure
* Current requests continue
* No new requests accepted

Notes: Good explanation and slide for this concept.

### Configure Memory Settings

Notes: Speaker shows you the what to change in the config file but neglects to say which config files is being changed and where it is located. The correlating MSDN article on this topic is located here.

Information on the RSReportServer.config file can also be found on MSDN.

### Disabling Features
* Report Manager
* RSReportServer.config
* IsReportManagerEnabled
* On Demand Processing
* RSReportServer.config
* IsWebServiceEnabled
* Scheduled Events and Report Delivery
* RSReportServer.config
* IsSchedulingService
* IsNotificationService
* IsEventService
* Report Builder
* SQL Server Management Studio
* Server Properties
* Report Server Windows Service
* SQL Server Configuration Manager

Notes: One might want to consider the “Why?” on each of these to determine appropriate use cases for enabling or disabling. Now the speaker shows where the config file is.

Demos were done for memory configuration settings and the Tablix control.

Lots of good gauges and indicators available thanks to the new Dundas obtained controls.

Finally discussion about the rs command line tool for deployment.