Business Model - using SSRS to allow customers to view reports via the web

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Business Model - using SSRS to allow customers to view reports via the web

rod-999447

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Points: 19
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February 3, 2009 at 12:48 pm

#218226

We are proposing to allow our customers to view reports over the web.
What licencing do you recommend? CALs or processor?
What access do you suggest? Forms or windows based?
Our proposed infrastrucure based primarily on keeping security as tight as possible is: [Server running SQL Server] -> {firewall} -> [Web Server running SSRS] -> {Firewall} -> web
Is that a good solution as opposed to running everything on one server and exposing it to the web?

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Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 1

rod (2/3/2009)
We are proposing to allow our customers to view reports over the web.
What licencing do you recommend? CALs or processor?
What access do you suggest? Forms or windows based?
Our proposed infrastrucure based primarily on keeping security as tight as possible is: [Server running SQL Server] -> {firewall} -> [Web Server running SSRS] -> {Firewall} -> web
Is that a good solution as opposed to running everything on one server and exposing it to the web?

It really depends. Are the reports static or will they be interactive requiring access to database upon which the reporting is based?

If static pre-run reports, you may not need much in licesing. Your best bet is to contact Microsoft directly and talk with them.. They are supposedly the experts with regard to their licensing.

Bob Griffin SSCertifiable Points: 5982 More actions · Answer 2

Number of users is a big component of this...at some point in user size it is best to go with per processor licensing. Microsoft licensing is so complicated it is best to have a specialist answer that question.

At first blush, I'm thinking check into deploying the reports to a sharepoint server for customers....have you considered that?

Here's a link on how this works:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb326288(SQL.90).aspx

rod-999447 Grasshopper Points: 19 More actions · Answer 3

Thanks Lynn

We are first going for static then interactive. I contacted MS, they were OK on the licensing but light on technical and could not confirm that this was the right solution - advised me to go to resellers.

rod-999447 Grasshopper Points: 19 More actions · Answer 4

Bob

Thanks for the reply. I will investigate the Sharepoint option tomorrow.

Bob Griffin SSCertifiable Points: 5982 More actions · Answer 5

Check with at least 3 resellers. If you can get two of them to give similar advice, you'll be doing great. Licensing for that stuff is confusing even to the folks that do it every day....

Good Luck! 🙂