Sunday, April 23, 2017

What is KanaType as related to SQL Server?

This is specifically for data in Japanese language databases. There are two types of Japanese phonetic scripts, the Hiragana and the Katakana. Of course there is also the Kanji (non-phonetic) which characters which are modified/simplified Chinese characters used in Japan together with Hiragana and Katakana.

While dealing with Japanese data Kanatype is used to distinguish between Katakana and Hiragana. Katakana is usually used for words of foreign origin not found in Japanese, like, Bus, Laser, harassment etc.

For example, the 'dataset' in Reporting Services have this property:

DataSetDefinition.KanatypeSensitivity


Here is a piece of text in Hiragana

ふるい もの の なか に ある かくれた うつくしさを 「さび」 と いいます。 また、かざらない そぼくな うつくしさ を 「わび」 と いいます。ふたつ を あわせて、「わび・さび」 と いいます。

Source: http://gakuu.com/haikyo-hiragana-reading-practice/

Here is a piece of text in Katakana (the same text written in Katakana):

フルイ モノ ノ ナカ ニ アル カクレタ ウツクシサヲ 「サビ」 ト イイマス。 マタ、カザラナイ ソボクナ ウツクシサ ヲ 「ワビ」 ト イイマス。フタツ ヲ アワセテ、「ワビ・サビ」 ト イイマス。

Source: en.calc-site.com/letters/convert_kana

Friday, April 21, 2017

Can you save reports created in Power BI to a Report Server? - FINAL

I apologize to the readers of my post,Can you save reports created in Power BI to a Report Server?  for having given the wrong impression. The reports you create cannot be saved to any report server but the stand-alone report server created using the same .msi file downloaded from the same location where you downloaded Power BI Desktop Technical Preview.

I am only partly to blame for this and I apologize. Let me correctly present what kinds of reports can be saved to what kind of report server. The other reason for the problem was created by the Power BI itself for giving the wrong guidance for the users while saving the report to the report server. It must be changed.


  • The only kind of reports that can be saved to Report Server (strictly speaking, you are only saving it to the Web Portal URL) are the ones created with data from the Analysis Services server.
  • In order to save you need to configure a stand-alone Report Server whose database is stored not on a SQL Server 2016 but an earlier version. In my case I use the SQL Server 2012. The .msi file for this server is on the same download site as the Power BI Technical Preview.


After you fulfill the above conditions then only you can host the report.


I was able to get the correct server by an answer to my question on StackOverflow.com.


http://stackoverflow.com/questions/43402339/invalid-url-error-while-saving-power-bi-report-to-sql-server-reporting-services


Where do you find 'hosts' file on Windows 10?

I don't think it's location in the fle/folder system has changed. It should be in the 'Windows' folder.

Try the following on a C:\ prompt:



C:\>cd %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc
==========================
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc>dir/w
 Volume in drive C is TI10672700E
 Volume Serial Number is 16FB-D230

 Directory of C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

[.]           [..]          hosts         hosts.ics     lmhosts.sam   networks      protocol      services
               6 File(s)         24,174 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  667,711,660,032 bytes free



Saturday, April 8, 2017

Can you save reports created in Power BI to a Report Server?

The answer is yes if you use the Technical Preview version of Power BI Desktop. You can save reports to your on premises SQL Server.

NOTE: If you already have configured a SQL Server 2016 Reporting Services server you will not be able to upload the reports from Power BI. You need to install the SQLServerReportingServices.exe mentioned below and configure a Standalone SQL Server Reporting Services which will provide a http:///ReportServer.

You can download this for both x32 and x64 versions. With this you can,


  •     Connect “live” to Analysis Services models – both Tabular and Multidimensional (cubes)
  •     Visually explore data and create an interactive report
  •     Save that report to your report server running the Technical Preview
  •     View and interact with the report in your web browser

If you do have Power BI for Desktop on your computer you still need the (January 2017) Technical Preview. This can sit alongside your present Power BI.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=54610

Preview version details below:
Version:            Date Published:

0.1                1/11/2017

File Name:                                                               File Size:

PBIDesktopRS.msi                                      102.2 MB

PBIDesktopRS_x64.msi                           118.3 MB

SQLServerReportingServices.exe    49.6 MB



System Requirements:
Supported Operating System

Windows 10 , Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016

    You'll need
        .NET Framework 4.5.2 or later
        SQL Server Database Engine (2008 or later), to store the report server database
        SQL Server Analysis Services (2012 SP1 CU4 or later), to store your data models
    Links:
        Get SQL Server 2016 Evaluation
        Try SQL Server vNext CTP1.1









Friday, April 7, 2017

Download and Install Report Builder for SQL Server 2016

Report Builder is a highly productive, stand-alone tool for authoring reports and deploying them on configured Microsoft Reporting services report servers. It can use data from different kinds of data sources to produce  a variety of reports, from hard copies to web based reporting.

Report Builder 3 Details:
--------------
Version:
14.0.344.82
File Name:
ReportBuilder3.msi
Date Published:
3/9/2017
File Size:
22.6 MB
-----------------

You need Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5
. The memory and CPU requirements are average.

This is supported on  the following OSs:
Windows 10 , Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

download from here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=53613

Please review the earlier versions of Report builder in two of my published books here:


The second book Learning SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services is ideal for beginners who want to spin-out reports from a variety of data sources and deploy them to report servers. The book is replete with step-by-step, hands-on exercises where the users can hone their skills.



The fifth book Learning SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 is a revised edition and a deals with both Native and SharePoint Integrated modes of Report Servers. This covers every aspect of the first edition(second book) with lots of added material to include development in the intervening years.

  As the author of these Microsoft Business Intelligence related books I have great confidence in their usefulness. I would love to hear from you. Email me at: hodentek@live.com.

Installing Report Builder

You will have downloaded the ReportBuilder.msi file published on 3/9/3017. Note that there are other Report Builder.msi related to other versions (for example ReportBuilder.msi for SQL Server 2014 etc).

The installation is driven by a wizard and it installs without any problem. You need not indicate a Reporting Services Report Server during installation.

Here are screen shots of the installation:

Welcome Screen


License agreement window. Click I Accept...


 It will be installed on the local hard drive. Note that this product may also work with SQL Server vNext CTP1.3.


SQL Server 2016 reporting services has two modes and you need not have these installed and configured. You may keep this empty. Click Next.


Click Next and you are ready to install.


 Click Install. Begins installing with a progress screen.


 It is done installing.


 You should see these in All Programs on Windows 10.


Double click and you are ready to Author a report. If you want to put it out on the Report Server, you need a Report Server.

You are ready to go!

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

What is Markdown Syntax?

HTML markup is well known and Markdown markup is a construct to make a web page readable.  Markdown syntax is used to make it possible to write to the web using simple text.  It is a text-to-HTML tool for web authors.

Markdown syntax is very small and not extensive like that of HTML. It is not used to replace HTML but to make it easy to read/write/edit prose in a web page. Markdown does not need special editors.

Since Markdown consists of few constructs if you need beyond them you can use HTML. One of the special constraints in using Markdown is in the case of block level elements such as 'table', 'pre', 'p' etc. In this case for using Markdown just surround block-level elements with blank lines and Markdown syntax takes care of the rest.

Learn more about Markdown syntax here. While you are there click on the tab Dingus tool (written in Perl) to convert your Markdown Syntax to html syntax.

For example you can create first and second level headers by just typing them as shown here:

A First Level Header
=====================

A Second Level Header
---------------------


The above Markdown text will be converted  into the HTML source by the Dingus tool: (note: Firefox browser does not render the 'pre' tags which are in the source of this page. That is why you are seeing the h1 and h2 tags rendered. Review my post on this browser problem.

A First Level Header

A Second Level Header

The Markdown text is readable and can be typed in with a text editor and the tool converts it to web compliant HTML.

Review the screen shot here:

Saturday, April 1, 2017

What is a SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher?

SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher (SSMRP) is an authoring tool that can be used to quickly creating Reporting Services mobile reports that are optimized for mobile device with a variety of form factors. You can have an assortment of visualizations, from time, category, charts, tree maps, and custom maps.

With SSMRP you can,
  • Connect mobile reports to a range of data sources including on-premises SQL Server and Analysis Services
  • Layout reports on a design surface to accommodate flexible mobile reports
  • Save mobile reports to a Reporting Services server and interact with them in a browser or with Power BI on mobile devices(iPad, Android Phones and tablets and Windows 10 devices).
What do you need to create Reporting Services mobile reports?
You need the SQL Server Mobile Report Publisher

Version:
1.0.3923
File Name:
SSRS.MobileReportPublisher.Installer.msi
Date Published:
9/22/2016
File Size:
25.3 MB

System requirements:
Supported Operating System
Windows 10 , Windows 7, Windows 8.1
.NET Framework 4.5 (or later)
Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012 (x86)

Download SSMRP here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=50400