WSS-based ReportServer URL Parameters

Nick Barclay

Hi all,

I'm trying to pass parameters in a URL to a report deployed to a report server that has been migrated to WSS using SP2.I can call the report itself with no problems but am having trouble duplicating the ability to pass URL parameter values in a similar fashion to an unmigrated reportserver. I am sure I'm just missing a few differently placed question marks or ampersands. So far I haven't found any doco which gives me the specific format & rules for URL parameter passing and how it may have changed.

This URL will run the report:
http://bi-vpc/Reports/ReportsLibrary/MyReport.rdl

I just need to figure out how to pass in values for the two parameters: Date and Country.

Any and all help/suggestions much appreciated.

Cheers,
Nick

Daniel Reib

You can not pass parameters to the full page view of the report in SharePoint. You can view the report via just the url by passing in http://<machinename>/_vti_bin/reportserver <report path>

Doing this though will give you the old viewer, not the new SharePoint viewer.

Nick Barclay

Thanks Daniel,

So, by using this method I should be able to pass parameters in the URL I haven't been successful in getting a report to render in the old viewer yet. Is the <report path> you refer to something like http://bi-vpc/_vti_bin/reportserver /Reports/ReportsLibrary/Employee Sales Summary&rs:Command=render. Should the report path be refered to differently

I've tried a number of different variants but continually get the WSS error screen. I am using the MS BI demonstration VPC image that was recently sent out in one of the technical readiness kits.

Cheers,
Nick

Daniel Reib

My url may be a little off first try going to just http://bi-vpc/<vdir>/_vti_bin/ReportServer, that should give you a directory listing if the url is correct. For the report path, in SharePoint integrated mode, the path is the full url to the item. You can get this by going to a doc lib, right clicking on the item and selecting 'copy shortcut'.

Nick Barclay

Thanks again Daniel,

The original link to the ReportServer did indeed get me to the VD listing of all published reports and Excel services spreadsheets (http://bi-vpc/<vdir>/_vti_bin/ReportServer got me to the same place too). The problem seems to be that the reports won't run from the hyperlinks there and hence the old style report viewer which accepts URL parameters.

I can see what you mean in terms of getting the shortcut and then adding the appropriate URL bits to get the parameter functionality I need. Once I am able to get a report to run from the VD listing I should be able to do what I want. I guess the problem may be with theVPC image, not too sure, though. When I click on the report link in the VD listing I can see the IE progress bar indicating that the report is trying to run but eventually it times out and I get the WSS error screen - the reports run fine in WSS, though.

Thanks again for your help.

Cheers,

Nick

Daniel Reib

You may actually be running into a bug with running reports through the URL access. It was not a scenario that was focused on. Can you not just set the parameters via the web part or set the defaults Is it that you are displaying the report through another app

Nick Barclay

At the moment all I've been trying to do is to get the report to render in the old-style viewer by clicking on the link in the directory listing using the vdir path you provided. Once I get that far I'll try and pass the parameters in the URL.

My real aim with this is to create links in an Excel report (eventually destined for Excel Services) that passes the report name and appropriate parameters (depending on which link is clicked) to the SSRS report - in essence an Excel to SSRS drillthrough. It works beautifully with the non-WSS SSRS implementation. I can't hard-code anything as the data in the Excel report will be dynamic and source data using CUBEVALUE, CUBEMEMBER, CUBESET functions so the report parameters will differ depending on the user's interaction.

I was speaking to an MS Australia person yesterday (David Lean). By the sounds of it the VPC that was distributed was likely built a bit before the RTM versions of the SP2 integration .msi and SP2 itself - maybe this is where my problem is stemming from. Don't want to waste your time on something that may be related to a pre-RTM build issue.

Cheers,

Nick

PS The other thing I have found is that I can't hook SSRS parameters up to Filter web parts in a WSS Dashboard page (Excel Services reports work fine). Is this by design or is it something I'm just not doing correctly (then again, it could also be a pre-RTM thing too...)

Daniel Reib

It is possible you are hitting a pre-RTM issue. I would install the released SP2 and give that a shot. If it still does not work you may want to contact CSS, my belief is that scenario should work.

Filters are supported, I don't recall any issues in our CTPs with filters, but it is possible, I would again recommend moving to the release version.

RobFisch

I have the same issue WITH the SP2 release version. I can get to the _vti_bin/reportserver listings as described above, but when I enter parameters in the URL as with SP1, the result is a scrambled looking toolbar with no other content, a lot of white space and missing graphics. If I add &rc:Toolbar=False I get an HTML error message about a bad datasource connection. If I removed the parameter from the URL, I get a plain white screen prompting me for the parameter, but when I enter one and click the "View Report" button, I get a Sharepoint error.

I am trying to make this call externally with an application that embeds the parameters in the URL, so I have no choice. I believe this is a bug.

Rob Fisch

Director of Global Technology

Kaz, Inc.