For Configuration Manager (formerly SCCM) reports managed through the console, use Report Builder—not Visual Studio. Microsoft documents Report Builder as the exclusive authoring and editing tool for Configuration Manager’s SQL-based and model-based Reporting Services reports. Visual Studio is an alternative route for authoring an SSRS Report Server project, provided the required SSDT and Reporting Services components are installed.
Choose the route that matches where the report will live: use the Configuration Manager console workflow for a report managed in Configuration Manager, or a Visual Studio Report Server project when you specifically need to work in an SSRS project. Microsoft’s reporting overview says Configuration Manager includes more than 400 predefined reports in more than 50 folders; the page does not state when that count was published.
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Which tool should you use?
| Goal | Use | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Create a report managed through Configuration Manager | Configuration Manager console and Report Builder | The console creates SQL-based or model-based reports; Report Builder is the documented authoring and editing tool for both. |
| Author an SSRS report definition within a Visual Studio project | Visual Studio with SSDT and the Reporting Services Projects components | The Report Server project workflow lets you create and work with SSRS paginated report definitions and related project resources. |
Microsoft states that “For Reporting Services-based reports, Configuration Manager uses Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder as the exclusive authoring and editing tool for model-based and SQL-based reports.” See Introduction to reporting in Configuration Manager. That describes the Configuration Manager console workflow; it does not mean Visual Studio cannot author SSRS reports through a separate Report Server project.
Create a report managed by Configuration Manager
Use this route when the report should be created and managed in the Configuration Manager reporting system. The precise labels or setup requirements can vary by installed product versions, so confirm the steps against your Configuration Manager and SQL Server Reporting Services environment.
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- In the Configuration Manager console, go to Monitoring > Reporting > Reports, then choose Create Report.
- Select SQL-based or model-based and enter the report information requested by the wizard.
- Complete the wizard. Configure the report in Report Builder, then run it to review the output.
- Adjust the design as needed and save the report to the report server.
Microsoft documents this flow in Operations and maintenance for reporting in Configuration Manager.
Check access before troubleshooting the wizard
Creating a report requires the Site Modify permission. You can create it only in a folder where you have Modify Report permission. If the creation option is unavailable or saving fails, ask your Configuration Manager administrator to check both your site permission and access to the destination folder.
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Use supported data sources for SQL-based reports
For a SQL-based report, build queries against supported Configuration Manager reporting views—typically named with the v_ prefix—instead of referencing site database tables directly. Microsoft also documents public stored procedures whose names begin with sp_. Consult the supported reporting documentation for your Configuration Manager version before writing a query; do not assume every database object is a supported report data source.
Create an SSRS report project in Visual Studio
Choose this route when you specifically want an SSRS Report Server project in Visual Studio. It is separate from the Configuration Manager console’s report-creation workflow; authoring an RDL file in Visual Studio does not, by itself, make it a report managed by Configuration Manager.
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- In Visual Studio, create a Report Server Project.
- Add a report definition, such as an RDL file, to the project.
- Use the Report Designer to edit and preview the report, then save or deploy it according to your project and server setup.
The available project templates depend on the installed components and their compatibility with your Visual Studio and SQL Server versions. Microsoft’s Report Server project tutorial directs users to add the SQL Server Data Tools workload when the template is missing and, if needed, install the Microsoft Reporting Services Projects extension. The SSDT Reporting Services documentation describes Report Designer support for opening, editing, previewing, saving, and deploying SSRS paginated report definitions and associated shared sources and datasets. Follow the documentation matching your installed versions rather than assuming a particular menu or template is available.
When Report Builder is the better fit
If you need to author a paginated report but do not need a Visual Studio project, Report Builder is also documented as a standalone authoring environment. It supports report parameters, preview, export, and saving to a report server or local computer. See Microsoft’s Report Builder authoring environment documentation.
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Be cautious with older report-model instructions
Some Configuration Manager guidance for custom report models refers to SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio and Visual Studio 2008-era steps. Those instructions are legacy, model-specific guidance—not current, general instructions for creating a report in Visual Studio. Before using them, verify that they apply to your installed Configuration Manager and SQL Server versions. Microsoft’s article is Create custom report models for Configuration Manager in SQL Server Reporting Services.
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