Exercise 5

Case A: Microsoft SQL server

The relational DBMS uses Structured Query Language (SQL) as a standard. Microsoft SQL Server 2008 has support for .NET Framework, so that stored procedures can used be in any of the .NET languages. Microsoft Dreamspark at dreamspark.com is an interesting site for the student/developer using Microsoft products.

1. Investigate the. SQL Server 2008 architecture available from the Dreamspark website.

Component Architecture
The diagram below shows the three-tier architecture of a Reporting Services system. It represents the report database and data sources for the data tier, and components in the middle tier, and the client applications and built-in or custom tools in the presentation tier. Thus, it describes not only the flow of requests and data among the server components, but also components sending and retrieving contents from the data store (MSDN, 2009).

Figure 1(MSDN, 2009). Architecture diagram

Applications

There are three applications which run in the same Windows service (MSDN, 2009):

• Report Manager: It is illustrated by the Report Manager component in the diagram. This is a browser application which assists front-end access to the Reporting Services Web service.
• Reporting Services Web service: it is described as the Web service components in the diagram. This handles on-demand, interactive report processing.
• Background processing application: It is described by the Windows service components in the diagram. This application progresses reports triggered from a schedule and delivers reports to target destinations.

Data Storage

The report server is a server which stores all properties, objects, and metadata in a database. Stored data involves reports, report models, and the folder hierarchy which supplies the addressing for every managed items (MSDN,2009). A report server database can provide internal storage either a single Reporting Services installation or multiple report servers.

Extensions

The report server provides custom authentication extensions, data processing extensions, report processing extensions, rendering extensions, and delivery extensions. A report server requires at least one authentication extension, data processing extension, and rendering extension. Delivery and custom report processing extensions are optional, but necessary when a user wants to support report distribution or custom controls. There are six parts in this area which is the following (MSDN, 2009).

• Security Extension: Security extension is used to authenticate and authorize users and groups to a report server. Thus, one security extension is able to be only used in a single Reporting Services installation. A user can replace the default Windows Authentication security extension.
• Data Processing Extensions: Data Processing extensions are used to query a data source and return a flattened row set. A user can have the extensions which are involved in Reporting Services.

• HTML Rendering Extension: When a user request a report from a server via a Web browser, the report server database uses the HTML rendering extension to render the report. And the HTML rendering extension generates every HTML by UTF-8 encoding.
• Excel Rendering Extension: The Excel rendering extension renders reports is able to be fixed and viewed in Microsoft Excel.
• The Comma-Separated Value (CSV) Rendering Extension: CSV rendering extension renders reports in comma-delimited plain text files, without any formatting.
• XML Rendering Extension: The XML rendering extension renders reports in XML files. These XML files can be stored or read by other programs.
• Image Rendering Extension: The Image rendering extension renders reports to bitmaps or metafiles.
• PDF Rendering Extension: The PDF rendering extension renders reports in PDF files
• Microsoft Word Rendering Extension: It renders a report as a Word document
• Delivery Extensions: The background of processing application uses delivery extensions to deliver reports to various areas.

Reference

MSDN.(2009). Component Architecture. Retrieved April 2, 2010 from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb522673.aspx

2. Test out the SQL Server Express as a lightweight application development tool. SQL Server 2008 Express Edition and report your findings.

Test steps are below:

Installation center

Select Database Engine Services and Management Tools

Installing after every configuration process

This is a server management studio that manages all kind of business data

Integrate with Visual Basic file

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express Edition is a free development application. It supports development, involving SQL server2008 database engine and SQL Server Management Studio Express (Microsoft Dreamspark, n.d).

The features of Microsoft SQL 2008 Express Edition are the following SQL Server Express.(n.d.):
-Reporting capabilities, full-text search, and a graphical management tool- Compatible with all SQL server 2008 editions- Can store all kinds of business data - High performance and compatibility in product - Work with Visual Basic Studio 2008 and ASP.NET for easy to work
with all development process
-Reporting with Microsoft office application
-Access data with PHP through SQL server drive
-Manage any kind of structured data such as XMLThus, Microsoft SQL server 2008 Express is designed to work easily with many development application.

References
Microsoft Dreamspark.(n.d.). Mircosoft SQL server 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from
www.dreamspark.com

SQL Server Express.(n.d.). Database. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://www.microsoft.com/express/sql/default.aspx