Reporting Manager Error after Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express

Problem

After installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, I went into Report Configuration Manager to see what the Reporting Manager URL was confifured as. I clicked on the link and got a “page could not be found” error. I noticed that when I clicked on the HTTP:\\servername\reports URL, it took me to the SSL URL https:\\servername\reports. However, because there was an SSL Certificate on the machine that I installed SQL Server, the SSL URL was something like https:\\mail.clientname.com\reports.

How to fix this problem

Notice how the the SSL URL https:\\mail.clientname.com\reports is different than the SSL URL that was clicked on: http:\\servername\reports.

To resolve this problem with in the Report Configuration Manager for SQL Server R2 Express, you need to go into the advanced settings and make the SSL URL match the location of where you installed the server. In the specific case above, the URL would have to match the following: http:\\servername\reports.

SQL Reports Writer Software: Should You Use Open Source?

If you want to write reports, you can use many tools for SQL reports writer software. Some of these tools include boxed software reporting tools as well as open source tools that can be customized. Which type of tool is right for you? That question depends on many factors. Let’s look at some of your potential considerations as well as some up and down sides to using open source reporting software.

Pros and Cons of Different Reporting Tools

Of course a boxed product comes in a pretty box (most of the time) with a manual and a 1 – 800 # for support. You won’t get that with open source unless you’re prepared to work with a consultant or developer. So what are the benefits of using open source reporting software?

What is open source software?

Open source software is free and is software that you are allowed to modify to suit your own purposes. Open source typically comes with a general public license and this allows you to use it and develop it without your having to worry about intellectual property rights or software licensing. One of the great things about open source software is that people who use it can share tips and information on modifications and features. So, if you have an open source report writing software package, you can share modifications to it with other people and they can share their modifications with you as well.

A downside to open source software is that you cannot typically get official support for the software. This type of software is ideal if you like to dabble on your own. While there is no company support, for open source software there is always a community of people using the tool that share information. You can get help from others and you can give help to others. You can also read through plenty of literature by other users who have successfully configured the tool as well as read through any frequently asked questions and answers (FAQ).

Does your business need an SQL reporting consultant or other analytical help?

Open source software can often be made for several platforms including Windows, Linux and MAC OSx and you can often find such a wealth of information that it might seem like a great and inexpensive way to get the software and fulfill your reporting needs. Some modifications are designed in a way that will let you talk between several databases including: SQL, Oracle, IBM DB/2 and others.

Should you use open source software for SQL reports?

Some people who are technical in nature do successfully use open source software. Others find it too difficult because they’d much rather use something that has a 1 – 800 number that they can call for help. However if you do choose to adapt the flexibility of an open source Reporting Tool, you can always hire an SQL Reports Consultant or other Reporting Consultant to be your line of technical support for your report writing software (wether it’s boxed or open source!).

Some Reporting Solutions Consultants, such as Reporting Guru, allow businesses to purchase support or turnkey solutions from their consultants and developers so that you can get the best of both worlds including:

  1. The ability to modify and customize the software
  2. The ability to get help if you need it and have it customized to your own requirements.

Your options are wide and varied when it comes to SQL reporting tools. Wether you choose open source reporting tools or boxed software reporting toos, an SQL reports writer software can provide you with a lot of details about your data that can ultimately have a positive impact on your business.

Tools for Statistical Analysis for Business

Statistical Analysis for business services can be a big help regardless of what industry you’re in. Statistical tools can help you learn about your target demographic and about trends in your industry and about trends in your specific business as well.

Business Intelligence Tools

If you’re trying to determine how much product to stock for the next month, you could do it based on historical data. If you also had statistical information about outside variables, you could even more accurately forecast your needs. This could ensure you don’t either understock on product which would disappoint customers who could turn elsewhere instead of placing a backorder with you, or it could also mean that you don’t overstock product and lose money that way either.

There are a lot of areas of your business that you can use in terms of statistics. This can help you with your marketing and advertising and as mentioned above, with your product planning and merchandising as well.

Are you looking for a good data mining compan to help gather and analyze business data?

There are a lot of statistical software packages available. You might consider checking for reviews about various products so that you can see what others are saying. Very often you’ll see screen shots about the software that shows you what it can do. Some software vendors will allow you to register for a free demo of their software so you can evaluate it and run some data through it in order to see whether it might be effective for your purposes or not.

Statistics and Reporting

There are various aspects of your business that statistics and reporting can help you with. In order to find out how this can impact your specific business and find out what it could do for you, you may consider meeting with a business intelligence consultant. A professional BI consultant could show you case studies of how similar businesses to yours have benefited from relational and multidimensional database reports. They can show you how easy it might be to gain access to ad hoc reporting services that can help you make critical decisions about your business.

Application development might be necessary to provide you with the type of reporting you need. While this may seem a bit daunting at first, with the right consultant and the right software, your transition and deployment could be relatively pain free. Beyond that, the return on the investment could be huge in terms of transforming your business from a fledgling one or a business that’s just doing ‘ok’ to a true success that’s capable of sustainability because of having the knowledge and tools necessary for continuous growth and improvement. Whether you’ve used statistical analysis for business tools in the past or are just dipping your toe into unchartered waters for you, you’ve come to the right place!