SSRS

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is a SQL Server subsystem that enables the creation of graphical, mobile, and printed reports using SQL Server and other data sources.

OvalEdge uses a JDBC driver to connect to the data source, allowing users to crawl data objects (Reports and Reports Columns) and build Lineage.

Connector Capabilities

The following is the list of objects supported by the connector. 

Prerequisites 

The following are the prerequisites required for establishing a connection between the connector and the OvalEdge application. 

1. Service account with Minimum Permissions. 
2. Configure environment variables (Optional)

Service Account Minimum Permissions

An admin/service account for crawling and lineage building. The minimum privileges required are listed below.

Establish Environment Variables (Optional)

This section describes the settings or instructions that users should be aware of before establishing a connection. If your environments have been configured, skip this step.

Configure Environment Names

The Environment Names allow users to select the environment configured for the specific connector from the dropdown list in the Add Connector pop-up window.
You might want to consider crawling the same schema in both stage and production environments for consistency. The typical environments for crawling are PROD, STG, or Temporary, and may also include QA or other environments. Additionally, crawling a temporary environment can be useful for schema comparisons, which can later be deleted, especially during application upgrade assistance. 

Steps to Configure the Environment

1. Navigate to Administration > System Settings
2. Select the Connector tab
3. Find the Key name “connector.environment”
4. Enter the desired environment values (PROD, STG) in the value column. 
5. Click ✔ to save

Establish a Connection

To establish an SSRS Connection, fill in the required fields with the relevant information in the Manage Connector pop-up window:

1. Log into the OvalEdge application.
2. In the left menu, navigate to the Administration module, and click on Connectors.
3. Click on the + icon (New Connector), then the Add Connector pop-up is displayed.
4. Search/Click on the desired connector and the Add Connector pop-up with the connector details is displayed.
   

   Fields	Details
   Connector Type	The selected connection type ‘SSRS’ is displayed by default. If required, the drop-down list allows the user to change the connector type and based on the selection of the connection type, the fields associated with the selected connection type are displayed.
   Authentication	OvalEdge supports two types of authentication to establish a connection with SSRS. SQL Server Authentication Windows Authentication File Authentication
   Connector Environment	The OvalEdge Environment dropdown menu is used to select the environment for crawling is PROD, STG, or Temporary, and may also include QA or other environments.
   License Add Ons	By default, the License type is displayed as ‘Auto Lineage.’ The user can select the license type as Standard or Auto Lineage.  For more information, refer to License Types.
   Connection Name*	Enter a Connection name for the SSRS database. You can specify a reference name to easily identify the SSRS database connection in OvalEdge.  Example: SSRS_db
   Host Name*	Specify the Database instance URL where the SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) server is located.
   Port*	If the SSRS server is not a local host, use the TCP/IP standard public port number 1443.
   SID*	The SID represents the database name. Enter the desired Database name to establish the connection.
   SSRS Web Port	Enter the port number associated with the SSRS web service.
   SSRS Web URL*	Provide the complete SSRS Web URL. This is the web address through which SQL Server Reporting Services can be accessed.
   Connection string*	A connection string configures the SSRS connection object. Key-value pairs specify SSRS connections in a connection string. Toggle the button to automatically retrieve details from the provided credentials, or manually enter the connection string. Example: jdbc:sqlserver://{server}:1234;database={xyz}
   User Name*	Provide the service account username required to connect to the SSRS server. Note: This field may be auto-filled by the web browser with the current OvalEdge user login. Please enter the SSRS Service Account name if necessary.
   Is WebService URL (Y/N)	If the URL is web service-based, then enter Y, else enter N.
   Password*	Enter the password to access the required database of the SSRS connector.
   Driver*	A JDBC driver is a Java library file with the extension .jar that connects to a database. The driver details associated with the SSRS database will be auto-populated by default.
   Default Governance Roles*	You can select a specific user or a  team from the governance roles (Steward, Custodian, Owner) that get assigned for managing the data asset.  Note: The dropdown list displays all the configurable roles (single user or a team) as per the configurations made in the OvalEdge Security | Governance Roles section.
   Admin Roles*	Select the required admin roles for this connector. To add Integration Admin Roles, search for or select one or more roles from the Integration Admin options, and then click on the Apply button. The responsibility of the Integration Admin includes configuring crawling and profiling settings for the connector, as well as deleting connectors, schemas, or data objects. To add Security and Governance Admin roles, search for or select one or more roles from the list, and then click on the Apply button. The security and Governance Admin is responsible for: Configure role permissions for the connector and its associated data objects. Add admins to set permissions for roles on the connector and its associated data objects. Update governance roles. Create custom fields. Develop Service Request templates for the connector. Create Approval workflows for the templates.
   No of Archive Objects*	The "Number of archive objects" refers to the count of recent modifications made to the metadata data of a dataset at the remote/source location. By default, this feature is disabled. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and enter the desired number of objects to archive. For instance, if a user sets the count to 4 and the connection is crawled, it will retrieve the last 4 changes that occurred in the remote/source of the connector. These changes can be observed in the 'version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.
   Select Bridge	To enable OvalEdge to function as a SaaS application behind a customer's firewall, the OvalEdge Bridge is necessary.  When a bridge has been set up, it will be displayed in a dropdown menu. Users can select the required Bridge ID. The user can select "NO BRIDGE" when it is not configured. For more information, refer to Bridge Overview

5. Click on the Validate button to validate the connection details.  
6. Click on the Save button to save the connection.  Alternatively, the user can also directly click on the Save & Configure button that displays the Connection Settings pop-up window to configure the settings for the selected Connector. The Save & Configure button is displayed only for the Connectors for which the settings configuration is required.
   

   Note: * (asterisk) indicates the mandatory field required to establish a connection. Once all the parameters are entered, you can validate the details and save the connection that will be displayed on the Connector Home page. 

   Note: It is up to your wish, you can save the connection details first, or you can validate the connection first and then save it. 

   Note: In the "Add Connector," if the authentication type is chosen as "File Authentication" from the Authentication dropdown, the following details need to be provided

   

   Fields	Details
   SSRS File Path*	Enter the file location path of the SSRS Server installation from which the reports are to be crawled. This is the directory where the reports are stored on the SSRS server, and OvalEdge will use this path to access and retrieve the reports.

Connection Validation Errors 

Note: If you have any issues creating a connection, please contact your assigned OvalEdge Customer Success Management (CSM) team.

Connector Settings 

Once the connection is established successfully, various settings are provided to retrieve and display the information from the data source. 

Note: For more information, refer to the Connector Settings.

The Crawling of Report Group 

You can use the Crawl/Profile option, which allows you to select the specific Report Group Names that need to be crawled, profiled, or unprofiled. For any scheduled crawlers and profilers, the defined run date and time are displayed to set.

1. Navigate to the Connectors page, and click Crawl/Profile. 
2. It allows the user to select the specific schemas that need to be crawled, profiled, unprofiled, or scheduled.  
3. Click on the Run that gathers all metadata from the connected source into the OvalEdge Data Catalog > Report/Report Column Tab.

Note: For more information on Scheduling, refer to Scheduling Connector 

FAQs

1. What is the cost of the driver?
   The Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server is available at no additional charge.
2. Can I use the driver to access Microsoft SQL Server from a Linux computer?
   Yes, You can use the driver to access SQL Server from Linux, Unix, and other non-Windows platforms. For having SQL Server JDBC Authentication on a Linux environment, we use jtds 1.3.1 driver (NTLM).
3. Which authentication types are supported by the Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server?
   The table below lists available authentication options
   

   Platform	Authentication
   Non-Windows	SQL Server, NTLM, Azure Active Directory Authentication, Pure Java Kerberos
   Windows	SQL Server, Kerberos with NTLM backup, NTLM, Azure Active Directory Authentication, Pure Java Kerberos

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