SQL Server Reporting?

Question

I have a SQL Server instance setup, and on one of the databases I have a lot of views defined. I have to connect to our VPN before I can connect to the database. I'm wondering if there is a simple web-based interface, or something in SQL Server reporting services that I can use to easily get those views easily through a browser?

Right now I'm connecting through SQL Server Management Studio which is fine for me, but not for business users in the organization.

whats the best way to make existing views available to business users through a browser?

Answer 1

Take a look at QueryTree. You can set up a connection to your database then invite business users in to build simple reports on the web, and without needing do anything technical. The 'report builder' looks like this:

Users can select tables/views, it will auto join onto other related views if you want. Then you add filters, groupings, and calculated columns (e.g. Sum, Avg, Min, Max, Count). A bit like an Excel pivot, but directly onto your database.

Answer 2

A quick Google search has turned up a few potential web-based admin interfaces you could try out:

• SQL Web Data Administrator
• myLittleAdmin
• SQL Server Web Admin

A less-advisable option is to expose a public port that gets forwarded to the mssql port on your database machine. With security in mind, I'd be hesitant to seriously suggest that. Though, setting up a Web UI kind of raises the exact same concern.

Footnote: For MySQL admins, check out phpmyadmin - a very nice web-based MySQL admin utility.