Specifications
Reusability CHAPTER 9 179
Shared Datasets
A shared dataset allows you to dene a query once for reuse in many reports, much as you
can create a shared datasource to dene a reusable connection string. Having shared data-
sets available on the server also helps SQL Server 2008 R2 Report Builder 3.0 users develop
reports more easily, because the dataset queries are already available for users who lack the
skills to develop queries without help. The main requirement when creating a shared dataset
is to use a shared data source. In all other respects, the conguration of the shared dataset
is just like the traditional embedded dataset used in earlier versions of Reporting Services.
You dene the query and then specify options, query parameter values, calculated elds, and
lters as needed. The resulting le for the shared dataset has an .rsd extension and uploads to
the report server when you deploy the project. The project properties now include a eld for
specifying the target folder for shared datasets on the report server.
NOTE You can continue to create embedded datasets for your reports as needed, and
you can convert an embedded dataset to a shared dataset at any time.
In Report Manager, you can check to see which reports use the shared dataset when you
need to evaluate the impact of a change to the shared dataset denition. Simply navigate to
the folder containing the shared dataset, click the arrow to the right of the shared dataset
name, and select View Dependent Items, as shown in Figure 9-15.
FIGURE 9-15 The shared dataset menu
Cache Refresh
The ability to congure caching for reports has been available in every release of Reporting
Services. This feature is helpful in situations in which reports take a long time to execute and
the source data is not in a constant state of change. By storing the report in cache, Reporting