What does a Report Developer need? - SQL Server Forums

Home | Weblogs | Forums

Site Sponsored By: SQLDSC - SQL Server Desired State Configuration

Please start any new threads on our new site at https://forums.sqlteam.com. We've got lots of great SQL Server experts to answer whatever question you can come up with.

All Forums

SQL Server 2005 Forums

SQL Server Administration (2005)

What does a Report Developer need?

Author

Topic

dbthj
Posting Yak Master

143 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-03 : 10:59:22

I asked this in the SQL Architecture forum and got no response.
That might have been the wrong place.

I am DBA and am not real clear on development issues.
We have a BI application, compete with OLAP cubes and much more,
using SQL Server 2005 Standard Edition.

One of our Management Office big-wigs has put in a request for
himself and two others to have a complete instance of SQL Server
2005 installed on their laptops so they can design reports using
Reporting Services independent of each other. He says a shared
dev environment won't do because different developers would step
on each others toes. I don't buy that, but let's continue:

Some of my DBA colleagues are a bit bent out of shape that a
developer would want SSIS on his laptop. I'm not sure this is
a reasonable attitude. I do, however, understand concerns about
production data being ported to the guy's laptop.

What do you think is reasonable? Make him build a shareable
development environment or let him develop on his laptop?

blindman
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2365 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-03 : 13:10:13

Having SSIS on a laptop has no bearing on whether or not someone can take copies of company data off-site. All you need is a thumbdrive, or even an e-mail account, to accomplish that.

Your developers should be able to get along with the Developer's edition of SQL Server 2005.

e4 d5 xd5 Nf6

dbthj
Posting Yak Master

143 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-03 : 13:17:22

I'm sorry, I meant SSMS, rather than SSIS.

jezemine
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2886 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-03 : 14:04:25

I see no reason why you would not allow SSMS or any other sql client tool to be installed on a laptop.

jsmith8858
Dr. Cross Join

7423 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-03 : 15:32:59

Of course your developers need SSMS ... Don't you want them to be able to test their SQL statements, view the execution plans, find bottlenecks, and so on? Don't you want them to be able to browse the schema and/or data as necessary?

They don't need a full install of the server components, but any good developer or report writer needs access to the client tools.

If you are concerned about them testing things with your live database, I hope you have created a test environment for them to work with.... right? And your production servers are fully secured properly, so there is no need to restrict the tools your developers use ... right?

- Jeff
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/JeffS

(edited to fix a typo)

blindman
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2365 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-03 : 16:49:21

quote:
Originally posted by dbthj

I'm sorry, I meant SSMS, rather than SSIS.

Makes no difference.

e4 d5 xd5 Nf6

pootle_flump

1064 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-04 : 11:18:12

quote:
Originally posted by dbthj

One of our Management Office big-wigs has put in a request for
himself and two others to have a complete instance of SQL Server
2005 installed on their laptops

quote:
Originally posted by dbthj

Some of my DBA colleagues are a bit bent out of shape that a
developer would want ~~SSIS~~SSMS on his laptop.

these are two totally different issues but you seem to lump them together - is that a fair reading?

Client tools on lappy - better then reasonable - good practice.
Instance on lappy - well depends on your shop. Sounds like you don't have a properly defined dev & test setup. Perhaps this is an opportunity for you all to sit down and spec a proper dev environment? A big sell for you is - if they are worried about stepping on each others toes while developing they should be terrified that what they produce will step on each others toes in production.

blindman
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2365 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-04 : 11:45:43

quote:
Originally posted by pootle_flumpA big sell for you is - if they are worried about stepping on each others toes while developing they should be terrified that what they produce will step on each others toes in production.

You'd think, wouldn't you? But the developers in my shop prefer to work in "sandboxes" as part of their Agile methodology. And yes, we have had loads of problems with buggy code.

e4 d5 xd5 Nf6

jezemine
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2886 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-04 : 12:19:48

sandboxes are well known for cat poop.

dbthj
Posting Yak Master

143 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-04 : 16:00:07

Yes,
"Some of my DBA colleagues are a bit bent out of shape that a
developer would want ---- SSMS on his laptop."
Is a fair reading of what I meant to say.

No, we do not yet have a dev environment in place.

The users in question are not true developers. They don't know
how to spell SQL. Explain means nothing. They will not be
creating ssis packages or any application objects. They are
Project Management types who want to develop reports.

I gather they want to import the daily cube build from
production and develop some reports for upper-level management
using Reporting Services. I ask them what they need and
they say, I don't know, you tell me (but I want it on my
laptop - I don't share space with peon programmers).

jsmith8858
Dr. Cross Join

7423 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-04 : 16:38:08

It sounds like you've got a lot of people over there who have no idea what they are doing. (and I am not just talking about the report writers)

- Jeff
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/JeffS

jezemine
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2886 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-04 : 19:25:56

if you have PM types writing reports, don't be surprised when one day every server request ends in a timeout.

EDIT: bad grammar. sheesh.

dataguru1971
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

1464 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-04 : 19:41:49

quote:
Originally posted by jsmith8858

It sounds like you've got a lot of people over there who have no idea what they are doing. (and I am not just talking about the report writers)

- Jeff
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/JeffS

Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

pootle_flump

1064 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-17 : 10:02:27

quote:
Originally posted by dbthj

Yes,
"Some of my DBA colleagues are a bit bent out of shape that a
developer would want ---- SSMS on his laptop."
Is a fair reading of what I meant to say.

quote:
Originally posted by dbthj

I gather they want to import the daily cube build from
production and develop some reports for upper-level management
using Reporting Services. I ask them what they need and
they say, I don't know, you tell me (but I want it on my
laptop - I don't share space with peon programmers).

My point is that SSMS would not allow the users to import data locally. They will need the database engine installing locally. I think for most of us reading, SSMS installed locally is totally standard. The SQL engine installed for housing data locally for development is what would send shivers down the spine of many a DBA.

If it's on their laptop then presumably they also intend to carry the company's data around with them on the train too?....

pootle_flump

1064 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-17 : 10:02:59

Oops - missed that thread had died.

Ho hum...

dbthj
Posting Yak Master

143 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-19 : 09:29:55

Sure. Laptop goes where he goes. He figures that since he has an
important job, life should be easy for him. Can't argue that, really.
But loading the company's plans and strategies into a cube on
his laptop seems undesirable.

Subscribe to SQLTeam.com

SQLTeam.com Articles via RSS

SQLTeam.com Weblog via RSS

- Advertisement -

Resources