Save Report .rdl including Data

Where is the option in SSRS 2005 to save a report .rdl with data so I can send it to others for troubleshooting?

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.sqlserver.reportingsvcs/msg/0d2569d2e55e392e

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microsoft.public.sqlserver.reportingsvcs > what is the .rdl.data file for?
From: Lev Semenets [MSFT] - view profile
Date: Thurs, Aug 19 2004 2:35 pm
Email: "Lev Semenets [MSFT]" <l...@.microsoft.com>
Groups: microsoft.public.sqlserver.reportingsvcs

It is cached data used by preview

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|||ok, so then you're saying that cache file can be used somehow or is the cach lost after preview? There has to be a way other than this just like in Crystal where you can save the data. I know you can do this in XML format from an .rdl but I don't know how to then use that xml file back into my report later..I tried setting up an XML dataset to try to use the xml file but not sure how to|||

You should see an .rdl.data along with the .rd file after previewing the report. This entry in Russell Christopher's blog explains how others can use this file:

http://blogs.msdn.com/bimusings/archive/2005/06/22/431489.aspx

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How to preview a report without direct access to its data source in SQL Server Reporting Services 2000

You may have noticed that starting with SSRS SP1, when you preview a report which contains data in the designer, a ReportName.RDL.Data file appears on your file system. We store the data that was just displayed by your preview action in this file so we don't have to round-trip to the server over and over again each time you preview the report (assuming you don't change any parameter values, etc.)

If you want, you can use this data file to make your report more "portable" -- Basically taking the report.rdl and report.rdl.data files to another machine that doesn't have access to the "real" data store. You can also use this method to send the report/data to a buddy if you need some help troubleshooting the report. Cool hack!

Close Visual Studio and add the following lines to Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe.config file:

<system.diagnostics>
<switches>
<add name="Microsoft.ReportDesigner.ReportPreviewStore.ForceCache" value="1" />
</switches>
</system.diagnostics>

What this entry does is force the preview pane to bypass checking that the cache (data file) is up-to-date and that any report parameter values selected in the report match those used to generate the cached data in the local file.

Next, Create a new VS Report Project and add the existing (rdl) report to it. Drop your rdl.data file in the same folder.

(This is the strange part) Add a new shared datasource to the project, giving it the SAME name as the old datasource your report used in the other project it lived in previously. You don't need even need to specify connection string in his data source -- it'll be using the cached data in your rdl.data file.

Finally (if necessary), modify the report so that any parameters in it don't use queried values (which you no longer have data for) , and that all parameters have valid default values. You also need to remove any other datasets that use data not coming from your .rdl.data file.

Preview!

|||thanks a lot!|||Hey, I'm using SSRS 2005, not 2000! I hope this still works the same|||I have a problem with his technique. I have several datasets in my report and so when I go through his steps, my datasets are still trying to reference stored procs and my preview errors out. What do I do in this situation?|||

here's my .rdl, it's pretty high end and a lot is going on. I am not sure what to keep or tweak here to stop the errors and get it to just use that file like the article says because I have so much going on in this report:

http://photopizzaz.biz/myreport.zip

|||It appears to work for me with SRS 2005. I ran a report the first time and it took about 20 seconds, the second time using the same parameter with a change to a label it took about 2 seconds.