This is a serious security breach problem with SQL Server Reporting Services 2016

I have been having problem accessing the Web Service URL and Web Portal in Microsoft Edge as well as Mozilla Firefox-both the latest versions.

Microsoft Edge accepts the authentication after three times  entering the same Username/Password with the third time going to the web address. However it does not load and there is a message but with no instructions to go further.

In Mozilla entering the Web Service URL or Web Portal URL in the address with the same authentication information does not even go to the address. There were no messages.

Using the Report Builder you can connect to the Report Server and view the reports; datasources; report parts etc.

These URLs being crucial to work with SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), this is totally unacceptable.

What is more serious is that the Reporting Server has no security! When I enter the site address in a Chrome browser, I am not even asked for authentication dialog and I am taken straight to the server. This should not happen. I could even do a ListChildren command. Both Web Service URL and Web Portal URL do not require authentication. Wow!

I thought perhaps it has something to do with Chrome, but no. When I tried with Internet Explorer (on Windows 10) it was amazing. Asked for no authentication, web addresses were accessible.

I think this is something to do with Windows 10 and perhaps not that of Reporting Services.

I am not new to Reporting Services as I have written about them previously.

Notes after the original post (11/2/2017):

I have looked at Internet Options and I do not think these are the reasons why Internet Explorer displays the Web Service URL and Web Portal URL without asking for authentication. The first two images are for Internet Explorer and the last one for Microsoft Edge.

These two are for IE 11. The Web Service URL come sup immediately without prompting for authentication.

This one for Microsoft Edge (latest version)

The Microsoft Edge requests authentication information and succeeds only on the third time (each time same information is provided) but the Web Service URL does not load.

Report Builder connects to Web Service URL but not the Edge browser

It appears strange that the Report Builder can connect to Report Server and access reports but not the browser.

https://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2017/10/problem-with-sql-server-reporting.html

Problem with SQL Server Reporting Servie 2016

I have been working with SSRS for quite some time. Recently I noticed some strange things with the Web Service URL as well as Web Portal URL (formerly the Report Manager).
When I try to access the Web Service URL with the correct authentication (I do not get a login error), the page comes up but does not load.

Here are pictures of non-loading sites:

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This is the message from the information icon above:

They have worked earlier without any problem:

 

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This does not appear to be one of the fixes in the Cumulative Update:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3208177/cumulative-update-1-for-sql-server-2016-sp1

Here are details about my SSRS configuration:

Who is the leader in Operational Database Management System?

This is the definition of Operational Database Management System(ODBMS) according to Gartner (5/10/2016):

"The operational database management system (OPDBMS) market is concerned with relational and nonrelational DBMS (see Note 1) products suitable for a broad range of enterprise-level transactional applications, and DBMS products supporting interactions and observations as alternative types of transactions"

Based on this definition and other considerations Microsoft is the leader edgin higher than the secodn Oracle. This is what you see in the Magic Quadrant. Microsoft shares the vision with others such as Oracle, SAP, AWS and IBM.

Here is copy of the Quadrant:

Detailed report here to download after registering:
https://info.microsoft.com/gartner-odbms-magic-quadrant-register.html?ls=website

SQL Server Management Studio 17.0 and 17.3

The version 17.3 is the latest. I had version 17.0 and installed 17.3. Not only the SSMS interface has different component versions some of the items in the All Programs which were pointing to SQL Server 17 CTP now point to the release edition. I have not yet installed SQL Server 17 database engine.

Version SSMS 17

SSMS Version 17.3

CTP items changed to Release items (non-ctp)

Using a Map in MS EXCEL is very easy

Excel provides excellent, easy-to-use MAP element that can be inserted into an Excel spreadsheet. It is easily accessed from the Insert menu item as shown. Of course your data must have geographical data.

Let us get some data into a work sheet. Click create Data and use the option to get from the Web. Let us use some data from Wikipedia which in turn shows data from Indian census. Let us use the Basic option.

Click OK.

You will get the next window that you are accessing the web content anonymously.

Click Connect. The connector starts connecting to the Demographics_of_India source.

When the connection succeeds you can access a bunch of data that comes into the Navigator pane of  a pop-up window as shown.

There is a wealth of data to be analyzed in the Navigator. We just choose the one shown, ‘Population between age 0-6 by state/union territory. This displays the data in the Table View pane as shown above.

Click Load to load the data into your Excel application in Sheet 1 as shown.

Excel has this nice feature of displaying the Recommended charts as you begin to insert a chart. It also shows how to do it as shown next. When you choose the whole data and try to bring in a Map, you will sent to BING (map provider) because BING  has the right map to provide and of course you need to accept their terms. When you accept, Map of the World comes up which now focuses on India as shown in the next window.

Note that it has already added the Min and Max values of the data. Clicking any particular map region shows the data for that region.

Now you can pretty up the map with all sorts of details using the Chart Elements.

Don't you think that was easy as 1-2-3?

Power BI Embedded is for developers and ISVs

If you are an app developer and you want to bring in the capabilities of Power BI into your app then Power BI Embedded is for you. It is an offer to present the analytics\visualization power of PowerBI as Software as a service.

Power BI Embedded simplifies this process to quickly create apps with great looking visuals. Easy data exploration capabilities support making quick and timely, informed decisions. What makes this possible are the use of Power BI APIs.

In order to develop powerful apps you will be using familiar tools like:

The Azure Portal
Visual Studio Code
Power BI Desktop

Using Power BI's API you can develop using any language.

Well here is a video that explains it all:

Turning on Preview features switch in Power BI

In order to see new features like Bookmarking etc., you need to turn-on the preview features switch. But before this get the October 2017 update as described here. This link shows all that is new in the October 2017 update.

How do you turn on the Preview Features switch?

You can find this in Options as shown.

Under Options chose Preview Features.

Go ahead and choose all by placing checkmarks. Click OK.

The program may need to restart. Accept to restart.

If this is not turned on this is what you see in the View menu.

SQL Mail and SQL Server Express 2012

Database Mail in SQL Server Express 2012 does not have Database Mail feature built-into SQL Server Management as it does in Enterprise | Standard editions. Database Mail is also found in the Developers edition as seen in the next image.

However you can send Database mail using either CLR Integration or configure SQL Mail using the System Database, msdb

SQL Server's Server Dashboard

These are the steps for reviewing your SQL Server's Server Dashboard.

You need to access from Reports.. menu as shown.

When you open Server Dashboard you would be able to see this one (specific to each installation).

If you do not see this and see a page full of errors, try logging in as an administrator.

Get the October 2017 Update of Power BI and test drive...

Power BI updates are regular and the latest update is in October 2017.

There are lots of new features as well as updates to Reporting, Analytics, etc.

This is the complete feature updates in this version and we will review some of them in future posts:

Reporting

Bookmarking (preview)
Selection pane and visual display controls
Bookmark links for shapes and images (preview)
Spotlight
Scatter & bubble markers
Increase the number of data points shown in scatter charts


Analytics

Quick measures for SSAS live connections
Sales from new customers quick measure
Cell-level formatting for multidimensional AS models


Data connectivity

Vertica connector (beta)
SAP BW connector: support for additional member properties


Other

Power BI Desktop in the Windows Store
Improved access to help content

Review the feature details here:
https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-desktop-october-2017-feature-summary/

But, first get the latest desktop from the above link. This allows you to download the msi program shown here.