SQL Server Reporting Services is a server-based reporting system with an application layer responsible for the authentication, processing, rendering, and delivery of reports to users. Depending on the installation mode, the application layer might also be responsible for the security of reporting-related objects stored on the server such as reports, shared data sources, shared datasets, and shared report parts.

In addition to the items described below, which are fairly standard across most enterprise-level standard reporting systems, Reporting Services also includes a number of other features that provide substantial gains in performance and user experience. These features include items such as subscriptions, caching, and snapshots, as well as a new feature known as data driven alerts.

In the rest of this section, we will explore the primary server-level features and functionality offered by the SQL Server Reporting Services.