Integrating Reporting Services Using the ReportViewer Controls
Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 provides two ReportViewer controls for integrating report viewing functionality into your applications. There is a version for Windows Forms-based applications and one for Web Forms applications. Each control provides similar functionality but each is designed to target their individual environments. Both controls can process reports that have been deployed to a report server (remote processing mode) or have been copied to a computer where Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services has not been installed (local processing mode).
Remote Processing Mode
Remote processing mode is the preferred method for viewing reports that have been deployed to a report server. Remote processing mode provides the following advantages:
Remote processing provides an optimized solution for running reports because the report is processed by the report server.
Because all processing is handled by the report server, a report request can be processed by multiple report servers in a scale-out deployment or a server that has multiple processors in a scale-up scenario.
In addition, reports run in remote mode can utilize the full functionality of the report server including all rendering and data extensions.
Note
The list of extensions available to the ReportViewer control when it is running in remote processing mode depends on the edition of Reporting Services that is installed on the report server. For more information about available functionality, see Programming Features for Reporting Services Editions.
For more information about using the ReportViewer controls in remote processing mode, see Walkthrough: Using the ReportViewer Control in Remote Mode on MSDN.
Local Processing Mode
Local processing mode provides an alternative method for viewing and rendering reports when Reporting Services is not installed. Unlike remote processing only a subset of the functionality provided by the report server is available in the control. In local processing mode, data processing is not handled by the control but rather implemented by the hosting application. However report processing is handled by the control itself. In local processing mode, only the PDF, Excel, Word, and Image rendering extensions are available.
For more information about using the ReportViewer controls in local processing mode, see Walkthrough: Using a Database Data Source with the ReportViewer Windows Forms Control in Local Processing Mode and Walkthrough: Using a Database Data Source with the ReportViewer Web Server Control in Local Processing Mode on MSDN.