SSRS and PowerBI Server

3
votes

I've been using SSRS 2012 for a while now. Keep in mind I'm currently using SSRS 2012 but have set up a 2016 server and will be migrating about 200 reports within the next few months. Just went to PBI training and found out about the new Power BI Server that can sit on top of SSRS. Exciting in that we're in healthcare and cannot use the PBI publishing service for HIPAA reasons. But, I wanted to be sure I understand some things:

  1. In SSRS, you can create a datasource and datasets that are used regularly for efficiency and to keep down storage sizes. In PBIRServer, it appears that you create each datasource and the individual datasets used and store separately for each report. Is this accurate and doesn't that seem like a step back?
  2. Can I include SSRS reports and BPI reports/dashboards on the same site?
  3. If we're going to set up a local PBIRServer, can we develop using PBIpro with about 5-10 pro users but then let the folks that basically just want to view data use the free version?
  4. If we develop using PBIpro can we still publish to the PBIRServer with mobile formats? Documentation seems to indicate we need a different development tool with a much higher cost.
  5. Can you include a hyperlink from PBIRServer reports/dashboards that to a specific report on the same server? I’m seeing this being used via PBI for the visuals and then the drill-down-to as the existing SSRS reports. They’re working great for our current purposes.
  6. Is there a publication that articulates some of these specifics?

Thanks so much!

2
sql-serverreporting-servicespowerbi

2 Answers

3
votes

I think the first thing to keep in mind is that reportserver 2016 and power bi reportserver 2016 are different products. Licensing Power BI reportserver can only be obtained by either buying power bi premium capacity or have an enterprise sql server with Software Assurance

PBI premium: Costprice for this will be 5000$ a month

power bi price calculator

SQL Server Enterprise: $14,256 per corepack , 2 are required + SA

I can't answer all other question, but for question 2: Yes you can deploy power bi and regular reports to a pbiRS server.

Question 3: When you develop locally you have to use the power bi desktop for reporting services. To deploy this to a pbi RS you are not required to have a pbi pro license. Since you are using on premise resources, you will follow the licensing model of sql reportserver. The users connecting to the reportserver are no power bi users, just regular ssrs consumers install power bi desktop for report services

0
votes

If I understand your questions well, you might need to install both, depending on organization size, report creators number and report users number.

  • SSRS for those people who are OK using standard reports only (with exposed datasources and standard layout design tool) so SSRS yes included with your SQL Server license
  • Power BI Report Server (SQL Enterprise+Assurance or PBI Premium license) for more sophisticated reports for business people; but to design/publish these reports you need Power BI Pro licence, per report developer