Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations Custom Reports merging multiple tables

Another approach that I have somewhat mentioned here before:

1. Install a second instance of SQL Server on your Amazing Charts Server. In this case, you could install an instance of SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition.

2. Then, you could have a SQL Server Integration Services packages that shuts down the SQL Express (Amazing Charts), mounts the AC database in your SQL Standard Instance, copies all the AC data into a database in your SQL Server Standard instance.

3. You could then use SQL Server Reporting Services to make your own custom reports.

The process of moving a copy of the AC data into another SQL Server database (steps 1 and 2) can be scheduled to occur at 5am or something.

The cost involved in my approach is the cost of a SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition license and whatever you need to get the programming done for SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and the reports using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).

You can also use SSIS to pull data from AC into your billing software. SQL Server Integration Services is known as an ETL - Extract, Transform, Load. And that's exactly what it does.

JamesNT