Reporting services users, user types, roles, and groups

Reporting Services has four types of users:

  • System administrator, or Administrator
  • Rights administrator
  • Power user
  • Report consumer

Administrator

Customer-administrators configure Reporting Services, enable and configure the Job Scheduler, and set up the system's data sources. When administrators log into Framework Services, Reporting Services is available to them through the Reporting Services group on the Tools dashboard.

An administrator can grant administrative rights to a power user using systems permission functionality. If granted appropriate permissions, a power user can access all Reporting Services functionality except the ability to access other users' reports.

Rights administrator

A rights administrator needs to be knowledgeable about report bursting. Rights administrators have the same access as that of the report consumer. By default, they are granted permission to access the Rights Management and apply Bursting Options to reports they have been given access to.

Note: A Framework Application, Rights Administration, is specifically made for this role and can be registered in Framework Services. For more information, see the Framework Services Administrator and User Guide.

Power user

A power user is familiar with the company's reporting needs and source data. The power user designs, develops, and administers reports. Power users have access to My Reports functionality and any other functionality granted to them by an administrator.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, this guide addresses administrators and power users as a single user, hereafter called administrator.

Report consumer

A report consumer accesses reports on a report list from a dashboard content module and/or receives reports as email attachments. Typically, this user can view a report, print a report, add it to their Favorites list, and access other reports from lists that they have been given access to by a power user. This guide does not address report consumers. Reporting Services is accessible enough to make user documentation for the report consumer redundant. If necessary, Framework Services administrators may want to consider providing help pages on Reporting Services functionality for report consumers.

Custom groups

The users, roles and user groups defined in Framework Services are also available in Reporting Services.

Often the roles or groups needed for granting access or delivering reports do not correspond to groups and roles created in the authentication provider. For this reason, Reporting Services offers the ability to create groups of users. This is accomplished without the need to have new groups created in the authentication provider.

Custom groups created in Reporting Services are only available for use within Reporting Services.

Users, roles and user groups are color-coded in Reporting Services user selector lists for ease of recognition. The color code is as follows:

  • Authentication provider users: Black
  • Authentication provider roles: Green
  • Authentication provider groups and Reporting Services custom groups: Purple