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Dynamics 365 Community / Forums / Microsoft Dynamics GP (Archived) / GP SRS reports in TFS ...
Microsoft Dynamics GP (Archived)

GP SRS reports in TFS source control

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Posted on by serbach 571

My boss suggested some time back that I give some thought to controlling customizations of GP reports (SRS reports in particular, but RW reports too, if possible) by using TFS source control.

Has anyone given this a try? Is it too much trouble compared to possible benefits? I mean, we have a test Company that we refresh with production data every couple of weeks. I could modify the SRS reports in the test Company and then deploy to production easily enough.

Any thoughts?

Sincerely,

Steve Erbach
WOW Logistics Company
Appleton, WI

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  • Tim Wappat Profile Picture
    Tim Wappat 5,711 on at

    I put them in TFS, currently I download them as RDL files from report server and check them into the relevant project.

    Makes me happier to know everything is in source control, but needs discipline to update source control after changes.

     

  • serbach Profile Picture
    serbach 571 on at

    Tim,

    Thanks for chiming in. I'm going to let my boss know that others do, indeed, use TFS for source control of GP SRS reports.

    You said that it "needs discipline to update source control after changes." Does that mean you're using Report Builder to make the mods... and then go into Visual Studio and make the changes again? Or do you copy the altered RDL into your local Repository and then update TFS?

    Sincerely,

    Steve Erbach
    WOW Logistics Company
    Appleton, WI

  • Verified answer
    Tim Wappat Profile Picture
    Tim Wappat 5,711 on at

    Steve,

    I no longer have a Visual Studio project for reports (used to do it that way in early days), I guess you'd say the report server is our master repository now.

    When a change has been made we download the rdl from the server and check it into source control via local rep as you describe. When doing so, also we look for modified reports and do the same.

    Everyone has different operating conditions, our in company the IS team can, and do update reports using Report Builder but they do not operate Visual Studio or have licences for TFS (too expensive), thus why we are working this way.

    So for us, with the infrequent changes we make to reports these days (been using GP long time and reporting is mostly bedded in, excel power query and BI used for ad-hoc and operational reporting needs), this is appropriate balance of risk vs control vs effort.

    We've been considering using Git or other "free" source control solutions for reporting so that everyone can run it, or can automate a sweep of the report server nightly to auto check-in the current state using automation, but it is not a big issue compared to others we have on the backlog, so is down the list somewhat.

    Tim

  • serbach Profile Picture
    serbach 571 on at

    Tim,

    I appreciate your response. It isn't a big issue for us, either; it simply has bubbled to the surface as one thing to maybe work on. We do have TFS and everybody's used to it and how it works with VS and the TFS Task Board.

    I got one of our young developers to assist me in setting up a project for the GP reports... which will turn into several projects. But I know that my boss will be satisfied that I'm using the tools as they're designed to control modification and distribution of SSRS reports.

    Thanks again.

    Sincerely,

    Steve Erbach
    WOW Logistics Company
    Appleton, WI

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