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Reports

Reports Troubleshooting

Having some problems with reports? Here are a few things you can try.

MinistryPlatform delivers reports through SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). Each report contains three things:

  1. The RDL file (the report) stored on the SSRS server.
  2. The metadata record in the Setup Area of MinistryPlatform. This indicates the RDL file name, location, and pages the report deploys to, as well as Security Roles authorized to run the report.
  3. One or more stored procedures in the MinistryPlatform database per data set needed in the report.

Report errors that occur in a single report can result from several things, including:

  • Setup and Configuration issues.
  • Authentication issues.
  • Performance issues.
  • Stored Procedure issues related to changes in underlying data objects.

Here are a few things you can try if you're having trouble running a report:

  1. Clear your selections.
  2. Reboot your machine daily.
  3. Clear your cache before running any reports.
Note: Many reports require a date field. Ensure that the date and/or time is formatted appropriately and that the start date or time is before the end date or time.

The remainder of this Help Center topic is primarily for the use of support personnel at ACS Technologies. However, if needed, you can use it to troubleshoot your own reporting issues.

When a Customer Reports an Error Running all Reports

  1. Ensure that the Web Server has permissions to the ReportServer Database.

    1. When a customer reports an error running a report, that error may or may not be descriptive. Initial troubleshooting should determine that the error is specific to one report. ACS Technologies only troubleshoots reports created by our personnel.
    2. Customer should send a screenshot which illustrates the parameters they passed to the report (if that was possible), as well as the error message they saw on their screen. ACS Technologies or a member of the customer's support team may follow the steps below to troubleshoot a specific report issue.
  2. Run the report from MinistryPlatform Demo to ensure the issue is isolated to a single customer.
  3. Run the report from the customer's system using your browser and the same parameters as the customer. Copy the URL to your clipboard. The URL contains the following:
    1. The exact name of the RDL file (this can be different from the report name in MinistryPlatform).
    2. The parameters passed to the RDL file.

  4. Work through the following questions while logged onto the report server from its internal web address on the SSRS server.

    1. Does the RDL file exist on customer's server?
    2. Is the RDL file connected to DataSources/Datasource01?
    3. Can you run the RDL file from the report server with the parameters you copied when running it from MinistryPlatform? You may have to go to "manage" the report then find and add parameters.
    4. What error do you get? If it is an error with a data set, then the problem may be with a stored procedure or underlying database objects. The error visible on screen when on the reporting server's internal address is likely to be more descriptive than the original error.

  5. Working through data set issues from customer's SQL Server:

    1. What SP does the data set call upon? If unsure or unclear, download the RDL file from the report server and do a search for that data set name in the RDL file opened in notepad.
    2. Go to the MinistryPlatform database and confirm the SP exists and look at properties of the SP to be sure MPReports has rights to execute it.
    3. Attempt to manually run the SP. You will need the parameters copied from the URL and you may need to pass some additional parameters. You'd likely get the real error at this point.
Correcting the issue with the SP will generally resolve the issue. Once this is done, go back to the report server and attempt to run the report from SSRS (not MinistryPlatform) and see if the error resolves. If it does, go back to the report run from MinistryPlatform and make sure it can be run from there as well. At any point during this process when you have a real, actionable error message you may submit this error to the report authoring personnel at ACS Technologies to assist with a final resolution.
Troubleshooting
MinistryPlatform

Last updated: July 12, 2024