Report Builder 1.0 required a Data Model to build reports. Report Builder 2.0 allows reports to be built using other data sources.

When defining a data source in Report Builder, the 'Use Current Windows User' property, forces the report to run with the permissions of the user running the report, ensuring that data is only available to users with the appropriate permissions granted. Alternatively, you can provide an account to use, prompt the user or specify no credentials.

Datasets are used to define the data to use in a report. The Dataset properties allow you to specify an SQL query, parameters, fields and filters. A query designer is available to preview the resultset

Data can be displayed in the report using tables, matrices, charts, gauges, or lists. A table allows you to display data in table format. Summaries can be added by right-clicking the field to aggregate and selecting 'Add Total'. Grouping can be added by right-clicking the column to group by.

Reports can be saved to a local folder for personal use or published to a report server for public use. Use the 'Save As Report' option in Report Builder to publish a report. In the 'Name' text box, use the Report Server URL plus any required subfolders specification.

Use Report Manager to configure properties for the reports. The report query can be cached, which means the query is only executed the first time the report is run. Subsequent runs will use the cached query: which can be cleared on a schedule. Alternatively, if a report snapshot is scheduled, a query cache is created in advance of any report run.