Configure Custom Reports for Parallels RAS

Target Audience

• IT professionals such as a server, network, and system administrators familiar with Microsoft SQL Server environments
• Existing Parallels RAS administrators

Prerequisites

• Experience operating Parallels RAS farm, including RAS Reporting Services
• Experience querying databases using Transact-SQL or Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

Note: Parallels RAS should be installed and configured with RAS Reporting component in order to utilize the steps described below.

In this article, we are going to create a report that displays applications used by each user and a number of application launches.

In order to create reports on your own, first download Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder:

Report Builder 2016

Report Builder 2014

Report Builder 2012

Note: In order to avoid compatibility issues, we suggest using a version that corresponds to the version of Microsoft SQL Server edition.

Install Report Builder

Once it is installed, we can run it:

And create a new blank report:

Each report requires to have a data source, which can be configured using one of two approaches below. (Download illustrated steps by clicking on the links below.)

• Using embedded connection
• Using shared connection or report model

After configuring the data source we should also create a data set. (Scroll to the end of the article for an example of SQL Query and its explanation.)

Download the steps for Data Set configuration

 Once a data set is configured, we may start populating the actual report.

Populate the table according to the fields that will be provided by Data Set SQL Statement:

Run it to see the report output.

Open Remote Application Server Console > Administration > Reporting > Tracking Settings

Enable Custom Reports and specify the folder name (or keep default name) for saving .rdl reports.

Click OK on Advanced Setting and Apply setting changes to RAS Console.

Once done, click Refresh and you should see a Custom Reports folder:

RAS Reporting Database tables

See the RAS Reporting database schema.

Please check Navigation Properties for each table in order to clarify which tables it is linked to.

SQL Query example:

SELECT
us.Username,
ac.ApplicationName AS [Application Name],
COUNT(ac.ApplicationName) AS [NumOf Times Used]

FROM
dbo.Users us INNER JOIN
dbo.RDSessions rd ON us.SID = rd.User_fk INNER JOIN
dbo.ApplicationConnections ac ON ac.Session_fk = rd.Session_ID

GROUP BY
us.Username,
ac.ApplicationName 

Referring to the database schema and SQL query itself, you may find that the following is being performed:

• Select usernames from table dbo.Users and gives "us" alias to the table.
• Since dbo.Users table does not have link to dbo.ApplicationConnections, it should first join table dbo.RDSessions using matches on field SID from dbo.Users and User_fk from dbo.RDSessions
• After we have joined dbo.RDSessions (alias "rd") which has a link to dbo.ApplicationConnections, we may also join ApplicationConnections itself with alias "ac" and select Application names and number of launches from it.