How do you create and use custom reports or SSRS-based reports in NPM to meet business requirements?

How do you create and use custom reports or SSRS-based reports in NPM to meet business requirements?

• A. Use the built-in Report Writer or SSRS-based reports to select objects, fields, filters, and groupings; you can schedule, export, and deliver reports to stakeholders.
• B. Only prebuilt reports exist and cannot be customized.
• C. Reports cannot be exported or scheduled.
• D. SSRS reports can be used, but only for dashboards, not reports.

Answer: (A)

Custom reporting in NPM is about tailoring data presentations to what the business needs. You can either use the built-in Report Writer for quick, flexible reports or use SSRS-based reports when you need more advanced layout and design. In both paths you pick the objects to report on (for example, nodes or interfaces), the fields or metrics to include (such as CPU, memory, throughput), any filters (time range, device groups), and how you want the data grouped (by site, by device, by interface) to shape the results. After building the report, you can schedule it to run automatically at defined intervals, export it to formats like PDF, Excel/CSV, or HTML, and deliver it to stakeholders via email or a shared repository. SSRS-based reports give you greater control over the visual layout and formatting, enabling more complex designs, parameters, and subreports if needed. This approach meets business requirements by delivering the exact information in the right format and cadence, rather than relying on static, one-size-fits-all reports. The options that claim only prebuilt reports exist, or that reports cannot be exported or scheduled, or that SSRS is limited to dashboards, do not fit how NPM reporting actually works.

Custom reporting in NPM is about tailoring data presentations to what the business needs. You can either use the built-in Report Writer for quick, flexible reports or use SSRS-based reports when you need more advanced layout and design. In both paths you pick the objects to report on (for example, nodes or interfaces), the fields or metrics to include (such as CPU, memory, throughput), any filters (time range, device groups), and how you want the data grouped (by site, by device, by interface) to shape the results.

After building the report, you can schedule it to run automatically at defined intervals, export it to formats like PDF, Excel/CSV, or HTML, and deliver it to stakeholders via email or a shared repository. SSRS-based reports give you greater control over the visual layout and formatting, enabling more complex designs, parameters, and subreports if needed.

This approach meets business requirements by delivering the exact information in the right format and cadence, rather than relying on static, one-size-fits-all reports. The options that claim only prebuilt reports exist, or that reports cannot be exported or scheduled, or that SSRS is limited to dashboards, do not fit how NPM reporting actually works.