50% BLOAT in the Excel files created by Reporting Services.

First, I have SP1.
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Version 8.00.878.00
I created a snapshot - to ensure the db query is not the cause.
I am working on the production hardware (beefy) - and I am the only
one on it.
The HTML version is quite fast off the snapshot (maybe 20 second).
The resulting table is 11k rows spread over 17 pages in HTML.
When I click export to Excel, it's a good 4-7 minutes before it
prompts me to OPEN or SAVE and then another minute or more to SAVE.
The resulting file is 7.8MB. The resulting file takes a good 3 minutes
to load in Excel.
Here's the problem.
The original spreadsheet (created by Business Objects) I am replacing
with RS is only 3.xMB and it has MORE tabs than the one I am creating!
It opens much faster - and is basically the same on the inside.
When I try SAVE AS and select Office 95 - it is still 5.5MB - the same
size I get when I SAVE AS to 2003 but with a different file name. **
This alone tells me there is 50% BLOAT in the Excel files created by
Reporting Services. **
Someone help me.
Why is it so slow?
Why is it so large?
What can I do to make this better? (and don't say SP2, ;))
Thanks in advance, JerryFirst, you can't compare the first page in HTML to the Excel output. You
could compare the MHTML output as it is also a single stream. I'm not sure
how BO's export works so you might not be comparing apples to apples if the
feature set (formatting, etc.) isn't the same. There are also style
duplication optimizations that we can't really do because of our current
flexibility. You might see what happens if you format your entire report as
a single style.
That being said, we are always looking to improve the size and speed of the
exports. If you can isolate what you think might be the root cause, we will
take a look.
--
Brian Welcker
Group Program Manager
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
"Jerry Nixon" <jerrynixon@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:36f558cf.0410151234.1b184eb0@.posting.google.com...
> First, I have SP1.
> Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Version 8.00.878.00
> I created a snapshot - to ensure the db query is not the cause.
> I am working on the production hardware (beefy) - and I am the only
> one on it.
> The HTML version is quite fast off the snapshot (maybe 20 second).
> The resulting table is 11k rows spread over 17 pages in HTML.
> When I click export to Excel, it's a good 4-7 minutes before it
> prompts me to OPEN or SAVE and then another minute or more to SAVE.
> The resulting file is 7.8MB. The resulting file takes a good 3 minutes
> to load in Excel.
> Here's the problem.
> The original spreadsheet (created by Business Objects) I am replacing
> with RS is only 3.xMB and it has MORE tabs than the one I am creating!
> It opens much faster - and is basically the same on the inside.
> When I try SAVE AS and select Office 95 - it is still 5.5MB - the same
> size I get when I SAVE AS to 2003 but with a different file name. **
> This alone tells me there is 50% BLOAT in the Excel files created by
> Reporting Services. **
> Someone help me.
> Why is it so slow?
> Why is it so large?
> What can I do to make this better? (and don't say SP2, ;))
> Thanks in advance, Jerry|||I am comparing apples to apples. I am not comparing to HTML.
My solution, finally, was to export as CSV and use Excel's Web Query -
that saves tons of space and time as the export is WAY faster than to
Excel. Thanks for your response, I have abandoned the Excel export
function as it was too slow.
This line from Books Online sealed the dealf for me:
"Excel / Renders a report in Microsoft Excel. / This format is useful
for report data that you want to manipulate offline or in Microsoft
Excel. Avoid this format for large reports."
BR//Jerry