My firm is using SSRS, and we need to move some reports to different folders. I'm sure some users have shortcuts on their desktops pointing to reports. Is there a simple way to handle this so their desktop shortcuts don't just break?
One option would be to create a "placeholder" report with the same name as the actual report, living in the folder the actual report had been in. The placeholder report would have text boxes explaining that the report was moved, and offering a hyperlink to the actual report. Another text box would instruct the user to update their desktop shortcut. (I don't like that option because that just creates extra "look somewhere else" reports in the SSRS folders.)
SSRS uses the "?ItemPath=" URL parameters to indicate where the report is. Seems like that parameter could just trigger a useful message.
You can add linked report in the previous report location pointing to the new report - it will have the smallest impact on customers, however, modifications to the new report (e.g. parameters) might also require changing linked report resulting in additional maintenance.
MSDN linked report documentation:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms156327(v=sql.90).aspx