Ben would use the Report Builder (custom report) module in SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), part of the SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) toolset. Report Builder is the authoring environment for designing paginated reports against a data source, and SSDT is where those report definitions (RDL files) are created and deployed. In Microsoft's data transformation stack, "DTS" refers to Data Transformation Services in SQL Server 2000, which was replaced by SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) in SQL Server 2005. If Ben is asking within an SSIS context, the answer is different for ETL versus reporting, so the distinction matters before he opens any tool.
How the Report Authoring Mechanism Works
A customized report in the Microsoft reporting stack is a definition file, not a query output. Report Builder stores the layout, dataset queries, parameters, expressions, and rendering settings in a Report Definition Language (RDL) file, which is XML. The report server processes that file at runtime: it resolves parameters, runs each dataset against its data source, merges the results into data regions such as tables, matrices, and charts, and then renders to the requested format.
The key mechanic is separation of layout from data retrieval. A single RDL can contain multiple datasets pulled from different sources, and expressions can compute values at render time. That is what makes a report "customized" rather than a canned view. Parameters let the same definition serve different users, regions, or date ranges without duplicating the file.
In classic DTS on SQL Server 2000, the equivalent capability was limited. DTS packages could execute SQL and write results to files or tables, and the DTS Designer had a limited ability to produce formatted output. It had no report server, no parameterized rendering pipeline, and no RDL format. That gap is exactly why Microsoft split the workload: SSIS handles movement and transformation, and SSRS handles presentation. Ben's task is presentation, so the report authoring module is the correct destination.
Quantified Context: Versions, Tools, and Scope
The DTS-to-SSIS transition happened with SQL Server 2005, released in November 2005. DTS packages from SQL Server 2000 could be migrated through a wizard, but the two engines never shared a runtime. That is a 20-year-old boundary, and it explains most of the confusion behind Ben's question.
Report Builder shipped as a standalone download alongside SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services and has been bundled with later releases. It is a ClickOnce application, which means it installs per user from a report server URL and updates automatically. The authoring surface for advanced work is SSDT with the Microsoft Reporting Services Projects extension, which produces the same RDL files.
Version alignment matters more than most people expect. An RDL authored for a newer schema may not deploy to an older report server. A SQL Server 2016 report server, for example, will reject report definitions that use schema elements introduced in later releases. Ben should confirm the target server version before he starts designing, because the fix later is rework, not a setting.
The tooling choice also scales with team size. A single analyst producing ad hoc reports can work entirely in Report Builder. A team maintaining dozens of reports across environments usually standardizes on SSDT projects under source control, with deployment handled by the report server or by automation.
Edge Cases That Change the Answer
The first edge case is the reporting platform itself. If Ben's organization runs Power BI rather than SSRS, the authoring tool is Power BI Desktop and the distribution mechanism is the Power BI service. The concept is identical, but nothing transfers directly between RDL and Power BI report files. The question "which module" has a different answer depending on which stack is installed, and Ben should check that first.
The second edge case is whether the report is truly a report or actually an export. If Ben needs a scheduled extract delivered as a flat file to a downstream system, that is an SSIS task, not a reporting task. The Control Flow and Data Flow components in SSIS handle extraction, transformation, and file delivery. A scheduled SSRS subscription can email a rendered report, but a subscription is not a substitute for a data pipeline.
The third edge case is embedded reporting inside an application. If the report must appear inside a custom web application with its own authentication, Ben needs the report server's web service or URL access, plus the report definition authored in Report Builder or SSDT. The authoring module is the same; only the delivery path changes.
The fourth edge case is licensing and hosting. SSRS licensing follows the SQL Server license for on-premises deployments. Cloud-hosted options change the cost model and the authoring tool. Ben should confirm both before committing to a design.
Common Misconceptions and a Counterintuitive Detail
The most common misconception is that DTS still exists as a current product. It does not. DTS was deprecated and then removed; SSIS replaced it starting in SQL Server 2005. Anyone searching for a current "DTS module" is working from outdated documentation or a legacy job title.
The second misconception is that Report Builder and SSDT are competing tools. They are not. Both produce RDL. Report Builder favors ad hoc authoring by business users; SSDT favors project-based development with version control. The output is compatible, which means Ben can start in one and finish in the other.
The third misconception is that the report module also handles the data. It does not. Report Builder queries data sources; it does not move or transform data at scale. If the source data is dirty, a beautiful report will display dirty data beautifully.
The counterintuitive detail is that the harder part of Ben's task is usually not authoring. It is governance: who owns the dataset, which server hosts it, and how changes are promoted from test to production. A customized report that nobody can maintain becomes a liability within a year. The professional caveat follows: pick the authoring tool your team can support, not the one with the best feature list.
Practical Actions and Thresholds
Ben can move from question to working report with a short, ordered sequence. Each step has a concrete checkpoint, so he knows when to proceed and when to stop.
Confirm the reporting platform: SSRS on-premises, Power BI service, or an embedded report server. If the answer is Power BI, stop and switch tools; nothing in the SSRS workflow applies. Confirm the target server version before authoring. Mismatched RDL schema versions cause deployment failures, and the fix is redesign, not a setting change. Identify the data source and confirm read access with a test query. If the query returns rows in under a few seconds, the source is ready for report authoring. Choose the authoring surface: Report Builder for a single ad hoc report, SSDT for a report that will be maintained and versioned. If more than one person will edit the report, default to SSDT. Build parameters first, then data regions. Parameters define the customization surface; building them after the layout forces rework of every dataset query. Test rendering in every target format. Paginated rendering to PDF, Excel, and web can produce different page breaks and column widths from the same definition. Deploy to a test server, then promote. Never author directly against production.
The threshold that matters most is maintainability. If the report will be edited by more than one person, or will live longer than a quarter, treat it as a software artifact: source control, a test environment, and a documented owner. If it is a one-off for a single meeting, Report Builder alone is sufficient and faster.
Comparison: Candidate Modules and Tools
| Tool or module | Primary job | Report output | Best fit for Ben |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTS (SQL Server 2000) | Data transformation and load | Limited formatted output | Legacy only; not a current option |
| SSIS (SQL Server 2005+) | ETL, data movement, scheduling | Files and tables, not paginated reports | Only if the task is an extract, not a report |
| Report Builder (SSRS) | Ad hoc paginated report authoring | RDL, rendered to PDF, Excel, web | Single customized report, fast start |
| SSDT with Reporting Services Projects | Project-based report development | RDL under source control | Maintained, multi-user report sets |
| Power BI Desktop | Interactive dashboards and reports | PBIX, published to the Power BI service | Different platform; not SSRS-compatible |
| Report server subscriptions | Scheduled delivery of existing reports | Email or file share | Delivery, not authoring |
The table makes the boundary clear. Only two rows are authoring tools for paginated reports, and both produce RDL. The ETL rows answer a different question. If Ben's manager said "DTS" but meant "the thing that makes reports," the Report Builder row is the answer.
Timeline: From Question to Deployed Report
| Stage | What happens | Typical duration | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform confirmation | Identify SSRS, Power BI, or embedded server | Under one day | Platform named and confirmed |
| Access and source testing | Confirm data source, credentials, and test query | One to two days | Query returns expected rows |
| Tool selection | Report Builder or SSDT project | Under one day | Authoring surface chosen |
| Parameter and dataset design | Define customization inputs and queries | Two to five days | Parameters resolve correctly in preview |
| Layout and rendering | Build data regions, test PDF and Excel output | Three to seven days | Rendering matches requirements in each format |
| Test deployment | Publish to a test server, validate permissions | One to two days | Report runs under a non-admin account |
| Production promotion | Deploy, document owner, schedule if needed | One day | Owner and refresh schedule recorded |
The durations are typical ranges for a single report, not guarantees. A report with complex row-level security or multiple source systems will sit at the upper end. A report against one clean table will finish faster.
Limitations and What This Answer Cannot Cover
This explanation assumes a Microsoft data platform. If Ben's environment is Oracle, SAP, or a cloud warehouse with its own reporting layer, the module names differ entirely, and the underlying principle, separate authoring from data movement, still holds.
The answer also cannot specify licensing costs or current product availability with confidence, because those change by edition and by year. Ben should verify licensing with his organization's Microsoft agreement rather than rely on any general figure. The same caution applies to version-specific feature availability: a feature present in one release may be absent or renamed in another.
Finally, the question as phrased contains an ambiguity that no article can resolve. "DTS module" could mean a genuine legacy DTS component, or it could be shorthand for "the Microsoft data tool that produces reports." The mechanism section resolves the second reading. If Ben's environment genuinely still runs SQL Server 2000, he should treat the report as a migration project first, not an authoring project.
This article is general educational information about Microsoft data platform tooling, not a technical support determination or a licensing opinion. Product versions, availability, and licensing terms change; confirm specifics against your organization's agreements and current vendor documentation before you commit to a design or a purchase.