How to: Configure a Report Server Scale-Out Deployment (Reporting Services Configuration)
Reporting Services supports a scale-out deployment model that allows you to run multiple report server instances that share a single report server database. To create a scale-out deployment, you use Setup and the Reporting Services Configuration tool. You run Setup to install the report servers. You run the Reporting Services Configuration tool to configure each report server to use the shared database. You can only connect to and configure one report server at a time.
When specifying a report server database that will be used for storing internal data, you can create a new database or you can upgrade an existing report server database. This topic assumes you are creating a new report server database. For more information about upgrading a report server database or an existing scale-out deployment, see Upgrading a Report Server Database and Upgrading a Report Server Web Farm.
To avoid database compatibility errors when connecting the server instances to the shared database, be sure that all instances are the same version. For example, if you create the report server database using a report server instance that has Service Pack 1, all other instances in the same deployment must also have Service Pack 1 applied. You can use different editions as long as all of the editions support scale-out deployment. For more information, see Configuring a Report Server Scale-Out Deployment.
If you are installing new report server instances that will be part of the deployment, you can choose whether to install a default configuration or a files-only installation (in the SQL Server Installation Wizard, this is the Install but do not configure server option on the Report Server Installation Options page). These steps assume a files-only installation, and that you will run the Reporting Services Configuration tool to configure the server after Setup is finished. For more information, see Installing Reporting Services Using Setup.
Note
You must use other products to support access through a virtual server and cluster deployment. Reporting Services does not provide load balancing functionality or virtual server features that allow you to access all report server instances through a shared URL address.
To install the first report server instance
Install the first report server instance that is part of the deployment.
Start the Reporting Services Configuration, and then configure the virtual directories and service accounts using the Report Server Virtual Directory page, Report Manager Virtual Directory page, and the Report Manager Web Service Identity page. For more information, see Configuring Report Server Virtual Directories and How to: Start Reporting Services Configuration.
On the Database Setup page, type or select the name of the SQL Server instance that will host the report server database. You can select a local or remote instance. You can use a SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005 instance.
If you are connecting to a remote instance, you might need to enable that instance for remote connections. Some versions of SQL Server 2005 do not enable remote connections by default. To confirm whether remote connections are allowed, use the SQL Server Surface Area Configuration tool and view the Remote Connections setting of the target instance. If the remote instance is also a named instance, verify that SQL Server Browser service is enabled and running on the target server. SQL Server Browser service provides the port number that is used by the named instance to the Reporting Services Configuration tool.
Click Connect to connect to the SQL Server instance.
Click New to create the report server database. The SQL Server Connection dialog box appears.
- Specify an account that has permission to create a database.
- Click OK to create the database.
On the Database Setup page, in Credential Type, select the type of account and credentials that the report server will use to connect to the report server database.
If you select Service Accounts and you are using a remote SQL Server instance, be sure that the accounts under which the services run have network access. For more information about credentials, see Configuring a Report Server Database Connection.
Click Apply. The Reporting Services Configuration tool creates the database and configures the connection.
On the Encryption Keys page, backup a copy of the symmetric key. This is a best-practice recommendation. You should always back up the key when you first create the database.
On the Initialization page, verify that an entry for the report server instance is created. The Initialized checkbox should be selected.
(Optional) Finish report server configuration by specifying report server e-mail delivery settings and the unattended execution account.
(Optional) Verify that the report server is operational. For more information, see How to: Verify a Reporting Services Installation.
To install and configure the second report server instance
Run Setup to install a second instance of Reporting Services on a different computer or as a named instance on the same computer.
Use the Reporting Services Configuration tool to connect to and configure the new instance you just installed. For more information, see How to: Start Reporting Services Configuration.
Configure the service accounts and virtual directories for the new server instance. You can use the same accounts and virtual directory names that you specified for the first instance, or different ones.
On the Database Setup page, in Server Name, specify the SQL Server Database Engine instance that hosts the report server database you want to use. This must be the same server that you connected to in step 3 of the previous set of the instructions. If you are using a remote instance, refer to step 3 of the previous set of the instructions for recommendations on how to connect to a remote instance.
Click Connect.
On the Database Setup page, in Database Name, select the database you created in step 5 of the previous set of the instructions. If the database list is empty, repeat the previous two steps to establish a connection to the server.
On the Database Setup page, in Credential Type, select the type of account and credentials that the report server will use to connect to the report server database. You can use the same credentials as the first report server instance or different credentials.
Click Apply. The SQL Server Connection dialog box appears. Click OK to connect to the server. The report server connects to the report server database and adds its key information. Key information is required for initialization.
On the Initialization page, verify that an entry for the second report server instance is created. The Initialized checkbox should be empty. The second report server instance is not yet initialized.
Reconnect to the first report server instance. Because it is already initialized for reversible encryption operations, it will be used to initialize the new report server instance for scale-out deployment. Initializing a new report server instance can only be done from a report server that is already initialized.
On the Initialization page, select the report server instance you are joining to the deployment, and click Initialize. After you click Initialize, the Initialized checkbox will be selected, indicating that the report server instance is part of the same scale-out deployment. You might need to refresh the page to see the change. If the report server instance is not listed on the Initialization page, verify that you configured the instance to use the shared database.
Repeat these steps to add additional report servers to the deployment. If you plan to run the report servers in a server cluster, additional configuration is required. For more information, see Configuring a Report Server Scale-Out Deployment.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Start Reporting Services Configuration
Concepts
Adding and Removing Encryption Keys for Scale-Out Deployment
Reporting Services Configuration How-to Topics