Configuring the Reporting Services database

Similar to Reporting Services URLs discussed in the previous recipe, if you selected Install and Configure during the installation, these two databases are created automatically as a part of the installation. If you selected Install only, then you need to use Reporting Services Configuration Manager to create databases. You can host these databases either in a local database engine instance or in a remote database engine instance. Reporting Services supports the following database engine versions for hosting its databases:

However, you need to make sure that the Reporting Services database is hosted in the correct edition:

You can use Reporting Services Configuration Manager to create and configure the report server database. Or you can use it to view or modify settings related to the database that is already configured. Use the following steps to create or modify the report server database:

The wizard creates both ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB in the selected SQL Server instance. It uses codes stored in the <installationpath>\Microsoft SQL Server\<instance name>\Reporting Services\ReportServer folder to create these databases. Once the report server databases are created, report server uses the credentials stored for accessing report databases. During the configuration, it creates the encryption keys required and adds the necessary permissions for accessing the database.

Reporting Services stores the connection for report database in the rsreportserver.config file in an encrypted format. Depending on the authentication type selected, some of the nodes related to the connection may be empty. As an example, if the authentication type selected is Service Credentials, then LogonDomain, and LogonCred are empty:

Figure 1.24

In order to verify the report database configuration, log in to the SQL Server instance that hosts the databases. You should see two databases configured with the names you used:

Figure 1.25

Remember, Microsoft does not recommend using these databases directly to query or modify data. It is an internal database for report server and should not be accessed and modified.

As mentioned before, Reporting Services uses three databases when the mode is SharePoint integrated mode. Read more about SharePoint integrated mode in Chapter 9, SharePoint Integration.