Initial Installation (Reporting Services)
SQL Server Reporting Services is installed through the SQL Server 2008 Setup program. You can install Reporting Services alongside other SQL Server components or you can install Reporting Services as a stand-alone component. Reporting Services includes both client and server applications, and it requires access to an instance of the SQL Server Database Engine that is used to host the report server database that provides internal storage for a report server installation.
When you install Reporting Services, you can choose whether to install the report server in a default configuration or in a files-only installation mode that allows you to configure the server after installation is finished. You can use the Reporting Services Configuration tool to configure the server after a files-only installation.
Important Changes for Report Server Installation
SQL Server 2008 introduces fundamental changes to the prerequisites and server hosting environment of Reporting Services. If you are familiar with previous versions of Reporting Services and installing SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services for the first time, review the following points:
The prerequisite check for Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and ASP.NET is removed. Reporting Services uses a native hosting environment and the SQL Server common language runtime in this release. For more information, see What's New (Reporting Services).
Setup supports installation options for default configuration (native mode), default configuration (SharePoint integrated mode), and a files-only installation option so that you can specify all report server configuration after Setup is finished. The default configuration options for Reporting Services require that the SQL Server Database Engine be installed with Reporting Services.
The default configuration for SharePoint integrated mode is new in SQL Server 2008. It provides a way to install the report server database in a format that supports integrated operations. Additional configuration steps will still be necessary. You must still install the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services Add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Technologies and specify report server integration settings and permissions on the SharePoint site. In addition, if the report server is on a different computer, you must install and configure a Web front end to join the report server to a SharePoint farm. For more information about these installation options, see Default Configuration for a Native Mode Installation (Reporting Services) and Configuring Reporting Services for SharePoint 3.0 Integration.
If you install Reporting Services on a computer that has IIS installed, you might encounter interoperability issues that can be difficult to detect if you are not aware of them. See Deploying Reporting Services and Internet Information Services Side-by-Side for details.
If you install Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) and Reporting Services, there might be a conflict with the default Report Center URL in SharePoint. This is because Report Center and Reporting Services Report Manager use the same default URL of http://computer_name/reports. You should use the Reporting Services Configuration tool to configure the report server and Report Manager to use a different port or virtual directory than SharePoint.
If you have a deployment of an earlier version of Reporting Services and are installing SQL Server 2008 to try out new features, be sure to backup your report definition files and report server databases. After you install SQL Server 2008, the report server database version will be upgraded automatically when the Report Server service starts. The report server content will be upgraded automatically when you first run the report against a SQL Server 2008 report server instance.
What do you want to do?
To get started, choose the item that best matches your objective, and then click a link for more information.
Read about hardware and software requirements, or to learn more about components in SQL Server. For more information, see Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2008 and Editions and Components of SQL Server 2008.
Read about components in Reporting Services and how to specify installation options to select the components you want to use. For more information, see Component Architecture and Considerations for Installing Reporting Services.
Evaluate different deployment topologies and identify the requirements for a specific scenario. For more information, see the topics in Planning and Architecture (Reporting Services).
Learn about different approaches for installing Reporting Services and the difference between a files-only installation and the default configuration. For more information, see Considerations for Installing Reporting Services.
Install Reporting Services. For more information, see How to: Install SQL Server 2008 (Setup) or How to: Install SQL Server 2008 from the Command Prompt.
To install Reporting Services and the report server database on different computers, select the Install but do not configure the report server option in setup or the Files-Only installation mode in a command line installation, and then create the report server database on the remote SQL Server instance after setup is finished. For more information, see How to: Install SQL Server 2008 (Setup) and Creating a Report Server Database.
Note
For local installations, you must run Setup as an administrator. If you install SQL Server from a remote computer, you must use a domain account that has read and execute permissions on the remote share.
Next Steps
After you install Reporting Services, you can do the following:
Verify installation succeeded by starting Report Manager.
Download and install Reporting Services samples.
Use the tutorials to try out specific features and learn basic skills.
The following sections provide instructions for performing these steps.
Starting Report Manager
When you select the Install the default configuration option in Setup, you can immediately verify that the report server is configured and operational by starting Report Manager.
To start Report Manager, open a browser window. In the URL address, type https://localhost/reports. You should see the Report Manager Home page.
Note
If you installed the report server as a named instance, the default URL that Setup creates will include the instance name. For more information, see Configuring Report Server URLs.
If you installed Reporting Services in SharePoint integrated mode, the rsOperationNotSupportedSharePointMode error message should appear when you try to browse to the Report Manager URL. Additionally, after a successful installation and configuration of the report server in SharePoint integrated mode, you should be able to browse to the report server URL and see the SharePoint site collection URL in the SharePoint farm. For more information, see Configuring Reporting Services for SharePoint 3.0 Integration.
If you have trouble starting Report Manager, see How to: Troubleshoot a Reporting Services Installation Problem.
Download Samples
In SQL Server 2008, you can download and install the AdventureWorks sample database and Reporting Services sample applications, extensions, scripts, reports, models, and other files from the Microsoft CodePlex site:
Open a browser window and type https://www.CodePlex.com or click SQL Server Samples to go directly to the Microsoft SQL Server Samples and Community Projects portal page.
Find Microsoft SQL Server Product Samples on the page.
Click Database.
Click the Release tab.
Find the version of the AdventureWorks database you want to use:
Choose AdventureWorksDB.msi (or AdventureWorksDBx64.msi or AdventureWorksDBIA64.msi if you are using 64-bit or Itanium platforms) to download the Setup program for the AdventureWorks OLTP database that provides data for most Reporting Services sample reports and models.
Choose AdventureWorksBI.msi (or AdventureWorksBIx64.msi or AdventureWorksBIIA64.msi if you are using 64-bit or Itanium platforms) to download the Setup program for the AdventureWorks OLAP database. It provides data to the Sales Reason Comparison report. You must have SQL Server Analysis Services installed to use this database.
On the Microsoft SQL Server Product Samples page, click Reporting Services.
Click the Release tab.
Download the SQL Server Samples Setup program and then run Setup on your computer. You must install all the samples. There is not a separate Setup program for Reporting Services.
Reporting Services Tutorials
Reporting Services includes tutorials to help developers, administrators, and report authors learn basic skills. If you are new to Reporting Services, you can use the tutorials to try out specific features in different areas of the product to further confirm that the installation is successful. For more information, see How Do I Find Tutorials (Reporting Services).
See Also