Adding Reporting Services to an existing SQL Server 2005 installation

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Problem

Servers don't last forever. With Microsoft SQL Server 2005 going on three years many of us are in the process of acquiring new hardware and getting new instances up and running.  In our company this means a shuffle of some of our Database Services, Reporting Services, and Analysis Services installs in order to load balance our SQL environment correctly.   Many DBAs may not be aware that they do not need to install Reporting Services at the same time that Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database Services are being installed on a server; for that matter, you don't need to install Reporting Services on a server that is running Database Services.  Reporting Services does not require additional licensing charges if installed on an existing properly-licensed Database Services instance however.  There are some subtle differences between installing SQL Server Reporting Services 2005 as part of a fresh SQL Server 2005 Database Services installation, versus installation on an existing instance of SQL Server 2005.  In this tip we look at the process of installing Reporting Services on a server that is already running Database Services.

Solution

Instead of the typical install process by which you pop in your installation media or navigate to your mounted install files you'll want to navigate to Add and Remove Programs on the Control Panel from your computer's Start menu.  Once the list of installed programs populates, locate Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and click Change. 

sql server

Select the instance you're going to modify and select Database Engine.  The example below presents a server that has only a single, default instance of SQL Server 2005 installed.  As you can see, you would use this same process to make changes to any installed SQL Server 2005 component, be it Database, Integration, or Notification Services.  You can also make changes to the Workstation Components from Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel.

component selection

To install the new component click on "To install a new component, click here". You'll be prompted for the location of the setup.exe file that corresponds to your installation media.  Browse or enter the location of the setup.exe file and click OK.

installation media

This point in the process will begin to look familiar.  Accept the Software License Terms and click Next.  Setup.exe will install setup component files, perform system checks and launch the installation wizard.  This is identical to a simultaneous installation of Microsoft SQL 2005 Database Services and Microsoft SQL 2005 Reporting Services.  If warnings or errors are discovered at this point you may need to quit the installation, resolve the issues, and restart the installation from the beginning.

user agreement
setup
wizard
system configuration check

Select Reporting Services from the listing of components available for installation or upgrading.  Similarly, you can also install or upgrade other components at this time.

components to install

Select the instance for the installation.  In the example below, I am installing a default instance of Microsoft SQL  2005 Reporting Services.

instance name

As is the case with a side-by-side installation of Database Services and Reporting Services, you'll now be prompted for the account you wish to run Reporting Services under.  This decision depends upon how your environment is set up.  Here are some recommendations for service account assignments.

service account

At this point you've supplied all the information that the setup program needs to perform the installation on the existing Microsoft SQL Server 2005 instance.  You will not be able to configure Reporting Services at this time.  You will do so after the completion of the install via use of the Reporting Services Configuration Tool.  Click next to continue and then select Install to begin the physical installation process.

installation options
ready to install
setup

You've now successfully installed Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services on the same physical server as an existing instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database Services.  If you've been keeping up with your service pack installations, you'll need to patch Reporting Services to correctly match your other SQL Server 2005 components before configuring SQL Reporting Services.

Next Steps
  • Patch SQL Reporting Services to the correct service pack level for your environment.
  • Configure Reporting Services for your environment by launching the Reporting Services Configuration Tool.  An overview of the Reporting Services Configuration Tool can be found here. 
  • Stay tuned for a detailed review of the Reporting Services Configuration Tool next month.
  • Review these Reporting Services Tips.


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About the author
MSSQLTips author Tim Ford Tim Ford is a Senior Database Administrator with MindBody.

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

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Comments For This Article




Monday, May 13, 2019 - 10:51:02 AM - JC Alexandres Back To Top (80059)

 Good instructions, despite this version of SQL is no longer supported by Microsoft, and we even use newer version of the database server, I still need to support this version for another 6 - 12 months.

Thanks for your post.

Friday, March 7, 2014 - 4:17:57 AM - MSSQL DBA Back To Top (29673)

HI,

I had try to install ssrs but it is not ative.can share email addres..I can share screenshot..

 

 

Regards,

Dinesh 

 

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 - 5:30:12 PM - Sergio Back To Top (23643)

Tim,

Nice Tip.  Do you happen to have the same step by step process in the case of a MS SQL Server 2008 R2?

 

Thanks,

Sergio M.

 

Thursday, February 7, 2013 - 6:20:03 PM - Mark Back To Top (21995)

 

I have 2008 Server R2 and loaded SQL 2005 (64-bit) to work with an application.  The system has been working great for months.  I needed to enhance the system for web-based reporting services so I installed IIS, registered it for 64-bit operation, and successfully go the IIS7 screen in IE with the 'http:\\localhost' url.  Then I went to install Reporting Services on SQL.  From Control Panel I changed SQL.  The System Configuration Check found 2 warnings:  one was that IIS was either not installed or not enabled;  the other was that ASP.Net for 32-bit was registered but not 64-bit.  I am assuming that these issues are why Reporting Services was grayed out at the 'Components to Install' screen.  The system was rebooted with no change, and the AppPool 32-bit allowance was turned off with no change.  Not sure how to proceed.  Thanks for your comments in advance.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 - 2:20:12 AM - Manna Back To Top (16765)

Thanks for posting this useful step by step information. It helped me a lot! :-)

Thanks again!

Manna

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 - 6:03:38 PM - Guillermo Grillo Back To Top (10428)

Following the guidelines included in this article, what extra care I have to have if the database where I need to add SSRS is clustered (active/passive mode)?.

Thanks!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 7:10:46 AM - word Back To Top (3410)

When we do other installs on these servers we normally send the files over using LanDesk to a certain location on the server and then have a service that sweeps the folder on a schedule and runs/installs what is in there.  So I am guessing we would first move the SQL install disks over to the server (we did this for the original installations) then run a command line install of Reporting Services that looks to the setup.exe location in the SQLFolder.

Thanks,

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 6:57:10 AM - timmer26 Back To Top (3409)

I do all of my installs for SQL and any components remotely via Terminal Services.  I've only seen and touched my physical server one time in 10 years.  What I've done is copied all media I ever need for installations to a network drive and then copy that to the target server within a MSTSC session; then I run the install.  I've never had an issue in the 100s of instances of doing so on SQL 7.0 through 2008; standard or enterprise; clustered or not.

 I hope this helps!

 - Tim

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 6:40:39 AM - DrDianaDee Back To Top (3408)

Ah!  Perhaps what you want is an unattended installation.  You would need a configuration file and a batch file with the installation command.  I have never done this but it should be in Books Online.  I believe the topic is something like "Installing SQL Server from the command prompt."

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - 5:36:14 AM - word Back To Top (3405)

Remoting in is not really practical as we have 1900 servers where we might need to install Reporting services.  I will keep looking for a solution. Thank you.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 4:26:01 PM - DrDianaDee Back To Top (3401)

As far as I know, there is no way to do a "remote installation" of a SQL 2005 component.  Can you use remote desktop to log in to the SQL Server computer?

Monday, May 18, 2009 - 11:16:46 AM - word Back To Top (3389)

Thanks for the artical, very helpful.

You may not be viewing these comments any longer, but I was wondering if it is possible to do a remote installation of Reporting Services 2005 on a Windows 2003 server where SQL Server 2005 is already installed.  If so do you have any pointers or links that would be helpful?

Thanks,

Nancy


Thursday, June 5, 2008 - 11:23:08 AM - RLCoppedge Back To Top (1095)

Thanks for the article...I've been wrestling with a "rogue installation" of SSRS at a client's site.  Your piece was the final...um...piece!

 Bob Coppedge

Monday, March 3, 2008 - 7:01:20 AM - [email protected] Back To Top (682)

Thank you very much for a quick and education reply.

Monday, March 3, 2008 - 6:24:09 AM - timmer26 Back To Top (680)

You could install Reporting Services in 2000, so long as you installed RS on the active node first, failed over the cluster so the passive node became the active node, and then repeat the install.  The only difference on the second node's install is to be sure to point RS to the first node's physical name when assigning the Report Server due to settings that were set up during the first node's install in the RSReportServer.config file.

 As for RS 2005, I have not installed RS on any of our clustered environments.  Per MS, however, it appears the behavior is the same: 

When you deploy a SQL Server Reporting Services server on a single node in a SQL Server failover cluster, the cluster must already be installed and configured. Then, when you create the SQL Server Reporting Services database, you can specify the failover cluster name as the server name that will host the database.  Do not deploy both SQL Server Report Services and the reporting services databases on each node of a multi-node cluster. Moreover, do not deploy SQL Server Reporting Services in a two-node cluster environment that consists of an active node and a passive node where the passive node becomes active during a failover.


Monday, March 3, 2008 - 4:54:18 AM - [email protected] Back To Top (679)

Great article. Thank you for posting it. There's one questioin I have but don't have an environment to test. Is addition of reporting services possible on to the clustered installation of SQL Server. I remember in clustered SQL 2000 installation it couldn't be done. Thank you.

Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 4:15:44 PM - DrDianaDee Back To Top (348)

My intuition agrees with your reason that perhaps the grayout is due to your having installed / uninstalled Reporting Services numerous times.  The fact that the selection (though greyed out) in your screen shot is the "configure later" choice and you said you always configure post install has contributed heavily to this belief on my part.

Although you did not answer my question, you did so enough so I don't need a deep answer at this time.  Thanks!

):-D

Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 3:57:30 PM - timmer26 Back To Top (347)

Dr. D.D.:  Originally, I thought the differences between our experiences may relate to whether or not you check "Reporting Services" from the Start services at end of startup area of the previous screen.  I deselected that, knowing that I wanted to patch RTM Reporting Services to SP2 after I installed it and did not want to be reminded to shut it down during the SP2 install process.  If it is not running, it can not be configured and therefore Setup will install, but not configure Reporting Services.

 So, to confirm this I un-installed Reporting Services on my development server and went through the process again, identically as outlined above except I checked the box I just mentioned.  The results were the same as before; both options greyed-out.  I then began to dig through the log files in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Setup Bootstrap\LOG\Files and still had no luck determining why these options are not available to me.  The only hint at the issue is obtained from the "Details" button next to the two greyed-out options and it is a typically cryptic message that states the following: 

The prerequisite check failed for a default report server installation:
First time install, the SQL instance is either not selected or is not a local install

Well, this is definitely a local install and the SQL instance is selected since you are not able to proceed through the setup wizard without specifying either a default or named instance.  I can only chalk this up to being on a development workstation that has had the Reporting Services installed/uninstalled numerous times.  Residual install files or configurations may have remained on this server.  I never paid much attention to the fact that these items were unavailable since I've always used the Reporting Services Configuration tool post install and SP upgrade to configure reporting services.

I know this does not answer your question, so I will continue to look into the matter further and post any findings I am able to discover.

Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 11:18:51 AM - DrDianaDee Back To Top (346)

I am writing a Data Warehousing college course, which uses SQL Server 2005. 

For that purpose, I wrote a project for the students to do, and part of that project covered the situation that the student might already have the Database Engine and Workstation Components installed, but needed to install Analysis Services, Integration Services, and Reporting Services.

I started with my own current installation (SQL Server Developer Edition Database Engine and Workstation Components installed on Vista (on a virtual PC), with Service Pack 2 applied) and went all the way through to the Ready to Install screen.  At the Report Server Installation Options screen, I was able to choose "Install the default configuration."  In other words, the two choices were not greyed out as in your screen shot.

Why do you think I could choose an option in the Report Server Installation Options screen, and you could not?

Thanks.

):-D














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