Removing server from SSRS 2008 Scale-Out Deployment

While looking the configuration of our SSRS 2008 server, I found that the old SSRS WFE (web-front end) server had been joined to our current SSRS.  I don't know how this happened or why, but wanted to remove it. 

1. Open command line and go the the path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\ (on a 64-bit SQL 2008 Reporting Services )
2. List the report servers currently in the database type the command:
   
   RSKeyMgmt -l
3. You will see the server listed with their GUID.  Note the GUID of the server that you want to remove.
4. To remove the instance of the Report server type the command below:
   
   RSKeyMgmt -r
   
5. Press Y to remove the server.
6. Type the command:
   
   RSKeyMgmt -l
   
   and verify that the server has been removed.

Reference:
http://milehighdba.blogspot.com/2011/06/remove-server-from-ssrs-scale-out.html
https://stevenrobert.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/remove-server-from-ssrs-2008-scale-out-deployment/

Reporting server stops updating fileshare

Ran into a case where report creator had created a report (non-unique file names) that updated to a fileshare every 15 mins.  If the file was kept open by a user, job output would fail and be set to retry in 15 mins. 

By default, RS maxretries=3 which means RS will try again 3 times before giving up.  This was causing issue where these timed subscriptions were blocking each other from being successful.  Ie. job runs, tries to save to file, but fails and will retry in 15 mins, but 15 mins later a new iteration of the job runs, tries to save to file, but that one fails as well and will retry in 15 mins, etc...

Resolved by setting Maxretries=0 so that if output fails, RS will NOT retry and next iteration of the job will have a chance to update the file.

Reference:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms157273.aspx

Adding SSRS to existing SQL cluster instance

Good article that talks about this below...

Reference:
http://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/2778/how-to-add-reporting-services-to-an-existing-sql-server-clustered-instance/

How to SSL enable SQL 2005 Reporting Services

This assumes you have received the required CERT to enable SSL on IIS.

1. Install SSL cert to IIS and enable SSL and required 128-bit.
2. Open Reporting Services Configuratioin tool to configure the Report Server Virtual Directory.
3. Select Require Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection checkbox.
4. Select level 3.
5. Enter certificate name which is (usually) the DNS of the webserver.
6. Click Apply.
7. Using Notepad, edit RSReportServer.config and modify the UrlRoot to use "https:" and the full DNS (certificatename) of the webserver.
   https://certificatename/reportservervirtualdirectoryname

Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms345223(SQL.90).aspx

Reporting Services SQL 2005 Performance tuning

This is a nice article about this topic.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc966418(printer).aspx

Installing SQL 2005 Reporting Services

This install assumes 2 server, one for SQL and one for web/IIS part.

1. Install IIS with ASP.NET enabled to webserver.
2. Install SQL 2005 Std Ed to SQL server, database components only.
3. Install SQL 2005 Reporting services on the webserver.
4. Create SQL Account for SSRS to use to access database (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms159133.aspx) on SQL server.
5. Run the SSRS Configuration Wizard and point databases to SQL server.
6. Add users to SSRS access permissions.

Update: installed Oracle drivers to access Oracle database reports, but needed to add permissions (Users group RX) to C:\Oracle install folder so that IIS could access DLL files.

References: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms159689(SQL.90).aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143736(SQL.90).aspx

Unattended Execution Account

If using a local account for this, I found I had to give it the User Right "Allow log on locally". Otherwise, the account is just a normal Users group account on the Reporting Services test server. SQL 2005, SSRS, and IIS are installed on the same (virtual) server.