SSRS and SQL Server database on different server - sql

Is it possible to install SSRS and SQL Server database on separate servers, or should these two be installed on the same server?
Thanks

In order to have Reporting Services on your application server, you would have to use a SQL-Server license. You can install just the Reporting Services section of SQLServer, but it is still technically part of the SQL Server application and requires a license for use on that processor(s).
So yes, you can install it on another server.
Yes, you can install only the advanced services, but that still counts as full server., so it requires a full license.
Yes, you can install an Express Edition (with advanced services) on another server for free.
But... the express edition SSRS can't access a non-localhost database (technical limitations of express & web edition).
You can try to circumvent that with linked-servers, but you need to duplicate every used stored procedure, view, table etc., so it's an impractical mess.
The answer to your question is thus: Technically, yes - but actually NO, not without another license.
That extra-installation is gonna cost USD 1'000+ per month.

Yes, you can install SSRS and a SQL Server database on different servers. While the default installation tries to install both, you can select to install them separately.
MSDN links:
Considerations for Installing Reporting Services
Installing SQL Server Reporting Services
From MSDN article Considerations for Installing Reporting Services:
Select Database Engine Services in the Feature Selection page to host
the report server databases. Reporting Services requires a local or
remote instance of SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008 Database Engine
to host the report server databases. If you install an instance of the
Database Engine concurrently with Reporting Services, you can
eliminate a post-Setup task by installing the default configuration,
which creates and configures the report server databases
automatically. In addition to hosting the report server databases, SQL
Server relational databases can also be a source of data for reports
and models.

You could install SSRS in a new server, but to do so you would need a new license for this other server.
From Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Licensing Guide:
"The software components of a single SQL Server 2014 license cannot be separated for use in more than one OSE. If these components are running on a server other than the main database server, then an additional license is required for each additional OSE in which they are installed. For example, if the SQL Server DB is deployed in one OSE and SQL Server RS is deployed in another, both OSEs must be fully licensed for SQL Server 2014 accordingly."
Link to download the guide:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=230678

Related

Database Migration from SQL Server 2008 Express to SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise

The production server in my company is currently running on SQL Server 2008 Express Edition. Now we want to change the version to SQL Server 2008 Enterprise R2. The server is currently running on Windows Server 2008 Enterprise OS.
We want to first uninstall the Express Edition on the Server & Install the 2008 R2 Enterprise on it. We don’t prefer the DATABASE UPGRADE option.
Please suggest how can I go ahead with the installation.
To preserve the same server name and instance name (or default, i.e. MSSQLSERVER), you will need to remove the Express instance first.
There are many configuration settings to keep track of - custom listening ports, surface area configuration, master-db collation, logins, roles, permissions, schemas, installed CLR modules etc. This is not something you will want to attempt with just an answer from ServerFault or StackOverflow. I sincerely and strongly urge you to hire a consultant for this task.
Of course if you have a very small company running just 1 express database on SQL Server defaults, by all means
detach the databases
uninstall express
install enterprise (using defaults for everything)
attach the databases
I cannot but re-stress, please hire a consultant

Do I have both SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008 installed?

When in 'SQL Server Configuration Manager' I see, under 'SQL Server Services', 2 items that look like SQL Server's:
SQL Server (sqlexpress)
SQL Server (mssqlserver)
Does that mean I have 2 versions installed at the same time? The 'SQL Server (mssqlserver) is currently stopped).
You have two instances. They might or might not be the same version (meaning 2005/2008).
Express is just an SKU / edition from the myriad of different editions.
You can have the same version or multiple versions/SKUs installed as different instances on the same machine.
So unless someone wittingly set up a new instance with the name "sqlexpress", you probably have two kinds of products installed (both can be 2008 or both can be 2005 or they can be different - it is just that one of them is presumably the Express SKU while the other is say Standard.)
You can get more information on the instances by using ##VERSION.
It looks like you got SQL Server Express installed with Visual Studio and then later installed SQL Server 2008. I've done this before and the best solution I found was to completely uninstall SQL Server Express and SQL Server 2008. Remove all the files in the Microsoft SQL Server directory in Program Files, then reinstall SQL Server 2008. If you still have problems getting the 2008 instance to be the default, you may also need to uninstall Visual Studio.
In the future, if you're going to install the development (or other) version of SQL Server locally, I suggest making sure you install it before Visual Studio. The VS install won't install SQL Server Express if it detects an existing SQL Server instance on the system.
BTW, you can verify if this is true by using the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel item.
SQLExpress is the light/free edition, usually used for developers or very lightweight applications.
MSSQLServer is the full blown SQL install.
So yes you have 2 "SQL Server" installs, but they are different products, I can't say which versions based on your provided data.
You have two SqlServer instances installed on your system. One is SqlServer Express Edition and the other one a Sql Server. I can't say which version or edition.
Maybe you can find some more information in the registry (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft).
I'd vote against removing either one--SQL server does fine with multiple instances and they are good for different things. For example, lots of open source projects presume a local copy of sql express at .\SQLEXPRESS for development use. Whereas you can't write analysis service stuff with SQL Express.
Or, its not a problem. Those aren't the droids your looking for. Move along.

Sql Server Reporting Service without Full SQL Server

I am going to use SSRS to generate report for my website.
Scenario:
I have 2 servers, Application server & Database Server.
I want to have reports(.rdl files) sitting on Application server(IIS) accessing data on SQL server(Database Server)
In order to fulfil these requirement I require to install SQL server 2k5 on my Application server just for having SQL server reporting service. So I am just waisting one of licence of SQL server by installing that on Application server.
Is anyone having any idea how to install only reporting service with SQL server 2k5??
In order to have Reporting Services on your Application server, you would have to use a SQL license. You can install just the Reporting Services section of SQL Server, but it is still technically part of the SQL Server application and requires a license for use on that processor(s).If that is a huge issue, then I would have to recommend keeping the Reporting Services section installed with the rest of the database installation on your Data server.
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/previousversions/rs/howtolicensers.mspx
The server components of SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services include the Report Server and the Report Server Database. The Report Server processes and renders reports, and handles scheduled events and report delivery. The Report Server Database stores report definitions, report metadata, subscription information, and so on. Each Report Server requires either a local or remote connection to a Report Server Database. To use any of these components, each computer on which the Report Server and the Report Server Database are installed must have a valid SQL Server 2000 license.
You could install SQL Server Express on the application server.
It's free, and there's an edition which comes with Reporting Services.
In comparison with the "real" editions, SQL Server Express Edition is limited concerning how much CPU and RAM it can use, but it will probably be fast enough to run your reports.
blatantly incorrect. You do not need a SQL Server license to use SQL Server Reporting Services, you can use SQL Server Express edition. I've use SQL Server Express Edition in addition to linked servers-- to query stuff on -ANY- database server. And it works great.
SSRS is a great platform, I Just hate it when people run around saying that you NEED a license to use it. I'll bet that guy works for Oracle corp!
You do have an alternative. You can embed reports directly into your code projects in .Net. In this case the report runs through the Microsoft.Reporting.WinForms and Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms namespaces, ReportViewer object. Each report will have a ".rdlc" extension instead of ".rdl", though the two files types are actually equivalent. There is an ASP.Net version of the ReportViewer that allows you to integrate these reports into your website. You just need to drag the ReportViewer control from the toolbox into your website to configure it. For more information, see the MSDN overview of ReportViewer Controls.
If you dont want to use a whole license you can always use reportviewer. Just so I dont put too much answer out here, the big site for this is gotreportviewer.com.
The reportviewer control does the work of the reporting services server when it comes to the generation of reports. RDL files are like xml files and dont do much until they are interpreted. If you embed the reportviewer in your application on the web the work will be done on the user side. It is simialar to microsofts xps format, it has to be interpreted.
If you don't want to create an application for your reports the new version of sql2008 with advanced controls allows you to install a free version of reporting services. It doesnt have all of the goodies but it works for simple deployments.

Can SQL Server Express be used to effectively administrate a SQL Server Standard/Enterprise installation?

We have a number of MS SQL Server 2005 installations (both Standard and Enterprise editions) on our webservers. From time to time I need to administrate them from home. Right now I'm using Remote Desktop to connect to my work machine, but I'd prefer to install SQL Server Management Studio on my home machine so that I can work more efficiently. I don't have a spare license, so I was wondering... if I installed MS SQL Server 2005 Express on my home machine, could I use it to effectively administrate the higher-end installations on our servers?
See this question:
What's the difference between SQL Server Management Studio and the Express edition?
Also, if you have any trouble doing anything from Managment Studio Express, there are third-party tools out there that have no trouble connecting to SQL Server.
Personally, I've noticed a few things missing out of the box:
Import/Export
Activity Monitor
Job monitor
However, the question I linked to indicated you may be able to restore most of that for use when you connect to a full sql server edition.
If you do a client tools only install of the standard edition (ie. just SSMS) and don't install the database, agent, etc. then I'm pretty sure you don't need another license and won't be violating the EULA. If you want a full install the SQL Server developer edition is only $49 and comes with everything.
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2005/en/us/developer.aspx
I'm not sure if you can create backup schedules and maintenance plans in Management Studio Express.

SQl 2000 Reporting Services and SQL 2005 Reporting Services side by side?

Does anyone know if it is possible to install SQL 2000 Reporting Services Server side by side with SQL 2005 Reporting Services Server?
The Reports and ReportServer virual directories are both virtual directories in the default website and they use different .net frameworks. Is this even allowed? Do I need to create a new website to support one of the two engines?
Thanks!
The answer is YES. You must keep the SQL Server 2000 version as the default instance, and the SQL Server 2005 version as a named instance. Also,
The virtual directories must be unique
for each report server and Report
Manager instance.
You can use the same Web site for all
virtual directories. However, you
should create a separate application
pool for the SQL Server 2005 report
server and Report Manager
applications.
Source