Migrate reporting Services

The migration process for Reporting Services includes manual steps and automatic steps. Report Server migration includes the following tasks:

Back up databases, applications, and configuration files.

Back up the encryption key.

Installs a new instance of SQL Server 2008. If you are using the same hardware, you can install SQL Server 2008 in parallel with an existing SQL Server 2000 or 2005 installation. Note that if you install in parallel, you may need to install SQL Server 2008 as a named instance.

Move the report server database and other application files from SQL Server 2000 or 2005 installation to a new SQL Server 2008 installation.

Move any custom application files to the new installation.

Configure the report server.

Edit the RSReportServer.config to include any customizations that were made in the previous installation.

Alternatively, configure the Custom Access Control list (ACL) for the new Reporting Services Windows service group.

Test the installation.

After confirming that the new instance is completely normal, remove unused applications and tools.

Note that if you want to reuse an existing report server database that was created in a previous installation, the SQL Server used to host the report server database has a version limit. For more information, see Creating a Report Server database.

Even if you want to migrate (rather than upgrade) the installation, consider running the Upgrade Advisor for an existing installation to help identify any issues that might affect your migration. This step is especially useful if you want to migrate a report server that has not been installed or configured. By running the Upgrade Advisor, you can find out which customizations the new SQL Server 2008 installation might not support.

In addition, you should be aware of the important changes in SQL Server 2008 that will affect how the installation is migrated:

IIS is no longer a prerequisite component. If you want to migrate a report server installation to a new computer, you do not need to add a WEB server role. In addition, the configuration steps for URLs and authentication are different from previous versions, as are the methods and tools used to diagnose and troubleshoot problems.

The report Server Web service, Report Manager, and Report Server Windows Service are merged into a single report Server service. All three applications run under the same account. All three applications read the configuration settings from the RSReportServer.config file, which makes the rswebapplication.config obsolete.

The Report Manager and SQL Server Management Studio were redesigned to remove overlapping functionality. Each tool supports a different set of tasks, and these tools are no longer interchangeable.

The ISAPI filter is not supported by SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services. If you use an ISAPI filter, you must redesign the report solution before migrating.

The SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services does not support IP address restrictions. If you use IP address restrictions, you must redesign the report solution before migrating, or use technologies such as firewalls, routers, or network address translation (NAT) to configure the addresses that are blocked from accessing the report server.

SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services does not support client-side Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. If you use a client-side SSL certificate, you must redesign the report solution before migrating.

If you use an authentication type other than Windows Integrated authentication, you must update the elements in the RSReportServer.config file to the supported authentication type. The supported authentication types include NTLM, Kerberos, Negotiate, and Basic. SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services does not support anonymous,. NET Passport and Digest authentication.

If you use a custom cascading style sheet in a report environment, the style sheets are not migrated. They must be manually moved after migration.

For more information about changes in SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services, see Upgrade Advisor documentation and new features (Reporting services).

Backing up files and data

Before you install the new Reporting Services instance, make sure to back up all files in the current installation.

Backs up the encryption key for the report server database. This step is critical for a successful migration. Also, during the migration process, the encryption key must be restored to enable the report server to regain access to the encrypted data. To back up the encryption key, you can use the Reporting Services Configuration tool (or, if you want to migrate from SQL Server 2000, you can use the RSKEYMGMT utility).

Back up the report server database by using any of the supported methods for backing up the SQL Server database. For more information, see the instructions for moving the report server database to a different computer about how to back up the report server database.

Back up the report server configuration file. The files to be backed up include:

RSReportServer.config

RSWebApplication.config

Rssvrpolicy.config

Rsmgrpolicy.config

Reportingservicesservice.exe.config

The report server and Report Manager asp.net the web.config of the application.

asp.net machine.config (if you have modified it for the report server operation).

Install SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services

Installs a new report server instance in file-only mode so that it can be configured to use Non-default values. For command-line installations, use the Filesonly parameter. In the Setup Wizard, select the install but do not configure option.

Click one of the links below to view instructions on how to install the new Reporting Services instance: