Reporting Services 2005 on Windows Server 2008 (and Vista) - IIS configuration

SarpedonQualityLab — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:47:00 GMT

Many still use SQL Server/Reporting Services 2005 although sometimes alread on Windows Server 2008 / Vista.

I absolutely do recommend upgrading to SQL Server 2008. There are many advantages in the combination - be it security or performance (Service IDs, Partition Alignment, No need for IIS for Reporting Services 2008) - but if you can't uprade right now, you do need to install IIS for Reporting Services 2005 to run.

I have seen recommendations (even on a Microsoft blog) where they tell you to install EVERY Role Service for IIS - but that is untrue.
I always always recommend "install as little as possible, but just as much as required".

You do not need an FTP-Server to run Reporting Services! - Natural to most. But when it comes to less known features like, CGI , SSI, Tracing..?.. most aren't so sure.

So here is the definite list of required role services for IIS. I tried to leave of everything I could, and this turned out:

Web Server

Common HTTP Features

Static Content

Default Document

HTTP Errors

HTTP Redirection

Application Development

ASP.NET

.NET Extensibility

ASP

ISAPI Extensions

ISAPI Filters

Health and Diagnostics

HTTP Logging

Request Monitor

Security

Windows Authentication

Request Filtering

Performance

Static Content Compression

Management Tools

IIS Management Console

IIS 6 Management Compatibility

IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility

IIS 6 WMI Compatibility

IIS 6 Scripting Tools

IIS 6 Management Console

I also attach a cmd-file. This file will install all the required packages by itself. You do not need to don any IIS Installation beforehand. It's using the new IIS-Packetmanager available on Windows Server 2008. Just remove the .txt after you checked it out ;-)

For Some reason though the Packetmanager installs "Directory Browsing, which is NOT required (bull***) - you should remove it manually. This seems to be a bug with Packetmanager.

In the end it should look like this:

IIS will be properly detected (and we know for sure, that "Tracing" is not a requirement"):

There is still something however:

After you installed and navigate to http://YourServername/Reports

You will get an error: "unable to connect to remote server"

when checking the Logfile "ReportServerWebApp" it says:

w3wp!ui!7!22.10.2008-10:24:47:: e ERROR: Unable to connect to the remote server
w3wp!ui!7!22.10.2008-10:24:47:: e ERROR: HTTP status code --> 500
-------Details--------
System.Net.WebException: Unable to connect to the remote server ---> System.Net.Sockets.SocketException: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it 127.0.0.1:443
   at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.DoConnect(EndPoint endPointSnapshot, SocketAddress socketAddress)
   at System.Net.Sockets.Socket.InternalConnect(EndPoint remoteEP)
   at System.Net.ServicePoint.ConnectSocketInternal(Boolean connectFailure, Socket s4, Socket s6, Socket& socket, IPAddress& address, ConnectSocketState state, IAsyncResult asyncResult, Int32 timeout, Exception& exception)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---

Solution:

In IIS 7 Manager, highlight the ReportServer application (Not "Reports")

go to Handler Mappings, click "Edit Feature Permissions" in the "Actions Pane", and enable "Script and Execute".

You are all set - it should be running just fine now.

Everything described here also applies for running Reporting Services 2005 on Windows Vista (SP1).

Link to IIS-Setup-File.

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Reporting Services 2005 on Windows Server 2008 (and Vista) - IIS configuration