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Considerations for location of Reporting Services databases

  • September 20, 2013 at 3:30 pm

    #280013

    Hello experts,

    I'm working on designing a SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services (SSRS) topology, and a couple of my colleagues asked to see if SSRS can have its databases installed remotely, that is, separately from the other SSRS components. It looks like this is possible, but the question was also raised as to whether we could install it on our main OLTP db server.

    1. My instinct tells me that this wouldn't be advisable for performance reasons, but is this feasible depending on the expected load for the SSRS installation?

    2. Also, does it cost more in licenses to have SSRS host its own databases, or is the cost of an SSRS database instance for the ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB databases included in the license for the main OLTP db server that doesn't have SSRS on it? For example, according to this page, scaling out SSRS seems to increase the cost dramatically.

    http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/43349

    3. That same article also suggests that it is best to separate the web server for SSRS as well, meaning at least one more server for that component. Is this really the necessary best practice across the board, or can it depend on the size of the expected user base of SSRS users (in our case, something like 20-30 users)?

    Thanks for any help - I am in the middle of reading up on the related documents myself (for example here technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms157293(v=sql.105).aspx and here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc966418.aspx), but thought I would put this question out there in case someone happens to provide information while I'm researching.

    Thanks again.

    - webrunner

    -------------------
    A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
    Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

  • September 23, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    #1652474

    Hi Webrunner,

    I like your joke about SQL Server Query in a bar.

    As you say you have 20 to 30 users and probably guessing no more than 5 people will run reports at the same time, no need to separate anything. Yes, you will need extra licensing for scaled out deployment and you will need extra servers for SSRS web and SSRS DB and also check SQL Server editions that allow distributed deployment. You may be running a lower edition.

    Performance consideration: depends on SQL load and Network load, what is busier.

    Security Consideration: if all your 30 users are inside the company FW and you set up SSRS permissions correctly and your SQL Server is secured, and the server is not exposed to Internet or DMZ, i think you will be OK (the disclamer here- not responsible if something happens...)

    Regards,Yelena Varsha

  • September 27, 2013 at 8:41 am

    #1654065

    Thanks for your reply!

    I have one additional question - is it necessary to run Enterprise Edition for a report server of smaller scale, or would SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition suffice? If this is not a simple answer, do you at least know the features and other variables to consider?

    Thanks again,

    webrunner

    -------------------
    A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
    Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

  • September 27, 2013 at 9:23 am

    #1654090

    Hi,

    yes, you can run SSRS on Standard edition.

    Please review comparing features by edition

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645993(v=sql.105).aspx/css

    Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2008 R2

    and scroll down to the Reporting section. I think even the web edition supports it.

    This article also allow you to navigate to other versions, use the dropdown right below the article title.

    Yelena

    Regards,Yelena Varsha

  • September 27, 2013 at 9:33 am

    #1654096

    Yelena Varshal (9/27/2013)

    Hi,

    yes, you can run SSRS on Standard edition.

    Please review comparing features by edition

    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc645993(v=sql.105).aspx/css

    Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2008 R2

    and scroll down to the Reporting section. I think even the web edition supports it.

    This article also allow you to navigate to other versions, use the dropdown right below the article title.

    Yelena

    Thank you, Yelena, for your reply.

    webrunner

    -------------------
    A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
    Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html

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