OK, so you successfully installed SQL Server and you selected to deploy SQL Server Reporting Services using the default installation options!  You’re using SSRS Native Mode, not SharePoint Mode

You simply want to configure a local reporting server, and deploy reports to your local website via the http://localhost URL.  Even though you’re running as a local administrator, problems accessing the localhost report server can occur.  This blog is intended to help resolve that issue.

But first, a little background. To configure Reporting Services in Native Mode, we use the Reporting Services Configuration Manager.  Here you can configure the Report Server service account, create and configure URLs, as well as the report server database, among other features such as report email, and encryption.

As of SQL Server 2008, Microsoft removed the dependency of SSRS on IIS.  Therefore, you are no longer required to install IIS as prerequisite to using SSRS in Native Mode.  This major architectural change truly allows a Single Service Architecture and reduces the surface area of attack. 

In addition to several issues with the IIS dependency, one major concern was hosting IIS on the database server and potentially exposing security threats. So, we no longer need IIS for deploying SSRS, but we won’t get into this here, but you can read an article about why leave IIS. 

The new version of SSRS uses the same underlying network layer as IIS 6.  The new HTTP.SYS layer is part of the operating system.  SSRS 2008 has all the IIS components it needs without having any dependencies on IIS.  Therefore, now you are dealing with the Report Server Web service.

Alright, so you just want to get to the business of locally building and deploying reports. 

To fully administer a Reporting Services installation, you must have the following permissions:

·         Membership in the local Administrator group on the report server computer. If your installation includes server features that run on remote computers, you must have administrator permissions on those computers if you want to manage those servers over a remote connection.

·         Database administrator permissions for the SQL Server instance that hosts the database.

·         If you are installing Reporting Services on a domain controller, you must be a domain administrator.

If you installed the default configuration, URLs were created automatically using the default values that you can specify the computer name or localhost as the host name. You can refer to this link for more info on Configuring URLs and Configure a URL.  These articles will discuss how to create a URL for the Report Server Web service and for Report Manager.

http://<computername>/reportserver

http://localhost/reportserver

However, if you’re getting the following error while trying to access or deploy a SQL Services Reporting Services (SSRS) report server on your localhost, you need to take user action.

Make sure you have access configured to the URL http://localhost/reports by using the SQL Reporting Services Configuration, as follows:

1. Open Reporting Services Configuration Manager--> then connect to the report server instance--> then click on Report Manager URL.

2. In the Report Manager URL page, click the <<Advanced button>> --> then in the Multiple Identities for Report Manager, click <<Add>>.

3. In the Add a Report Manager HTTP URL popup box, select Host Header and type in: localhost

4. Click <<OK>> to save your changes.

Next thing you need to do is open Internet Explorer using Run as Administrator.  I used these steps to correct the error, though I don’t have the original link:

If you don't see the 'Site Settings' link in the top left corner while at http://localhost/reports it is probably because you aren't running IE as an Administrator or you haven't assigned your computers 'domain\username' to the reporting services roles, see how to do this in the next few steps. Then go to: http://localhost/reports (you may have to login with your Computer's username and password).

2. You should now be directed to the Home page of SQL Server Reporting Services here: http://localhost/Reports/Pages/Folder.aspx.

3. From the Home page, click the Properties tab, and then click New Role Assignment.

4. In the Group or user name textbox, add the 'domain\username' which was in the error message Find the domain\username for your computer in the rsAccessDenied error message.

5. Now check all the checkboxes; Browser, Content Manager, My Reports, Publisher, Report Builder, and then click OK.

6. You're domain\username should now be assigned to the Roles that will give you access to deploy your reports to the Report Server. You should now be able to deploy your reports to your local reports server, if you're using Visual Studio or SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.

You can also configure the basic authentication on the report server by editing the XML elements and values in the RSReportServer.config file, using a text editor (like notepad). You can verify and change the report server's authentication type to local, as follows:

<Authentication>
    <AuthenticationTypes>
       <RSWindowsBasic>
         <LogonMethod>3</LogonMethod>
         <Realm></Realm>
         <DefaultDomain></DefaultDomain>
       </RSWindowsBasic>
   </AuthenticationTypes>
<EnableAuthPersistence>true</EnableAuthPersistence>
</Authentication>

Hope this helps!

Happy reporting!

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