SSRS2016 - external image ( URL to Azure SharePoint ) : Image not visible - only box with red cross

Question

Hello,
in my SSRS2016 (native mode) I want to show pictures that come from an Azure SharePoint Document Library.
What I did:
1.) In SSRS2016 I created a paginated report with dataset, that returns the url to the picture in Azure SharePoint DocumentLibrary.
2.) I created a table in the report refering to the database and did INPUT-IMAGE in a cell
3.) For image properties I changed to EXTERNAL and linked the field from dataset that holds the url.
4.) On RSCONFIG I attached an account for unattended exection and gave this account reading-rights on my Sharepoint Document Library
5.) Then I started the report from my MS SQL Report Builder
6.) But no image is shown but a box with a red cross inside

To be sure the url works I added the datafield holding the URL from the database to the CLICK Function of the image.
Clicking on the box with red cross opens the image succesfully so why I believe that link and userrights are correct.
When I enter a url to an public image in the database-field everything works fine.
What do I wrong?
Does anybody have any adivces for me?

Answer 1

Hi

Do your server credentials have sufficient permissions to access the images? Is your image file type one of the supported file types for the report?

Supported file types

I did a simple test. I'm using local SSRS and report builder. These image URLs are URLs I searched for arbitrarily. I don't know why, when I add the "Path" field in the image property and preview it, the red cross is also displayed at the beginning. But when I save and display with browser, the image is displayed correctly. Then when I go back to report builder the image preview is correct too.

If everything is correct, the report builder may not be responding. You can refresh or try like I did and see if the image displays correctly.

Best regards,

Aniya

Answer 2

Hello and thanks for answer:

You wrote: Do your server credentials have sufficient permissions to access the images?
... well honestly I don't know

SQL Server Reporting Service has different user than service account in rsconfig

So which of these users is used by SSRS and if I have to grant access to one of these users to my image in my AZURE SharePoint documentlibrary, why is the unattended EXECUTION ACCOUNT needed?

Best regards
Manfred

Answer 3

Hi AniyaTang

can you tell me if I can solve my problem by upgrading SSRS2016 to SSRS2022?
Is the authentification method in SRRS2022 compatible to SharePoint online?

Kind Regards
Manfred

Answer 4

Many thanks for your reply @Anonymous

The linked article refers to storing SSRS reports on SharePoint Online and running them from there.

But I don't want to do that either.

I want to continue running SSRS in its own instance on my SQL Server.

However, I want to be able to display images that are in a document library on our SharePoint Online server in an SSRS report, but without having to open access to the images on the SharePoint server for anonymous access.

Thought the unattend execution account was for that.

But its authentication method does not allow logging into the SharePoint Online server,

Can you tell me if and what solutions / alternatives Microsoft offers for this case?

Is there a best practice example on other solutions?

Kind regards
Manfred

Answer 5

Hi @minimani1 minimani1

Sorry I didn't find a good example and don't know much about SharePoint so I may not be able to test it for you.

If authentication is a problem, perhaps you can use SSRS's custom authentication. But this requires some code knowledge. I can provide you with the corresponding content in the official SSRS documentation, but when it comes to specific details, you can go to professionals for help.

Configure Custom or Forms Authentication on the Report Server

If this answer was helpful, please mark it as "accept answer".

Best regards,

Aniya