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Connect to a report server in Management Studio

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SQL Server Management Studio provides Object Explorer, so you can connect to any server in the SQL Server family and graphically browse its contents. Object Explorer allows you to open connections to multiple server instances in the same workspace as long as the servers are registered in the same server group. For Reporting Services, you can use Object Explorer to do the following tasks:

  • Enable report server features.

  • Set server defaults and configure role definitions.

  • Manage jobs that are running.

  • Manage job schedules.

Prerequisites

Connect to a native mode report server

  1. Open Object Explorer by selecting it from the View menu, if it isn't already open.

  2. Select Connect to view the list of server types, and then choose the Reporting Services... option.

  3. In the Connect to Server dialog box, enter the name of the report server instance into the Server name field. Report server instance names are based on SQL Server instance names. By default, the instance name of a local report server instance is the computer name. If you install the report server as a named instance, use this syntax to specify the server: <servername>[\<instancename>].

  4. From the Authentication drop-down menu, select the authentication type your server uses. If you use Windows Authentication, you connect by using your credentials. If you select Basic Authentication or Forms Authentication, enter the account and password.

  5. Select Connect. The report server appears in Object Explorer.

  6. Right-click the server node to set system properties and server defaults. For more information, see Set report server properties (Management Studio).

Connect to a SharePoint integrated mode report server

  1. Open Object Explorer by selecting it from the View menu, if it isn't already open.

  2. Select Connect to view the list of server types, and then choose the Reporting Services... option.

  3. In the Connect to Server dialog box, enter a URL to a SharePoint site into the Server name field. The following example illustrates the syntax: https://<web server>/sites/<site>.

  4. From the Authentication drop-down menu, select the authentication type your server uses. If you use Windows Authentication, you must connect by using your credentials. If you select Basic Authentication or Forms Authentication, enter the account and password.

  5. Select Connect. The report server appears in Object Explorer.

  6. Right-click the server node to set system properties and server defaults. For more information, see Set report server properties (Management Studio).

Register a report server

  1. If you can't connect to a report server, you either don't have permission to access it, or the server isn't registered. To register the server, select View in the menu > Registered Servers.

  2. Select the Reporting Services icon.

  3. Expand Reporting Services and right-click Local Server Groups. Select the New Server Registration... option. The New Server Registration dialog box appears.

  4. For Server name, enter a value. You specify the value depending on the server mode:

    • For a native mode report server, enter the name of the report server instance. Report server instance names are based on SQL Server instance names. By default, the instance name of a local report server instance is the computer name. If you installed the report server as a named instance, use this syntax to specify the server: <servername>[\<instancename>].

    • For a report server that runs in SharePoint integrated mode, you connect to the SharePoint site that the report server is connected to. Connect to the SharePoint site so that you can view the permission levels. The permissions control access to report server content and operations. You can specify any site in the site collection. The following example shows the syntax: https://mysharepointsite.

  5. For Authentication, select the authentication mode that the report server uses from the drop-down menu.

    • If you use default security, choose Windows Authentication.
    • If you installed and deployed a custom security extension, choose Forms Authentication.
    • If you configured the report server to use basic authentication, choose Basic Authentication.
    • If you configured the report server for SharePoint integrated mode, choose Windows Authentication.

  6. Select Test to verify the connection.

  7. When prompted, select OK. Then select Save.

Connection syntax and permissions

When you specify Reporting Services as the Server Type in the Connect to Server dialog box, you can specify either a report server name or an endpoint to the Web service. The following table summarizes the connection syntax, steps, and permissions required to perform specific tasks:

Connect to Tasks Permissions
Native mode report server, connected as the default, or named instance:

<server name>\<_instance>

The connection to the report server is made through the Report Server WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) provider.		 View and set server properties and defaults.

View and cancel jobs.

Create and manage shared schedules.

Create, modify, or delete role definitions.		 Assigned to the System Administrator role.
Native mode report server, connected as the default, or named instance, through the endpoint to the Report Server Web service:

https://<servername>/reportserver

Specifying a URL to the report server provides an alternate way to connect to the report server.		 View and set server properties and defaults.

View and cancel jobs.

Create and manage shared schedules.

Create, modify, or delete role definitions.		 Assigned to the System Administrator role.
SharePoint integrated mode report server, connected through the SharePoint site:

https://<webserver>/<SharePointSite>		 View and set server properties and defaults.

View and cancel jobs.

Create and manage shared schedules defined for the site to which you're connected.

View the permission levels defined for the site to which you're connected.		 Full Control level of permission on the SharePoint site to which you're connected.
SharePoint integrated mode report server, connected through the name of the report server instance:

<server name>\<_instance>		 View and set server properties and defaults.

View and cancel jobs.		 Full Control level of permission on the SharePoint site that is integrated with the report server.

Notice that when you connect to the report server rather than the SharePoint site, the number of tasks that you can do is reduced. The report server can only return application data that is stored or managed in the report server database. It can't return data stored in the SharePoint configuration and content databases.

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