SQL Server 2017 Enterprise --> SQL Server 2019 Enterprise Upgrade on a Failover Cluster with Reporting Services

Question

Hi All,

We are planning an upgrade of our existing SQL Server 2017 Enterprise installation to SQL Server 2019 Enterprise.

The configuration consists of a 2-host Failover Cluster. SSRS runs on the same active host Database engine.

Versions are:

• SQL Server -- Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (RTM-CU20) (KB4541283) - 14.0.3294.2 (X64) Mar 13 2020 14:53:45 Copyright (C) 2017 Microsoft Corporation Enterprise Edition: Core-based Licensing (64-bit) on Windows Server 2016 Standard 10.0 <X64> (Build 14393: ) (Hypervisor)
• SSRS -- Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Version 14.0.600.1453

Questions:

1. Will SSRS "convert" as part of the rolling SQL Server upgrade? The documentation is somewhat ambiguous on this.
2. In some documentation I see Reporting Services listed as SQL Server Reporting Services 2017 -- in other places I see it listed like my version Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Version 14.0.600.1453. Which version am I running???!!!
3. Do I need separate installation media for both SQL Server and Reporting Services?
4. Do I need to perform two separate upgrades -- Engine and then SSRS?
5. What is the proper way to determine the currently running version of SSRS? I used the Reporting Services Configuration Tool ...

Thanks for your help.

--Dan

Answer 1

Hi @DJAdan ,
SSR2016 and later Editions, SSRS exists as a component. SSRS and sql server of the same edition share a license. You can choose to upgrade both SQL Server and SSRS, or just SSRS (but you still need to use both licenses).

Failover clustering is supported only for the report server database; you cannot run the Report Server service as part of a failover cluster.

The report server runs independently of the failover cluster. If you install a report server on a computer that is part of a SQL Server failover instance, you are not required to use the failover cluster for the report server database; you can use a different SQL Server instance to host the database.

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services version 14.0.600.1453 is the SSRS 2017 Edition. You can view the current SSRS version in "Product Version" in the Report Server Configuration Manager, starting with "14" is SSRS2017, and starting with "15" is SSRS2019

Best Regards,
Joy

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