Before you can create, modify, and run reports in the System Center 2012 Configuration Manager console, you must carry out a number of configuration tasks. Use the following sections in this topic to help you configure reporting in your Configuration Manager hierarchy:

Before you proceed with installing and configuring Reporting Services in your hierarchy, review the following Configuration Manager reporting topics:

SQL Server Reporting Services

SQL Server Reporting Services is a server-based reporting platform that provides comprehensive reporting functionality for a variety of data sources. The reporting services point in Configuration Manager communicates with SQL Server Reporting Services to copy Configuration Manager reports to a specified report folder, to configure Reporting Services settings, and to configure Reporting Services security settings. Reporting Services connects to the Configuration Manager site database to retrieve data that is returned when you run reports.

Before you can install the reporting services point in a Configuration Manager site, you must install and configure SQL Server Reporting Services on the site system that hosts the reporting services point site system role. For information about installing Reporting Services, see the SQL Server TechNet Library.

Use the following procedure to verify that SQL Server Reporting Services is installed and running correctly.

To verify that SQL Server Reporting Services is installed and running

Configure Reporting to Use Report Builder 3.0

Important
This section applies only to Configuration Manager with no service pack. Starting in Configuration Manager SP1, the installed version of Report Builder opens when you run or edit reports and no manual configuration is required.

By default, Configuration Manager opens the ClickOnce version of Report Builder 2.0, which installs and runs Report Builder 2.0, when you try to create a new or modify an existing report. If your report server is running SQL Server 2008 R2, the ClickOnce version of Report Builder 3.0 is installed automatically with SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services. Therefore, when Configuration Manager attempts to open the ClickOnce version of Report Builder 2.0, the file will not be available and an error is displayed.

To create new or modify existing reports by using Report Builder 3.0, you must change the Report Builder manifest name in the registry on the computer running the Configuration Manager console. After you change the manifest name, Configuration Manager will open the ClickOnce version of Report Builder 3.0, and then install Report Builder 3.0 on the computer. Use the following procedure to change the Report Builder manifest name from Report Builder 2.0 to Report Builder 3.0.

To change the Report Builder manifest name to Report Builder 3.0

Install a Reporting Services Point

The reporting services point must be installed on a site to manage reports at the site. The reporting services point copies report folders and reports to SQL Server Reporting Services, applies the security policy for the reports and folders, and sets configuration settings in Reporting Services. You must configure a reporting services point before reports are displayed in the Configuration Manager console, and before you can manage the reports in Configuration Manager. The reporting services point is a site system role that must be configured on a server with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services installed and running. For more information about prerequisites, see Prerequisites for Reporting in Configuration Manager.

Important
After you install a reporting services point on a site system, do not change the URL for the report server. For example, if you create the reporting services point, and then in Reporting Services Configuration Manager you modify the URL for the report server, the Configuration Manager console will continue to use the old URL and you will be unable to run, edit, or create reports from the console. When you must change the URL report server, remove the reporting services point, change the URL, and then reinstall the reporting services point.

Use the following procedure to install the reporting services point.

To install the reporting services point on a site system

File Installation and Report Folder Security Rights

Configuration Manager performs the following actions to install the reporting services point and to configure Reporting Services:

Security Note
The actions in the following list are performed by using the credentials of the account that is configured for the SMS_Executive service, which typically is the site server local system account.
  • Installs the reporting services point site role.

  • Creates the data source in Reporting Services with the stored credentials that you specified in the wizard. This is the Windows user account and password that Reporting Services uses to connect to the site database when you run reports.

  • Creates the Configuration Manager root folder in Reporting Services.

  • Adds the ConfigMgr Report Users and ConfigMgr Report Administrators security roles in Reporting Services.

  • Creates subfolders and deploys Configuration Manager reports from %ProgramFiles%\SMS_SRSRP to Reporting Services.

  • Adds the ConfigMgr Report Users role in Reporting Services to the root folders for all user accounts in Configuration Manager that have Site Read rights.

  • Adds the ConfigMgr Report Administrators role in Reporting Services to the root folders for all user accounts in Configuration Manager that have Site Modify rights.

  • Retrieves the mapping between report folders and Configuration Manager secured object types (maintained in the Configuration Manager site database).

  • Configures the following rights for administrative users in Configuration Manager to specific report folders in Reporting Services:

    • Adds users and assigns the ConfigMgr Report Users role to the associated report folder for administrative users who have Run Report permissions for the Configuration Manager object.

    • Adds users and assigns the ConfigMgr Report Administrators role to the associated report folder for administrative users who have Modify Report permissions for the Configuration Manager object.

    Configuration Manager connects to Reporting Services and sets the permissions for users on the Configuration Manager and Reporting Services root folders and specific report folders. After the initial installation of the reporting services point, Configuration Manager connects to Reporting Services in a 10-minute interval to verify that the user rights configured on the report folders are the associated rights that are set for Configuration Manager users. When users are added or user rights are modified on the report folder by using Reporting Services Report Manager, Configuration Manager overwrites those changes by using the role-based assignments stored in the site database. Configuration Manager also removes users that do not have Reporting rights in Configuration Manager.

Reporting Services Security Roles for Configuration Manager

When Configuration Manager installs the reporting services point, adds the following security roles in Reporting Services:

  • ConfigMgr Report Users: Users assigned with this security role can only run Configuration Manager reports.

  • ConfigMgr Report Administrators: Users assigned with this security role can perform all tasks related to reporting in Configuration Manager.

Verify the Reporting Services Point Installation

After you add the reporting services point site role, you can verify the installation by looking at specific status messages and log file entries. Use the following procedure to verify that the reporting services point installation was successful.

Warning
You can skip this procedure if reports are displayed in the Reports subfolder of the Reporting node in the Monitoring workspace in the Configuration Manager console.

To verify the reporting services point installation

Configure a Self-Signed Certificate for Configuration Manager Console Computers

There are many options for you to author SQL Server Reporting Services reports. When you create or edit reports in the Configuration Manager console, Configuration Manager opens Report Builder to use as the authoring environment. Regardless of how you author your Configuration Manager reports, a self-signed certificate is required for server authentication to the site database server. Configuration Manager automatically installs the certificate on the site server and the computers with the SMS Provider installed. Therefore, you can create or edit reports from the Configuration Manager console when it runs from one of these computers. However, when you create or modify reports from a Configuration Manager console that is installed on a different computer, you must export the certificate from the site server and then add it to the Trusted People certificate store on the computer that runs the Configuration Manager console.

Note
For more information about other report authoring environments for SQL Server Reporting Services, see Comparing Report Authoring Environments in the SQL Server 2008 Books Online.

Use the following procedure as an example of how to transfer a copy of the self-signed certificate from the site server to another computer that runs the Configuration Manager console when both computers run Windows Server 2008 R2. If you cannot follow this procedure because you have a different operating system version, refer to your operating system documentation for the equivalent procedure.

To transfer a copy of self-signed certificate from the site server to another computer

Modify Reporting Services Point Settings

After the reporting services point is installed, you can modify the site database connection and authentication settings in the reporting services point properties. Use the following procedure to modify the reporting services point settings.

To modify reporting services point settings

Upgrading SQL Server

After you upgrade SQL Server, and SQL Server Reporting Services that is used as the data source for a reporting services point, you might experience errors when you run or edit reports from the Configuration Manager console. For reporting to work properly from the Configuration Manager console, you must remove the reporting services point site system role for the site and reinstall it. However, after the upgrade you can continue to run and edit reports successfully from an Internet browser.

Configure Report Options

Use the report options for a Configuration Manager site to select the default reporting services point that is used to manage your reports. Although you can have more than one reporting services point at a site, only the default report server selected in report options is used to manage reports. Use the following procedure to configure report options for your site.

To configure report options

See Also