SQL Server Reporting Services for Amazon RDS

sql-server amazon-ec2 amazon-rds

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You might need to use a certain Microsoft-created "Amazon Machine Image", specifically the "SQL Server Optimized" AMI: Microsoft AMIs.

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Author by

feathj

I’m Jon Featherstone. I started playing around with computers when I was about 12, and I have been hooked ever since. I took my first programming class when I was in 8th grade (pascal), and that was when I decided that I wanted to make my career in computer software. My software interests are quite broad and I love learning new and upcoming technologies. I am proficient in C#, C++, Python, Ruby, Javascript, Java, Lisp(scheme), Visual Basic and many other languages and platforms.

Updated on July 20, 2022

Comments

feathj almost 2 years

Recently, we have migrated a business application database to Amazon AWS SQL Server RDS. We have loved the flexibility of backup and scaling with the cloudified database, but we have need for writing reports for our gathered analytics data. Our in house data analyst is most comfortable using SQL Reporting Services. Normally, this is installed as a component with the SQL Server install, but we obviously do not have that option on RDS.

My question is, has anyone been able to successfully deploy and use SQL Reporting services with Amazon RDS?

What I have tried:

I attempted to spin up another EC2 instance, install "SQL Server Express with Advanced Services", and point SSRS to RDS, but it said that I had incompatible license types.

I plan on contacting the AWS team directly for this as well, but I thought that I would reach out to SO first to see if anyone has run into this. Thanks.
feathj almost 12 years

I have decided to take this approach. Thanks.
JohnThePro over 11 years

How did this end up working out for you? I'm curious about this idea! Offloading Reporting to RDS seems like a great, quick way to add HA!
jfneis over 9 years

I believe the taken approach includes abandoning RDS and managing everything by yourself through MS AMIs. Definitely not a charm, but I haven't found any optimistic posts until now.
prudhvi over 7 years

I am trying to do the same what feathj mentioned in the above question. There is an AMI in AWS --- Microsoft Windows Server 2012 with SQL Server Standard. Would this help me from getting license errors? If not, please let me know the AMI which helps as I am unable to find "SQL Server Optimized" AMI. Thank You.
Russell Fox over 7 years

Hi @prudhvi, sorry but I haven't set this up, I just happened to be neck-deep in the documentation at the time and so was able to find the answer quickly. Per Amazon: "Amazon RDS doesn't support some features of SQL Server. This includes components such as ...Analysis Services, ...Integration Services, ...Reporting Services... To use these features, you can run SQL Server components in an Amazon EC2 instance with Amazon EBS storage, pursuant to Microsoft licensing policies." It sounds like you have to just provision space and supply your own MS licenses.