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Can multiple CRM instances point to a single Report Server machine? Does the CRM Dataconnector install-config.xml allow it? RRS feed

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    Hi all,

    I'm hoping someone can help.
    Is it possible for 2 different CRM 4.0 instances (on different machines) to both point to a single SSRS2005 server in order to generate their reports?

    We have a pre-existing CRM instance installed on a server called CrmInternal, which has its database and reporting server on a server called DB1. Both the database instance and reporting services instance are also called DB1.

    I've created a new CRM instance for us to do some development work on, on a machine called Dev1. The database for this instance is also on the DB1 server on an instance called DB1$development2005.

    However, I cannot seem to configure my DB1 machine to host the reports for my Dev1 CRM instance. The Dataconnector installation process doesn't seem to allow it.


    Can someone please enlighten me as how best to proceed with this kind of scenario?
    What is/isn't possible? How should I go about it?

    Thanks in advance,
    Peter.

    • Edited by PeterMorgan Monday, October 12, 2009 12:51 PM typo again
    Monday, October 12, 2009 12:49 PM

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    In response to your questions:

    1. I'm going to need the help of someone on this forum to resolve these authentication errors. Should I continue in this thread, or start afresh in a new thread?

    It might be easier to start a new thread, however, it has been my experience that if a lot of intervention occurred in relationship to installing SQL Report Server, it can be more cost effective (Time) to wipe the server and start over.  Depending on what has changed, it can be very time consuming to troubleshoot the authentication issues and get every setting corrected.  Since this is a dev machine, I would start over and try to get a successful install from the start.

    1. Given the basic information you know about our setup and the authentication errors I'm getting in the event logs, what other information would you need from me in order for someone to assist in diagnosing the problem?

    See above

    1. Just out of interest, can you answer my original question: Can multiple CRM instances point to a single Report Server machine? It would be useful to know when I have to report back to my boss on why this install is taking so long!

    My guess is it depends. I have one SQL Report server running that is shared by a Great Plains installation and some other applications.   I can imagine that there are environments that you wouldn't want to do this and some where it would be ok.   In 'general' I don't see several instances of CRM can not share one Report Server with the exception of limitations regarding the SRSS data connector, varying authentication needs, configuration needs of the CRM server, etc.  I would probably not do it simply because I don't think you gain much and you could paint yourself into a corner.

    Best Regards, Donna
    • Proposed as answer by Donna EdwardsMVP Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:21 PM
    • Marked as answer by Jim Glass Jr Monday, November 30, 2009 6:52 PM
    Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:21 PM

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    If it is possible to load the SRS report server on the Dev machine for that environment.  If so, this is probably your easiest option.  The report server does not need to reside on the SQL server.  This configuration would eliminate the need for the Data Connector as well.
    Best Regards, Donna
    Monday, October 12, 2009 1:43 PM
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    Donna,

    Thanks for your prompt and informative reply.
    I have already progressed under the assumption that I should be putting the reports on a different machine, and we already have an instance of reporting services on Dev1.

    I've worked out that I don't need to run the Dataconnector in this scenario, and have updated my CRM deployment manager accordingly with the new report service URL and published the reports (with PublishReports.exe).

    Just to confuse matters, although we're using SSRS2005 here, the Dev1 box already has SSRS2008 on it, so I've had to do the workaround described in issue #6 in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957053 (create a web site in IIS with the same name as the ReportServer url to avoid the "The specified path is not a metabase path..." error).


    However...
    I'm now getting authentication errors in the application event logs on Dev1 and DB1 almost identical to those described by jaxdagger in this post:
    http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/crmdeployment/thread/98f8f010-e024-4125-81c6-958d1fd79d6d
    ...although our AD setup is slightly different to his (or hers).


    I'm not as clued up on admin/users/roles/directory security and the like as I probably should be, and I'm finding it difficult to determine which security settings should be set to what in the IIS app pools for CRM and SSRS, in ReportingServices Configuration Manager, and in Sql Server in order to get everything working in harmony.

    My questions now are:
    1. I'm going to need the help of someone on this forum to resolve these authentication errors. Should I continue in this thread, or start afresh in a new thread?
    2. Given the basic information you know about our setup and the authentication errors I'm getting in the event logs, what other information would you need from me in order for someone to assist in diagnosing the problem?
    3. Just out of interest, can you answer my original question: Can multiple CRM instances point to a single Report Server machine? It would be useful to know when I have to report back to my boss on why this install is taking so long!
    If you or anyone else can help me move forward on this I would be most grateful.

    Thanks,
    Peter.

    • Edited by PeterMorgan Monday, October 12, 2009 3:37 PM typo.
    Monday, October 12, 2009 3:35 PM
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    In response to your questions:

    1. I'm going to need the help of someone on this forum to resolve these authentication errors. Should I continue in this thread, or start afresh in a new thread?

    It might be easier to start a new thread, however, it has been my experience that if a lot of intervention occurred in relationship to installing SQL Report Server, it can be more cost effective (Time) to wipe the server and start over.  Depending on what has changed, it can be very time consuming to troubleshoot the authentication issues and get every setting corrected.  Since this is a dev machine, I would start over and try to get a successful install from the start.

    1. Given the basic information you know about our setup and the authentication errors I'm getting in the event logs, what other information would you need from me in order for someone to assist in diagnosing the problem?

    See above

    1. Just out of interest, can you answer my original question: Can multiple CRM instances point to a single Report Server machine? It would be useful to know when I have to report back to my boss on why this install is taking so long!

    My guess is it depends. I have one SQL Report server running that is shared by a Great Plains installation and some other applications.   I can imagine that there are environments that you wouldn't want to do this and some where it would be ok.   In 'general' I don't see several instances of CRM can not share one Report Server with the exception of limitations regarding the SRSS data connector, varying authentication needs, configuration needs of the CRM server, etc.  I would probably not do it simply because I don't think you gain much and you could paint yourself into a corner.

    Best Regards, Donna
    • Proposed as answer by Donna EdwardsMVP Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:21 PM
    • Marked as answer by Jim Glass Jr Monday, November 30, 2009 6:52 PM
    Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:21 PM