Best Practices for Integrating SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services Add-in with SharePoint

Best Practices for Integrating SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services Add-in with SharePointIntegrating SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services (SSRS) Add-in with Microsoft SharePoint provides a powerful platform for centralized report management, collaboration, and delivery. However, proper planning, configuration, and ongoing maintenance are essential to ensure performance, reliability, and security. This article covers best practices across architecture, installation, configuration, security, report design, deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting to help you get the most from SSRS integrated mode with SharePoint ⁄₂₀₁₆ environments compatible with the 2014 add-in.

Overview: SSRS Add-in for SharePoint

SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services Add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Technologies enables SSRS to run in SharePoint integrated mode, allowing SharePoint to host report server items (reports, shared data sources, report models, subscriptions) and to use SharePoint’s security, storage, and collaboration features. Integration supports rendering reports in SharePoint libraries, scheduling and delivering report subscriptions, and using SharePoint search and metadata to organize reports.

Architecture and Planning

Assess Requirements and Use Cases

Identify primary scenarios: interactive ad-hoc reporting, scheduled subscriptions, enterprise-wide dashboards, or embedding reports in SharePoint pages.
Estimate report volume, number of concurrent users, peak usage times, and expected growth to size infrastructure appropriately.
Determine data source locations: on-premises SQL Server instances, external databases, or cloud data sources — this affects network, security, and authentication configuration.

Choose Deployment Topology

Use a scale-out deployment for medium to large environments. Separate roles across servers:
- SharePoint front-end web servers (WFE)
- SharePoint application servers (Service Applications)
- SSRS report servers (Report Server Windows Server running Reporting Services in SharePoint integrated mode)
- SQL Server Database Engine hosting ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB databases
For high availability:
- Use SharePoint farm with multiple WFEs and application servers behind a load balancer.
- Place ReportServer databases on a SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (FCI) or Always On availability groups (note: Always On support depends on your SQL Server version and configuration).
- Consider using multiple SSRS instances in scale-out deployment mode to distribute report processing.

Capacity Planning

Size CPU, memory, storage, and network based on expected concurrency and complexity of reports (complex RDLs with large data pulls and heavy aggregation are CPU and memory intensive).
Ensure fast I/O for ReportServerTempDB and report snapshot storage; use separate disks or LUNs for ReportServer and TempDB for performance.
Plan database sizing: ReportServerTempDB can grow large during heavy report processing—monitor and set appropriate autogrowth and maintenance.

Installation and Configuration

Supported Versions and Compatibility

Confirm SharePoint version compatibility (SSRS 2014 add-in commonly integrates with SharePoint 2013; validate service pack and patch levels).
Keep both SQL Server and SharePoint patched to supported cumulative updates and security updates.

Pre-Installation Checklist

Service accounts: create least-privilege domain accounts for:
- SSRS service (Report Server service identity)
- SharePoint service application pool accounts
- SQL Server service and SQL Agent (if using scheduled report data refresh)
Permissions: ensure service accounts have necessary SQL Server permissions for ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB creation and management.
Backup SharePoint configuration and content databases before installing or enabling SSRS integrated mode.

Installing the Add-in and Configuring Integrated Mode

Install SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services Add-in on SharePoint servers where report rendering or management features are required (typically on WFEs and application servers that will host Reporting Services components).
Run the Reporting Services Configuration tool to connect SSRS integrated mode to the SharePoint farm and to specify ReportServer database location.
Configure the SSRS service application in SharePoint Central Administration and grant farm administrators appropriate rights to manage service application settings.
Register the SSRS service instance with SharePoint and start the Reporting Services Service and Reporting Services Service Proxy.

Service Accounts and Kerberos/Delegation

For secure end-to-end Windows authentication and to allow SSRS to connect to remote data sources using the original user’s credentials, configure Kerberos delegation.
Register SPNs (Service Principal Names) for SQL Server, SharePoint application pool accounts, and SSRS service accounts where required.
Use constrained delegation where possible and document delegation mappings.

Security Best Practices

Principle of Least Privilege

Give service accounts only the permissions they need. Avoid using highly privileged accounts (like domain or local admins) for SSRS or SharePoint services.
For data sources, create application-specific service accounts with read-only permissions to business databases.

Secure Data Sources and Credentials

Use stored credentials or Secure Store Service (SSS) for shared data sources that require a specific account for data retrieval. This avoids embedding personal credentials in shared data sources or relying solely on Windows integrated security.
Encrypt report server connections using HTTPS for SharePoint and SSRS endpoints to protect credentials and data in transit.
Limit access to sensitive reports via SharePoint permissions and item-level security. Audit permission changes.

Encryption and Key Management

Back up the Reporting Services encryption keys after configuration—these protect stored credentials and encrypted data in the ReportServer database.
Store keys securely and document key backup locations and rotation processes.

Report Design and Development Best Practices

Optimize Data Retrieval

Push aggregation and filtering to the database using stored procedures or parameterized queries rather than retrieving large datasets to the report and processing them client-side.
Use efficient queries, appropriate indexes, and consider materialized views for expensive aggregations.
Use query paging or parameter-driven queries for very large datasets.

Use Shared Data Sources and Datasets

Centralize connection strings and credentials in shared data sources to simplify management and minimize duplication.
Reuse shared datasets where appropriate to reduce maintenance overhead and ensure consistency.

Report Rendering and Layout Optimization

Minimize the use of nested data regions and heavy expression logic—these increase processing time and memory usage.
Limit the number of images and use external image hosting or caching when possible. For static report content, consider embedding optimized images.
Avoid overly complex tablix structures and excessive grouping. Use stored procedures to return pre-grouped datasets when possible.

Parameters and Caching

Design parameters thoughtfully to reduce cardinality and improve caching effectiveness. Use cascading parameters to reduce result set size and improve user experience.
Leverage report caching and snapshots for reports that are expensive to run and where near-real-time data is not required.

Deployment and Lifecycle Management

Source Control and CI/CD

Store RDL files, shared datasets, and shared data sources in source control (Git, TFS/Azure Repos).
Use automated deployment scripts or tools (PowerShell, RS.exe, or third-party tools) to promote reports across environments (dev → test → prod) to ensure consistency and repeatability.
Keep environment-specific settings (connection strings, credentials) separate from the RDLs using configuration transforms or centralized shared data sources.

Environment Segregation

Maintain separate SharePoint/SSRS environments (development, test, staging, production) to validate upgrades, patches, and report changes without impacting users.
Use identical versions and patches across environments where possible to avoid “works in dev but not in prod” issues.

Versioning and Rollback

Tag releases in source control and maintain a clear release history for reports. Keep backups of production RDLs before making changes.
Use Report Server management scripts to automate rollback if a deployed report causes issues.

Performance Tuning and Monitoring

Monitoring Metrics

Monitor key metrics: CPU, memory, disk I/O, network latency, ReportServerTempDB size/growth, request queue length, and average report execution time.
Track SharePoint-specific metrics as well: web-application request latency, search crawl performance (if indexing reports), and service application health.

SSRS-specific Tuning

Configure execution timeout settings and limit concurrent report executions to prevent resource exhaustion.
Use the ReportServer execution log (ExecutionLog3 view) to analyze report performance patterns and identify slow-running reports or frequent executions.
Implement report snapshots or cached instances for reports with heavy processing that are suitable for scheduled refreshes.

SQL Server Database Tuning

Regularly maintain ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB with appropriate index maintenance, statistics updates, and backup/restore testing.
Configure TempDB performance best practices on the SQL Server hosting ReportServerTempDB: multiple data files (one per CPU up to a reasonable point), fast disks, and proper autogrowth settings.

High Availability and Disaster Recovery

Backups

Regularly back up ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB databases and test restores. Include encryption key backups in your DR plan.
Back up SharePoint configuration and content databases as part of an integrated recovery strategy.

High Availability Options

Use SQL Server high availability features (Failover Cluster Instances, Always On Availability Groups) for ReportServer databases.
Deploy multiple SSRS instances in scale-out mode and multiple SharePoint WFEs behind a load balancer to avoid single points of failure.

Disaster Recovery Testing

Periodically test failover and restoration procedures in a DR environment to validate recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO).
Document step-by-step recovery playbooks including encryption key restore and service account reconfiguration.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Authentication and Permissions

Common symptom: users see credential prompts or cannot access data sources. Check Kerberos SPNs, delegation configuration, and ensure stored credentials or Secure Store settings are properly configured.
Validate SharePoint item-level permissions and report security settings if some users can access reports while others cannot.

Rendering and Performance Problems

If reports time out or render slowly, analyze ExecutionLog3 for slow queries, check SQL Server wait stats, and examine report design for inefficient data processing.
Review ReportServerTempDB growth and temp resource usage during peak report processing.

Installation and Integration Failures

If the add-in features aren’t visible in SharePoint, verify the add-in was installed on appropriate SharePoint servers, the Reporting Services Service is started, and the SSRS service application is configured.
Check ULS logs in SharePoint and SSRS logs for errors related to service activation, registration, or permissions.

Governance, Training, and User Adoption

Governance Policies

Establish governance for who can publish reports, manage shared data sources, and modify shared datasets.
Define naming conventions, folder structures, and metadata/taxonomy for organizing reports in SharePoint libraries to improve discoverability and lifecycle management.

Training and Documentation

Train report authors on optimal report design practices, parameterization, and reusable shared data sources to reduce inefficient designs.
Provide user documentation for accessing, subscribing to, and exporting reports within SharePoint.

Encourage Adoption

Embed reports within SharePoint pages and dashboards to increase visibility.
Use subscriptions, data-driven subscriptions, and alerts to deliver important reports to stakeholders automatically.

Example Checklist (Summary)

Plan topology and size for expected load.
Use least-privilege service accounts and secure credential storage (Secure Store).
Configure Kerberos for delegation if using integrated security with remote data sources.
Centralize data sources and datasets; push processing to the database.
Use caching/snapshots for heavy reports; monitor ExecutionLog3.
Automate deployments with source control and CI/CD.
Back up encryption keys and report server databases; test DR.
Monitor server and report performance; tune SQL Server and ReportServerTempDB.
Establish governance, naming standards, and training programs.

Closing Notes

Integrating SQL Server 2014 Reporting Services Add-in with SharePoint delivers a robust enterprise reporting solution when implemented with careful planning, strong security, and ongoing operational discipline. Focus on pushing work to the data tier, centralizing configuration, automating deployments, and monitoring key performance metrics to keep the integrated environment performant and reliable.