This blog post was on my list of “things to do” for a while, but it wasn’t until a good friend of mine, Niall Brady, asked me if I had a guide on how to setup SSRS to use HTTPS that I pushed this post to the top of my list! In the end, I wrote a two-part post. However, in this one I cover all of the steps you need in order to request your server certificate (website certificate) for use with SSRS and then I show you how to setup SSRS to use the Network Service account. In my second post, I show you how to setup SSRS to use the server certificate for HTTPS, how to test the SSRS website and finally how to clean-up the SSRS site if you get an “OLD” folder.
The overall process is as follows:
- Install the IIS Management Console.
- Import the server certificate from your domain certificate authority.
- Prepare SSRS for the server certificate.
- Setup SSRS to use the server certificate.
- Test the SSRS website.
- Clean-up.
Setup SSRS to Use HTTPS Prerequisites
In order to put together this step-by-step guide, I created a new virtual machine (VM) {cm-rps-cb1} and then installed SQL Server 2017 (How to Install SQL Server 2017). Next, I installed SSRS itself (How to Install SQL Server Reporting Services 2017) and then finally, I installed the SCCM Reporting Services Point (How to Install a SCCM Reporting Services Point). Long ago, I setup a domain certificate authority in my domain, so you should have the same too.
This is my starting point. From here, I will show you how to setup SSRS to use HTTPS.
Install the IIS Management Console
Click on the Add roles and features link.
Click Next. By the way, if you previously selected the Skip this page by default option, this page is not displayed.
Click Next.
Click Next.
Select Web Server (IIS). A second window instantly pops-up. Click on the Add Features button to return to the first window.
Click Next.
Again click Next.
yet again, click Next.
Unselect everything EXCEPT IIS Management Console and then click Next.
Click Install.
Wait for the installation to complete.
Finally, click on the Close button. The IIS Management Console is now installed.
Import the Server Certificate from Your Domain Certificate Authority
Launch Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
In the Connections window, select your server name (in my case it’s CM-RPS-CB1) and then in the home page area, under the IIS section, double-click on Server Certificates.
In the Actions area, click on Create Domain Certificate…
IMPORTANT – Make sure that you type the Common name correctly. Not doing so causes a ton of headaches!
If you are not sure what the common name is, it can either be the NetBIOS name or the fully qualified domain name (FQDN).
Complete all of the fields with the correct details before clicking Next.
Click on the Select… button.
Select your domain certificate authority name from the list and then click OK.
Enter a Friendly name. This name helps you to quickly identify this certificate from other certificates. Finally, click on the Finish button.
Notice that the server certificate is created and imported on the server. You can now close the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
Prepare SSRS for the Server Certificate
Open Report Server Configuration Manager. On the Report Server Configuration Connection window, click on the Connect button.
Back on the Report Server Configuration Manager window, select Service Account.
Set the account to Network Service.
NOTE: If the Report Server Service Account is already listed as the Network Service, you do not need to complete the remainder of the steps in this post. You can skip over to the Setup SSRS to use HTTPS section, which appears in Part 2 of this blog post set. Part 2 is published next week.
Once the account is set to Network Service, click Apply.
Click on the “…” button.
Give the encryption key a name and save the file to your desktop. Click on the Save button to continue.
Enter and confirm the password before clicking on the OK button.
NOTE: This password must be complex.
Notice in the results section that the encryption key was backed up. Also, notice that the SQL Server Connection Dialog window pops-up. Click OK to continue.
Wait for the results to complete (about a minute).
In my next blog post, I continue along from this point by showing you how to setup SSRS to use the server certificate for HTTPS, test the SSRS website and how to clean-up the SSRS website if you get an “OLD” folder. Please feel free to touch base with me @GarthMJ.