Renaming SQL Server and Reporting Services

Renaming SQL Server & Reporting Services

If you change the name of a Windows Server which hosts a SQL Server instance then there a few steps you’ll need to take…

Rename SQL Server:

In SQL Server Management Studio check the name SQL has for itself:

print @@servername -- shows old name

If this isn’t your new server name then:

sp_dropserver @@servername -- drop old name
sp_addserver new_name, local -- add new machine name

Now restart SQL Server and:

print @@servername -- first time will give a transport error,
 the second should show the new name

Reporting Services 2005:

• Delete 2 IIS virtual directories for Reports and ReportServer
• Open Reporting Services Configuration Manager from start menu:
  • Create 2 new Virtual Directories for Report Server and Report Manager
  • Database setup – choose the new server
  • Web Service Identity – choose the RS app pool
  • Encryption Keys – delete or restore if you have a backup

The process for Reporting Services 2008 should be simpler as it doesn’t use IIS.

Unable to load client print control

UPDATE: Further information on alternative fixes has come to my attention via StackOverflow.

This new error has popped up since Microsoft released the update KB956391.

The update is for a vulnerability in the GDI+ DLL which allowed a malicious user to execute code on the client machine (good old! – ed). The fix uses ActiveX Killbits which is a setting that Internet Explorer checks for each ActiveX control. If the Killbits are set, IE refuses to load the control.

The update set the Killbits for the version of the RS Client Print ActiveX control which is used by the version 8.0.0.0 of the ReportViewer which is referenced by RSinteract (and Report Manager). Thus the printing will not work in either.

To fix Report Manager you need to apply the ReportViewer SP1 patch and the Security Update for SQL Server SP2 (KB954606). Once this is working again you can fix RSinteract.

To fix RSinteract you need to apply another Security Update for SQL Server SP2 (KB954607).

Let us know if this fix doesn’t work for you.