Prerequisites

Before using the SSRS Reports Migration Wizard, ensure the following system, network, and access requirements are fulfilled.

✅ System Requirements

  • Windows OS (Windows 10 or above recommended) or Windows Server.
  • .NET Framework 4.7.2 or above installed
  • Access to both source and target SSRS / Power BI report servers
  • SQL Server Agent Service (Required for Subscriptions): Ensure the SQL Server Agent service is running on the target SQL Server instance that hosts the ReportServer database. This is mandatory for migrating and executing scheduled items, including all imported data-driven and standard subscriptions.

🌐 Network Prerequisites

  • Ensure the SSRS server ports are open (default is TCP 80 for HTTP).
  • Firewalls or proxies should not block access to:
  • http://<servername>/ReportServer
  • http://<servername>/Reports

🌐 How to Find the Report Server Web Service URL

To connect to your SSRS source or target environment using SSRS Reports Migration Wizard, you will need the Report Server Web Service URL. Follow the steps below to locate it.

Using Report Server Configuration Manager

  1. Launch Report Server Configuration Manager on the machine where SSRS is installed.
  2. Connect to the appropriate SSRS instance.
  3. Click on Web Service URL in the left-hand menu.
  4. The full URL will be displayed under Report Server Web Service URLs.
    • Example: http://<your-server-name>/reportserver
  5. Copy and use this URL in the wizard when prompted.

If You Don’t Have Access to Configuration Manager

Try accessing the default SSRS URL directly in your browser:

  • http://localhost/reportserver
  • or http://<your-server-name>/reportserver

If SSRS is properly installed and running, this will open the Report Server endpoint.

For HTTPS-Enabled Servers

If your SSRS instance is configured with SSL, the URL will begin with https://:

  • Example: https://reports.yourdomain.com/reportserver

You can verify or update the SSL binding in the Web Service URL tab of the Configuration Manager.

Optional: Check RSReportServer.config

The Web Service URL can also be located in the RSReportServer.config file at: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\Reporting Services\ReportServer\ Look for the <UrlRoot> tag to confirm the configured endpoint (if it exists).

Understanding SSRS Permissions

SSRS uses two separate permission layers. Both must be configured correctly depending on what you are migrating.

Item-Level Roles

Assigned at the Home folder or subfolder level in the SSRS Web Portal. These roles control access to reports, datasets, data sources, and subscriptions.

Role What it allows
Browser View reports, folders, and shared datasets. Minimum role required for reading from the source server.
Publisher Deploy reports, datasets, and data sources to the target server.
Content Manager Full control of items, including create, edit, delete, and manage security. Required for subscription migration on the target server.

Site-Level Roles

Assigned under Site Settings → Security in the SSRS Web Portal. These roles are separate from folder-level permissions and are required for:

  • Retrieving or migrating shared schedules
  • Migrating security roles across servers
  • Accessing system-level metadata during migration
Role What it allows
System User View shared schedules and site properties. Minimum role required for subscription migration.
System Administrator Full system control. Required for role migration and shared schedule management.

⚠️ Important: Missing site-level roles are the most common cause of HTTP 500 errors during migration. If the Migration Wizard returns a 500 error when retrieving shared schedules, verify that the account has the required site-level permissions.

🔗 Report Server Access Requirements

The permissions you need depend on what you are migrating. Use the table below to identify the minimum roles required for your scenario.

What you’re migrating Source (minimum) Target (minimum)
Reports, folders, datasets, data sources Browser Publisher
Subscriptions (standard) Browser + System User Content Manager
Data-driven subscriptions Browser + System User Content Manager
Shared schedules System User with schedule permissions (or System Administrator) System Administrator
Roles and permissions System Administrator System Administrator
Linked reports Browser (on parent report folder) Publisher
Full server migration (all of the above) Content Manager + System Administrator Content Manager + System Administrator

Recommendation: If you have administrative access, assign Content Manager (item-level) and System Administrator (site-level) roles on both the source and target report servers. This eliminates most permission-related errors and ensures all migration features work correctly.

Domain Credential Requirements

  • The account must be a valid domain account trusted by the report server. Local machine accounts are not supported.

  • Ensure the account password is valid and not expired. Expired credentials can cause silent connection failures.

  • If the Migration Wizard cannot connect, verify that the account can access the following URL directly in a browser:

    http://<servername>/ReportServer

  • When connecting across domains, ensure the account is explicitly trusted and authorized on the target report server.

🔐 Granting Access to SSRS Report Server

Item-Level Access (Folder Permissions)

Use this procedure when migrating reports, datasets, data sources, or subscriptions.

  1. Open the SSRS Web Portal:

    http://<servername>/Reports

  2. Navigate to the Home folder (or the specific folder you need to migrate).

  3. Click the ellipsis (…) next to the folder and select Manage → Security.

  4. Click Add group or user.

  5. Enter the account in the following format:

    DOMAIN\username

  6. Assign the appropriate role from the table above.

  7. Click OK to save the changes.

🔄 Note: If permission inheritance has been broken on subfolders, permissions must be assigned individually to each subfolder. The Migration Wizard can only access items that the connecting account has permission to read.

Folder-Level Permissions (When Access Is Restricted)

If access to the Home folder is restricted or inheritance has been broken:

  1. Navigate to the required top-level folder in the SSRS Web Portal.
  2. Click the ellipsis (…) next to the folder and select Manage → Security.
  3. Add the required domain account and assign the appropriate role.
  4. Repeat for each subfolder where inheritance has been disabled.

Site-Level Access (System Permissions)

Use this procedure when migrating shared schedules, subscriptions, or security roles.

  1. Open the SSRS Web Portal:

    http://<servername>/Reports

  2. Click the Settings (⚙️) icon in the upper-right corner and select Site Settings.

  3. Select Security from the left navigation pane.

  4. Click Add group or user.

  5. Enter the account in the following format:

    DOMAIN\username

  6. Assign the appropriate role:

    • System User – Required for subscription and shared schedule migration.
    • System Administrator – Required for role migration and advanced schedule management.

  7. Click OK to save the changes.

Next Step

Once all prerequisites are met, proceed to the Getting Started Guide to begin your migration.