Troubleshooting Guide

1. Issue: Data-Driven Subscriptions Fail to Import

During the migration or import process, data-driven subscriptions may fail to be created successfully, often presenting errors related to data source connectivity.

Typical Causes

The import failure usually stems from the target SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) instance being unable to establish a successful connection to the underlying data sources defined in the report.

Key reasons include:

  • Missing or Incorrect Database Client: The target server lacks a required database client (e.g., Oracle Managed Driver) for the data source type.
  • Invalid Connection Information:
    • The connection identifier is missing or invalid.
    • The connection string in the data source is not valid for the target environment.
  • Credential Issues:
    • Credentials for the data source were not supplied or are incorrect on the target server.
    • The report uses credentials that are not stored credentials (e.g., Windows Integrated Security when not configured correctly).
  • Target Server Configuration:
    • The data source was not configured properly during the migration.
    • The SQL Server Agent Job is not running (which is required for subscription processing).

Resolution

The primary resolution is to ensure correct and complete data source configuration on the target SSRS server.

  1. Verify Data Source Properties: During a server-to-server migration or a server-to-file import, ensure you correctly configure all data source properties and credentials on the Manage Connection Properties screen of the Migration Wizard.
  2. Confirm Target Connectivity: Validate that the target SSRS server has the necessary drivers/clients and network access to connect to all report data sources using the configured connection strings and credentials. Stored credentials are generally recommended for subscriptions.
  3. Check SQL Agent: Confirm that the SQL Server Agent service is running on the target SQL Server instance that hosts the ReportServer database, as it’s vital for scheduling and executing subscriptions.

Summary

Data-driven subscription import failures fundamentally occur because of missing or incorrect data source configurations on the target SSRS server. By verifying the required database clients, ensuring valid connection strings, and correctly supplying stored credentials for the data sources, you allow the migration tool to successfully create the data-driven subscriptions.

2. Issue: The user data source credentials do not meet the requirements to run this report or shared dataset

Error message: The user data source credentials do not meet the requirements to run this report or shared dataset. Either the user data source credentials are not stored in the report server database, or the user data source is configured not to require credentials but the unattended execution account is not specified.

Typical Causes

This failure frequently blocks the successful migration and execution of standard and data-driven subscriptions. It occurs because the report server cannot establish a data connection using a valid, non-interactive security context. This is common when the original report was designed to prompt the user for credentials or use Windows Integrated Security, which is not supported by background processes like subscriptions.

Key reasons include:

  • Missing Stored Credentials (Subscription Context): The data source connection is configured to use credentials supplied by the user (or Windows Authentication). This is not valid when background processes, such as subscriptions or cached report snapshots, attempt to run the report. The migration process fails to create the subscription if this isn’t resolved.
  • Unattended Execution Account Not Set: The data source is configured for No Credentials or Windows Integrated Security, but the Report Server is missing the Unattended Execution Account configuration needed to impersonate a service account for data retrieval.
  • Encrypted Credentials Issue: Credentials were not successfully re-encrypted or migrated to the target Report Server environment, rendering the stored credentials invalid.
  • Account Permissions: The stored account has valid credentials but lacks necessary database permissions on the target data source.

Resolution

The resolution depends on your organization’s security policy for report execution. You must ensure the report has a valid, non-interactive security context for the Report Server to use.

  1. Configure Stored Credentials: For the specific report data source(s) or shared datasets, switch the connection type to Credentials stored securely in the report server.
    • Enter a valid domain user account and password that has read access to the underlying database. This is the most common fix for subscriptions and data-driven tasks.
  2. Use Unattended Execution Account: If the data source must use Windows Integrated Security or No Credentials:
    • Ensure the Report Server Configuration Manager has a valid Unattended Execution Account specified under the “Execution Account” settings. This account must have necessary permissions on the data source.
  3. Validate Report Execution: If the report uses multiple data sources, verify that all data sources referenced are configured with a stored or execution account credential.
  4. Database Permissions Check: Verify that the account being used (either the Stored Credentials account or the Unattended Execution Account) has the correct SELECT and EXECUTE permissions on the source database.

Summary

This error is a security-related failure indicating that the SSRS service cannot connect to the data source using the configured method (Stored, Integrated, or None) because a valid, non-interactive security token is missing or invalid. Configuring Stored Credentials for the data source is the most reliable way to resolve this issue during a migration and ensure subscriptions execute successfully.

3. Issue: HTTP 500 Error When Retrieving Shared Schedules

Error message: Response status code does not indicate success: 500 (Internal Server Error)

💡 This is a permissions issue, not a server crash. Despite the generic HTTP 500 response, this error occurs because the connecting account lacks site-level permissions on the source SSRS server. SSRS returns a 500 instead of a descriptive 403 when system-level access is denied. The fix is a one-time role assignment — no server restart or configuration change is required.

Typical Causes

This error occurs during migration when the wizard attempts to retrieve shared schedules from the source SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) instance. Shared schedules are system-level objects within SSRS, and accessing them requires permissions at the site level, not just at the folder or report level.

If the account used by the migration wizard lacks sufficient system permissions, the Report Server web service may return a generic HTTP 500 Internal Server Error instead of a descriptive authorization message.

Key reasons include:

  • Insufficient System-Level Permissions: The user account connecting to the source SSRS server does not have the required System Administrator or equivalent site-level permissions. Access to shared schedules is restricted to system-level roles in SSRS.
  • Limited Folder-Level Access: The account has permissions to view or manage reports within folders but does not have permissions at the Site Settings level, which are required to retrieve shared schedules.
  • Restricted Schedule Management Rights: Even when the user has a system role assigned, the role may not include permissions required to manage or enumerate shared schedules.
  • Insufficient Target Server Permissions: The user account connecting to the target SSRS server does not have the System Administrator site-level role required to create new shared schedules on the target. This prevents shared schedules from being recreated during migration.

Resolution

Shared schedule migration requires sufficient permissions on both the source and target servers.

Source Server — Read Schedules

The account used to connect to the source server must be able to read shared schedules. The SSRS operation required is Read Schedules.

  1. Open the SSRS Web Portal for the source report server.
  2. Navigate to Site Settings → Security.
  3. Ensure the user account is assigned one of the following roles:
    • System Administrator (recommended)
    • System User — provides read access to shared schedules without full admin rights

Target Server — Create Schedules

The account used to connect to the target server must be able to create shared schedules. The SSRS operation required is Create Schedules.

  1. Open the SSRS Web Portal for the target report server.
  2. Navigate to Site Settings → Security.
  3. Ensure the user account is assigned the following role:
    • System Administrator — required to create new shared schedules on the target

Note: System User role is sufficient to read schedules on the source but is not sufficient to create schedules on the target. The target requires System Administrator.

Continuing Without Shared Schedule Migration

If your organization’s policies prevent assigning the required roles, the wizard will detect the missing permissions when you check Migrate Subscriptions and offer the option to continue without shared schedule migration. Subscriptions will still be migrated but will not have shared schedule assignments.

Summary

Shared schedule migration requires Read Schedules permission (System User or above) on the source server and Create Schedules permission (System Administrator) on the target server. When either permission is missing, the wizard will warn you and offer the option to continue migration without shared schedules — subscriptions will still be migrated without schedule assignments.