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Asked: 2026-06-14T18:16:08+00:00

I have been allocated the responsibility at work of revising the current reporting services

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I have been allocated the responsibility at work of revising the current reporting services authentication process. The aim is to maintain the necessary level of security and also simplify the maintenance/configuration of granting access to the individual reports.

I do NOT have access to the domain controllers to be able to modify or create new AD groups. I have to work with the groups/users that currently exist.

In terms of authentication, it seems that I have the option of using either:

  • Windows authentication
  • SQL Server authentication.

Both the report server and the report database will reside on the same server. With this in mind, I understand that Windows authentication is probably a better solution as there is no need to maintain a separate SQL Server table of Users (and their passwords). Granting access to a report once it has been deployed on the report server, would simply involve adding the user/group to the report (load the report in a browser and access the Properties\Security option).

Using the second option of SQL Server authentication does not seem as appropriate as using Windows authentication for the reason the report server and report database are on the same box.

I am using SQL Server 2000 databases. The version of reporting services I have installed is Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

Please could someone let me know if my thinking is correct (i.e. I should go for Windows authentication). Cheers.

Jimmy

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  1. Editorial Team

    Sql Server authentication is not an option for users connecting to SSRS. It is an option for SSRS connecting to databases where it will get its data.

    So bottom line, yes, you need to use Windows Authentication for user connections to SSRS. You can use special user names such as “Authenticated Users” or “Everyone” in SSRS to allow broad access.

    I understand that you don’t have access to AD, but managing the user accounts’ membership in AD groups would be much easier than tracking and managing individual access in SSRS.

    But without the AD access you can still add Windows/AD accounts to the report permissions and use those. You just create a more complex system, since you need to manage permissions for every individual separately. You can group the reports in folders and secure the folders: the reports can inherit that security.

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