Configure SSRS (also Power BI) Scale-Out deployment

Reporting Services (and also Power BI) Report Server supports a scale-out deployment model that allows you to run multiple report server instances that share a single report server database (ReportServer DB). Scale-out deployments are used to increase scalability of report servers to handle more concurrent users and larger report execution loads.

Scale-out deployments consist of:

• Two or more report server instances sharing a single report server database.
• Optionally, a network load-balanced (NLB) cluster to spread interactive user load across the report server instances.

Reporting Services does not participate in Microsoft Cluster Services clusters. However, you can create the report server database on a Database Engine instance that is part of a FCI or AlwaysOn Availability Group (AAG).

In this blog post, I would like to show you how to configure a scale-out deployment model of Power BI Report Server. The ReportServer DB will be put in a AAG, and the two report servers connect the ReportServer DB by using the AAG Listener name.

Procedures:

Run the Power BI Server installer on the Report Server #1.

Configure the Report Server #1.

Use the Report Server #1 to create the new ReportServer (and ReportServerTemp) databases. The SQL Server name is the AAG Listener name.

Still in Report Server #1, configure the Web Service URL and Web Portal URL. Just apply the default settings is OK.

 

Now go to Report Server #2, repeat the steps above to install Power Bi Report Server. BUT change the Report Server database to "Choose an existing report server database".

After finished configuring the Report Server #2, go back to Report Server #1 SSRS Configuration Manager. In the "Scale-Out Deployment" tab, you should see two entries: the 1st entry is the Report Server #1 which is already joined, the 2nd entry is the Report Server #2 which is Waiting to Join. Click the Report Server #2, then click the "Add Server" button. The Report Server #2 will becomes joined.

Now no matter you connect to which report server instance, when you deploy reports, data sources, and make permission changes, it will also be applied to all report server instance, as they are referring to the same ReportServer DB.