Can I write SSRS 2008 reports to run on SQL 2005 SSRS?

Is it possible to write SSRS 2008 reports to run on an existing SSRS 2005 server?

If yes, what do I need to do to be able to write SSRS 2008 reports on my developer PC that will run on the SQL 2005 Server (which also has SSRS 2005 installed on it)?

I installed Visual Studio 2008 beta on the development PC and it appears that it needs SSRS installed on it too. So I installed SQL 2008 SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) and SQL 2008 Workstation Components onto the developer PC. Next I run the SQL 2008 "Reporting Services Configuration" tool. When I click on the "Web Service URL" section it hangs indefinitely and I have to force it closed.

The developer PC is Windows Vista Business.

Any suggestions on making this work, or any other information that you can think of that would allow me to use Visual Studio 2008 and the SQL 2008 "Report Designer Preview" tool to develop SSRS reports that will run on the SQL 2005 SSRS server?

Thanks!

-ErikR

Hi Erik,

SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services questions can be posted to the new Katmai forum.

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=1624&SiteID=1

To answer your question, RS 2008 reports do not run on an RS 2005 server. The 2008 designers will not output 2005 RDL, so you won't be able to do this.

Hope that helps,

-Lukasz

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For a lack of response I attempted it anyway. (Tried it before the 1 response came in.)

Installed Visual Studio 2008 on the development PC and the SQL 2008 Reporting Services peice on the Development PC.

Attempted to use the Reporting Services Configuration tool to point it to the SQL 2005 SSRS server and it hung, but after numerous attempts it ended up upgrading the SSRS 2005 SQL database so that the 2005 SSRS would no longer work correctly. The SQL 2005 server was all fine, but the actual Reporting Server databse was "upgraded" and wouldn't work with SSRS on the SQL 2005 SSRS server.

To fix it I had to go into the Reporting Services Configuration tool on the 2005 SSRS server and create a new database. After that it worked again. Of course since it was a new database, none of the reports I had on there before were listed in the new database. But I didn't have to "re-install" anything to get SSRS working again...just had to configure it on a "new" database.

Hope that helps someone.

-ErikR