SSRS and SQL Server database on different server

Question

Is it possible to install SSRS and SQL Server database on separate servers, or should these two be installed on the same server?

Thanks

Answer 1

In order to have Reporting Services on your application server, you would have to use a SQL-Server license. You can install just the Reporting Services section of SQLServer, but it is still technically part of the SQL Server application and requires a license for use on that processor(s).

So yes, you can install it on another server.
Yes, you can install only the advanced services, but that still counts as full server., so it requires a full license.

Yes, you can install an Express Edition (with advanced services) on another server for free.
But... the express edition SSRS can't access a non-localhost database (technical limitations of express & web edition).
You can try to circumvent that with linked-servers, but you need to duplicate every used stored procedure, view, table etc., so it's an impractical mess.

The answer to your question is thus: Technically, yes - but actually NO, not without another license.
That extra-installation is gonna cost USD 1'000+ per month.

Answer 2

Yes, you can install SSRS and a SQL Server database on different servers. While the default installation tries to install both, you can select to install them separately.

MSDN links:

Considerations for Installing Reporting Services

Installing SQL Server Reporting Services

From MSDN article Considerations for Installing Reporting Services:

Select Database Engine Services in the Feature Selection page to host the report server databases. Reporting Services requires a local or remote instance of SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008 Database Engine to host the report server databases. If you install an instance of the Database Engine concurrently with Reporting Services, you can eliminate a post-Setup task by installing the default configuration, which creates and configures the report server databases automatically. In addition to hosting the report server databases, SQL Server relational databases can also be a source of data for reports and models.