SSRS: Configure User Authentication with ReportCredentials

Many times I found that the Reporting service is configured to access as "Anonymous Access", so any user having URL can access reports from external world. Ideally it should be access by only users/application. For that SQL SERVER Reporting service should not be  accessed by "Anonymous Access". It also prevents Report server from unauthorized access.

NOTE: In shared hosting, Hosting provider provides username/password and only those users can get access to the reports for that specific user.

Today, I am going to explain to how to send user credentials from Report application, so Reporting service can authenticate user and allow to get reports. Only users having correct credentials can access the reports from the server. We are going to configure application to send credentials, so application can get access to the reports.

To configure application to get access reports from Shared hosting/Domain, we need to do following:

1. Get credentials from shared hosting/Domain controller to access the reports

2. Configure Application to Authenticate (.Net)

1. Get credentials

Whenever we need to deploy/access report from the Report Server, we should have following information:

Report Server URL
• UserName/Password to access the reports

This information will be provided by Shared hosting provider/Domain controller. Information like:

• Report Server URL: http://<URL>/ReportServer
• UserName: xxxx
• Password: yyyy

To check this information, Type Report URL in browser. It will ask for Username and password (if anonymous access is disabled). Enter given credentials, if Credentials are correct then Reporting service allow you to access the URL.

2. Configure Application to Authenticate (.Net)

As we get Basic information in step #1, now we need to build application that pass credentials to the Report server, so Report server authenticate the request and allow application to access the reports.

To authenticate request to Report server we need to implement IReportServerCredentials to send Report Credential to Report Server.

• Create a class to implement IReportServerCredentials

Please find VB code here:

01.Public Class ReportCredentials

02.Implements Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.IReportServerCredentials

03. 

04.Private _userName As String, _password As String, _domain As String

05. 

06.Public Sub New(ByVal userName As String, ByVal password As String, ByVal domain As String)

07._userName = userName

08._password = password

09._domain = domain

10.End Sub

11.Public ReadOnly Property ImpersonationUser() As System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity _

12.Implements Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.IReportServerCredentials.ImpersonationUser

13.Get

14.Return Nothing

15.End Get

16.End Property

17. 

18.Public ReadOnly Property NetworkCredentials() As System.Net.ICredentials _

19.Implements Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.IReportServerCredentials.NetworkCredentials

20.Get

21.Return New System.Net.NetworkCredential(_userName, _password, _domain)

22.End Get

23.End Property

24. 

25.Public Function GetFormsCredentials(ByRef authCoki As System.Net.Cookie,

26.ByRef userName As String,  

27.ByRef password As String, _

28.ByRef authority As String) As Boolean _

29.Implements Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.IReportServerCredentials.GetFormsCredentials

30.userName = _userName

31.password = _password

32.authority = _domain

33.authCoki = New System.Net.Cookie(".ASPXAUTH", ".ASPXAUTH", "/", "Domain")

34. 

35.Return True

36.End Function

37. 

38.End Class

Now we have created "ReportCredentials" class, now we need to use this class object to send credential info via Report Viewer Control as follows:

Please find VB code here:

01.Imports Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms

02. 

03.Partial Class Report

04.Inherits System.Web.UI.Page

05. 

06.Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _

07.Handles Me.Load

08. 

09.If Not IsPostBack Then

10.Dim ReportServerUrl As String = "https://<;url>/ReportServer"

11.Dim ReportDataSourceName As String = "/My Reports/"

12.With Me.ReportViewer

13..ProcessingMode = Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ProcessingMode.Remote

14.With .ServerReport

15..ReportServerUrl = New Uri(ReportServerUrl)

16..ReportPath = ReportDataSourceName + "ReportName"

17..ReportServerCredentials = New _

18.ReportCredentials("Domain", "UserName", "Password")

19..Refresh()

20.End With

21.End With

22.Page.Title = "Reports - " + Request.Params("Report")

23.If Request.Params("HideOptions") = 1 Then

24.ReportViewer.ShowParameterPrompts = False

25.End If

26.End If

27.End Sub

28.End Class</url>

That's it, now you can access your reports deployed at Shared Hosting/Domain from application, 
Report server allows to access if credentials are correct. 

Let me know if you have any question/problem in deploying/accessing reports from Shared Hosting/Domain.