SQL SERVER – Failed Rule “Valid DSN” and “Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection”

I always try to keep myself up-to-date with latest release of SQL Server. As a part of that I wanted to upgrade my SQL Server 2016 CTP2.2 to CTP2.3 version. While doing in-place upgrade I was blocked with few error and I was not able to proceed. Here is the screenshot of upgrade screen.

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-01

When we click on those messages, here is the text.

Error # 1

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Rule Check Result
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Rule “Valid DSN” failed.
The report server configuration is not complete or is invalid. Use Reporting Services Configuration Manager to verify the report server configuration.
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OK
—————————

Error # 2

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Rule Check Result
—————————
Rule “Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection” failed.

The report server database is not a supported compatibility level or a connection cannot be established. Use Reporting Services Configuration Manager to verify the report server configuration and SQL Server management tools to verify the compatibility level.

—————————
OK
—————————

Then I looked into the setup log to see what they have to say and found below. Below is what is also shown in the pop-up message.

(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Initializing rule      : Valid DSN
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule is will be executed  : True
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Init rule target object: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.RSExtension.DsnUpgradeBlockers
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 RS: Error validating the dsn: No DSN server name found.
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Evaluating rule        : RS_ValidDSN
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule running on machine: SQL16NODEB
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule evaluation done   : Failed
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule evaluation message: The report server configuration is not complete or is invalid. Use Reporting Services Configuration Manager to verify the report server configuration.
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Send result to channel : RulesEngineNotificationChannel

(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Initializing rule      : Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule is will be executed  : True
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Init rule target object: Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.RSExtension.DsnUpgradeBlockers
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 RS: Error validating the dsn: No DSN server name found.
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Evaluating rule        : RS_ValidDatabaseVersion
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule running on machine: SQL16NODEB
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule evaluation done   : Failed
(08) 2015-09-18 10:46:10 Slp: Rule evaluation message: The report server database is not a supported compatibility level or a connection cannot be established. Use Reporting Services Configuration Manager to verify the report server configuration and SQL Server management tools to verify the compatibility level.

The log clearly mentioned the action I need to take.

Solution

  1. Open Reporting Service Configuration Manager and go to Database tab and we see the “Current Report Server database” as empty. That is THE problem.

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-02

  1. To fix that, click on “Change database” and below Wizard would open

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-03

  1. We can easily follow the wizard and provide details. I have used default settings. Database Server:

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-04

  1. On Database Page:

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-05

  1. Credentials:

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-05

  1. Summary

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-06

  1. Progress and Finish

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-08

  1. Finish

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-09

Once above steps are complete, we can come back to screen which was giving error and choose “Re Run” and then we should be able to proceed next with setup. I was able to upgrade to next version without above error:

SQL SERVER - Failed Rule "Valid DSN" and "Valid Database compatibility level and successful connection" ctp-ssrs-10

Have you even seen such upgrade blockers?

Reference: Pinal Dave (https://blog.sqlauthority.com)

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87 Comments. Leave new

  • Awesome!! thank´s x 1000

    Reply
  • Thank You!

    Reply
  • This is the best SQL site ever….Thank Pinal

    Reply
  • Thank you so much. Its really helpful. God bless you always.

    Reply
  • received the error upgrading from 08 r2 to 2012. followed your screen shots and error solved. thanks a lot dave

    Reply
  • what if reporting database is not empty? we are upgrading from 2012 to 2016 and failed with similar issue.

    Reply
  • worked like charm… Thanks

    Reply
  • Great….It worked like coming from H**L.

    Reply
  • In case there are still ones struggling with this like me and the solution in the article does not help, then here is another possible cause and solution. I was running the upgrade installation using my own admin account but I did not notice that account did not have access to connect to the reporting database. Now it seems the setup is doing the connection validation using the current users credentials so when nothing else was working, I re-started the setup using the admin account used in the previous setup, which also had access to connect to the reporting database. With that change, the verification was successful. I could also of course just have granted my admin account access to the reporting database.

    P.S.
    Thanks for this great site. It has helped me out many times.

    Reply
  • A big thanks from me as well. The weirdest thing. Never did anything reportserver related but the service was running with the db settings empty just like your posts says.
    Never noticed by anybody until we wanted to run an upgrade and ran into EXACTLY these two fails during the checking phase. I was stunned. But only until goggle found me your blog! My day was certailny saved by this.

    Reply
  • what a great site and great article. worked 1st hand as the steps suggested. thanks a million.

    Reply
  • Kamau Wa Kagunda
    June 16, 2022 5:13 pm

    this was very helpful

    Reply
  • Zbigniew Redliński
    August 4, 2023 11:25 pm

    THX ! IT works !

    Reply
  • our organization is behind on upgrades but we’re moving in the right direction now.
    With this error, shouldn’t it be resolved with “removing” the reporting services?
    if you’re creating a new database, with essentially nothing in it, so the upgrade can progress, wouldn’t it be better served with removing the unused reporting services, to move forward, and there being less unused resources on the server?

    Reply
  • THANKS !!

    Reply

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