Error message when you try to install MOM 2005 Reporting: "Could not get SQL Server instance names" (911681)

SYMPTOMS

When you try to install Microsoft MOM 2005 Reporting on a MOM Management Server or on a server that is running Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services, the MOM prerequisite check may fail. Additionally, the prequisite check may display a message that is similar to the following:

Minimum Requirement: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP3 or later
Recommended (if different from minimum):
Required For: MOM Reporting
Detected Value: Could not get SQL Server instance names
Resolution: Download the required version from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/

This problem occurs when the server where you are running the MOM 2005 Reporting Setup program is not running SQL Server 2000. For example, one server may be running the MOM service and SQL Server Reporting Services. Another server may be running the OnePoint and ReportServer databases.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the system requirements for the MOM Reporting server are not met. When you install MOM 2005 Reporting, the Setup program must create the SystemCenterReporting database. To successfully create this database, you must run the Setup program locally on a computer that is running SQL Server 2000 with Service Pack 3 or with Service Pack 4. Additionally, the SystemCenterReporting database must be located on this computer. You cannot create the SystemCenterReporting database from another computer on the network.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, run the MOM 2005 Reporting Setup program on the SQL Server 2000 server where you want to create the SystemCenterReporting database. Then, in the Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Reporting Setup Wizard, specify the name of the computer that is running the SQL Server Reporting Services. This option is configured on the SQL Server Reporting Services server page.

When you do this, the Setup program creates the SystemCenterReporting database on the computer where you run the Setup program. However, the Setup program creates the MOM 2005 Reporting site on the server that is running SQL Server Reporting Services. The MOM 2005 Reporting site is where you connect to run MOM reports.

Note MOM Reporting Server requires Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3a or a later service pack.

MORE INFORMATION

The "Installing MOM Reporting" topic in the MOM 2005 Deployment Guide says:

You can install MOM Reporting on the same computer as the MOM database or a Management Server.

This statement may be misleading because it implies that you can run the MOM 2005 Reporting Setup program on a MOM Management server that is not also a database server. However, this configuration is not supported.

The MOM 2005 Deployment Guide is clearer about this point in the "Verify Software and Hardware Requirements" topic. This topic says:

The MOM Reporting setup must be run on the computer where the MOM Reporting database will be installed and not the computer running SQL Server Reporting Services (if they are different computers).

For more information about the system requirements for MOM Reporting Server, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/mom/evaluation/sysreqs/default.mspx