Creating Compatability: Configuring Reporting Services with Machine Configuration package

Whenever you’ve scattered the internet about how you can configure Reporting Services based on a scripting language, you've probably found the SqlServerDsc with the SqlRs resource or the ReportingServicesTools module and use the Set-RsUrlReservation function.

Figure 1 — Microsoft Learn

While both modules looked promising, there might have been some challenges that you have faced when experimenting with them:

• SQLServerDSC — Couldn’t set database location
• ReportingServicesTools — Does not support PowerShell 7 nor does it have DSC resources available

The last module just mentioned is a bit more interesting because whenever you create a Machine Configuration package, it uses DSC for the authoring experience. Looking closely at the module’s code, you’ll notice that it leverages Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) underneath.

WMI is responsible for the configuration of Reporting Services, but the thing is, Machine Configuration requirements are PowerShell 7.1.3 and with PowerShell 7+, WMI support is limited.

Instead, it relies on the new Common Information Model (CIM). CIM should provide an easier way to interact with management data compared to its older brother.