Microsoft.ReportingServices.Diagnostics.Utilities.ReportServerDisabledException: The report server cannot decrypt the symmetric key used to access sensitive or encrypted data in a report server database. You must either restore a backup key or delete all encrypted content and then restart the service. Check the documentation for more information.
Report Manager shows an error similar to the following:
The report server cannot decrypt the symmetric key used to access sensitive or encrypted data in a report server database. You must either restore a backup key or delete all encrypted content and then restart the service. Check the documentation for more information. (rsReportServerDisabled)
This is a known issue and is the behavior is due to changes required to continue compliance with FIPS certification.
If your are applying one of the following updates or later to a build that is BEFORE any of the listed versions, then the issue will occur during the uninstallation of the update. However, if your are applying an update to a build that is ON or AFTER the listed versions, then the issue will not occur.
To continue complicance with FIPS standards for encrypting secure information, a change was made to the way the Symmetric Key is stored in the Report Server database. The change prevents previous versions of report server from decrypting and using the symmetric key. For more information on the compliance changes, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2283072.
Microsoft recommends that administrators backup the report server symmetric key before upgrading their servers, applying patches, and whenever a backup of the report server database is created.
Ed Price - MSFT edited Revision 5. Comment: One typo and making fonts consistent. Great article!