SQL Server Brain Basher of the Week #039 - SSRS

This week's Interview question is based on SQL Server Reporting Services. Just like other applications hosted, Reporting Services requires authentication and it needs to handle all authentication requests. Now the question is;

Which component Reporting Services uses for handling authentication?

1. Internet Information Services (IIS)
2. SQL Server Reporting Services itself
3. SQL Server Database Engine
4. Domain or machine configured

Answer is simple, starting from SQL Server 2008, Reporting Services started using its own internal components for handling authentication, not by IIS. IIS was used only be Reporting Services 2005, hence the answer is (2).