DataSource

The DataSource contains the connection properties or reference to an existing datasource in RDL.

Add a new DataSource

To bind data to a report item, a minimum of one data source is needed. A data source can be created through the following procedure:

In the configuration panel, click the Data icon to launch a Data configuration panel.

Data Start Icon

To create a data source, switch over to the data source panel using the switcher icon on the top-right corner of the Data configuration panel.

Switcher Datasource

Click the DataSources in context menu, the DataSource panel will be switched below.

Datasource New Panel

In the DataSources configuration panel, click the New DataSource button. In the connection type panel, choose the data source type that you want to connect. Here, SQL connection type is used to demonstrate.

SQL Connect

In the new connection configuration panel,

  • Name box: Specify the data source name without special characters.

  • Server name box: You can select existing server in the local network from the drop-down list or specify the specific remote server name like myserver.domain.com.

  • Authentication Type: In the authentication type select Windows or SQL Server authentication. In SQL Server type specify the username and password of the server.

    Authentication

  • Database name: In this field, choose or enter a existing valid database on the specified server e.g. AdventureWorks.

    Datasource Create Wizard

Finally, click Save in the New Connection panel and the new data source will be added in datasource pane like below.

Datasource Save Wizard

Now, the datasource will be added in the report and it is ready to create/use the data.