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Data Source Properties Dialog Box, General (Report Builder 3.0)

Select General on the Data Source Properties dialog box to select a shared data source from a report server or to create or modify connection information for a data source embedded in the report.

The type of credentials used to connect to a data source is specified in the data source properties. When you open a report from the report server, the run-time credentials, specified in the data source properties, might not work for design time tasks such as creating queries and previewing reports. For example, the data source might use Windows credentials other than yours or a user name and password that are unknown to you.

Report Builder 3.0 opens the Enter Data Source Credentials dialog box when it is unable to connect to the data source using the credentials provided in the data source properties. Typically this happens when:

  • The data source is configured to prompt for credentials.

  • The data source is configured to use stored credentials. To minimize potential security threats, Report Builder is designed to not retrieve credentials stored on the server.

You can use the Enter Data Source Credentials dialog box to change the credentials used by Report Builder 3.0 at design time to connect to the data source as the current Windows user or provide a user name and password. If you provide a user name and password you can indicate whether they are used as Windows credentials.

Note

Although the query designers allow you to specify other another credentials type for design-time credentials, report preview only allows you to enter the user name and password for the existing credentials options specified in the data source.

When you click Test Connection, the connection to the data source is tested using the credentials specified in the data source properties credentials page. You can test connections to embedded and shared data sources.

If the credentials specified are incomplete (for example, a password is required), Report Builder 3.0 prompts you again for run-time credentials when it needs to connect the data source. The design-time credentials are stored and you are not prompted again.

Options

  • Name
    Type the name of the data source. The data source name must be unique within the report. By default, a general name, such as DataSource1 or DataSource2, is assigned to the data source.

  • Use a shared connection
    Select this option to browse to a shared data source that has been published to a report server.

    After you select a data source from a report server, Report Builder maintains a connection to this report server. For more information, see Report Servers and SharePoint Report Servers (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS).

  • Use a connection embedded in my report
    Select this option to create a data source that is used only by this report.

  • Type
    Select a data processing extension. The list displays all registered extensions.

  • Connection string
    Enter a connection string for the data source. Click Build to build the connection string using the Connection Properties dialog box. Click the Expressions (fx) button to edit the expression.

  • Use a single transaction when processing the queries
    Select this option to indicate that datasets that use this data source are run in a single transaction against the database. To include transactions for subreports that use the same data source, select the subreport, and in the Properties pane, set MergeTransactions to True.

  • Test Connection
    Click to verify that the data source connection works by using the specified credentials. If the connection cannot be made, you need to verify your credentials and the server availability. You can test data source connections for embedded and shared data sources.