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How to: Create a Data Source Reference (Report Builder 2.0)

In Report Builder 2.0, you can create a new data source that is a reference to a shared data source on a report server or an embedded data source that only your report uses.

To include a shared data source, you must have access to a report server and know where to find shared data sources. To create an embedded data source, you must provide connection information and know which permissions to specify so that report data can be retrieved from the data source. For more information, see Working with Embedded and Shared Data Sources (Report Builder 2.0).

When you browse to a report server to choose a shared data source, this report server becomes your current report server. For more information, see Working with and without a Report Server (Report Builder 2.0).

To create an a reference to a shared data source

  1. On the toolbar in the Report Data pane, click New, and then click Data Source. The Data Source Properties dialog box opens.

  2. In the Name text box, type a name for the data source or accept the default.

  3. Select Use a shared connection or report model. The list of shared data sources and report models in the report appear. If no items appear, click Browse and browse to the folder on the report server where shared data sources are available.

  4. Select the shared data source. Click OK.

The data source appears in the Report Data pane.

To create an embedded data source

  1. On the toolbar in the Report Data pane, click New, and then click Data Source. The Data Source Properties dialog box opens.

  2. In the Name text box, type a name for the data source or accept the default.

  3. Verify that Use a connection embedded in my report is selected.

    1. From the Select connection type drop-down list, select a data source type; for example, Microsoft SQL Server or OLE DB.

    2. Specify a connection string by using one of the following alternatives:

    • Type the connection string directly in the Connection string text box. For a list of example connection strings, see Example Connections (Report Builder 2.0).

    • Click the expression (fx) button to create an expression that evaluates to a connection string. In the Expression dialog box, type the expression in the Expression pane. Click OK.

    • Click Build to open the Connection Properties dialog box for the data source type that you chose in step 2.

      Fill in the fields in the Connection Properties dialog box as appropriate for the data source type. Connection properties include the type of data source, the name of the data source, and the credentials to use. After you specify values in this dialog box, click Test Connection to verify that the data source is available and that the credentials you specified are correct. For more information about specific data source types, see topics in Connecting To Your Data How-to Topics (Report Builder 2.0).

  4. Click Credentials.

    Specify the credentials to use for this data source. The owner of the data source chooses the type of credentials that are supported. In some cases, the owner of the data source maintains a shared data source on a report server and configures the data source with credentials that you can use. Contact the data source owner for this information. For more information, see Specifying Credentials for a Report Data Source (Report Builder 2.0).

  5. Click OK.

The data source appears in the Report Data pane.