Data sources management in Report Server

You can create and store a data source on the Bold Reports® Report Server when you have a data source that you use often. A data source that you create on the Report Server is a shared data source that multiple reports can use.

Why should I use shared data sources?

Bold Reports® recommends that you use shared data sources as much as possible. Shared data sources are easier to manage and help keep reports and access to data sources more secure. Report Server always places shared data sources on the Data Sources page. Users can access them based on their permissions.

What can I do with data sources in Report Server?

Report Server data source management lets you add, update, share, and delete shared data sources. The following image shows the list of options available for managing data sources.

Options available to manage data sources in the Report Server

Add or create data sources

You can add a data source to the Report Server only if you have the Create All Data Sources permission.

Steps to add a data source

  1. Click the Create Data Source button on the Data Sources listing page. Create data source menu option

    While adding a data source, you can also add a new dataset to the Report Server. Use either the Create New Data source option or the Use existing Data source option.

Create New Datasource

The Create New Datasource option in Report Server creates a new data source and then a dataset that uses it.

  1. Click the Create New Datasource option. Report Server shows the enabled connectors, as shown in the following image. Set data connectors type

  2. Choose the data source, enter the name, description, and other required details of the data source, and then click the Save and Create DataSet option. Set data source properties

  3. Enter the name and description of the dataset and click the Proceed to Query Designer option. Proceed to designer.

  4. After designing the dataset, click the save option.

    Read, Write, Delete permission for the Specific Data Source is added for the user who created the data source.

    Note: Security Content password encryption

    • A password is encrypted and saved in the database.
    • When the save password option is not enabled, the credentials are not stored in the database, and the system prompts for the username and password on every occasion.
    • When the Save Password option is enabled, the password is encrypted and the credentials are stored in the database. The system then does not prompt for the username and password on every occasion.

Use existing Datasource

The Use existing Datasource option in Report Server creates a new dataset from a data source that already exists.

  1. Click the Use existing Datasource option when creating a dataset. Report Server shows all existing data sources. Use existing Datasource

  2. Select the existing data source and click the Connect button to create a new dataset. Set Use existing Datasource

  3. Enter the name and description of the dataset and click the Proceed to Query Designer option. Proceed to designer.

  4. After designing the dataset, click the Save option.

    Read, Write, Delete permissions for the Specific Data Source are granted to the user who created the data source.

How do I share a data source?

You can share data sources with other users in the Report Server by setting sharing permissions.

Steps to share a data source

  1. Click the Actions menu button in the Data source grid context menu and select the Sharing Permissions option. Sharing permission menu option

  2. Click the Manage Access button. Select data source access permission

  3. Select the permissions to access and the users or groups to share the data source with. Add permission to a data source

  4. After selecting the access and users or groups, click the Add button. Add button

    Note: Only users who have share permission can share the data source with other Report Server users.

How do I remove data source permission?

A Report Server user with specific permissions can remove the shared permissions using the Remove icon in the Access column. Add Permission

Info

The Info option in Report Server shows the details and linked reports of a data source.

  1. Click the Actions menu button in the Data source grid context menu and select Info. Datasource Info

  2. Review the Data Source info. It shows the Data source Id, Created by, Created on, Last modified by, Last modified on, and Linked Reports. Show Info

  3. Click Show to view the linked reports. Click Show Report Click Show Report

How do I edit a data source as XML?

The Report Server XML editor provides a user-friendly interface for making modifications to a data source. You can change the data source without downloading it or using a separate text editor.

  1. Click the Actions menu button in the data source grid context menu and select Edit As XML to edit a data source. Edit datasource in XML

  2. Make your modifications in the new tab, where the data source opens as XML. Save the edited data source by publishing it from the XML editor. Edit datasource XML View

How do I update a data source?

You can update shared data sources in Bold Reports® Report Server from the data sources grid.

Steps to update the data source

  1. Click the Actions menu button in the data sources grid context menu and select the Update option. Update datasource menu option

  2. Change the name, description, and other required details, and then select the Update option in the update data source dialog box. Update option

    Note: This option is available in Bold Reports® On-Premises Edition from version 2.2.28 onwards.

How do I delete a data source?

You can delete data sources from the Report Server when they are no longer required.

Click the Actions menu button in the data sources grid context menu and select Delete to delete the data source. Delete a data source

Data Sources cannot be deleted if a report or dataset uses them.

REST API Reference

The following table lists the available REST APIs related to data sources in Bold Reports® On-Premises Edition.

Action HTTP Method Endpoint Description
AddDataSource POST /api/site/{tenant-name}/v1.0/reports/data-sources Adds a new data source to the server. Datasource details must be passed as input.
UpdateDataSource PUT /api/site/{tenant-name}/v1.0/reports/data-sources Updates the data source on the server. Updated data source details must be passed as input.
GetDataSources GET /api/site/{tenant-name}/v1.0/items Returns the list of data sources for the current user. ItemType should be Datasource.
GetDataSourceLocation GET /api/site/{tenant-name}/v1.0/items/{itemId}/location Returns the item location of the specified data source. A specific data Source ID should be passed as a path parameter.
IsDataSourceNameExists POST /api/site/{tenant-name}/v1.0/items/is-name-exists Returns an item's existence, whether the given data source name already exists or not on the server. The data source name and ItemType as data Source should be passed in request body.
GetDataSourceDetail GET /api/site/{tenant-name}/v1.0/items/{id} Returns the specified datasource details from the server. DataSource item ID should be passed as a path parameter.
DeleteDataSource DELETE /api/site/{tenant-name}/v1.0/items/{id} Deletes the specified data source from the server. DataSource item ID should be passed as a path parameter.

Frequently asked questions

Which permission do I need to add a data source?

You need the Create All Data Sources permission to add a data source to the Report Server.

Does Report Server store data source passwords?

When the Save Password option is enabled, the password is encrypted and the credentials are stored in the database. When it is not enabled, the credentials are not stored and the system prompts for them on every occasion.

Can I delete a data source that a report uses?

No. Data sources cannot be deleted if a report or dataset uses them.

See also