Data sources management in Report Server

You can create and store a data source on the Report Server when you have a data source that you use often. When you create a data source on the Report Server, it is considered a shared data source that can be used by multiple reports.

It is recommended to use shared data sources as much as possible. They are easier to manage and help keep reports and access to data sources more secure. shared data sources are always placed on the Data Sources page and are accessible to users depending on their permissions.

This section covers data source management in the Report Server, allowing you to add, update, share and delete shared data sources. The following image shows the list of options available for managing data sources.

Add or create data sources

A data source can be added to the Report Server only if the user has Create All Data Sources permission.

Steps to add a data source

1. Click on the Create Data Source button from the Data Sources listing page.

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

Create New Datasource

1. Click on the Create New Datasource option; it will show the enabled connectors, as shown in the image below.

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

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

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

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

   Note: Security Content

   • A password will be encrypted and saved in the database.
   • When the save password option is not enabled, the credentials will not be stored in the database, and the system will prompt 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, preventing the system from prompting for the username and password on every occasion.

Use existing Datasource

1. Click on the Use existing Datasource option when creating a dataset; it will show all existing data sources.

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

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

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

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

Share data sources

This section explains on how to share data sources with the other users in the Report Server.

Steps to share a data source

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

2. Click the Manage Access button.

3. Select the permissions to access and the users or groups to share the data source.

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

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

Remove data source Permission

The user with specific permissions can remove the shared report permissions using the Remove icon in the Access column.

Edit Datasource as XML

This XML editor provides a user-friendly interface for making necessary modifications to the data source in the Report Server. This means you can make changes to 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.

2. The respective data source will be opened in a new tab as XML, allowing you to make modifications, and you can save the edited data source by publishing it from the XML editor.

Update data sources

This section explains how to update the data sources in Bold Reports.

Steps to update the data source

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

2. The name, description and other required details can be changed by selecting the Update option in the update data source dialog box.

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

Delete data source

Data sources can also be deleted 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.

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

REST API Reference

The following table illustrates the list of available APIs related to data sources in Bold Reports On-Premise.