How to: Verify a Connection to a Data Source
A data source in a report definition includes a name, a connection string, and the credentials to use to connect to the data source as well as the data on the data source.
If you run a dataset query and get either an error message about connecting to the data source or no results for the dataset, you should verify your credentials. When you define a data source in Report Designer, you must provide credentials that work from the client. After a report is published, or when you create a data source directly on a report server, you must provide credentials that work from the report server. The following procedures describe to verify that the credentials are working both on the client and on the report server.
To verify a connection using the Connection Properties dialog box on the report client
- In the Connection Properties dialog box, after you enter the server name, click Test Connection. If your connection is successful, the Test results dialog box displays the message "Test connection succeeded." An unsuccessful connection times out with a message that begins with "An error message occurred while establishing a connection to the server."
To verify a connection using Preview in Report Designer
- Click Preview in Report Designer. Previewing a report tests whether the credentials you have provided are sufficient to access the data on the data source. When you store credentials as part of the project properties, the credentials are encrypted and stored locally. Previewing a report tests that the stored credentials are valid.
To verify a connection using Report Manager
- If you create a data source directly on the report server, verify that your connection is valid by binding the data source to a report and running the report. For more information, see How to: Bind a Report or Model to a Shared Data Source.