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Lesson 2: Specifying Connection Information (Reporting Services)

After you add a report to the Tutorial project, you need to define a data source, which is a set of connection information the report uses to access data from either a relational database, multidimensional database, or other resource.

In this lesson, you will use the AdventureWorks2008 sample database as your data source. This tutorial assumes that this database is located in a default instance of SQL Server Database Engine that is installed on your local computer.

To set up a connection

  1. In the Report Data pane, click New and then click Data Source.

    Note

    If the Report Data pane is not visible, from the View menu, click Report Data.

  2. In Name, type AdventureWorks.

  3. Make sure Embedded connection is selected.

  4. In Type, select Microsoft SQL Server.

  5. In Connection string, type the following:

    Data source=localhost; initial catalog=AdventureWorks2008

    This connection string assumes that Business Intelligence Development Studio, the report server, and the AdventureWorks2008 database are all installed on the local computer and that you have permission to logon to the AdventureWorks2008 database.

    Note

    If you are using SQL Server Express with Advanced Services or a named instance, the connection string must include instance information:

    Data source=localhost\SQLEXPRESS; initial catalog=AdventureWorks2008

    For more information about connection strings, see Connecting to a Data Source (Reporting Services) and Data Source Properties Dialog Box, General.

  6. Click OK. A data source called AdventureWorks is added to the Report Data pane.

Next Task

You have successfully defined a connection to the AdventureWorks sample database. Next, you will create the report. See Lesson 3: Defining a Dataset for the Table Report (Reporting Services).

At this point you're ready to complete tutorials on creating other kinds of reports, too. See: