Connecting to Data Sources

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to set a data source.

Data Source Selection for a Report

The data that you use to create reports in your organization is stored in either a client-server database or a PC-type database.

Reports pull data from central (client-server) or local (PC-type) databases.

The image depicts a Database Expert software window with a Data tab open, showing a two-panel interface where the left panel lists expandable folder options of various database connection types such as ADO.NET, JDBC, ODBC (RDO), and SAP BW, among others, while the right panel, labeled Selected Tables, remains empty and in the center are buttons for adding or removing data sources between the panels, all within a clean, functional setting designed for browsing and selecting database tables.

You access sources through either an ODBC layer or directly through native drivers. ODBC stands for Open Database Connectivity. It is an interface that gives applications the ability to retrieve data in data management systems.

Hint

In your organization the database may be secure, meaning you might be prompted for a user ID and password.

The Database Expert displays with the connection to the data source highlighted.

Summary

Reports pull data from central (client-server) or local (PC-type) databases.
Connections use ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) or native drivers for data fetching.
Access may require credentials if databases are secured, and connections are visualized with the Database Expert tool.

Next lesson