How to create a report with Report Builder (1)

Owned by Timothy Hitchcock
Last updated: Jul 10, 2020
3 min read

This article explains how to use Microsoft Report Builder to:

  • Create a data source

  • Connect to a database

  • Add a dataset

The process is continued in a companion article: https://crowsnest.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CNHELP/pages/1173782567

Crows Nest features a robust report system that can be customized with Microsoft Report Builder.

Learn more about Report Builder here: https://crowsnest.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CNHELP/pages/1165754381/Microsoft+SQL+reports#Report-Builder-authoring-environment-(SSRS)

Create a data source

  • Start by opening Report Builder and clicking Blank Report.

  • Right-click Data Sources and select Add Data Source.

  • The Data Source Properties window will pop up.

  • Type a name for the data source here.

  • Select radio button for Use a connection embedded in my report.

  • Select connection type = Microsoft SQL Server.

  • Click Build. The Connection Properties window will appear.

  • Enter the SQL server info into the Server Name field.

    • (The server name is the one entered in the Crows Nest Database Utility)

If your user account has permissions to your SQL server, you can choose Use Windows Authentication and skip down to Connect to a database.

If your user account does not have permission, select SQL Server Authentication and use the Crows Nest read-only account.

  • Enter CN for the User Name and CN for the password.

  • Make sure to check the Save my password box.

Connect to a database

If you are using Windows Authentication and have entered the correct server name, You can select your database from the Select or enter a database name drop-down box.

If you are using the read-only Crows Nest account, you may have to type it in the drop-down box.

Now, click Test Connection.

If the connection is successful, you will get a popup that tells you the test connection succeeded.

Click OK on the popup window.

After the connection test has succeeded, save your connection settings:

  • click OK on the the Connection Properties window,

  • then click OK on the Data Source Properties window

You will now see your data source when you expand the Data Source folder under Report Data (left sidebar)

Make sure to save your the Report Builder file you have now created.

Report builder saves these files as a .rdl file. You will need this file to import to Crows Nest.

Add a dataset

  • Right-click Datasets and select Add Dataset… to open the Dataset Properties window.

  • Select Use a dataset embedded in my report.

  • Under Data source, select the dataset you created above (CN) from the drop-down menu.

  • In the Query box, write a query that will retrieve the correct data for Crows Nest.

  • Select OK to save the settings.

You can also use the Query Designer button in Data Properties to create custom queries in Report Builder.

You'll now see the dataset that was pulled by the query in the Datasets folder in Report Data.

Make sure to save the Report Builder file again.