All Data Sources require a connection to a physical database. There are separate Data Connection permissions per user for each Data Source. Each user enters their own credentials to the physical database. The figure below shows a sample of the Data Connection parameters used to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server database with the default SqlClient Data Provider.



Data Providers

When connecting to a database, DSF requires a registered .NET Data Provider.  Any detected provider data drivers on the machine will be listed when making a connection to the database.


Each Data Provider has different requirements to connect to your database. See your provider's documentation for more details.


DSF supports the following Data Provider types:


If you are not using one of the major database providers then you may need to setup ODBC using a DSN connection.

Selecting “Change…” on the Provider line will list the installed providers:



Select the provider that pertains to your connection type. Each provider has different parameter requirements. The Connection screen will change according to the database provider selected.


Microsoft SQL Server



Server

The server name is the name of the server where the database is running. Physical servers can run multiple instances of SQL Server. Include the instance name with the server name if one is required. The server name in the figure above is “DS01” and the instance name is “SQL2014”.

Port: 1433 is the default port for SQL Server. If you need a different port add it to the end of the server name separated by a colon “:”.


Example:
    DS01\SQL2014:1434


The “Find…” button that is shown on the server line will browse your network to detect server names that you have access to. Depending on the size of your network this may take a while. You can select the server name from the list or enter it directly. There are many reasons why your server may not be listed. The “Find…” button is for convenience only. If your server is not listed you can enter the name directly. 


User Authentication
Integrated Security (Windows Authentication) explanation is beyond the scope of this document. If you know your User ID and Password for your database enter it and test the connection. If not, try the integrated option and see if that works. Use whatever option connects. If neither works then you will need help from your database administrator to obtain access.


Database

Once connected successfully to the server your accessible database list will be available in the database pulldown. Select the database you wish to use for this Data Source in DSF.


Oracle



Host
The host name is the name of the server where the Oracle database is running.


Service

This is the entry in the tnsnames.ora file that holds the detailed information about the database to connect with in the Oracle host (server). Refer to your Oracle documentation.


ODBC



DSN
ODBC connections use a DSN (Data Source Name or Database Source Name) to obtain all necessary details to connect to the database. Select your DSN name. The “Find...” option will attempt to detect your current DSN names but may not find the one you wish to use. Type in your DSN name directly and test the connect to be sure. How to create a DSN is beyond the scope of this document.