SQL Server Connection

New Report - SQL 2019/2022/2025 Connection

How to connect to MS SQL Server in the "New Report from Database" wizard, on the Connection tab.

v5 note: Use the Microsoft.Data.SqlClient data provider name in new reports. The older SQL provider name (System.Data.SqlClient) is legacy and not supported on .NET 8+. If you have existing .rdl files with <DataProvider>SQL</DataProvider>, change it to <DataProvider>Microsoft.Data.SqlClient</DataProvider>.

Method 1

I have found that the quickest way for me is to keep a line like the following in a notes text file I can quickly access, and I cut-n-paste it straight into the Connection field - this uses Windows Authentication so that no username and password needs to be specified :
server=OURSERVER; database=TESTDB; Integrated Security=SSPI
You can leave blank all the controls in the "SQL Server" frame below this.

The connection details can be seen later in Data..Data Sources from the top menubar, and will appear in the RDL XML as

  <DataSources>
    <DataSource Name="DS1">
      <ConnectionProperties>
        <DataProvider>Microsoft.Data.SqlClient</DataProvider>
        <ConnectString>server=OURSERVER; database=TESTDB; Integrated Security=SSPI</ConnectString>

Method 2

If you'd rather let the wizard detect the server for you, try the following. With the "Connection Type" set to SQL a new group box (frame of controls) will appear. It lets you search for SQL 2019/2022/2025 servers and select any that come back, in a combo box. You can then enter your username and password on the server and click "Search for Databases" and a list of all databases on the server will be returned.

Server Authentication Error

You may receive a server authentication error. If it looks like:

You can fix this by setting your server authentication to "SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode".