Manage Data Connections for Standalone version

The Dotnet Report system is a powerful tool for generating reports from various databases. To leverage its capabilities, you must first configure the databases as “Data Connections” within the system. Each Data Connection contains the necessary schema setup for a specific database. This guide provides a structured approach to setting up database connections in Dotnet Report for different deployment methods:

• Local Installation
• Docker Setup
• GitHub Clone

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have:

1. An active Dotnet Report account (if using the cloud version).
2. Database credentials (server, port, name, authentication type, username/password).
3. Dotnet Report installed (via local setup, Docker, or GitHub clone).

Step 1: Accessing Dotnet Report

For Local Installation / GitHub Clone

1. Launch the application (via dotnet run or your preferred method).
2. Navigate to the Welcome Page.
3. Locate and click “Manage Database” in the admin section.

For Docker Setup

1. Ensure the container is running (docker-compose up).
2. Access the application via http://localhost:[PORT].
3. Go to “Manage Database” in the admin panel.

Step 2: Add a New Data Connection

1. Inside “Manage Database”, select “Data Connections”.
2. Click “Add New Connection”.
3. Fill in the required details:
   • Connection Name
   • Connection Type

Step 3: Manage Database Connection

There are two options for managing the database connection

Option A: Using an Existing Connection String

• If your connection string is stored in appsettings.json, select this option.
• Provide the connection string name from the config file.

Option B: Building a Connection String Manually

1. Select Database Type:
   • MS SQL
   • MySQL
   • PostgreSQL
   • OleDB/Others
2. Enter Connection Details:
   • Server Name/IP
   • Port (defaults: 1433 for SQL, 3306 for MySQL, 5432 for PostgreSQL)
   • Database Name
   • Authentication Type (Windows/SQL Auth)
   • Username & Password (if using SQL Auth)
3. Test Connection → Click “Save” if successful.

Pro Tip: If you have databases with similar schemas, you can copy an existing connection to save time.

Step 4: Switching Between Data Connections

• From the Data Connections dropdown, select the desired database.
• All reports will now use this connection unless specified otherwise.

Step 4: Verify Data Connections on Dotnet Report Portal

Any Data Connections added from your local application will also be visible on the Dotnet Report portal. This ensures consistency and allows you to manage connections from both platforms seamlessly.

Next Steps

Once your Data Connections are set up, the next step is to add Tables and Columns to Dotnet Report. This process will be covered in a subsequent article, enabling you to fully customize and generate reports based on your database schema.

By following this systematic guide, you can efficiently set up and manage Data Connections in Dotnet Report, ensuring a smooth and secure integration with your databases.