Software Platform User guide

Introduction
Crystal Reports can access data stored in almost any common database
format, as well as many uncommon formats. This section discusses the many
different types of data that Crystal Reports can access, and explains the
data access layers involved in connecting to the data. If you are not sure
what Database Management System (DBMS) your company uses, contact
your IT manager or your network administrator.
The principal purpose of Crystal Reports is simply to access data stored in
databases and to produce reports on that data. This goal is one of the oldest
uses of computers and remains one of the most common and most
necessary. Crystal Reports is designed to make that task easier, less
time-consuming, and more powerful.
This idea of accessing data remains at the root of every report produced. By
understanding how Crystal Reports accesses data, you will gain a better
knowledge of the reporting process, as well as a better knowledge of the
type of data with which the program can work.
In addition, understanding the data access process will help you troubleshoot
problems you may encounter while trying to open a particular database file.
This is especially useful for IT managers, or for anyone who provides data
access support for a group of users.
Most of the information in this section is designed for experienced Crystal
Reports users and IT managers, and covers technical aspects of Database
Management Systems (DBMS) and data storage techniques. A familiarity
with computers, the Windows operating system, and at least one DBMS
application is assumed.
Note:
Business Objects also provides native database drivers for its Solution Kits.
These drivers and other integration features are available in Solution Kits
for such Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) products as SAP, Baan,
PeopleSoft, and Siebel.
Six types of data
The data that Crystal Reports can access falls into six general categories:
716 Crystal Reports 2008 SP3 User's Guide
Accessing Data Sources
26
Introduction