User`s guide

Accessing Data Sources
A.1 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.
A.1.1 Six types of data
The data that Crystal Reports can access falls into six general categories:
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Accessing Data Sources