Retrieve data source connection string from reportserver.dbo.DataSource

Question

I would like to retrieve the connection string (and credentials) for each of my data sources (without having to click on each individual item). The DataSource table has a column called ConnectionString, but the data type is image, which cannot be converted to varchar. Does anyone have any ideas of how to pull this information from the database?
I have tried converting to binary/varbinary, and then converting to varchar, but I get garbage back.
Note: I am currently using SSRS 2005
Thanks,
Marianne

Answer 1

Hi Jin,
I downloaded your script and was impressed with the information it retrieves, however, it is not formatted very well with the name of each data source being on the same line as the previous data source so I updated the script to create a blank line between
each data source block, and also to include the login credentials used by the data source, and the path for the data source, which is very useful in being able to locate the data source for editing in Report Manager. However, it is not retrieving all data
sources and I don't know why. I know this for a fact because there are data sources defined that are not in the output of this script but I don't know enough about VB to improve the script further, or how the report server is configured to ensure the code
finds the missing data sources.
Here's the updated script.
'=============================================================================
'  File:      PublishSampleReports.rss
'  Summary:  Demonstrates a script that can be used with RS.exe to
'      publish the sample reports that ship with Reporting Services.
' This file is part of Microsoft SQL Server Code Samples.
'  Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
' This source code is intended only as a supplement to Microsoft
' Development Tools and/or on-line documentation.  See these other
' materials for detailed information regarding Microsoft code samples.
' THIS CODE AND INFORMATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
' KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
' IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A
' PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Public Sub Main()
    rs.Credentials = System.Net.CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials
    'Create the parent folder
    GetCatalogItems(String.Empty)
End Sub
    ' <summary>
    ' recursivly get folder items from report
    ' server catalog; render to treeview control
    ' </summary>
    ' <param name="catalogPath"></param>
    ' <param name="parentNode"></param>
    Public Sub GetCatalogItems(ByVal catalogPath As String)
        Dim items As CatalogItem()
        Try
            ' if catalog path is empty, use root, if not pass the folder path
            If catalogPath.Length = 0 Then
                ' no recursion (false)
                items = rs.ListChildren("/", False)
            Else
                ' no recursion (false)
                items = rs.ListChildren(catalogPath, False)
            End If
            ' iterate through catalog items and populate treeview control
            For Each item As CatalogItem In items
                ' if folder is hidden, skip it
                If item.Hidden <> True Then
                    ' ensure only folders are rendered
                    If item.Type.Equals(ItemTypeEnum.DataSource) Then
                        'use the GetDataSourceContents to get the definition of the data source.
                        Dim definition As DataSourceDefinition = Nothing
                        Try
                            definition = rs.GetDataSourceContents(item.Path)
                            Console.WriteLine(item.Name)
                            Console.WriteLine(item.Path)
                            Console.WriteLine("Connection String: {0}", definition.ConnectString)
                            Console.WriteLine("Extension name: {0}", definition.Extension)
                            Console.WriteLine("UserName: {0}", definition.UserName)
                        Catch e As SoapException
                            Console.WriteLine(e.Detail.InnerXml.ToString())
                        End Try
                        Console.WriteLine(item.Name)
                        Console.WriteLine()
                    ElseIf item.Type.Equals(ItemTypeEnum.Folder) Then
                        ' recurse                     
                        GetCatalogItems(item.Path)
                    End If
                End If
            Next
        Catch ex As Exception
            Console.WriteLine(ex.Message)
        Finally
            'Do nothing
        End Try
    End Sub
To run this I use:
rs -i GetPropertiesOfDataSources.rss -s
http://<reportserver_name>/reportserver > DataSources_<reportserver_name>.txt
But as I mentioned it is not picking up all of the data sources and I don't know why. I also don't know why it's so difficult to find all the data sources from within Report Manager. I'm new to SSRS but was told that prior to SQL 2005, this information was
easily available using Management Studio to connect to the report server but now it's buried in the Report Manager and not accessible from one spot. Bad move by Microsoft apparently. You'd think that there would be an easy way to find all of the data sources.
We need to migrate the SQL Servers on which reports are running, but we have tons of reports and, historically, little documentation for them so we need to be able to determine where all the data sources are so we know which to update. This is proving extremely
difficult. Your script helps but is not comprehensive.
Any and all help is appreciated.
Michael MacGregor, Senior SQL Server DBA, Carlson Marketing