Prerequisites
Verify Database
To verify, open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the SQL Server instance to use as the data source.
Once connected,
Expand the database containing the data to report on.
Expand Tables or Views depending on what is available.
Select a table or view that provides data.
Right click and choose SELECT TOP 1000 Rows. This should display data.
SQL Server Considerations
When using SQL Server there are some things to take into consideration including remote connectivity and user authentication. For information on what to consider, see the technical note: How to Configure Microsoft SQL Server.