---
title: "Lesson 3: Defining a Data-Driven Subscription | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "03/06/2017"
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---
# Lesson 3: Defining a Data-Driven Subscription
  In this lesson, you use the data-driven subscription pages to connect to a subscription data source, build a query that retrieves subscription data, and map the result set to report and delivery options.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  Before you start, verify that [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] Agent service is running. If it is not running, you cannot save the subscription.  
  
 This lesson assumes you completed Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 and that the report data source uses stored credentials.  For more information, see [Lesson 2: Modifying the Report Data Source Properties](../reporting-services/lesson-2-modifying-the-report-data-source-properties.md)  
  
 In this topic:  
  
-   [Start the Data-Driven Subscription Wizard](#bkmk_startwizard)  
  
-   [Step 1 - Define a description](#bkmk_definesubscription)  
  
-   [Step 2 - Define a Connection to the Subscriber Data Source](#bkmk_defineconnectiontosubscriber)  
  
-   [Step 3 - Define a Query to Retrieve Subscriber data](#bkmk_definequery)  
  
-   [Step 4 - Set Delivery Options](#bkmk_set_deliveryoptions)  
  
-   [Step 5 - Configure a Parameter Value to Very Report Output](#bkmk_configure_parameter)  
  
-   [Step 6 - To Schedule a Subscription](#bkmk_schedule_subscription)  
  
##  <a name="bkmk_startwizard"></a> Start the Data-Driven Subscription Wizard  
  
1.  In Report Manager, click **Home**, and navigate to the folder containing the **Sales Orders** report.  
  
2.  In the context menu of the report, click **Manage**, and then click the **Subscriptions** tab.  
  
3.  Click **New Data-driven Subscription**. If you do not see this button, you do not have Content Manager permissions.  
  
##  <a name="bkmk_definesubscription"></a> Step 1 - Define a description  
  
1.  Type **Sales Order delivery** in description.  
  
2.  Select **Windows FileShare** for **Specify how recipients are notified**.  
  
3.  Select **Specify for this subscription only**, and then click **Next**.  
  
##  <a name="bkmk_defineconnectiontosubscriber"></a> Step 2 - Define a Connection to the Subscriber Data Source  
  
1.  Select **Microsoft SQL Server** as the data source type.  
  
2.  In Connection string, type the following connection string:  
  
    ```  
    data source=localhost; initial catalog=Subscribers  
    ```  
  
    > [!NOTE]  
    >  Subscribers is the database you created in lesson 1.  
  
3.  Click **Credentials stored securely in the report server**.  
  
4.  In **User Name** and **Password**, type your domain user name and password. Include both the domain and user account when specifying **User Name**.  
  
    > [!NOTE]  
    >  Credentials used to connect to a subscriber data source are not passed back to [!INCLUDE[ssManStudio](../includes/ssmanstudio-md.md)]. If you modify the subscription later, you must retype the password used to connect to the data source.  
  
5.  Select **Use as windows credentials when connecting to the data source**, and then click **Next**.  
  
##  <a name="bkmk_definequery"></a> Step 3 - Define a Query to Retrieve Subscriber data  
  
1.  In the query box, type the following query:  
  
    ```  
    Select * from OrderInfo  
    ```  
  
2.  Specify a time-out of 30 seconds.  
  
3.  Click **Validate**, and then click **Next**.  
  
##  <a name="bkmk_set_deliveryoptions"></a> Step 4 - Set Delivery Options  
  
1.  For **File name**, select **Get the value from the database**. Select the field **Order**.  
  
2.  For **Path**, select **Specify a static value**. In Setting Value, type the name of a public file share for which you have write permissions (for example, `\\mycomputer\public\myreports`).  
  
3.  For **Render Format**, select **Get the value from the database**. Select **Format**.  
  
4.  For **Write mode**, select **Specify a static value** and select **AutoIncrement**.  
  
5.  For **File Extension**, select **Specify a static value** and select **True**.  
  
6.  For **User name**, select **Specify a static value**. Type your domain user account. Enter it in this format: `<domain>\<account>`. The user account needs to have permissions to the path you configured in the previous steps.  
  
7.  For **Password**, select **Specify a static value**. Type your password. Be sure that you type the password carefully. The wizard does not validate the password.  
  
8.  Click **Next.**  
  
##  <a name="bkmk_configure_parameter"></a> Step 5 - Configure a Parameter Value to Very Report Output  
  
1.  For **OrderNumber**, select **Get the value from the database**. In Value, select **Order**. Click **Next.**  
  
##  <a name="bkmk_schedule_subscription"></a> Step 6 - To Schedule a Subscription  
  
1.  Click **On a schedule created for this subscription**, and then click **Next**.  
  
2.  In **Schedule Details**, click **Once**.  
  
3.  Specify a start time that is a few minutes ahead of the current time.  
  
4.  Click **Finish**.  
  
## Next Steps  
 When the subscription runs, four report files will be delivered to the file share you specified, one for each order in the *Subscribers* data source. Each delivery should be unique in terms of data (the data should be order-specific), rendering format, and file format. You can open each report from the shared folder to verify that each version is customized based on the subscription options you defined.  
  
 ![List of files created by the subscription](../../2014/tutorials/media/ssrs-tutorial-datadriven-subscription-filelist.gif "List of files created by the subscription")  
  
 The subscription page in Report Manager will contain the **Last Run** date and **Status** of the subscription.  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  Refresh the page after the subscription runs to see the updated information.  
  
 ![Subscription results in Report Manager](../../2014/tutorials/media/ssrs-tutorial-datadriven-subscription-status-reportmanager.gif "Subscription results in Report Manager")  
  
 This step concludes the tutorial "Defining a Data-Driven Subscription". To learn more about other [!INCLUDE[ssRSnoversion](../includes/ssrsnoversion-md.md)] tutorials, see [Reporting Services Tutorials &#40;SSRS&#41;](../reporting-services/reporting-services-tutorials-ssrs.md).  
  
## See Also  
 [Create a Data-Driven Subscription &#40;SSRS Tutorial&#41;](../reporting-services/create-a-data-driven-subscription-ssrs-tutorial.md)   
 [Subscriptions and Delivery &#40;Reporting Services&#41;](subscriptions/subscriptions-and-delivery-reporting-services.md)   
 [Data-Driven Subscriptions](subscriptions/data-driven-subscriptions.md)   
 [Create, Modify, and Delete a Data-Driven Subscription](subscriptions/create-modify-and-delete-data-driven-subscriptions.md)   
 [Use an External Data Source for Subscriber Data &#40;Data-Driven Subscription&#41;](subscriptions/use-an-external-data-source-for-subscriber-data-data-driven-subscription.md)