How to build / refresh pivot table without ODBC??

[Terence C]

Dear all,

I am building an excel report with pivot table and the data source is from
SQL server 2000. However, when I build the pivot table, it requires me to
provide an ODBC name on my computer. This report will be distributed to more
than 10 users and it would not be convenient if we have to set up the same
ODBC data source in each user's computer since they will refresh the data
themselves.

Therefore, is there any way to refresh the pivot without ODBC? Please advice
and thanks in advance!!

 

[slarbie]

If the volume of data being pulled into the reports were not prohibitively
large, I'd be tempted to set it up so there's one person tasked with a daily
refresh (or weekly? not knowing the data "freshness" requirements) to
populate a separate table (access? excel?) using ODBC connection. Then in
the distributed report file use a more direct link to that source. Make
sense?

On the other hand, I've also succeeded in getting fairly sizable groups of
users to set up individual ODBC connections. Just requires a well written
procedure for them to follow.