This snippet is from the package crxi_jrc_jsp_samples.zip in the file jrc_set_subreport_parameters\Readme.txt:
3. To configure a JNDI connection to the sample report (which uses an ODBC connection to the Xtreme Sample Database), add following entry to your web.xml file:
<env-entry>
<env-entry-name>jdbc/Xtreme Sample Database 11</env-entry-name>
<env-entry-value>!sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver!jdbc

dbc:Xtreme Sample Database 11</env-entry-value>
<env-entry-type>java.lang.String</env-entry-type>
</env-entry>
This very important detail is buried in a very unlikely place, so it's no wonder ppl are having trouble with this basic set up. Business Objects should display the above prominently.
I'm using Netbeans 4.1 w/ Tomcat 5 on WinXP. I tested it out to connect to a local MS Access file and to a remote Oracle server (making the appropriate changes to the above). As far as I am able to see, the above web.xml entry isthe ONLY thing you need to communicate with your database source. Namely, changes to CRConfig.xml, setting database sources in your Tomcat/admin, or "Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Database Sources" don't do a thing.