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Of course, you can use the database vendor's JDBC driver instead. This approach has some drawbacks and advantages compared to our JDBC driver. The advantage is that the database administrator can provide a database user with limited access to the data model (read-only and with reading privileges for some tables only, for instance). The drawback would be that it might require to include the users' credentials (username & password) in the BIRT report to access to Jira database connection. You have to evaluate the pros and cons and make the right decision for your organization.
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