About working with data sources
When you work with a Web site based on Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, you can access a wide range of data sources, including desktop-based and server-based databases, Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, Web services, and SharePoint lists. You can connect to Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle databases. You can maintain the data sources available to your Web site by using the Data Source Catalog task pane.
You can familiarize yourself with the data source structure and even step through individual records by using the Data View Details task pane. If you want to work with a data source, you can add data from it to a Web page by using a Data View Web Part.