How to Configure Business Data Connectivity Service SharePoint 2013

In this article we learn how to configure a Business Data Connectivity Service in SharePoint 2013. Business Connectivity Services (BCS) was introduced in SharePoint Server 2010 as an evolution of the Business Data Catalog released in Office SharePoint Server 2007. BCS enables SharePoint 2013 to work with data that is hosted externally. Possible sources can include databases, web services, Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services, Open Data Protocol (OData) sources, and other proprietary data that is accessed by using custom .NET assemblies.

With BCS, you can bring information into SharePoint from a variety sources. For example, you can bring data from an external SQL Server database, a traditional web service, a WCF service, proprietary systems, and OData services.
To start the Business Data Connectivity service:

1. Open the SharePoint Central Administration website for the server farm that contains your BCS solution.
2. On the Quick Launch, click System Settings.
3. On the System Settings page, under Servers, click "Manage services on server".
   
   
    
4. Check the value in the Server field. If the server name shown there is not the server that you want to run the Business Data Connectivity Service, click on the down arrow, click Change Server and select the correct server.
5. If necessary, next to Business Data Connectivity Service, under the Action column, click Start.
   
   
   

Create a new Business Data Connectivity Services service application

1. Open the SharePoint Central Administration website for your farm with a Farm administrator account. This must be the farm in which you started the Business Data Connectivity Service in the Start the Business Data Connectivity service for a Business Connectivity Services on-premises solution in SharePoint 2013 procedure.
2. On the Quick start, click "Application Management".
3. On the Application Management page under Service Applications, click "Manage service applications".
   
   
    
4. If an instance of the Business Data Connectivity Service Application that you will use for this solution is already there, you can skip the rest of this procedure. If not, follow the rest of this procedure to create one.
5. On the "SERVICE APPLICATIONS" tab, click "New" and click "Business Data Connectivity Service".
   
   
    
6. Configure the setting in the Create New Business Data Connectivity Service Application configuration page as follows:
7. In the Service Application Name box enter the name you want the service to appear as on the Manage Service Applications page. This BCS service application can be used by multiple BCS solutions.
8. In the Database area, leave the pre-populated values for Database Server, Database Name, and Database authentication, which is Windows authentication (recommended) unless you have specific design needs to change them.
   
   
    
9. If you have SQL Server database mirroring configured and you want to include the Business Data Connectivity Service database in mirroring, provide the name of the failover database server in the Failover Database Server box.
   
   
    
10. If you have not already created a new application pool for your service applications, enter a name for a new application pool in the Application pool name box, for example, "SharePointServiceApps". You can use this application pool for all your service applications. For more information on planning, creating and configuring service applications, see Manage service applications in SharePoint 2013.
     
11. Select the account that you configured in the Prerequisites for deploying a Business Connectivity Services on-premises solution in the SharePoint 2013 procedure as the SharePoint products application services account in the Configurable drop down.
     
12. Click "OK" to create the new Business Data Connectivity Service Application and click "OK" again.
     
13. Select the row that the Business Data Connectivity Service Application is in, not the proxy row.
    
    
     
14. Click "Administrators" in the Operations area and add any accounts that you want to be able to administer the Business Data Connectivity service application granting them full control. When these individuals open Central Administration they will only be able to administer the Business Data Connectivity service application.