SharePoint 2010: Business Connectivity Services

This article explains step-by-step how to make an external content type using Microsoft Business Connectivity Services (BCS).

BCS

BCS, formerly named the Business Data Catalog, enables users to read and write data from external systems using web services, databases and Microsoft .NET Framework assemblies from within Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Office 2010 applications.

Business Connectivity Services are a set of services and features that provide a way to connect SharePoint solutions to sources of external data and to define external content types based on that external data. This article contains a step-by-step guide to design an External Content Type from SQL Server.

The following is my SQL database:


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My database table in Design mode:


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Now the next task is to create an external content type.

Open SharePont Designer then open your site like the following:


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Click Open.


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Select External Content types then click on the External Content Type option.


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Now click here to discover an external data source and define the operation.


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Now click on Add Connection then select SQL Server -> OK.


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Enter your Database Server Name, Database name and Name (optional). Then click OK.


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Here expand your data table then right-click then select Create All Operations.


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Click Next.


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Set your table column as identifier then click Finish.


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Now save this using the top left Save button.


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Now open your site then select Site Actions -> More options.


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Select List -> External List then provide a name and click on Create.


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Now click on search and external content type then a pop-up window will open then search and select your External content type then click Ok.


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Now click Create.


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Your SQL Server Data.

Now select an Item -> Add.


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Check your SQL Server Data Table also.

If there is an error message while displaying data then go to Central Admin.


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Select Manage Service Applications.


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Select Business Data Connectivity Service.


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Be sure to set Object Permission and set Metadata Store Permission. They should be like the preceding.