Using SharePoint Business Connectivity
Services to Expose Line of Business Data
October 22, 2010
Session Promise (per the Abstract)
Business Connectivity Services (BCS) is the new and
improved version of the Business Data Catalog.
Business Connectivity Services make it easy to bring
enterprise data into the familiar user interfaces of
SharePoint and Office. This session will show how to
leverage the power of Business Connectivity Services
with Office and Visual Studio to build solutions. The
demos included highlight the types of SharePoint
solutions that can be created with Business
Connectivity Services as well as applicable scenarios
for each solution type.
2
Session Objectives And Takeaways
Session Objectives:
• Show how to leverage the power of Business
Connectivity Services with the Office and Visual Studio
• Illustrate the types of SharePoint solutions that can be
created with Business Connectivity Services
Key Takeaway
Today’s Agenda Includes…
• Business Connectivity Services (BCS) Overview
• BCS Tools Overview
• Demos
• Create an ECT with SharePoint Designer
• Configure ECT for Outlook Off-lining
• Q&A
4
Cogent Company | An Overview
5
Overview of Cogent Company
• We are a management and IT consulting firm focused on helping our clients
• define actionable information management strategies that
deliver measurable business value
• design, build and deploy sustainable and scalable information management
technology solutions
• Our consultants average decades of solution design, development and
implementation experience
• We partner closely with our clients to execute rapid deployment cycles that
consistently demonstrate “speed to value”
• We provide industry-recognized expertise and innovation across the
spectrum of Microsoft and related technologies
• We offer experience advising client executives and implementing
enterprise-class applications in multiple industries and client sizes
6
©2010. Cogent Company. Proprietary and Confidential.
Our Services
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Strategic Advisory
Services
•
•
•
•
Solution Selection and Roadmap Development
IT Transformation and Governance
Project and Portfolio Management
Strategic Change Management
Information
Management Services
•
•
•
•
Data Acquisition and Quality Analysis
Data Warehousing
Business Intelligence
Advanced Analytics
Core Infrastructure
Services
•
•
•
•
Security and Networking
Data Protection and Recovery
IT Management and Security
Desktop, Device, and Server Management
Custom Development
Services
•
•
•
•
User Experience
Software Development
Service Oriented Architectures
System Integration
Productivity Services
•
•
•
•
Business Process Management and Collaboration
Application Integration
Enterprise Content Management and Search
Unified Communications
©2010. Cogent Company. Proprietary and Confidential.
Business Connectivity Services
Overview
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BCS Connects
Applications
• BCS enhances Office
application and SharePoint
Data
application capabilities and their UI through features,
Users
services, and tools.
• The BCS feature set enables rapid development and
deployment of scalable and security-rich solutions.
• BCS enables users to read and write data from external
systems—through Web services, databases, and
Microsoft .NET Framework assemblies—from within
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Office 2010
applications
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BCS Scenarios
• Reveal external data from enterprise applications and Web 2.0
services in Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010, SharePoint
Server 2010, and in rich client Office applications.
• Provide Office Type behaviors (such as contacts, tasks,
appointments) and capabilities to external data and services.
• Provide complete interaction with the data including write-back
capabilities from Office applications and SharePoint Server to the
underlying external system data and business objects.
• Enable offline use of external data and processes.
• Bridge the unstructured world of documents and people and the
appropriate structured data that is locked in external systems.
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Types of Solutions You Can Build Using BCS
Simple
Developers &
Power User
Advanced
Advanced Developer
(Declarative)
(Code-based)
Takes advantage of the
native capabilities: BCS,
SharePoint 2010, and Office
2010
Uses no-code to create
more powerful and
customized solutions.
Uses Microsoft Visual
Studio 2010 to create rich
code-based solutions.
External List
Assemble and customize
composite solutions
Information
Worker
External Data Columns
Web Parts
Offlining
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Intermediate
Create a Microsoft Outlook
solution without writing
code.
Create reusable
components
Create end-to-end solutions
by using Office, SharePoint,
and Business Connectivity
Services object models
Business Connectivity Services Stack
Brings LOB Data Into SharePoint




SharePoint List with External Data
Business
Read
/ Write Connectivity Services is included in Microsoft SharePoint Foundation
2010, SharePoint
SharePoint
Foundation Server, and Office 2010.
Built
on the SharePoint 2007
Business Data Catalog
Business
SharePoint
SharePoint Server
SharePoint Server
Connectivity
Services Feature
Foundation 2010
External List
√
√
√
External Data column √
√
√
Business Data
Connectivity (BDC)
service
√
Client Runtime
Connector Framework √
Secure
Store Service
SharePoint
Designer 2010
External
Data Search
Rich Client Integration
Offline
Operations
Cache
√
Development
Platform
Business
Intelligence
ECT
Store
Profile Pages
Business Data Web
Parts
√
2010 Enterprise
Edition
SharePoint
Design Tools
Visual Studio 2010
2010 Standard
Office
Apps
Edition
Runtime
√
Enterprise content
mgmt
√
Security
√
√
Collaboration
social
Solution
Packaging
√
Enterprise
Search
√
Out of the box
UI
√
√
√
.NET LOB
Web Service
WCF
DB
Web 2.0
√
External Content Types
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Describes the schema and data access
of an external data source
Enable reusability capabilities
and its behavior within Office and
Encapsulate complexities
of external systems
SharePoint
Provide built-in Office and SharePoint behavior
Ensure secure access
Simplify maintenance
(Web Service, DB, .Net
Enable external data search
object, LOB system, Web 2.0
service, etc.)
Enable working offline
*formerly known as BDC Entity
BCS-enabled solutions rely on ECTs to
integrate external data into SharePoint
and the Office client applications
BCS Tools Overview
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Solution Types, Tools
and Roles
NO CODE*
Power User
CODE
Developer
Advanced Developer
Solution Types, Tools
and Roles
•
•
Surface data in External
Lists
Connect those lists to
Outlook, SPW
• Create reusable
components (UI parts,
ECTs, actions)
Simple
Intermediate
NO CODE*
Power User
Advanced
CODE
Developer
Advanced Developer
Developer
Advanced
Solution Types, Tools
and Roles
• Surface data in External
Lists
• Customize
• InfoPath forms
• Outlook taskpane and
•
•
•
• Connect those lists to
Outlook, SPW
Simple
ribbon
Word (QuickParts)
Workflow
Web Part Pages
Intermediate
NO CODE*
SharePoint
Designer
Power User
• Create reusable
components (UI parts,
ECTs, actions)
Advanced
CODE
SharePoint
SDK
Developer
Advanced Developer
Solution Creation Approaches
Client-Server Environment
Compose solutions (no code) that connect
to existing WCF, Sql Server databases and
.Net Objects
Implicitly author thin and rich client UX for
External List and InfoPath Forms
Single machine Dev Environment
Create reusable ECTs that provide custom
integration logic to virtually any data
source using .Net code
Author thin and rich client UX as reusable
components
Create Office Add-Ins in Visual Studio
Developer
Visual
Studio
SharePoint
Designer
SDK
Import &
Configure
Produce
WSP
Power User
IT Admin
Production
Environment
Export, Import
& Configure
“Live”
Connection
SharePoint Server
(Shared, Dev/Prod)
Tools Feature Overview
Features
SharePoint
Designer 2010
Visual
Studio 2010
Connect to existing WCF/Web Services, Sql
Server or .Net Assemblies
Connect to virtually any data source
through custom .Net code
Author External Content Types
and Profile Pages
•
External Content Type Designer
Integrate External Data in WF
•
Workflow Designer
Generate and Author External
Lists and InfoPath Forms
•
Lists and Forms Designer
Office Add-in Projects
•
Extend Office apps through BCS-aware code
add-ins and reusable components
Extend Outlook Declaratively
•
Outlook declarative ribbon (URL-based
actions) and Taskpanes extensions
Additional Samples and Utilities
SDK
DEMO #1
Create an External Content Type With
SharePoint Designer+ More Stuff
External Lists
External Data in Outlook
External Data Columns External Item Picker
External Data in Word
Business Data Web Parts
Profile Pages
External Data in Access
External Data in InfoPath
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DEMO #2
Configure External content type for
Outlook Off-lining
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SharePoint Designer and Visual Studio
Recap
Visual Studio 2010
Capability / Tool
SharePoint Designer 2010
Connect to
Existing WCF, Sql Server, .Net
Assembly
Any data source by creating .Net Assemblies
Modeling Approach
Discover and Configure
Create and Publish
Target Scenarios
Author “simple” models with OOB UX
(External Lists, Outlook, SharePoint
Workspace, InfoPath, Search, simple
FK-based associations)
- Author complex models with custom
connectivity logic for aggregation,
transformation, security, etc.
- Author custom UX via VSTO customizations
- Author reusable rich and thin UI parts
(WebParts) that connect to External Data
Limitations
-Data source needs to expose “proper
interface shape”
-Advanced stereotypes (Bulk, Batch)
-Generic/polymorphic services
-Only Foreign Key Associations
- Visual designer only for .Net object based
models
- Separate development and packaging of rich
client and server components
Rich/Thin Solutions
Packaging and Deployment
Office Client
Deploy and
Update
Include in WSP
Thin Client
Components
WSP
Package
Import
SharePoint
Server
Cogent Company | more details
24
Cogent Thinking
Books
•Office 2003 Programming: Real World Applications
•Pro ASP.NET 2.0 Website Programming
•Pro Office 2007 Development with VSTO
Articles (call for links)
• 5 Business Reasons for Adopting the Windows Platform - CIO.COM
•Easy Time & Billing with SharePoint, Outlook, & Excel (and VSTO tool) - Devx.com
•Repurpose SharePoint Services Data Using Excel's Spreadsheet XML - Devx.com
•Outlook the Way You Want It—Build Custom Outlook GUIs with WinForms & VSTO - Devx.com
•Create a Sales Dashboard using Excel, InfoPath and VSTO 2005 - Devx.com
•VSTO's Outlook Integration Makes Building Managed Add-ins A Snap - Devx.com
•An Office Developer's Timesaver: Using VSTO 2005 to Integrate Excel and Access - Devx.com
Blogs (call for links)
•Business System Builder
•Office Developer
•Simple Talk
Academics
•Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business: Adjunct Faculty; Guest Lecturer, IT and Operations Management.
•University of North Texas:
•Guest Lecturer in College of Business Administration and English Department
•Advisory Board, College of Business Administration, Information Technology & Decision Sciences Department
•Member, Center for Decision and Information Technology
25
©2010. Cogent Company. Proprietary and Confidential.
Our Experience
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Client Firm
Solution
Cogent Solutions
Fortune 50 wireless
telecommunications
firm
Implement PMO for integration of billing and
customer care systems for largest wireless
merger.
Cogent PMO Toolkit
Fortune 50 financial
services firm
Customize Microsoft Outlook and integrate to
third party CRM system and processes.
Cogent Office Application Integration Accelerator
Fortune 50 software
firm
Customize SharePoint to manage channel sales
process.
• Cogent SharePoint Development Accelerator
Fortune 500 real estate
services firm
Implement reporting system on legacy operations
systems and processes.
• Cogent PMO Toolkit
• Cogent Requirements Management Toolkit
Top US media services
firm
Extract firm from 10 year IT outsourcing
arrangement and implement in-house
organization and processes.
• Cogent Business Value Accelerator
• Cogent Requirements Management Toolkit
Global direct marketing
service agency
Develop image selection application and integrate
digital asset management system. Implement web
site design.
Cogent SharePoint Development Accelerator
Regional Health
Insurance Firm
Develop and deploy content management system
and integrate 3rd party applications.
• Cogent Business Value Accelerator
• Cogent Requirements Management Toolkit
• Cogent SharePoint Development Accelerator
National Specialty
Hospital
Deploy IT governance process and system.
• Cogent Business Value Accelerator
• Cogent PMO Toolkit
©2010. Cogent Company. Proprietary and Confidential.
Resources and Next Steps
• Business Connectivity Services Overview
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee557898.aspx
• Setting Up the Dev Environment for Business Connectivity Services
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee559625.aspx
• Top 15 BCS Object Model Classes
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee559652.aspx
• BCS Package Generator
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/odcsps14bcspkgtool