architecting solutions connecting to lob applications
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Architecting solutions connecting to LOB applications Hosted by:
Vikram Rajkondawar
Architect Advisor
Microsoft Corporation
Presented by:
Ashvini Shahane (Head Strategic Service Unit - Synergetics)
Discussion Points
• Need for connecting to External LOB systems
• Business Connectivity Services
• Building Composite solutions with BCS
– OOB No Code solutions
– Intermediate Declarative Solutions
– Advanced Code Based Solutions
Challenges With Back End Data
Challenges With Back End Data
BDC 2007 - Connect to Business Data
• Connect SharePoint to any business application or structured database
• SharePoint Provides:– Business Data in Search
• Crawl back-end systems like ERP, CRM, Custom Databases, SAP, Siebel, etc
– Business Data Web Parts• Display back-end data
– Business Data in Lists• Add business data as list columns and as document metadata
– Business Data in User Profiles• Add business data as properties in User Profiles
BDC 2007 - Connect to Business Data
MetadataBusiness Data Catalog
Web Parts Lists SearchUser
ProfilesCustom
Apps
Database
WS Proxy ADO.NET
Web Service
SQL Server, Oracle, OLEDB, ODBCBizTalk, SAP, Siebel, Legacy, …
List Columns
SearchIndex
Profile Store
Business Data Catalog – Summary
Connect to Business Data
Build Business Application with No-Code
Collaborate around Business Data
Search Business Data – Index and Query
Business Data Web Parts Business Data SearchBusiness Data Catalog Business Data Columns
Feedback on 2007 BDC
• Read/Write
– Read is nice… Write back would be even more powerful
• Tooling Support
– Need an easier way to create, debug and maintain appdef XML files
• I wish it was baked into the Platform
• Wouldn’t it be nice to use offline?
Investment Areas
A bit of Terminology…
• Business Connectivity Services – All up
• Business Data Connectivity (BDC) – plumbing, runtime, connectivity
• External System – back ends
• External Content Type (ECT) - a building block, entity++
• Model – XML file
• External List – newest type of SP list
SharePointDesign Tools
Office Applications
Business Connectivity Services
External Content Types
(Web Service, DB, .Netobject, LOB system, Web 2.0
service, etc.)
BCS-enabled solutions rely on ECTs to integrate external data into SharePoint and the Office client applications
Describes the schema and data access capabilities of an external data source and its behavior within Office and SharePoint
*formerly known as BDC Entity
External Content Type (ECT)
• Superset of entity capabilities; describes:
– Structure of the external system (Fields, Methods, Connection)
– How this data behaves within SharePoint and Office
• Manage and reuse from a central location
• Added to the Business Data Connectivity service through:
– SharePoint Designer
– Visual Studio 2010
– Import into the Business Data Connectivity service as part of a model
External Content Type
External Content Type
CustomerCustomerIDFirstNameLastNameEmailAddress
External data
BCS PRESENTATION INVESTMENTS
• Expose external data as a native SharePoint list – Full CRUD capability
– Familiar UI and navigation
– Sort, Filter, Group
– Programmatic access via SPList OM
– Profile page available for each item in the list
– Form• Auto-generated OOB
• Upsize to InfoPath
– Offline-able
Presentation
Presentation
• Connect to Outlook as– Contacts
– Tasks
– Calendars
– Posts
Presentation
• External Data Columns
– Add data from external content types to standard SharePoint lists
– Can be made available as Content Controls in Word
• Web Parts
Scenario: Use for Dashboard pages
– External Data List
– External Data Item
– External Data Item Builder
– External Data Related List
– External Data Connectivity Filter
– Chart Web Part
• External Data Search
– Integrate External Data into search results
DEMO
SCENARIO
Office Client
SharePoint Server
External Systems
Contoso Sales Solution
Solution Overview
Connect Product data from SharePoint to SharePoint Workspace
• External List
• InfoPath Forms
• SharePoint Workspace integration
Create a Sales Quote document in Word
• External Data Column
• Word Content Controls
• External Content Type
• External List
• Outlook integration
Bring Customer data into SharePoint and Outlook
BCS CONNECTIVITY INVESTMENTS
Connectivity
External data
Connectivity
• Business Data Connectivity enhancements– Read/write capability
– Claims aware
– Connect via ADO/SQL, WCF/WS, .Net Assembly and Custom Connectors
– Batch and bulk operation support
• BDC used for Search indexing connectors– Added blob, incremental crawl and item level Security
• Symmetrical server and client runtimes– Connect from client or server directly to external data
• Rich client cache– SQL CE database is used to cache external data
– Allows for “cached mode” behavior on external data
BCS TOOLING INVESTMENTS
Tooling
• Discover
– Database
– Web services
– .NET type
• Map operations
– Create, read, update, delete, lookup
• Connect to SharePoint/Office
– External List
– Contact
– Task
– Appointment
– Post
Tooling
Baked into the Platform…
Secure Store Service
External Data Search
Rich Client Extensions
External Data Web Parts
BDC Client Runtime
Profile Pages
External List External Data Column
Business Data Connectivity Service
Solution Types, Toolsand Roles
Advanced DeveloperDeveloperPower User
NO CODE* CODE
Solution Types, Toolsand Roles
Intermediate AdvancedSimple
• Create reusable components (UI parts, ECTs, actions)
• Surface data in External Lists
• Connect those lists to Outlook, SPW
DeveloperPower User
NO CODE*
Advanced Developer
CODE
Solution Types, Toolsand Roles
IntermediateSimple
• Customize• InfoPath forms• Outlook taskpane and
ribbon• Word (QuickParts)• Workflow• Web Part Pages
• Surface data in External Lists
• Connect those lists to Outlook, SPW
SharePoint
Designer
SharePoint
SDK
DeveloperPower User
NO CODE*
Advanced
• Create reusable components (UI parts, ECTs, actions)
Advanced Developer
CODE
SharePoint Designer and Visual Studio
Capability / Tool SharePoint Designer 2010 Visual Studio 2010
Connect to Existing WCF, Sql Server, .NetAssembly
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
SCENARIO FOR INTEGRATION
SharePoint Server
Customer Data Aggregation Scenario
Data Aggregation
Sql Database.Net Data Service (REST)
SharePoint Server Office Client
Data Aggregation Scenario
Data Aggregation
Connect to Outlook
BCS External Data Cache
Customers
Rich/Thin SolutionsPackaging and Deployment
Thin ClientComponents
WSPPackage
SharePointServer
Import
Deploy and Update
Include in WSP
Office Client
Why the Business Connectivity Services?Integrate other systems with SharePoint
sites• Reporting dashboards• Line of business applications
Integrate BCS data into hybrid Windows Forms Applications
Search for data in other systems via the SharePoint Search service
Save the time, cost, and monotony of writing yet another data layer!
Artist Tracker > Artists
Artists
ContractsArtist Name Address City State
Artist
Mandible
Artist Name: Mandible
Agent:Andrew Datars Quartet
Stuck in the Mud
Tastes like chicken
Deathrattle
Jay Hamlin Trio
Down on the Bayou
Concourse
Down on the Bayou
Concourse
Concourse
Jay Hamlin Trio
My Artists
Pervasive external data with Business Connectivity ServicesSharePoint Composites
QUESTIONS?