What is the SharePoint Business Data List Connector?

90°

270°
180°

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector (BDLC) connects custom SharePoint lists (no
Web Parts) directly with almost any external business data, simply in the list settings dialog
with 3 steps only. All SharePoint list features are available as usual, e.g. alerts and
workflows, to take business actions in SharePoint, if external data records are changed.

Fast batch update in background

(changed data only)

LOB
BDLC

External LOB data, e.g.

- databases (e.g. SQL Server, Oracle)
- office data (e.g. Excel, Access)
Custom SharePoint List (No Web Part) - text files (e.g. csv) and more
360°
Layer 2 GmbH | Eiffestr. 664b | 20537 Hamburg
9/15/2009 Tel.: +49 40 28 41 12 30 | sales@layer2.de | www.layer2.de/en/ 1
 SharePoint BDLC – Why we made it?

90°

270°
180°

Existing solutions such as the Business Data Catalog (BDC, MOSS 2007) or the
Business Connectivity Services (BCS, SharePoint 2010) are not available for all
SharePoint editions or for the Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). The BDLC works
with all SharePoint editions and WSS.
BDC and BCS are not easy to configure. Tools, XML, customizing is required. The BDLC
is easily configured in the list settings with 3 inputs only. Every admin can do it.
Existing solutions use Web Parts to display the data – not lists. That causes limitations
compared to real SharePoint lists. With the BDLC all list features can be used, e.g.
views, grouping, alerts, workflow. No problems with search at all.
SharePoint users are very familiar with lists. Lists are the common way to work with
data in SharePoint.
With the BDLC list alerts and workflows can be used, to start business actions in
SharePoint, if external data records are changed.
360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 2
 SharePoint BDLC – Activation: How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

Install the BDLC

Activate the BDLC
Feature for the
Site Collection

360°
9/15/2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 3
 SharePoint BDLC List Creation – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

Goto Site Actions

Chose Create
Select Business Data List
Connector in Custom Lists

360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 4
 SharePoint BDLC List Settings – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

Goto List Settings

Chose Business Data List
Connector Settings in
Custom Settings

360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 5
 SharePoint BDLC List Settings – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

Enter the Connection

String and validate it
Enter the select string and
validate it
Enter the primary key(s)
(if any)
Create the list structure
with one click
Update the data with one
click

360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 6
 SharePoint BDLC Connection String – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

Connection strings are

available for virtually any
external data sources, e.g.
Databases like Microsoft
SQL Server, Oracle,
MySQL, Informix, DB2 etc.
Microsoft Office data like
Excel, Access etc.
Text data files.
Connection strings are
available for external
SharePoint lists too...
See FAQs to find your
connection string
360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 7
 SharePoint BDLC Select Statement – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

Select statements are

available for virtually any
external data sources, e.g.
Databases like Microsoft
SQL Server, Oracle,
MySQL, Informix, DB2 etc.
Microsoft Office data like
Excel, Access etc.
Text data files.
Select Statements are
available for external
SharePoint lists too...
See FAQs to find your
select statement
360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 8
 SharePoint BDLC Primary Key(s) – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

In most cases your

external data would have
one or more primary
key(s).
If a primary key is
available, then the
advanced update features
can be used.
For more information
about possible primary
keys / field names please
take a look into your
result set using the
Preview button.
360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 9
 SharePoint BDLC List Structure – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

To create the list structure

required to display your
external data, please
press "Create”.
The fields of the result set
of the given select
statement are mapped to
common SharePoint list
fields automatically.
You can rename the fields
afterwards manually or
you can change field types
as usual in SharePoint

360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 10
 SharePoint BDLC Data Update – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

To update the data in your

SharePoint list with your
external data, please
press "Update”.
If valid primary key(s) are
given, modified data is
updated only.
Updates can be done
automatically in
background (see next
silde).

360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 11
 SharePoint BDLC Background Update – How does it work?

90°

270°
180°

You can optionally enable

background updates.
The updates are done
automatically, one time
per hour by default.
You can modify this
interval later on.
If primary key(s) are given,
updates can be done very
fast.
Modified data is
transferred only with
batch updates using a
timer job
360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 12
 About Layer2

90°

270°
180°

Layer2 is a specialist for creating custom components and solutions

Hamburg for Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies.
1991: Formation as “Cords und Jacobi,
EDV-Beratung und IT-Dienstleistungen”
in Hamburg / Germany
GERMANY 2001: Renamed to Layer2 GmbH
2003: Focusing on Microsoft technologies, particularly .NET and
SharePoint
2007: Market entry Austria and Switzerland
2008: Microsoft Certified Partner
Nuremberg 2009: Microsoft Gold Certified Partner

360°
15.09.2009 Layer2 – The SharePoint Experts from Hamburg (Germany) – www.layer2.de/en/ 13
 What are you waiting for? www.layer2.de

90°

270°
180°

You can download an evaluation version of the SharePoint Business Data List
Connector (BDLC) today at:

http://www.layer2.de/en/products/Pages/SharePoint-Business-Data-List-
Connector.aspx

See FAQs or contact sales@layer2.de for more information. Please note, that there
are more SharePoint features and web parts available on www.layer2.de/en/.

Download

360°
9/15/2009 Layer 2 GmbH | Eiffestr. 664b | 20537 Hamburg | www.layer2.de/en/ | Sales@layer2de 14