MOSS 2007 BDC Search (Full text out of the box solution for your LOB application)

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Microsoft office SharePoint Services (MOSS) 2007 search diagram

          MOSS Search Components

In general business data is in database or exposed as web service. MOSS 2007 has new feature that enables line of business applications data search. You can enable full text search for you application in few easy steps.

First create Business Data Catalog metadata model for your application, which basically defines contract between MOSS and your business application data. The DBC contract includes data connection information, business entities, and methods to access business data. Additionally you may specify security information.

Next you import BDC metadata model (XML file from step above) using SharePoint SSP Admin site and create a business data catalog (BDC). You can also define full & incremental crawl schedule for your business data.

Finally define search scope to include your BDC crawl data. This makes crawled business data to searchable.

Once you (MOSS) crawl business data, SharePoint automatically create profile web pages. Profile pages are used by MOSS to display Business data details when a result row in search result page is clicked.

     

 You can search your business data in many ways

 

1. SharePoint portal

2. Expose it as SharePoint list

3. Create Business Data Web Parts and

4. Use SharePoint Search Web service and create your own custom search application