How to: Create and Export a BDC Model Using SharePoint Designer

  • Article

Overview

Microsoft® SharePoint® Designer 2010 enables you to quickly and easily create external content types (ECTs) for any external data source. However, there are limitations in the tooling that SharePoint Designer 2010 provides.

Note

This how-to topic assumes that your external line-of-business (LOB) system uses a Microsoft SQL Server® database and is connected as a SQL Server data store.

This document models the many-to-many relationship shown in the following illustration.

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Steps

To create your initial BDC model file

  1. Create a new empty SQL Server database, and name it PartsManagement.

  2. Create new SQL Server tables as shown in the preceding illustration (Machines, MachineParts, and Parts).

  3. Start SharePoint Designer 2010 and connect to your SharePoint site.

  4. Select External Content Types from the left pane.

  5. Click the new External Content Type button located in the New group of the Ribbon.

    1. Type the ECT name in the Name and Display Name text boxes.

    2. Select the Click here to discover external data sources and define operations link.

    3. Select the Add Connection button.

    4. Select SQL Server for the data source type, and click OK. The following SQL Server dialog box will appear.

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    5. Type the connection information to connect to the SQL Server database, and then click OK. The data source explorer will now contain the database you specified.

      Note

      For simplicity, select Connect with User’s Identity to use pass-through authentication.

    6. Click the Data Source Explorer tab, and find the Parts table. Select the table, right-click, and then select Create All Operations.

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    7. Complete the wizard by accepting all default settings.

    8. Save the ECT.

  6. Repeat Step 4 to create external content types for the Machines and MachineParts tables.

  7. After you configure all of the ECTs, select External Content Types from the left pane. A list of all ECTs will appear.

  8. Select all the ECTs by pressing the Ctrl key while you click each ECT name. Right-click the selection, and select Export BDC Model.

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  9. Enter the model name and location, and then click OK.

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  10. Select the save location, and then click Save.

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