SharePoint bcs step by step

In this SharePoint BCS tutorial, we will discuss everything about the business data connectivity service SharePoint 2013. We will check here sharepoint bcs step by step and the below topics:

  • How to start a secure store service in SharePoint 2013
  • How to create a new secure store service application in SharePoint 2013
  • How to create an external content type in SharePoint 2013
  • How to create an external list in SharePoint 2013

Let us check in detail about the business data connectivity service in SharePoint 2013.

Start secure store service in SharePoint 2013

Let us first start the secure store service in SharePoint 2013.

1. Open SharePoint 2013 Central Administration > System Settings > Manage Services on server.

bcs in sharepoint 2013 using visual studio
bcs in sharepoint 2013 using visual studio

2. In the Services List, Click Start next to the Business Data connectivity Service and Secure Store Service.

sharepoint 2013 bcs tutorial
sharepoint 2013 bcs tutorial

Generate New Key

1. In the Central Administration > Application Management > Manage service applications.

sharepoint 2013 bdc tutorial
sharepoint 2013 bdc tutorial

2. Click the Secure Store service application.

sharepoint 2013 bdc visual studio
sharepoint 2013 bdc visual studio

3. In the Key Management section, click Generate New Key.

business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013
business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013

4. On the Generate New Key page, type the Pass Phrase, and type the same string in the Confirm Pass Phrase and click OK. This passphrase is used to encrypt the Secure Store database.

bcs in sharepoint 2013 step by step
bcs in sharepoint 2013 step by step

Read How to make SharePoint site read only?

Create secure store service application in SharePoint 2013

Next, we will see how to create a secure store service application in SharePoint 2013.

1. In the SharePoint 2013 Central Administration > Application Management > Manage service applications > Secure Store Service.

2. In the Manage Target Application section, click on New

create external content type sharepoint 2013
create external content type sharepoint 2013

3. On creating a new page Enter your Target Application ID, Display Name, Contact E-mail, select your Target Application Type, Target Application Page URL and click Next.

create external content type sharepoint 2016
create external content type sharepoint 2016

4. Select Field Type: Windows User Name for Field Name: Windows User Name & Field Type: Windows Password for Field Name: Windows Password and click Next.

create external content type sharepoint online
create external content type sharepoint online

5. Now give the appropriate users for Target Application Administrators and Members and click OK.

external content types are not available sharepoint 2013
external content types are not available sharepoint 2013

6. The newly created Secure Store Application ID will be displayed on the page select the Secure Store Service Application ID and click “Set” in the Credentials Section.

business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013
business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013

7. To Set the Credentials Give the Windows Username, Windows Password, Confirm Your Entered Password and click OK

Note: In the Windows Username and Windows Password use the credentials of the user who has access to SQL Server Database you want to use.

business connectivity services in sharepoint 2013 step by step
business connectivity services in sharepoint 2013 step by step

This is how we can create and configure Secure Store Service application in SharePoint 2013.

Read How to check server health status check using PowerShell in SharePoint

Create External Content Type  SharePoint 2013

Now, we will see how to create an external content type in SharePoint 2013.

1. Start the SharePoint Designer 2013, click on Open Site in SharePoint Designer, then give the URL of the site in the browse window.

2. Your site is opened in SP Designer in the Left Navigation click on External content Type

sharepoint 2013 bdc model
sharepoint 2013 bdc model

3. In the New External Content Type window give the desired Name, Display Name, Namespace, and External System for external Content Type. To select the External System click on the link “click here to discover external data sources.”

business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013
business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013

4. Initially no Data Source will be present in the Data Source Explorer, So click on Add Connection, In the External data Source Type Selection window select SQL Server.

set up business data connectivity service sharepoint 2013
set up business data connectivity service sharepoint 2013

5. For SQL Server Connection give the database server, database name, Name of the connection, select the connection mode as Windows Identity and give the correct secure store application id.

sharepoint 2013 external content type
sharepoint 2013 external content type

6. Give the credentials for BCS Secure Store Target Application ID.

sharepoint 2013 external list
sharepoint 2013 external list

7. Now the Data Source you created connection with will be displayed in the Data Source Explorer. We explore the database to get the Table or View or Routine on which we need to create operations for the External Content Type.

8. Here we perform only read operation, for that Right Click on the Table or View or Routine you want to create operation and from the list select New Read Item Operation.

create external list sharepoint 2013
create external list sharepoint 2013

9. For Read Item Set the Operation Properties: The Operation Name, DisplayName, Type will be populated automatically. The initial two values can be edited to their desired values. Click Next to proceed.

how to create external content type in sharepoint 2013
how to create external content type in sharepoint 2013

10. For Read Item Set the Input Parameters Configuration: Here you select a particular Data Source Element, and Check the Map to Identifier. Click Next to proceed.

business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013
business data connectivity model sharepoint 2013

11. For Read Item Set the Return Parameters Configuration: Here you again select a Data Source Element and make sure you Check all the elements you want to display, and in the Properties Check the Map to Identifier. Click Finish to proceed.

sharepoint 2013 external list rest api
sharepoint 2013 external list rest api

12. Once you have created the New Read Item Operation, It is advisable to go for Read List Operation as well. Right Click on the same Table or View you want to create operation and from the list select New Read List Operation.

sharepoint online external list
sharepoint online external list

13. For Read List Set the Operation Properties: The Operation Name, Display Name, Type will be populated automatically. The initial two values can be edited to their desired values. Click Next to proceed.

create external content type sharepoint online
create external content type sharepoint online

14. For Read List Set the Filter Parameters Configuration: Here we can Add Filter to the list if required any or else click Next to proceed.

external content types are not available sharepoint 2013
external content types are not available sharepoint 2013

15. For Read List Set the Return Parameters Configuration: Here you again select a Data Source Element and make sure you Check all the elements the way we did in Read Item Return Parameters Configuration Click Finish to proceed.

sharepoint online external content types are not available
sharepoint online external content types are not available

16. The above steps will create the External Content Type and then to give Permissions to the same Go to Central Administration > Application Management > Manage service applications > Click Business Data Connectivity Service,

sharepoint 2013 bcs tutorial
sharepoint 2013 bcs tutorial

17. Select the created External Content Type and click Set Object Permissions.

sharepoint 2013 bcs step by step
sharepoint 2013 bcs step by step

18. Click Add and give the Object Permission to All Users (windows), and select the Level of Permissions to be given to them below and click OK.

bcs sharepoint 2013 example
bcs sharepoint 2013 example

19. Select the created External Content Type and click Set Metadata Store Permissions.

bcs in sharepoint 2013 using visual studio
bcs in sharepoint 2013 using visual studio

20. Click Add and give the Metadata Store Permissions to All Users (windows), and select the Level of Permissions to be given to them below and click OK.

sharepoint 2013 bcs tutorial
sharepoint 2013 bcs tutorial

Read Cannot connect to the configuration database error in SharePoint

Create External List using SharePoint 2013 designer

Let us see now, how to create an external list using SharePoint designer 2013.

1. In SP Designer on the Left Navigation click on External Content Type, Select the Recently created External Content Type, and in the Ribbon click External List.

sharepoint bcs sql server
sharepoint bcs sql server

2. Give a Name and Description to your External List and click OK,

business connectivity services sharepoint 2013
business connectivity services sharepoint 2013

3. Now on the Left Navigation click on Lists and Libraries to see your External List in the External List section.

set up business data connectivity service sharepoint 2013
set up business data connectivity service sharepoint 2013

4. Open the External List in the browser. PEACE.

sharepoint bcs external list
sharepoint bcs external list

You may like the following SharePoint tutorials:

In this tutorial, we learned how to work with sharepoint BCS step by step. How to set up business data connectivity service in sharepoint 2013.

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