What is Business Connectivity Services? (2024)

Business Connectivity Services (BCS) facilitates the integration of SharePoint with external data sources. Microsoft designed BCS to bridge the gap between SharePoint and line-of-business applications. Organizations leverage BCS to surface data from SQL Server databases directly within SharePoint lists. Understanding what is business connectivity services enables developers to create robust solutions that connect the familiar SharePoint environment with diverse data systems, enhancing collaboration and streamlining workflows.

Business Connectivity Services (BCS) represents a pivotal, though now aging, technology within the SharePoint ecosystem.

It’s designed to solve a specific problem: the disconnection between SharePoint and the vast amounts of data residing outside its boundaries.

Let’s explore what BCS is, how it works, and the underlying reasons for its original creation.

What Exactly is Business Connectivity Services?

At its core, Business Connectivity Services is a SharePoint technology enabling connections to external data sources.

Think of it as a bridge.

It allows SharePoint to communicate with databases, web services, and other systems that hold critical business information.

Bridging the Data Gap

The primary function of BCS is bridging the gap between SharePoint Server and data stored externally.

Without BCS, accessing and integrating this data within SharePoint would be cumbersome, requiring custom development or manual data entry.

The Central Goal: Seamless Data Interaction

The overarching goal of BCS is to surface and interact with external data directly within SharePoint.

This means users can view, edit, and manage data from external systems using the familiar SharePoint interface.

This seamless interaction improves productivity and reduces the need to switch between different applications.

Why was BCS Developed in the First Place?

To truly appreciate the value of BCS, it’s important to understand the challenges it was designed to address.

The Challenge: Overcoming Data Silos

Before BCS, organizations often struggled with data silos.

Critical business information was scattered across various systems, making it difficult to get a complete and unified view.

This lack of integration hindered collaboration and hampered decision-making.

The Vision: Empowering Users through Integration

The vision behind BCS was to empower users by providing them with seamless access to external data within their existing SharePoint environment.

Imagine a world where sales data from a CRM, financial information from an accounting system, and project details from a project management tool are all readily available within SharePoint.

This is the vision that drove the development of BCS.

Real-World Benefits of BCS

The implementation of BCS offered numerous real-world benefits:

• Improved Collaboration: By centralizing access to external data, BCS fostered better collaboration among teams.

• Streamlined Workflows: BCS automated tasks and streamlined workflows by enabling users to interact with external data directly within SharePoint.

• Enhanced Decision-Making: Access to integrated information empowered users to make more informed decisions.

BCS provided a centralized platform for accessing and manipulating data, leading to more effective strategies.

In summary, BCS was a game-changer, aiming to break down data silos and bring external information into the SharePoint fold.

While modern alternatives have emerged, understanding its origins and purpose provides valuable context for appreciating the evolution of data integration technologies.

Key Components and Concepts of BCS

To truly harness the potential of Business Connectivity Services (BCS), it’s essential to delve into its core components and understand how they orchestrate the connection between SharePoint and external data.

BCS is more than just a connector; it’s a carefully structured framework built upon key elements like External Content Types, versatile data source connections, the BDC Model, and the fundamental CRUD operations.

Grasping these concepts will empower you to navigate the complexities of BCS and effectively integrate external data into your SharePoint environment.

External Content Types (ECTs): The Heart of BCS

At the very core of BCS lies the External Content Type (ECT). It’s the central concept that dictates how external data is represented and managed within SharePoint.

Definition: Representing External Data

Think of an ECT as a blueprint or a template. It defines the structure and behavior of an external data source, making it accessible as a manageable object within SharePoint.

An ECT encapsulates metadata about the external data, including its fields, data types, and operations that can be performed on it.

For example, an ECT might represent a “Customer” from a CRM system or a “Product” from an inventory database.

Mapping External Data

A critical aspect of defining an ECT is mapping the fields from the external system to SharePoint columns.

This mapping establishes a clear correspondence between the data elements in the external source and their representation within SharePoint.

For instance, a “Customer Name” field in the CRM system might be mapped to a “Title” column in a SharePoint list. Similarly, an “Address” in the CRM could be mapped to a Multiple lines of text column in SharePoint.

This ensures that data is displayed and interacted with correctly within the SharePoint interface.

Connecting to External Data Sources

BCS’s versatility shines through its ability to connect to a wide array of external data sources.

From traditional databases to modern web services, BCS provides the mechanisms to bridge the gap between SharePoint and your valuable business data.

Supported Data Sources

BCS boasts compatibility with a range of widely used database systems.

Notably, it connects seamlessly with SQL Server, Oracle Database, and SAP, among others.

This broad support ensures that organizations can integrate data from their existing infrastructure without significant modifications.

Web Services (SOAP/REST) & OData

Beyond traditional databases, BCS also embraces modern web service protocols such as SOAP and REST.

These protocols enable BCS to communicate with a variety of applications and services using standardized methods.

Furthermore, BCS supports OData (Open Data Protocol), a widely adopted standard for exposing data over the web.

OData simplifies data access and integration, making it easier to connect to various data sources.

Connectors: The Communication Bridge

Connectors are the vital links that facilitate communication between SharePoint and the external data sources.

They act as intermediaries, translating requests from SharePoint into the appropriate format for the external system and vice versa.

BCS provides a range of built-in connectors for common data sources, and developers can create custom connectors for specialized systems.

The BDC Model: The Blueprint for Connection

The Business Data Connectivity (BDC) Model serves as the definitive blueprint for establishing connections to external data sources.

Definition: An XML Configuration File

The BDC Model is essentially an XML file. It meticulously defines all the necessary details for connecting to and interacting with an external system.

This file contains information about the data source, authentication methods, operations, and the mapping between external data and SharePoint columns.

Configuration Details

Within the BDC Model, you’ll find critical configuration details such as the location of the data source (e.g., the database server address), the authentication credentials required to access the data, and the mappings between operations in SharePoint and corresponding actions in the external system.

It is through the BDC Model that you will define whether users can create, read, update, or delete data in the external system directly from within SharePoint.

Careful configuration of the BDC Model is paramount to ensuring secure and efficient data integration.

Essential Operations: CRUD Operations

A core function of BCS is enabling users to perform essential data manipulation tasks directly from within SharePoint.

These tasks are often referred to as CRUD operations: Create, Read, Update, and Delete.

Understanding the Basics

BCS empowers users to seamlessly create new records in an external system, retrieve existing data for viewing or editing, update information to reflect changes, and even delete records when necessary.

By providing these CRUD capabilities, BCS offers a comprehensive and intuitive way to interact with external data, streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity.

Imagine directly updating a customer’s address in your CRM system from within a SharePoint project site – that’s the power of BCS in action.

Working with BCS in SharePoint

Business Connectivity Services (BCS) truly shines when you bring external data into the SharePoint environment and make it actionable for users. It’s about more than just displaying information; it’s about creating a seamless, integrated experience where users can interact with external systems without ever leaving the familiar SharePoint interface.

This section explores how BCS empowers you to achieve this integration, focusing on External Lists, External Columns, and the crucial aspects of securing access with authentication.

External Lists: Bridging the Gap

One of the most powerful features of BCS is the ability to create External Lists. These lists are not stored within SharePoint itself, but are dynamically linked to external data sources. This connection unlocks a range of possibilities for collaborative data management.

Functionality: Real-Time Access to External Data

External Lists essentially create a live view of your external data within SharePoint.

Any changes made to the data in the external system are immediately reflected in the External List, and vice versa (depending on the configured permissions and CRUD operations).

This real-time synchronization ensures that users are always working with the most up-to-date information, eliminating the need for manual data transfers or synchronization processes.

Benefits: Collaboration and Familiarity

By presenting external data in a SharePoint list, you provide users with a familiar and intuitive way to interact with it.

They can leverage all the standard SharePoint list features, such as filtering, sorting, grouping, and searching, to quickly find the information they need.

Moreover, External Lists enable collaboration around external data. Users can add metadata, attach documents, and create workflows that are directly linked to the external records, fostering a more connected and informed work environment.

External Columns: Enriching Existing Lists

Sometimes, you don’t need to create an entirely new list based on external data. Instead, you might want to augment your existing SharePoint lists with valuable information from external systems. This is where External Columns come into play.

Functionality: Adding Contextual Information

External Columns allow you to pull data from an external source and display it as a column in a standard SharePoint list.

This functionality enables you to enrich your existing SharePoint data with contextual information that resides outside of SharePoint, providing a more complete and insightful view of your business operations.

For example, you could add an External Column to a project task list that displays the current status of a related purchase order from your ERP system.

Benefits: Enhanced Insights and Decision-Making

By integrating external data directly into your existing SharePoint lists, you empower users to make more informed decisions.

They can quickly access the relevant external information without having to switch between different applications or data sources.

This integrated view can significantly improve productivity and enhance the overall user experience.

Securing Access with Authentication: Protecting Your Data

Integrating external data into SharePoint is a powerful capability, but it’s essential to ensure that access to this data is properly secured. BCS provides several authentication mechanisms to safeguard sensitive information.

Importance: Maintaining Data Integrity

Implementing robust authentication is crucial for preventing unauthorized access to your external data.

Without proper security measures, sensitive information could be exposed to malicious actors or unauthorized users, potentially leading to data breaches or compliance violations.

Therefore, prioritizing security when working with BCS is paramount.

Secure Store Service: Centralized Credential Management

The Secure Store Service (SSS) provides a centralized and secure way to store and manage credentials for accessing external systems.

Instead of embedding usernames and passwords directly in your BDC Models, you can use SSS to store these credentials securely and grant access to specific users or groups.

This approach significantly reduces the risk of credential compromise and simplifies credential management.

Claims-Based Authentication: Modern Identity Integration

BCS also supports claims-based authentication, allowing you to integrate with modern identity providers such as Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) or Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

This integration enables you to leverage existing identity management systems and provide users with a single sign-on experience across SharePoint and external applications.

Claims-based authentication enhances security and simplifies user management by centralizing authentication and authorization processes.

The Evolution of Data Integration and BCS Alternatives

Business Connectivity Services (BCS) served a crucial role in its time, bridging the gap between SharePoint and external data sources. However, the technology landscape has significantly evolved, presenting new approaches and, frankly, better suited solutions for modern data integration challenges. Let’s explore how the rise of new technologies impacts BCS and examine compelling alternatives.

The Changing Landscape: Recognizing the Rise of New Technologies

The world of data integration is in constant flux. Newer technologies are now able to solve previous problems with greater efficiency and flexibility, even though BCS was once a pivotal solution.

Acknowledging Deprecation and Limitations

It’s crucial to acknowledge that BCS is an older technology. While still functional in some environments, it comes with inherent limitations compared to modern solutions.

Its development and feature set have not kept pace with the rapid advancements in cloud computing and data management. You must recognize that BCS is no longer the cutting-edge solution for data integration.

This doesn’t diminish its past contributions, but rather highlights the need to explore more modern and scalable options.

The Shift to the Cloud

The rise of cloud environments (Azure, AWS, etc.) has revolutionized data integration. These platforms provide a wealth of services and tools designed for seamless connectivity and data manipulation.

Cloud-based solutions offer greater scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness compared to on-premises BCS deployments.

For example, Azure Logic Apps and AWS Step Functions provide powerful orchestration capabilities for connecting diverse data sources and automating business processes.

Exploring Modern Alternatives

Fortunately, the limitations of BCS have paved the way for exciting and innovative alternatives. These modern solutions offer enhanced capabilities, simplified development, and improved scalability.

Power Platform: Microsoft’s Low-Code/No-Code Ecosystem

Microsoft’s Power Platform provides a compelling alternative to BCS, especially for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. Power Platform offers a low-code/no-code approach.

This dramatically reduces the complexity of data integration projects. It also empowers citizen developers to build custom solutions without extensive coding expertise.

The Power Platform consists of tools like Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI, offering a comprehensive suite for building business applications and automating workflows.

Power Apps: Building Custom Business Applications

Power Apps allows you to build custom business applications with integrated data access. Connect seamlessly to a wide range of data sources, both within and outside of the Microsoft ecosystem.

Power Apps offers a user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality.

This is a game-changer for organizations seeking to modernize their data integration strategy and empower their workforce.

APIs and Custom Connectors: Tailored Solutions

For more complex or highly customized integration scenarios, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and custom connectors offer a powerful solution.

By leveraging APIs, you can directly connect to external systems and access their data programmatically.

Custom connectors further simplify this process by providing pre-built interfaces for specific data sources, making it easier to integrate with a wider range of systems.

This approach requires more technical expertise but provides maximum flexibility and control over the integration process.

Hybrid Environments: Where BCS Might Still Play a Role

While modern alternatives are generally preferred, there might be specific scenarios where BCS remains a viable option, particularly in hybrid environments.

Assessing Scenarios

If you have existing BCS investments that are functioning adequately and migrating to a new platform would be too costly or disruptive, maintaining the status quo may be acceptable. However, consider this only as a temporary solution.

In such cases, BCS can be used in conjunction with modern technologies to gradually transition to a more modern architecture.

For example, you might use BCS to access legacy on-premises data sources while leveraging Power Automate to orchestrate workflows that interact with both on-premises and cloud-based systems.

So, that’s the gist of what is business connectivity services! It might sound a bit technical at first, but hopefully, you now have a clearer picture of how it can bridge the gap between SharePoint and all that awesome external data your business relies on. Give it some thought – it could be the key to unlocking new efficiencies and insights!