Posts Tagged Application Definition Designer
Creating Business Data Catalog(BDC) using Application Definition File(ADF) – SharePoint 2007
Posted by Rajanihanth in BDC, SharePoint 2007 on September 12, 2012
Accessing the data from the database Or some other external data source and display on a SharePoint site is not a big deal these days. As developers we can create a web part and deploy it on the SharePoint but without writing any code, how we can display? BDC is the way to do so…!
Business Data Catalog
I am going to use very basic steps to create the BDC on my SharePoint 2007. If you want to create from the scratch without using any tools such as Application Definition Designer then you can follow this post.
These are the simple 4 steps I am going to use:
- Create a table and insert some values in SQL Server database
- Create an ADF using Application Definition Designer
- Import the ADF file into the Shared Service Provider(SSP)
- Configure the BDC on SharePoint
CREATE A TABLE AND INSERT SOME VALUES IN SQL SERVER DATABASE
You can see this post to create a sample database and we will retrieve this data using BDC. I have named Database1 and Table1
CREATE AN APPLICATION DEFINITION FILE (ADF) USING APPLICATION DEFINITION DESIGNER (ADD)
You can see this post to create an ADF sample and the file name is ADF_Table1
IMPORT THE ADF FILE INTO THE SHARED SERVICE PROVIDER (SSP)
Go to Central Administration (CA) and click your shared service provider (SSP) (Mine is SharedServices2)
Click Import application definition in the Business Data Catalog section
Click Browse, and select the ADF which we have created in the previous step
Keep other values in their default, and then click Import.
You will be getting this success message!
Click OK to finish the process!
If you want to manage the security just click the manage permissions and do so, that’s all we are done with the step 3! 🙂
CONFIGURE THE BDC ON SHAREPOINT
The last step is to use the Business Data List Web Part to show our data, go to any site and add a Business Data List Web Part to the page.
Open the tool pane
In the Business Data List task pane, click the browse button
The following Business Data Type Picker popup window will appear, you could see our Application Data File, Select the ADF_Table1_Instance
Click OK and publish the page, you can see the data on the web part!
That’s all guys! Happy BDC ing, we will see next BCS on SharePoint 2010! Ensoy..!!
References:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms563661(v=office.12).aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb410048(v=office.12).aspx
Unexpected Error has occurred. Error is ‘SetParent failed for Database ‘AR633564737049916886′.’
Posted by Rajanihanth in BDC, SharePoint 2007 on June 14, 2012
When I was installing the Application Definition Designer, I have got the following wired error message! 😦
The text format of this error message is:
Unexpected Error has occurred. Error is 'SetParent failed for Database 'AR633564737049916886'.' --> SetParent failed for Database '<em>AR633564737049916886'.' --> Failed to connect to server. \BDC. --> An error has occurred while establishing a connection to the server. When connecting to SQL Server..
This is not even a brief message to understand no? After spending few minutes, I have found the possible causes for this error.
1. Not enough permissions to configure BDC (Business Data Catalog) instance
2. There is no BDC instance on our SQL Server, this means the installation expects the BDC instance to continue.
In my case, I have adequate permissions for BDC, so the problem is 2nd one. If we run the BDCStudioSetup.msi file directly, Instead of running the setup.exe on the “BDC Definition Editor” directory then we get this error! 😦
You can see the complete installation and configuration of Application Definition Designer here.
Happy configuring..! Thanks. R./
References:
1. http://www.techyv.com/questions/setparent-failed-database-error-while-installing-data-catalog
2. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=79
There are no Business Data Types loaded in the Catalog – Business Data Type Picker
Posted by Rajanihanth in BDC, SharePoint 2007, Webpart on June 7, 2012
I was working on BDC (Business Data Catalog), to display the user profile data from SQL Server in SharePoint 2007. I was using “Application Definition Designer” (A Microsoft tool that comes with the SharePoint Server SDK, you can see the installation and configuration here) to generate the ADF (Application Definition File). I tried to access the Business Data Types on the SharePoint page and then I have got the following wired error message. 🙂
BDC is not a really new stuff, so I tried to find the solution on the web but I didn’t get any direct solution immediately. Most of them are suggested to check the permission but I have adequate permission for BDC. Finally I have got the solution form this thread. Actually this is a bug in the Application Definition Designer and I don’t really know why it’s still there!
There might be two reasons to getting this error.
1. Not having enough permission to access the BDC
2. The “Finder” method is not generating properly in the “MethodInstanceType” property.
In my case I had adequate permisioion for the BDC, so the “Finder” method was my problem.
You can see the “MethodInstanceType” property has “IdEnumerator” method instead of the “Finder”. So just click the drop down list and select the Finder method.
Then just export the ADF again, the Business Data Type Picker is showing the entries now huh? 🙂
References:
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