Business Data Catalog

   The BDC is essentially a catalog of business applications that are of interest to SharePoint Server 2007 users, and it bridges the gap between the portal and business applications by bringing in key data from various applications to SharePoint sites, lists, search, and user profiles. The BDC is the key infrastructural component around which most of the other business data features of SharePoint Server 2007 are built. Administrators can register business applications in the BDC, after which the data in the application is immediately available to SharePoint through the business data features described below. A key requirement for each registered business application is an XML-based metadata model that describes the application programming interfaces (API) of the application or the schema of the database that maps to business objects (e.g. customer) and properties (e.g. name) that a SharePoint user can understand. These metadata models can be easily created by DBAs or database developers.

Business Data Web Parts

SharePoint Server 2007 ships with four out-of-the-box Business Data Web Parts: Business Data List, Business Data Items, Business Data Related List, and Business Data Actions. These Web Parts rely on the Business Data Catalog, and their main purpose is to display business data in a portal application without the need for any programming. Moreover, these Web Parts are generic and can show any type of data (entity) registered in the Business Data Catalog.

These Web Parts support Web Part Connections, which enable Master-Detail types of data display – again, without any programming. For example, you can display customers and their details using the BusinessDataList and BusinessDataItems Web Parts.

Web Part	Description
Business Data List Web Part	Displays a list of entity instances from a business application registered in the Business Data Catalog. For example, you can use a Business Data List Web Part to display all the customers or orders from the AdventureWorksDW database.
Business Data Items Web Part	Displays the details of an entity instance from a business application. For example, you can use a Business Data Items Web Part to display the details of a particular customer or order from the AdventureWorksDW database.
Business Data Related List Web Part	Displays a list of related entity instances from a business application. For example, you can use a Business Data Related List Web Part to display all the orders for a particular customer from the AdventureWorksDW database.
Business Data Actions Web Part	Displays a list of actions associated with an entity as defined in the Business Data Catalog. For example, you can use a Business Data Actions Web Part to display all the actions that portal users can perform on the Customer entity. Some examples of these actions are to send e-mail to a customer or edit the address of a customer.

Business Data in Lists

Windows SharePoint Services V3 provides custom field types. SharePoint Server 2007 leverages this feature to provide a new field type called Business Data that is available to all lists in SharePoint Server 2007. The Business Data field type enables users to add data from business applications registered in the Business Data Catalog to any SharePoint list. For example, in your RFP (Request for Proposal) Document Library, you can add a Business Data column to the document properties that specifies the customer who issued the RFP. This enables users to view the customer’s details and perform actions associated with them from within the Document Library.

Business Data Actions

You can define actions for each entity in the Business Data Catalog. Some examples of actions for a customer entity are to send e-mail to a customer or to edit the address of a customer. Business Data Catalog implements actions as links that allow you to navigate to a URL directly from the page where the entity or Business Data column is displayed. For example, these links can open Web pages, display the native graphical user interfaces (GUI) of line-of-business applications, and launch Microsoft® Office InfoPath® forms.

Business Application Search

By leveraging the Business Data Catalog, the Search Center feature of SharePoint Server 2007 can gather and index data from all of the registered business applications and provide full-text searching. For example, after you register the AdventureWorksDW sample database from SQL Server 2005 in the Business Data Catalog, the Search Center feature can crawl the database and return customer data in search results. In addition, the Search Center feature’s extensibility enables you to create customized search experiences. For example, you can create a Customers tab in the Search Center where users can search strictly for customers in the AdventureWorksDW database.

Error: No phone system connection: Cannot connect to the phone system.

Hello,

Recently i have faced Remote Click to Call (RCC) issue and on client gets the phone integration error. On client machine: No phone system connection error appeared.
Already verified clients account and it was enabled for RCC with proper Server URI and Line URI. Did some test – Tried login with different client on it is working and phone integration is also working.
With first client getting same error i.e. No phone system connection error.
After doing some test and changes, finally I found Registry key which are relevant to Telephony settings.
You need to add following key on Client machine:

1. Click on Start > click on Run, > type Regedit, and then click OK.  
2. Go to following registry path:
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator Right click on blank space and point to New, and then click on DWORD Value.
5. Value should be: TelephonyMode .
6. Right click on TelephonyMode key, and then click Modify.
7. Click on Decimal radio button under Base.
8. In Value data box, type 4, and then click OK.
9. Quit Registry Editor.
10. Restart Office communicator,
11. Enable Phone integration.
12. Test the RCC call.

 Please leave comment, if this article helps you!

 Thank you!

Incompatible Security Setting’ error occurred in Office communicator while calling.

Incompatible Security Setting’ error occurred in Office communicator while calling.
 I came across ‘Incompatible Security Setting’ issue; there are many people which are affected regarding this issue.

Already verified configuration the VoIP security setting in the properties of the Unified Messaging Dial Plan to use ‘Secured’. It is set as Secured.

After checking all configuration, look over the Registry and found the "PC2PCAVEncryption" key is missing from users computer.

After adding above key rebooted computer and calling worked fine

Here are the steps to verify Registry and if any key missing then add the same:

1. Click on Start > RUN> type ‘regedit’ and say OK.

2. Expand and verify the following registry entries -


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator]

"MaxAudioVideoBitrate"=dword:0003e800

"PC2PCAVEncryption"=dword:00000000

"DisablePC2PCAudio"=dword:00000000

"DisablePC2PCVideo"=dword:00000000


Thank you!

What are the Software prerequisites for Lync Server 2010?

What are the Software prerequisites for Lync Server 2010?

I have tried installation of Lync Server on lab and faced numerous error messages.

Unfortunately, Lync Server 2010 generates the few generic error messages. The error itself states the problem, but it does not mention which modules are not installed. The simply states that all are needed.

Like: The cmdlet completed with errors.

 

There are number of software prerequisites must be met before begin the installation.

  

Active Directory Prerequisite- 

• Update Active Directory to support Lync Server.
• Active Directory topologies are supported are:
• Single forest with single domain
• Single forest with a single tree and multiple domains
• Single forest with multiple trees and disjoint namespaces
• Multiple forests in a central forest topology
• Multiple forests in a resource forest topology
• The Active Directory forest must be Windows Server 2003 Native Mode or higher, and all the domains in which Lync Server 2010 will be deployed must also be Windows Server 2003 Native Mode or higher.

The domain controllers must be Windows Server 2003 (32-bit or 64-bit) or higher,

 

The Schema, Forest, and Domain preparation must be performed from a 64-bit machine.

Lync Server 2010 is supported on the following Windows Server versions:

• Windows Server 2008 Standard (with SP2)
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise (with SP2)
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter (with SP2)
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter

The SQL Server version, of which the Following are supported (only 64-bit versions are supported):-

• SQL Server 2005 Standard (with SP3)
• SQL Server 2005 Enterprise (with SP3)
• SQL Server 2008 Standard (with SP1)
• SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (with SP1)
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard
• SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
• SQL Server Express (for Lync Server 2010 Standard Edition and the local server databases).

 Required components-

There are number of additional components are required:

•  Windows PowerShell 2.0
• .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1
•  Windows Installer Version 4.5

Individual roles have different additional component requirements based on their configuration:

Front-End Servers and Directors require IIS modules installed:

• Static content
• Default document
• HTTP errors
• ASP.NET
• .NET extensibility
• Internet Server API (ISAPI) extensions
• ISAPI filters
• HTTP logging
• Logging tools
• Tracing
• Windows authentication
• Request filtering
• Static content compression
• IIS management console
• IIS management scripts and tools
• Anonymous authentication
• Client certificate mapping authentication

If you attempt an installation without any of these, we will see generic error messages.

Thank you!

Useful power shell command

Hello Friends,



While performing Administrative duty, We require to enable, disable, Lync user list, Specific OU user list etc task multiple time. GUI mode is not good option. Instead GUI you can use CMDLETS,


Here are the lists of cmdlet which are getting use daily basis.

The difference between Get-CsUser and Get-CsAdUser:


Both cmdlets return information about Lync users. Use Get-CsUser unless you require access to the generic AD attributes, or if the user has not been enabled for Lync Server
Show all the properties returned by Get-CsUser:

Get-CsUser
Get-Member

Show the number of Lync enabled users:

@(Get-CsUser).Count

Get all AD users who are not, and who have never been, enabled for Lync or OCS:

Get-CsAdUser -Filter {Enabled -eq $null}
Format-Table -Wrap

Get users who are disabled for Lync or OCS:

Get-CsAdUser -Filter {Enabled -eq $False}

Get all users who have been enabled for Lync or OCS but are not currently assigned to a registrar pool.

Get-CsUser -UnassignedUser

Get all Lync Users in the 'Sales' Department (You may change sales name with any other name):

Get-CsUser -LDAPFilter 'Department=Sales'



Thank you!