13.8. BDC Integration with Search
The Business Data Catalog (BDC) component of the enterprise version of SharePoint facilitates the indexing and searching of structured data through Web services and ADO.NET data connections. Configuration of the BDC involves authoring an application definition file. The application definition is an XML file that describes how the data is accessed, how the data is queried as a set of records and individual records, and how the entities within the data relate to one another. The BDC can help organizations surface information previously "trapped" in database systems by enabling users to query the data from the SharePoint search page and view the data through BDC Web Parts that can access it.
13.8.1. Business Value from Structured Data
A good example of the value of the BDC is providing access to a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Creating an application definition that defines the customer, project, and prospect information enables the searcher to find customers by name and then locate related projects and prospects. The key to a successful BDC implementation is understanding the data and the action that users will take upon locating the information. The application definition can create actions that are associated with BDC entities. The actions can direct users to any Web-enabled activity, such as sending an e-mail or getting more information based on a Web address.
The incorporation of the BDC into search design leads back to basic ...
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