manual

21 www.microsoft.com/sharepoint
Preview; it will be available with the public Beta. The FAST Search Site template is
included with the Technical Preview. However, it will not function without FAST Search
servers, so it should not be used with the Technical Preview.
Business Connectivity Services
Microsoft Business Connectivity Services (BCS) provide the capability to connect
SharePoint Server 2010 and Office 2010 client applications to external data sources
(such as SQL, Oracle, SAP Web services, or custom applications). BCS can also be called
the “new BDC,” because is replaces the Business Data Catalog, introduced in Office
SharePoint Server 2007, but it includes much more capability. The BCS is actually a
platform that provides a SharePoint-based framework for creating composite
applications, which are built by combining services and functionality from other
enterprise applications to address the collaborative needs of users. These composite
applications use the Office client user interface in addition to the functionality of the
application. This helps people perform their tasks within the familiar user interface of the
Office and SharePoint Server systems, and allows people to take actions and make
decisions within the context of the problem at hand.
The configuration and administration of the BCS is primarily accomplished by using the
BCS application, but some configuration is also done by using the Secure Store Service
application. The BCS application is a shared service that takes advantage of the shared
services architecture discussed above. As mentioned, multiple BCS applications can be
configured independently by different sets of administrators and multiple instances of
the same service can run on the same farm, each having a unique set of administrators.
A specific application can be shared across server farms, so that an instance can be run
in a central farm and consumed from regional locations so that a composite application
could be made available across these locales. The first step in using the BCS is to create
a new service application and model.
Business Data Connectivity Service Application and Model
A new Business Data Connectivity Service application is created by using one of the
following methods:
• Selecting services while running the Initial Configuration Wizard and choosing
the Business Connectivity Service.