Business Data List Connector FAQ

The FAQs and version history below are about the Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) product. For any questions please use the FAQ Web Form or contact sales@layer2solutions.com directly.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector is used to simply connect a SharePoint list with external data, e.g. from databases, CRM or ERP systems.

​The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) is used to connect native SharePoint lists (no Web Parts) directly to external data sources.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint solves many issues that still exist with the SharePoint out-of-the-box external data integration. It makes it as easy as possible to connect native SharePoint lists to almost any external data sources, codeless and bi-directional. All native SharePoint list features are available for the connected lists, including search, managed metadata, offline and mobile access, change notifications and workflows. This use case shows how to connect a native SharePoint list with an Active Directory query result set.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector is used to simply connect a SharePoint list with external LOB data, e.g. from databases, CRM or ERP systems.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector BDLC can be used to pull data into a SharePoint list from another SharePoint list for any reason (e.g. from other site collection or installation).

You can connect any SharePoint on-premise directly with external data from Microsoft Exchange Server folders, e.g. contacts, tasks, events / appointments, inbox etc.using the Layer2 Business Data List Connector. You simply can use a connection string and SQL like queries to select your data and provide it in tasks, contacts, events or custom lists with all list features available, e.g. calendar views, calculated fields, RSS newsfeeds, email notifications and workflow, if external Exchange data changes.

You can integrate data from a Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4.0 (Navision internal database, non SQL Server) with native SharePoint lists via C/ODBC and keep it current using the Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC). All SharePoint list features are available for the Navision data, e.g. search, managed metadata, lookups, notifications, workflows, if external data changes.

While integrating external data sources into SharePoint via OLEDB the valid syntax of the select statements depends on the types of data sources used. Below are given some samples for Microsoft Excel data sources that are often used with the Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC).

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector is used to pull data into a SharePoint list directly - possibly with background updates.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) adds external data to your SharePoint Lists in just minutes. Normally you specify the synchronization settings in the BDLC settings page, but what if you need to provision a whole bunch of connected lists to a new SharePoint site collection?

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector is used to directly connect a native SharePoint list to almost any external LOB data, e.g. from databases, CRM or ERP systems.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector is used to directly connect a SharePoint List (no Web Part) with external LOB data, e.g. from SQL databases, ERP or CRM systems.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector is used to simply connect a SharePoint list with external LOB data, e.g. from databases, CRM or ERP systems.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector can be used to directly connect a native SharePoint List (no Web Part) with external LOB data, e.g. from SQL databases, ERP or CRM systems. The data can be updated very flexible, automatically and on-demand.

Data from 100+ external sources can be visualized in SharePoint sites with the help of the Plumsail Dashboard Designer and the Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint.

​While there is generally no need for programming to make use of the Layer2 Business Data List Connector (BDLC) features to integrate external data with SharePoint, there is also an API available.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) solves many issues that still exist with Microsoft SharePoint out-of-the-box external data integration. It makes it as easy as possible to connect native SharePoint lists to almost any external data source, codeless and bi-directional. All SharePoint list features are available for the connected list. The following FAQ is about BDLC authentication options using SharePoint 2013.

​The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint can be used to connect almost any external data source to native SharePoint lists, e.g. SQL, ERP/CRM, OData etc. It is made for large scale external data integration scenarios as well and can manage more than 200.000 external items without any issues. It helps to overcome the SharePoint limitations with out-of-the-box data integration using data synchronization.

​You can connect and synchronize native SharePoint lists with SAP data via NetWeaver, OData and the Layer2 Business Data List Connector codeless in just minutes. No SAP licenses required for users. All SharePoint list features available without any restrictions, e.g. search, metadata, attachments, mobile and offline access, change notifications, workflows.

On a 64-Bit SharePoint system you will normally get the "The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine." message if you try to connect to Office data like Excel or Access or SQL Server via OLEDB. That's because no 64-Bit MDAC driver is installed by default. To connect Microsoft Office 2010 and 2013 data directly to SharePoint lists, without Office installed on the server, you have to install the Office System Driver - Data Connectivity Components. If installed you can connect custom lists directly to Access, Excel or other Office data using the Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC).

The Business Data List Connector for SharePoint connects almost any on-premise or cloud-based data source, e.g. ODBC, OLEDB, OData, Microsoft .NET based providers, Files (Excel, XML, CSV), SQL databases like SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, IBM DB2, IBM AS/400, IBM Informix, Notes, SharePoint, Exchange, Active Directory, Navision, SAP and many more directly to native SharePoint lists - in just minutes without any programming. But often there are issues to connect via web services (e.g. CSOM, OData) using SSL/HTTPS. This FAQ shows how to solve these general SharePoint (not BDLC related) issue.

Due the new SharePoint MinRole architecture, the BDLC is not able to be deployed correctly leading to experience some issues with the BDLC background update.

​The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint can be used to connect almost any external data sources to native SharePoint lists and libraries, even via the OData protocol as used by many applications, e.g. Microsoft CRM/ERP systems. This FAQ gives the full specifications of the Layer2 Data Provider for OData that is fully included in the product.​​​​

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) can connect and sync native SharePoint lists directly with almost any external data source in just minutes codeless using the web browser. But what's the difference compared to out-of-the-box SharePoint external lists (BCS)?

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint solves many issues that still exist with SharePoint out-of-the-box external data integration. It makes it as easy as possible to connect native SharePoint lists to almost any external data source, codeless and bi-directional. All native SharePoint list features are available for the connected list.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint solves many issues that still exist with SharePoint out-of-the-box external data integration. It makes it as easy as possible to connect native SharePoint lists to almost any external data source, codeless and bi-directional. All native SharePoint list features are available for the connected list.

You can connect native SharePoint lists directly with external data from AS/400 database tables or views using the Layer2 Business Data List Connector. You can set the connection string, the select statement and the primary keys (if any) in the SharePoint list settings dialog for bi-directional synchronization in background.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint can be used to connect almost any external data source to a native SharePoint list, e.g. contacts, tasks, events, or custom items. It can make use of the SharePoint Secure Store to store all security relevant information safely.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector is used to simply connect a SharePoint list with external data, e.g. from databases, CRM or ERP systems.

The Business Layer2 Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) can be used to connect SharePoint to 100+ external data sources, even to text / csv files via ODBC. This could be especially helpful in case your external system does not allow direct connections or you want to connect more complex query results. Please also note the option to connect via XML.​​​​​

​The Business Data List Connector for SharePoint can connect almost any data sources directly with native SharePoint lists via ODBC, OLEDB or .NET based providers. Because auf driver issues with the Microsoft OLEDB driver for SharePoint there were difficulties to connect SharePoint lists to SharePoint lists, e.g. on another installation. Now BDLC 3.4 comes with it's own web services based driver, the Layer2 SharePoint List Provider, that supports SharePoint-to-SharePoint connections out-of-the-box.

The valid syntax of the select statements depends on the types of data sources used. Below there are given some samples for Microsoft SQL Server data sources, that are often used with the SharePoint Business Data List Connector (BDLC).

You can use the SharePoint Business Data List Connector BDLC to pull and update external data from almost any external LOB data sources to custom SharePoint lists (no web parts). But how to pull link data (URLs) into SharePoint link columns?

​The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) can be used to connect almost any external data source to a native SharePoint list, even with full CRUD (Create / Update / Delete) support in real-time using default SharePoint list forms or any 3rd party forms app codeless.

How to make use of the BDLC API with PowerShell to automate operations or BDLC configurations and maintain your BDLC environment.

In this article, we describe how to make use of the BDLC API with in workflows created with the SharePoint Designer 2010 or 2013 to automate deployments or provisioning BDLC configurations to SharePoint project rooms or just to maintain your BDLC environment.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint solves many issues that still exist with SharePoint out-of-the-box external data integration. It makes it as easy as possible to connect native SharePoint lists to almost any external data source, codeless and bi-directional. All native SharePoint list features are available for the connected list.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint can solve many issues that still exist with SharePoint external data integration. It makes it as easy as possible to connect native SharePoint lists to 100+ external data sources, codeless and bi-directional. All native SharePoint list features are available for the connected lists, including search, change notifications and workflows. Please read more about why we made it.

This short article will guide you through the installation of the Layer2 Business Data List Connector (BDLC) 2019 on a non-productive SharePoint Server 2019 environment.

Our support team always works to provide quick and proper solutions for issues that occur while using the Layer2 Business Data List Connector (BDLC). For the best results, we need detailed information about the BDLC list configuration. The log files, especially those created with the HIGH log mode, give us the information we need to solve your issue and are of far better use for us than any screenshots could be.

The SharePoint Business Data List Connector (BDLC) can be used to connect almost any external data source to native SharePoint lists, even external SharePoint data - on-premise, internally or externally hosted, or in the Microsoft SharePoint Online / Office 365 cloud. This FAQ gives the full specifications of the CSOM-based Layer2 Data Provider for SharePoint.​​​​

​The Business Data List Connector for SharePoint (BDLC) can be used to connect almost any external data sources to native SharePoint lists, even external XML data, file-based or based on web requests. XPath queries can be used to retrieve the data set required. This FAQ gives the full specifications of the Layer2 Data Provider for XML.

​​Planning to migrate your SharePoint 2010 / 2013 / 2016 / 2019 to the next version? Learn here how to keep all your BDLC connections and continue synchronizing your external data sources into your new SharePoint environment.

The Layer2 Business Data List Connector for SharePoint solves many issues that still exist with the SharePoint out-of-the-box external data integration with Oracle. It makes it as easy as possible to connect native SharePoint lists to Oracle tables and queries, codeless and bi-directional. All native SharePoint list features are available for the connected lists, including search, change notifications and workflows. Microsoft SharePoint Server 2022, 2019, 2016 and 2013 (Server / Foundation) are supported.

You can connect and sync almost any external data source codeless with SharePoint using the Layer2 Business Data List Connector or Layer2 Cloud Connector. But how to add specific business logic on both sides, SharePoint and / or the external system?

​You can easily integrate almost any external data source with native SharePoint lists using the Layer2 Business Data List Connector, especially SQL tables or queries. But how to map existing SQL foreign key table relationships to SharePoint lookups? See below for a simple workflow-based approach.

​The Business Data List Connector for SharePoint connects almost any on-premise or cloud-based data source, e.g. ODBC, OLEDB, OData, Microsoft .NET based providers, Files (Excel, XML, CSV), SQL databases like SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, IBM DB2, IBM AS/400, IBM Informix, Notes, SharePoint, Exchange, Active Directory, Navision, SAP and many more directly to native SharePoint lists - in just minutes without any programming. This FAQ gives a step-by-step intro about connecting XML data.​​​​​​