Tell me more ×
SharePoint Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for SharePoint enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 0 down vote favorite

My current environment is set up from a SP teamsite that I have current admin rights on. I want to have a SQL Server external DB update my SP list on my teamsite dynamically. My idea is that I am creating a WebApp GUI for people to update the SQL Server database from views that is the exact copy of the data in the SP list. When a user updates the data, my question is can I use SP designer to have the SP List on the teamsite to point to the SQL server external DB thats connected to the WebApp GUI, so that when the tables are updated the list is automatically updated. I believe Visual Studio could easily do that with creating a custom webpart, but my question is could Sharepoint designer 2007 accomplish this.

Let me know if I made my question clear enough.

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

I've done it the other way, SharePoint lists update an external SQL Server database with Nintex Workflow execute SQL actions. To do it the other way, SQL Server to Sharepoint, you'd want to look into using the Business Data Catalog, assuming you're using SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise.

share|improve this answer
using the business data catalog webpart list, would I have to have the tables in my external SQL server DB as a list format, or is there a way to write queries in the webpart to populate it in the list format? – user3048 Apr 14 '11 at 16:44
also, if instead was wanted to allow the user to update the list directly from SP, following the way you say you don it previously. could you go more in details of how you would accomplish that – user3048 Apr 14 '11 at 16:50
Once the external DB has an ADF created and brought into the farm in the Shared Service Provider, you can use web parts to interact with the data, create data sources against it in Sharepoint Designer and create data view web parts based off of the data source or the BDC. – PirateEric Apr 14 '11 at 16:52
Nintex Workflow is a thrid party workflow tool for Sharepoint. In it, it has an action to execute SQL. When it's configured, you can insert and update external SQL server data when new items are created or edited. – PirateEric Apr 14 '11 at 16:55
? so for the original action I was pursuing, the external DB has to be brought into the SP farm? – user3048 Apr 14 '11 at 16:55
show 8 more comments
up vote 0 down vote

I would create an external content type using SP Designer to connect to the SQL DB from SharePoint.

You can then update SQL using your WebApp GUI and the view in SharePoint would be automatically updated.

This is assuming that your data is held in a custom database, and not in your SharePoint content database.

share|improve this answer
external content type only in 2010 – djeeg Apr 15 '11 at 0:15

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.