Using SharePoint Search feature in ASP.Net Application


Using SharePoint Search feature in ASP.Net Application

Integrating ASP.Net application in to MOSS 2007 to utilize SharePoint Enterprise Search Feature can be done by using Business Data Search.

We can enable full text search for our .Net application in following steps:


  • Create Business Data Catalog metadata model for our .Net application, which basically defines contract between MOSS and the .Net business application data. The BDC contract includes data connection information, business entities, and methods to access business data. Additionally you may specify security information.

  • Import BDC metadata model (XML file from step above) using SharePoint SSP Admin
    site and create a business data catalog (BDC). We can also define full
    & incremental crawl schedule for your business data.

  • Define search scope to include our BDC crawl data. This makes crawled business data to
    searchable.

  • Once SharePoint crawl business data, SharePoint automatically create profile web pages. Profile pages are used by MOSS to display Business data details when a result row in search result page is clicked.


MSDN suggested Procedure to configure Business Data

  1. For line-of-business applications, register the application in the Business Data Catalog and set the number of connections.

  2. Create a content source for the business application data.

  3. Crawl the content source for the application data to add its properties as new crawled properties in the portal site schema.

  4. Select the relevant properties in the Configure Search section of the Business Data Catalog and map them to managed properties for search.

  5. Create ACLs for business data types in the Business Data Catalog.

  6. Crawl the content source for the business data source again to update managed properties and ACLs.

  7. Create search scopes for business data.

  8. Configure keywords for business data.

Business data search results can be displayed in four distinct ways:


  • When a search scope that includes business data is used to search, the search
    results include business data results. A business data search scope is not
    provided by default, but administrators can create search scopes that include
    business data.

  • Users can refine initial search results by selecting the option to search business
    data sources.

  • Users can select a business data tab provided in the Search Center
    site, and the search will include all business data for the tab. A tab for all
    business data is not included by default, but administrators can add tabs for
    searching all business data or for searching data from specific business
    applications.

  • If the search term in a standard search query matches a keyword phrase selected by an administrator, the business data result appears in recommended results.

We can search the .Net business data in following ways


  • SharePoint portal
  • Expose it as SharePoint list
  • Create Business Data Web Parts and
  • Use SharePoint Search Web service and create your own custom search application



Note: The integration of business data is available only in the enterprise version of Office SharePoint Server 2007.Deployments of the standard version of Office SharePoint Server 2007 cannot register business data applications or search for business data by using enterprise search.






Posted by Ranjith