How to modify LobSystemInstance properties after deployment

Question

Hi,
I've added some properties to my LOBSystemInstance (like explained here:http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/sharepoint2010programming/thread/01ad2bf2-7ebc-434f-beac-e2d934847b34)
I cannot find where to modify the properties once the BDC is deployed.
Is it possible to have an administrator change the property values once the BDC is deployed? For instance when a DB password changes?
regards, Felix

Answer 1

Hi Felix,
You need to be using a custom connector to be able to use those properties and interfaces.
I have managed to get those elusive properties you are after, I followed the book from Scot Hiller and also this blog:
http://jardalu.blogspot.com/2010/03/writing-custom-connector-for-bcs.html
I have written an internal document for us at Lightning Tools explaining how to transform a BCS Meta Man project to a Custom Connector. This is the full model I used
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Model Name="CustomConnectorMashupLobSystemModel" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2007/BusinessDataCatalog">
<LobSystems>
<LobSystem Name="CustomConnectorMashupLobSystem" Type="Custom">
<Properties>
<Property Type="System.String" Name="SystemUtilityTypeName">CustomConnectorMashup.Custom.Connector, CustomConnectorMashup, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=02df3463d06f0080</Property>
</Properties>
<LobSystemInstances>
<LobSystemInstance Name="CustomConnectorMashupLobSystemInstance">
<Properties>
<Property Name="ConnectionString" Type="System.String">Persist Security Info=False; Integrated Security=SSPI; Server=.\;Connect Timeout=30;Database=AdventureWorksLT;</Property>
</Properties>
</LobSystemInstance>
</LobSystemInstances>
<Entities>
<Entity Name="Product" Namespace="CustomConnectorMashup.Model" Version="20.0.0.0">
<Properties>
<Property Name="OriginalTableName" Type="System.String">[SalesLT].[Product]</Property>
<Property Name="IsCustomCode" Type="System.Boolean">false</Property>
<Property Name="Class" Type="System.String">CustomConnectorMashup.Model.ProductEntityService, CustomConnectorMashupLobSystem</Property>
<Property Name="Title" Type="System.String">Name</Property>
</Properties>
<Identifiers>
<Identifier Name="ProductID" TypeName="System.Int32" />
</Identifiers>
<Methods>
<Method Name="Test">
<Parameters>
<Parameter Name="returnParameter" Direction="Return">
<TypeDescriptor Name="ProductList" TypeName="System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable`1[[CustomConnectorMashup.Model.GetAllProductEntitysProperties, CustomConnectorMashup, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=02df3463d06f0080]]" IsCollection="true">
<TypeDescriptors>
<TypeDescriptor Name="Product" TypeName="CustomConnectorMashup.Model.GetAllProductEntitysProperties, CustomConnectorMashup, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=02df3463d06f0080">
<TypeDescriptors>
<TypeDescriptor Name="ProductID" TypeName="System.Int32" IdentifierName="ProductID" ReadOnly="true" />
<TypeDescriptor Name="Name" TypeName="System.String" />
</TypeDescriptors>
</TypeDescriptor>
</TypeDescriptors>
</TypeDescriptor>
</Parameter>
</Parameters>
<MethodInstances>
<MethodInstance Name="Test" DefaultDisplayName="FinderTest" Type="Finder" ReturnParameterName="returnParameter" />
</MethodInstances>
</Method>
</Methods>
</Entity>
</Entities>
</LobSystem>
</LobSystems>
</Model>
This was my connector class
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using CustomConnectorMashup.Model;
using Microsoft.BusinessData.Infrastructure;
using Microsoft.BusinessData.MetadataModel;
using Microsoft.BusinessData.Runtime;
namespace CustomConnectorMashup.Custom
public class Connector : ISystemUtility, IAdministrableSystem
#region IAdministrableSystem Members
public IList<AdministrableProperty> AdministrableLobSystemProperties
get { return null; }
public IList<AdministrableProperty> AdministrableLobSystemInstanceProperties
get
return new List<AdministrableProperty>
// Add the Connection String to the Administrable Properties so it can be changed in Central Administration
new AdministrableProperty("Connection String", "The Connection String", typeof (string), "ConnectionString", typeof (string), true)
#endregion
public IEnumerator CreateEntityInstanceDataEnumerator(object rawStream, ISharedEntityState sharedEntityState)
var enumerableStream = rawStream as IEnumerable;
if (enumerableStream != null)
return enumerableStream.GetEnumerator();
throw new InvalidOperationException("Invalid stream returned");
public ITypeReflector DefaultTypeReflector
get { return null; }
public IConnectionManager DefaultConnectionManager
get { return null; }
public void ExecuteStatic(IMethodInstance methodInstance, ILobSystemInstance lobSystemInstance, object[] args,
IExecutionContext context)
if (methodInstance == null)
throw (new ArgumentNullException("methodInstance"));
if (lobSystemInstance == null)
throw (new ArgumentNullException("lobSystemInstance"));
if (args == null)
throw (new ArgumentNullException("args"));
// Read Connection string from LobSystem Instance
var connectionString = lobSystemInstance.GetProperties()["ConnectionString"] as string;
switch (methodInstance.MethodInstanceType)
case MethodInstanceType.Finder:
// Added switch to allow multiple instances of each type
switch (methodInstance.Name)
case "Test":
ExecuteTestMethod(connectionString, args);
break;
break;
default:
throw new NotImplementedException("Only Finder Method Implemented");
private static void ExecuteTestMethod(string connectionString, object[] args)
// Call default method and assign to 0 index of args
args[0] = ProductEntityService.TestMethod(connectionString);
I hope this helps a bit, I do have a project that worked for me that I could send to you to pick apart if that would be helpful. I think I might need to write a blog post so others can benefit from it.
All the best
Phill
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