Error #1: Message from External System: Login failed for user

• Scenario: Adding SQL Server connection in SharePoint Designer
• User: Contoso\designer1
  • AD: Member of Contoso\SP_Designers security group
  • SP: Has “Design” permissions on SharePoint site
  • DB: No permissions

Error message: Message from External System: Login failed for user …

Reason: User has no Server Level public permission on database server.

Resolution: Grant public permissions for user on database server level.

Error #2: Cannot connect to SQL Server database defined in data source connection <dbname>

• Scenario: Adding SQL Server connection in SharePoint Designer
• User: Contoso\designer1
  • AD: Member of Contoso\SP_Designers security group
  • SP: Has “Design” permissions on SharePoint site
  • DB: Server level public permission

Error message: Cannot connect to the LobSystem. Cannot open database <dbname> requested by the login. The login failed.

Reason: This one is actually pretty self-explanatory. User has no database level permissions.

Resolution: Grant desired permissions for user on database level, say Read permission.

Error #3: Access denied by Business Data Connectivity

• Scenario: Adding SQL Server connection in SharePoint Designer
• User: Contoso\designer1
  • AD: Member of Contoso\SP_Designers security group
  • SP: Has “Design” permissions on SharePoint site
  • DB: Server level public permission, Database level read permission

Error message: Access denied by Business Data Connectivity.

Reason: User has no permissions to connect and consume from Business Data Connectivity Service Application (BCS)

Resolution:

• Go to Central Admin site
• Manage Service Applications
• BCS Service Application
• Set Metadata Store Permissions

• Grant Edit permissions for user

   

Result: SQL Server connection added successfully.

Error #4: Access denied by Business Data Connectivity

• Scenario: Accessing External List in SharePoint site
• User: Contoso\bcs1
  • AD: Member of Contoso\SP_BCS_Users security group
  • SP: Has “Contribute” permissions on SharePoint site
  • DB: no permissions

Error message: Access denied by Business Data Connectivity.

Reason: User has no permissions to connect and consume your External Content Type from Business Data Connectivity Service Application (BCS)

Resolution:

• Go to Central Admin site
• Manage Service Applications
• BCS Service Application
• Select your External Content Type
• Set Object Permissions

• Grant Execute permissions for user

   

Result: User can view external list data successfully.

Note:

Although Error #3 and Error #4 are the same generic error, their resolution are different. In Error #3, user is trying to modify BCS service application itself, maybe creating an external type, rather then consuming it. On the other hand, Error #4 is a result of end-user trying to consume, i.e. execute the already created external content type. Also it’s important to make note of the different of user roles in each scenario.

• Set Object Permissions is usually for end-users or groups, i.e. data consumers.
• Set Metadata Store Permissions is usually for SP Designers or SP Admins, i.e. external content type creators/modifiers or SP Admins.

SP Designers -> Edit

BCS End-Users -> Execute

Error #5: External Content Types are not available. Contact your system administrator.

• Scenario: Creating External List in SharePoint site
• User: Contoso\designer1
  • AD: Member of Contoso\SP_Designers security group
  • SP: Has “Design” permissions on SharePoint site
  • DB: Server level public permission, Database level read permission on LOB database

Error message: External Content Types are not available. Contact your system administrator.

Reason: External Content Types are not selectable in clients for current user.

Resolution:

• Go to Central Admin site
• Manage Service Applications
• BCS Service Application
• Select your External Content Type
• Set Object Permissions

• Grant Selectable in Clients permissions for user

Result: External Content Type is selectable in client, SharePoint site.

Error #6: <your BCS error goes here…>

• Scenario: <scenario>
• User: <username or type>
  • AD: <user’s AD permissions>
  • SP: <user’s SharePoint permissions>
  • DB: <user’s Database permissions>

Error message:

Reason:

Resolution:

Result:

That’s it for now. Hope this post helped you to resolve your BCS error. If your error message is not one of the above, please let me know, I’ll try to tackle it for you. Ok, waiting, next error?

zieglers