Working with Data Connections
The Data Connection Library (DCL) is a new type of document library in Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 that allows applications such as Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 and technologies like Excel Services to specify data connection settings using external files. This provides several advantages:
Reconfiguration: Data connection settings, such as database server locations, can be modified independently of the solutions that use them.
Deployment to Different Environments: Test and production servers can specify different locations for data access and a form template will automatically use the server-specific location when published to that server.
Authentication: Using Office Single Sign-On, server administrators can specify alternative authentication credentials to be used by the server when processing a form for the browser.
Cross-domain security: The Data Connection Library (DCL) serves as a "safelist" for data connections. For forms that are not published with full-trust, only connections specified using the DCL can retrieve data from outside the farm.
In This Section
- About Data Connections, Authentication, and Alternate Access Mapping
Learn about data connection authentication methods, the InfoPath Forms Services proxy service, and SharePoint alternate access mapping.
- How to: Create and Use a Data Connection Library
Learn how to create and use a data connection library, including how to create a UDC v2.0 file from Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007.
- Universal Data Connection v2.0 Reference and Schema
Learn about the UDC v2.0 schema and its elements.