1. Configuring Siebel Business Applications
  2. How a Business Component Gets Data from an External Database

How a Business Component Gets Data from an External Database

A virtual business component is a type of business component that references external data. This data is typically real-time information that Siebel CRM gets from an external database, but a virtual business component can reference any source that can supply data in reply to a structured query. You can use a virtual business component if you must get data from a location other than a table in the Siebel database.

You can use an external business component (EBC), which is a type of business component that uses ODBC and SQL to supply data. For more information, see Integration Platform Technologies: Siebel Enterprise Application Integration.

A virtual business component allows you to do the following:

  • Represent external data as a virtual business component in Siebel CRM. The business component specifies the library that Siebel CRM uses to access the data.

  • Use a business service to transfer data.

A virtual business component includes the following qualities:

  • Supports single-value field.

  • Supports field-level validation.

  • Supports a predefined business component event model. For example, PreNewRecord, PreDelete, and so on.

  • Supports insert, delete, query, and update operations.

  • Can be a stand-alone business component or a child business component in a business object.

  • Supports dynamic applet toggles. For more information, see Options to Toggle Between Applets in a View.

  • Can work as the parent of a link in a one-to-many relationship with another business component:

    • Siebel CRM creates a Siebel row ID in a virtual business component in the same way that it creates this ID in a predefined business component.

    • Supports a many-to-many relationship to an external system that works similarly to a one-to-many relationship.

    • Does not support a many-to-many relationship to another virtual business component.

  • Can be the basis for an applet.

  • Can be accessed through an object interface.

  • Can access all business component events for scripting.

  • Cannot be docked.

For more information, see Overview: Siebel Enterprise Application Integration.