Question Not Issue! K2 Database Smart Object or SharePoint List?

  • 30 August 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 7 views

Again a newbie question, so forgive it on the general forum, but you veterans are a good place to start I hope!

 

We are a very SharePoint focused organisation but we have several other LOB SQL systems that we want to hook into and write back to hence buying K2. Our interaction with LOB systems can wait ... but there is a lot we can do with it in the short term.

But I am up against a wall at the moment when someone asks for a fairly simple KT solution (ie: smartforms/workflow) in regard to whether I build this on a SharePoint list as the data source or I use the inbuilt K2 Database source and create the smart object from there instead.

 

My instinct is to use SP as the data source as we can visualise the data captured very easliy in house (infact any SP power user can untilize it and filter etc on the data views and create what views they need, they can roll it up across sites and use it as dashboards using external tools such as Lightning tools).  If I use a K2 database source as the smart object we are reliant on a professional SQL expert to extract that into a sequal report (potentially delivered on a SP Page). I actually have no idea what the sequal reporting bit means in all honesty.

 

But My question in essence is, what does using a K2 inbuilt database as a samrt object have 'over' using a a SharePoint list.  I understand the difference between a flat database which a SharePoint List is (ie: each item can't talk to each other).  Is that the advantage of using K2 as a data siource? .. is it a relational database, can each item see the other or am I am completely off mark with this?

 

Confuzled at K2.com :-)   Julie


2 replies

Userlevel 4
Badge +14
In general I would say you will have a performance gain eliminating calls to SP to retrieve and write data. But this is totally up to your descension. With SP there is also limitations to keep an eye out for like List view thresholds etc.
As far as reporting goes, if you make use of K2 SmartBox SmartObjects you can build reporting forms utilizing the data to visualize reports. You can also make use of the K2 OData API and create reports in PowerBI or Excel if needed.

HTH
Vernon
Badge +3

Hi JulieBird,


K2 is an interface layer between back end systems.


K2 itself has a database which it uses to store data about other data bases.
K2 can interface with back end systems like SQL and SharePoint.
SQL can have flat, simple or relational databases, so in general it's preferred to use SQL over SharePoint if you want to store large amounts of data.


SharePoint has a more appealling interface but is slower and includes other limitations.


K2 Smartobjects allow you to create your own tables similar to SharePoint lists.


These SmartObjects behave just like SQL tables (Because they are SQL tables) so this can be your stand in for SQL.


Kind regards,


Hendrix

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