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Integration of SAP sources in Microsoft Fabric
Technical contribution
March 6, 2025
The integration of SAP data into modern data platforms plays a crucial role for companies in gaining business-relevant insights from large volumes of data. Microsoft Fabric offers a powerful end-to-end solution for integrating, processing and analyzing data. SAP sources can be seamlessly integrated using various methods and connectors - from using the Azure Data Factory to ODATA and ODBC connections to OneLake shortcuts.
In this article, you will learn how to connect SAP data with Microsoft Fabric, which connectors are available and how to connect SAP S/4HANA via ODBC. Finally, we will show you how companies can efficiently analyze their data with Power BI.
Integrating SAP data into Microsoft Fabric: Methods and possibilities
There are various strategic approaches to integrating your SAP data into Microsoft:
- SAP connectors for Microsoft Fabric: These enable a seamless connection and facilitate access to SAP data within Microsoft Fabric.
- OneLake shortcuts: Enable access to SAP Datasphere or data from Azure Data Lake Gen2, AWS or GCP via shortcuts.
- Azure Data Factory: With Azure Data Factory, SAP data can be efficiently extracted and transferred to the Fabric Lakehouse.
- Open Mirroring: Uses the SAP connector dab Nexus to replicate data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 and process it in Microsoft Fabric.
Comparison of SAP connectors: All important interfaces at a glance
Connector | Source | Access level | Connection option |
SAP BW | SAP BW, SAP BW/4HANA SAP S/4HANA | SAP Query Designer (BW or CDS) | Dataflow Gen2 |
SAP HANA | SAP HANA, SAP HANA Cloud SAP Datasphere SAP BW-on-HANA, | HANA Calculation Views | Dataflow Gen2, Pipeline |
ODBC | SAP HANA, SAP HANA Cloud SAP Datasphere | Access to SQL artifacts (tables, views) | Dataflow Gen2, Pipeline |
These connectors enable a flexible, secure and powerful connection of your SAP data to Microsoft Fabric.
On-Premises Data Gateway: Secure access to local SAP data
The On-Premises Data Gateway (OPDG) is a locally installed Windows client program that acts as a bridge between local data sources and Microsoft cloud services. It enables secure and fast data transfer without the need for inbound connections.
Important: The SAP BW Connector provides access to the multidimensional analysis level of SAP BW/BW4HANA, but is not optimized for mass data extractions. It supports both import via fabric dataflows and direct queries.
Connecting SAP S/4HANA with Microsoft Fabric: ODBC as a solution
Connecting SAP S/4HANA to Microsoft Fabric via ODBC enables seamless integration and data transfer. With the ODBC connector in Dataflow Gen2, companies can connect their SAP HANA databases directly to Fabric, ensuring stable, powerful and flexible data integration.
How to release ports via the SAP Cloud Appliance Library (CAL):
- Registration in the SAP Cloud Appliance Library (CAL)
- Select S/4HANA instance → Navigate to the virtual machines
- Add required ports for ODBC → e.g. port 30015 for SAP HANA
Step 1: Load the appropriate ODBC driver
- Download the appropriate ODBC driver for SAP HANA from the SAP website and install it on your system.
Step 2: Create an ODBC data source
- Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator tool on your computer.
- Create a new data source in this example S4 and select the installed SAP HANA ODBC driver.
- Enter the connection details such as host name, port or instance number, user name and password and test the connection.
Step 3: Establish connection in Microsoft Fabric
- Open Microsoft Fabric and navigate to Dataflow Gen2 and create the Dataflow Gen2 for MARA, VBAK and VBAP.
- Select the option to add a new data source and select ODBC as the connection type.
- Select the previously created ODBC data source and enter the required login information.
Step 4: Importing and transforming data
- Once the connection is established, you can import the data from SAP HANA into Microsoft Fabric.
- Use Dataflow Gen2's integrated tools to transform and analyze the data as needed.
Step 5: Create data pipeline
- Create a data pipeline in Dataflow Gen2 and add the multiple dataflows such as MARA, VBAK and VBAP.
- Add a dataflow table join that merges the results of the individual dataflows into a common table.
Step 6: Save data and use it for analyses
- Store the imported and transformed data in a warehouse or lakehouse or any other desired storage solution within Microsoft Fabric.
- Use the data for analyses, reports and other business applications.
Create CDS views in SAP: Step-by-step instructions
CDS views (Core Data Services) enable powerful modeling and aggregation of SAP data for Microsoft Fabric.
- Name & describe CDS viewDefine a suitable name and description for your views.
- TSelect cells & columnsExample: For MARA the columns MANDT, MATNR, MATWA, POSNR and VBELN can be selected.
- Define primary keyThis allows data to be uniquely identified and processed efficiently.
Tip: Use optimized SQL queries within CDS views to make data extraction for Microsoft Fabric efficient.
Conclusion: The advantages of SAP integration in Microsoft Fabric
The integration of SAP S/4HANA in Microsoft Fabric via ODBC connectors offers companies a flexible and reliable way to seamlessly integrate and transform SAP data and use it for analyses.
- End-to-end data integration from the SAP data source to analysis in Power BI
- Seamless connection with Microsoft Fabric for more efficiency and scalability
- High data quality & security through Microsoft integrated governance and compliance tools
With Microsoft Fabric, companies can make optimal use of their data, make data-driven decisions and maximize the transparency of their business processes.
Want to learn more about Microsoft Fabric? Visit our website at https://dataciders.com/microsoft-fabric/ and discover more exciting blog posts!
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