Sap Microsoft Integration

 

Microsoft SAP BI integration

MS SQL Server BI tools can be integrated with SAP Netweaver BI with Integration Services (SSIS) and Reporting Services (SSRS).

General requirements both for SQL Server Integration Services and Reporting Services:

  • On the SAP BI system, a SAP NetWeaver Support Pack Stack 14 needs to be installed. The pack includes SAP_BW component support package level 16 which is required (however SAP_BW component support package level 17 or higher is strongly recommended).
  • SAP Open Hub license is required to enable data exchange between SAP and other systems. The license is relatively expensive in the standard pricelist, however it is very offer supplied with the SAP installation

    • Access SAP BW data with Reporting Services (SSRS)

    First, XML for Analysis (XMLA) needs to be installed on the SAP BI server and running. The SAP BI XMLA Connector makes it possible to connect to SAP BI from such data sources as Microsoft Analysis Services, Hyperion, MicroStrategy, MIS, and BW 3.x. This connector is fully compliant with the J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA) and may be deployed into SAP's J2EE Server.
    Please refer to the following document for further details on SAP XMLA:
    http://help.sap.com/javadocs/NW04/current/bi/docs/connectors/xmla_howto.html

    The video listed below shows a demo on how to connect from Reporting Services to SAP BW and how to design reports based on SAP data:
    SAP SSRS video - a video that provides an example of how to integrate Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and SAP BW (SAP BI / SAP Netweaver).

    Access SAP BW data with SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

    The SAP BI connector enables data extraction from and to SAP NetWeaver BI in both Full and Delta modes via standard interfaces, within the Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services environment. The SAP datasets supported by the connector include SAP BI InfoProviders like InfoCubes, Data Store Objects (DSO), InfoObjects and InfoPackages.

    Additional requirement
    librfc32.dll - the SAP .NET connector file; it needs to be copied into the system subfolder in the Windows folder (typically C:\Windows\system32\ folder). This file is supplied by SAP with a default SAP client installation.

    Keep in mind that microsoft Connector 1.0 for SAP BI can only be used with SQL Server 2008 Integration Services. However, you can load data from or extract data to SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2005, or SQL Server 2000 databases. Microsoft Connector 1.0 for SAP BI does not support SAP BW 3.5 and earlier versions.

    Microsoft BI and SAP Netweaver integration resources

    Useful links with information on Microsoft SQL Server BI and SAP Netweaver (SAP BW / SAP BI Business Intelligence) integration:

  • Microsoft-SAP Technical Guidance - this provides a few PDF documents and demo videos (including a SQL Server Reporting Services and SAP BW Video tutorial and demo)
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2008 additional packages - Microsoft connector for SAP BI download. Provides platform-specific installers for x86, x64 and Itanium (SapBI.msi file)
  • Using SAP Data with Microsoft's BI Tools blog - the blog provides information on Implementation of data extracts from SAP R/3, data extraction from SAP NetWeaver BI (SAP BW) using Open Hub and SQL Server 2005 Integration Services, connecting to SAP BW with SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services and reporting against SAP NetWeaver BI 7.0 Using Excel (without BEx)
  • Using SQL Server 2008 Integration Services with SAP BI 7.0 - this article provides a step by step guide on how to connect to SAP and extract data from SAP using SQL Server 2008 Integration Services.