Skip to main content

SAP BW

SAP BW

Prerequisites​

Before configuring the SAP BW source connection in Crestone, make sure you have the following:

Main Requirement: An SAP BW system (classic BW-on-ABAP or BW/4HANA running in BW mode) reachable via RFC. Crestone connects using the SAP JCo library through the crestone-abap-ms microservice — the exact same RFC destination mechanism used by the SAP ABAP connector (application server host, instance number, client, user, password). No additional database driver or gateway is required beyond standard SAP RFC connectivity.

Note: This connector targets InfoProviders (InfoCubes/MultiProviders), BEx Queries, and InfoObject master data exposed on the ABAP stack. It does not read HANA-native composite providers modeled purely via CDS views — that is a different connector.

SAP-side Prerequisites (RFC user authorizations)​

The RFC user Crestone connects with needs:

Authorization ObjectField / ValuePurpose
S_RFCRFC_TYPE = FUGR, RFC_NAME including RSR_MDX, BAPI_MDPROVIDER, SDTX (RFC_READ_TABLE)Execute the RFC function modules Crestone calls: RSR_MDX_CREATE_OBJECT/RSR_MDX_GET_FLAT_DATA (data extraction), BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_DIMENSIONS/GET_MEMBERS/GET_VARIABLES (metadata), RFC_READ_TABLE (InfoProvider/Query discovery)
S_TABU_DIS (or S_TABU_NAM)Scoped to RSDCUBE, RSZCOMPDIR, RSDIOBJInfoProvider/Query/InfoObject discovery via RFC_READ_TABLE (same mechanism the SAP ABAP connector already uses for DD02L)
S_RS_ICUBEACTVT = 03 (Display)Read access to InfoCubes/InfoProviders
S_RS_COMP / S_RS_COMP1ACTVT = 16 (Execute), scoped to the relevant INFOCUBE/COMPIDExecute BEx queries via the BAPI_MDPROVIDER_* family and MDX

Tip: Start with a read-only custom role scoped to the objects above rather than granting broad SAP_ALL-style access. See "Required Permissions" below for a minimal role summary.

Pre-Verification Step​

Before configuring the connection in Crestone, verify RFC connectivity and authorization directly in SAP:

  1. In SAP GUI, run transaction SM59, locate (or create) an RFC destination with the same host/instance/client/user credentials you'll use in Crestone.
  2. Click Connection Test — confirms basic RFC reachability.
  3. Click Authorization Test — confirms the RFC user can log on and surfaces any missing authorization objects immediately.
  4. Optionally, run transaction SE37 and test-execute RSR_MDX_CREATE_OBJECT (submit a simple MDX SELECT against a known InfoProvider) followed by RSR_MDX_GET_FLAT_DATA with the returned DATASETID, to confirm the user can read InfoProvider data before wiring up Crestone.

A successful Authorization Test plus a successful RSR_MDX_CREATE_OBJECT/RSR_MDX_GET_FLAT_DATA test call are strong signals the Crestone connection will work.

Configuration Steps​

Follow these steps to create a new SAP BW source connection in Crestone:

  1. Navigate to Connections in the top navigation bar.
  2. Select the Source tab.
  3. Click the + button to create a new connection.
  4. Fill in the Connection Name field with a descriptive name (e.g. SAP BW Production).
  5. In the Source Type dropdown, select SAP BW.
  6. Complete the credentials form:
    • Host Address — application server host (ashost)
    • Instance Number — two-digit system number (sysnr)
    • User — RFC user
    • Client Number — three-digit client (client)
    • SAP Router (optional) — SAProuter string if the system is reachable only through one
    • Password
    • Select Language — logon language (defaults to English)
  7. Click Test Connection to validate that Crestone can open an RFC connection.
  8. Once the test passes, mark the connection as Productive if it should be schedulable, then click Create Source to save it.

Editing an Existing Connection​

To update the credentials of an existing SAP BW source connection:

  1. Navigate to Connections and find your SAP BW source.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. Modify the desired fields in the credentials form.
  4. Click Test Connection to verify the new credentials.
  5. Click Confirm to save the changes.

Using SAP BW as a Source in an Extraction Node​

Once the connection is created, you can use it as the source of an Extraction Node. SAP BW uses an OLAP model — there are no tables, only InfoProviders and Queries exposing characteristics (dimensions) and key figures (measures).

  1. Open or create an Extraction Node and go to the Source tab.
  2. In Select Source, choose your SAP BW connection.
  3. Choose the Extraction Type: InfoProvider (Cube), BEx Query, or InfoObject (Master Data).
    • For InfoProvider extraction, select the technical name of the InfoCube or MultiProvider.
    • For Query extraction, select the technical name of a released BEx query.
    • For InfoObject extraction, select the technical name of a characteristic that has "Characteristic is InfoProvider" enabled — see the dedicated subsection below.
  4. Select the Characteristics (dimension fields) and Key Figures (measure fields) to include. The extracted result has one row per unique combination of selected characteristics, with key figures as additional columns — the same flattening behavior as Theobald xtract Universal's BWCUBE extraction.
  5. Include totals / aggregates (unchecked by default) — each selected characteristic's hierarchy has a root "All ..." aggregate member alongside its real detail values. Leave this unchecked to extract only detail-level rows (recommended for most extraction use cases); check it to also include the aggregate row per characteristic.
  6. Optionally add Variables / Selections to restrict the data — each row is {field or query variable, sign, option, low, high}, the same select-options semantics used throughout Crestone's SAP ABAP connector:
    • Sign: Include or Exclude
    • Option: Equal, Between, Contains Pattern, Greater/Less or Equal
    • Low / High: the value(s) to restrict on (High only applies to range options like Between)
  7. The Preview panel shows a sample of the flattened data before running a full extraction.

Note: For BEx Queries, the "Variables / Selections" section also lists the query's declared OLAP variables (name, description) as a reference — enter matching rows using the same field to supply a value for that variable.

InfoObject (Master Data) Extraction​

This extraction type reads a characteristic's own master data (its key, texts, and navigational attributes) rather than transactional data from a cube or query. This is possible only when the characteristic has "Characteristic is InfoProvider" enabled in SAP (RSD1/RSA1), which publishes its master data as a queryable object.

  1. Select InfoObject (Master Data) as the Extraction Type.
  2. In the InfoObject search box, find and select the characteristic (e.g. /ERP/COMPCODE). Unlike InfoProvider/Query, there is no separate "Characteristics" picker for this type — the selected InfoObject is automatically the sole characteristic.
  3. In Attributes / Properties, select which master-data fields to extract — this reuses the "Key Figures" list UI, relabeled for this type. Each entry is one of the characteristic's own key/text fields (e.g. "Key", "Medium Name") or a navigational attribute's key/text (e.g. "Chart of Accounts (Key)", "Country (Name)"). A "Select all available" checkbox toggles every listed property at once.
  4. "Include totals / aggregates" and "Variables / Selections" do not apply to master data and are hidden for this type — master-data extraction always returns every member with no aggregate row and no variable restrictions.
  5. Preview and full extraction work exactly as with the other two types.

Data Type Handling​

SAP BW characteristics and key figures are extracted and written as text (string) columns in this initial version, regardless of their underlying SAP data type:

BW Field TypeWritten AsNotes
Characteristic (CHAR)stringIncludes master-data attributes like 0MATERIAL, 0CUSTOMER
Date characteristics (0CALDAY, 0FISCPER, etc.)stringPreserved in their raw internal format (e.g. YYYYMMDD, fiscal period codes) — not converted to display format
Key figure (DEC, CURR, QUAN)stringCurrency (CURR) and quantity (QUAN) key figures are written as-is; the reference currency/unit is not automatically appended as a separate column — include the relevant reference characteristic explicitly if you need it

Why strings for everything: SAP BW returns key figures as locale-formatted display values (currency symbol, thousands/decimal separators, e.g. "$ -10.744.436,30"), not raw numbers — and that formatting depends on the requesting user's SAP logon language, which isn't guaranteed to be consistent across systems or users. Treating all columns as text avoids silently corrupting numeric values during that conversion; downstream destinations can cast columns to numeric types in their own transformation step. Native numeric typing is a planned improvement.

How Extraction Types Are Addressed Internally​

Crestone builds and executes the underlying OLAP query automatically based on the Extraction Type and fields you select — you never need to write this yourself. This section is a brief reference for advanced troubleshooting (e.g. interpreting an SAP-side error message), not something you need to configure.

  • InfoProvider (Cube): queries the InfoCube or MultiProvider directly by its technical name.
  • BEx Query: queries the released query by its full technical name (InfoProvider + query name).
  • InfoObject (Master Data): queries the characteristic's own master data, returning every member with its selected attributes/properties — no aggregate row, no restrictions.
  • Include totals / aggregates: when unchecked (default), only leaf-level detail rows are returned for InfoProvider/Query extraction; checking it also includes each characteristic's "All ..." aggregate row.
  • Variables / Selections: mandatory or optional BEx query variables are supplied as {sign, option, low, high} rows, the same select-options semantics used throughout Crestone's SAP connectors.
  • Output column names: where SAP's own technical field name isn't presentable (e.g. some BEx Query key figures are internally addressed by a system-generated ID), Crestone substitutes the field's description as the column name automatically.

Common Issues​

IssuePossible CauseSolution
RSR_MDX_CREATE_OBJECT not found / not authorizedRFC user lacks S_RFC for the RSR_MDX/BAPI_MDPROVIDER function group, or the function module isn't released for RFC on this BW releaseCheck S_RFC authorization; confirm the function module is remote-enabled via SE37
Empty InfoProvider listInfoProvider is inactive (OBJVERS ≠ 'A') or S_TABU_DIS doesn't cover RSDCUBEActivate the InfoProvider in RSA1; check table authorization
Empty BEx Query listNo queries released for the searched InfoProvider, or S_TABU_DIS doesn't cover the query catalog tableConfirm the query is released for external access in RSRT/RSZC; check table authorization
"The requested query ... does not exist"The selected query name doesn't exist on this system, or wasn't released for external accessRe-select the query from the picker; confirm it's released in RSRT/RSZC
"Value <X> for characteristic <X> unknown" or "Dimension <X> unknown"The characteristic or key figure wasn't picked up correctly during field discoveryRe-open the extraction node's Source tab and re-select the affected fields from the picker rather than typing them manually
Query returns zero rows with no error at allThe InfoProvider/Query genuinely has no data matching the current field/variable selection, or a field/measure combination isn't valid togetherTry previewing with fewer fields selected to narrow down which combination causes the empty result; verify the same combination returns data in SAP GUI's MDXTEST/RSRT
Unexpected MDX/syntax error from SAP not covered aboveAn edge case in field/variable selection not yet handledContact support with the exact SAP error text and the extraction node's configuration
BAPI_MDPROVIDER_* call failsRFC user lacks S_RS_COMP/S_RS_COMP1 for the target InfoProvider/queryGrant execute authorization scoped to the relevant INFOCUBE/COMPID
Variable value rejectedThe sign/opt combination doesn't match the variable's declared selection type (e.g. sending a range to a single-value variable)Check the variable's type in the query definition and adjust opt accordingly (EQ for single value, BT for a range)
Authorization error surfaces as a generic 500Missing authorization details weren't captured from the JCo exceptionCheck the crestone-abap-ms container logs — the RFC exception text (ABAP_EXCEPTION/SYSTEM_FAILURE) usually names the missing authorization object directly
Empty "Attributes / Properties" list for an InfoObjectThe characteristic does not have "Characteristic is InfoProvider" enabled, so BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_PROPERTIES has nothing to return for itEnable "Characteristic is InfoProvider" for that InfoObject in RSD1/RSA1, or pick a different characteristic that already has it enabled
BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_PROPERTIES not found / not authorizedSame function group as GET_DIMENSIONS/GET_MEMBERS/GET_VARIABLES — RFC user lacks S_RFC for BAPI_MDPROVIDER, or S_RS_ICUBE/S_RS_COMP scoped to the InfoObjectCheck the same authorizations already required for InfoProvider/Query metadata calls

Required Permissions​

Crestone only reads data from SAP BW (source connector). The RFC user needs, at minimum:

  • S_RFC covering the function groups listed in "SAP-side Prerequisites" above
  • S_RS_ICUBE with Display (03) on the InfoProviders to extract
  • S_RS_COMP / S_RS_COMP1 with Execute (16) scoped to the queries to extract
  • S_TABU_DIS (or S_TABU_NAM) read access to RSDCUBE, RSDCUBET, RSZCOMPDIR, RSZELTTXT for discovery

Tip: Build a dedicated custom role scoped to these objects rather than reusing a broad BW power-user role — this connector never writes to SAP, so a strictly read-only role is sufficient.