How to Connect Other BI Tools to SAP BW/4HANA

How to Connect Other BI Tools to SAP BW/4HANA

How to Connect Other BI Tools to SAP BW/4HANA

SAP BW/4HANA is a next-generation data warehouse solution that enables fast and flexible analytics on large volumes of data from various sources. It offers both cloud and on-premise deployment and integration with both SAP and non-SAP applications. You can easily integrate new types and sources of data, from social and customer behavior to sensor and machine learning insights.

However, SAP BW/4HANA is not the only BI tool that you can use to access and analyze your data. There are many other BI tools that offer different features, functionalities, and user experiences. You may want to connect other BI tools to SAP BW/4HANA to leverage their strengths, complement their weaknesses, or meet your specific business needs.

In this blog post, we will explain how to connect other BI tools to SAP BW/4HANA with examples.

How to Connect Other BI Tools to SAP BW/4HANA?

SAP BW/4HANA offers various options to connect other BI tools depending on the use case and requirement.

  • SAP HANA Database Connector: This option allows you to connect other BI tools that support ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) or JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) protocols to your SAP HANA database. You can use this option to access and analyze the data that is stored in your SAP HANA database directly without any data replication or latency. You can also use this option to access and analyze the data that is stored in your SAP BW/4HANA system or database indirectly via virtual tables or calculation views.For example, you can connect Microsoft Power BI to your SAP HANA database using the SAP HANA Database Connector. You need to install the SAP HANA ODBC driver on every computer of the users who are going to use Microsoft Power BI Desktop. You can download the driver in combination with the SAP HANA tools via the SAP support portal (S-user required). You can then create a connection from Microsoft Power BI Desktop to your SAP HANA database using the following steps:
    • Open Microsoft Power BI Desktop
    • Select Get Data
    • Select More
    • Select Database
    • Select SAP HANA Database
    • Enter the server name, port number, user name, and password of your SAP HANA database
    • Select OK
    • Select the tables or views that you want to import or query
    • Select Load
  • SAP Business Warehouse Application/Message Server Connector: This option allows you to connect other BI tools that support ODBO (OLE DB for OLAP) or XMLA (XML for Analysis) protocols to your SAP BW/4HANA system or database. You can use this option to access and analyze the data that is stored in your SAP BW/4HANA system or database directly without any data replication or latency. You can also use this option to access and analyze the data that is stored in your SAP HANA database indirectly via virtual providers or composite providers.For example, you can connect Microsoft Power BI to your SAP BW/4HANA system using the SAP Business Warehouse Application/Message Server Connector. You need to install the SAP BW ODBO driver and the SAP.NET Connector 3.0 on every computer of the users who are going to use Microsoft Power BI Desktop. You can download the drivers in combination with the SAP GUI for Windows via the SAP support portal (S-user required). You can then create a connection from Microsoft Power BI Desktop to your SAP BW/4HANA system using the following steps:
    • Open Microsoft Power BI Desktop
    • Select Get Data
    • Select More
    • Select Database
    • Select SAP Business Warehouse Application Server or Message Server
    • Enter the server name, system number, client number, user name, and password of your SAP BW/4HANA system
    • Select OK
    • Select the InfoProviders or queries that you want to import or query
    • Select Load

Conclusion

Connecting other BI tools to SAP BW/4HANA is an important process that helps you access and analyze your data in different ways. Depending on the use case and requirement, you can choose from different options to connect other BI tools at different levels of detail, scope, or frequency. By connecting other BI tools to SAP BW/4HANA, you can leverage their strengths, complement their weaknesses, or meet your specific business needs.

Disclaimer: This content is generated by AI.

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