SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) is a fully managed SaaS solution designed to unify and govern all SAP data, while also enabling seamless integration with third-party data. By combining the capabilities of SAP HANA Cloud, SAP Datasphere, and SAP Analytics Cloud, BDC empowers businesses to make real-time, data-driven decisions—supported by secure connectivity and a trusted AI foundation.

I’m excited about BDC and the value it brings. Having experienced firsthand the daily challenges of data transfer from SAP systems to data repositories—such as outdated data, transfer failures, and the lack of end-to-end ownership when issues arise—I understand the critical need for a solution that ensures real-time, up-to-date data availability and especially to leverage AI Insights.

Background:

In (Understanding the Technology Behind SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) – Out of the box ‘Insight App“), I provided an overview of BDC and its business benefits. To help you better understand the underlying technologies and concepts, I’ve broken things down into two key scenarios:

1. Using “Out-of-the-Box” SAP Insights App with SAP S/4HANA and SAP SuccessFactors as source systems—exploring a step-by-step walkthrough of how the process works.
   
2. BDC Integration with SAP Applications, Third-Party Applications, and SAP BW/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.

This blog dives deeper into Scenario 2.

The architecture below provides a detailed summary of how SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC) connects and harmonizes data across SAP and non-SAP applications using a unified data fabric to deliver real-time insights. The key components include data sources, the Business Data Fabric layer, and the consumption layer—enabled through Insight Apps.

Detailed steps:

Step 1: Browse available data products in SAP BDC Cockpit

To extend out-of-the-box Data Products in SAP Business Data Cloud with third-party data, first browse the available Data Products in the SAP Business Data Cloud Cockpit. Select and install the one that best meets your requirements before proceeding with integration.

Step 2: Data Product Installation and Transformation Process

When the Data Product installation begins, the bundled business data from your application is accessed, replicated, and processed through various steps within the Foundation Services of SAP Business Data Cloud and transforming it into a ready-to-use Data Product.

Step 3: Data is now available in SAP Datasphere.

Step 4: Integrating Third-Party Data in SAP Datasphere

You can now build the required data model artifacts directly on top of your Data Product in SAP Datasphere. This is where third-party data integration becomes essential. Leveraging SAP Datasphere’s advanced integration and data modeling capabilities, you can seamlessly enrich the out-of-the-box data model with third-party data.

Step 5: Integrating SAP BW/4 HANA Objects into SAP Business Data Cloud

You can also integrate your existing SAP BW/4HANA objects into SAP Business Data Cloud. Using a dedicated data provisioning tool, you can onboard SAP BW objects into SAP Datasphere and seamlessly combine them with the existing data model.

Step 6: Reports with AI-Powered Insights

SAP Business Data Cloud offers a variety of consumption options for your data model. One example is the AI-powered Just Ask feature in SAP Analytics Cloud. Leveraging natural language processing, it allows you to retrieve insights simply by typing a question about your data. The system instantly responds, presenting the information in the most suitable format or you can also use Insight App dashboards.

Conclusion:

SAP Business Data Cloud enables businesses to seamlessly integrate, harmonize, and analyze data from multiple sources, transforming raw data into actionable insights. By leveraging AI-driven analytics and automation, organizations can make data-driven decisions with confidence. With its out-of-the-box Insight Apps and seamless integration with SAP solutions, it provides a trusted and unified platform for enterprise data management.

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Why SAP Datasphere over others?

SAP Datasphere allows seamless connectivity with a wide range of data sources, including on-premises and cloud-based systems. SAP Datasphere is designed to handle large volumes of data efficiently, making it suitable for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. Its scalable architecture ensures optimal performance even as data volumes grow over time. Graphical low-code/no-code tools to support self-service modeling needs for business users. It has Powerful built-in SQL and data flow editors for sophisticated modeling and data transformation needs.

It has a graphical impact and lineage analysis to visualize data movements, transformations, and other dependencies.

Steps to connect SAP Datasphere with Qliksense

In SAP Datasphere go to the Space Management tab and click on edit in the appropriate space

Make sure to turn on Expose for Consumption, so that the data can be retrieved from Datasphere and consumed in other tools.

Now click on create in the database users and give the appropriate name

Make sure to deploy the space to access the user credentials

Make sure to copy the username, hostname and password in the database user details.

Go to System-> Configuration-> IP Allowlist-> Trusted Ips

Click on Add IP

Get the IPv4 address of your appropriate Internet Service Provider

and make sure to add the IP address in the IP allowlist.

Below is the view I am going to consume in the Qlik Sense to visualize the data

ODBC Part

First download and Install the SAP HDODBC driver in the system. Here’s the URL to download SAP Development Tools (ondemand.com)

Then open the ODBC

Click on Add

Click on HSODBC

• Give any meaningful name to the Data source name, description.
  
• Database type: SAP HANA Cloud or SAP HANA Single tenant.
  
• Already copied Host URL in datasphere space, Paste the copied Host URL.

• Click Test connection
  
• Paste the Database username in Username and Password.

Now the connection is successful.

Qlik Sense Part

In Qlik Sense Click on Create new app

Here Click on Add data

There will be several data connections, among that choose the ODBC connection

Now click on appropriate connection which is already created in ODBC part and give the username and password

Now Click on Owner and click on the space name in which the data (view) is available.

Now click on the view that needs to be visualized in Qlik Sense, the data preview will be available.

Now the data is loaded successfully. Hence the connection between SAP Datasphere and Qlik Sense is successful via ODBC connection

Here’s the sample dashboard created using the fact view consumed from SAP Datasphere

The post Connect & Visualize: SAP Datasphere with Qlik Sense first appeared on ERP Q&A.

By the help of Just Ask one can query SAC Data models in a normal English Language and can get the expected result.

Steps to get started with SAC Just ask:

Step – 1: Click on the :

from the Tabs at the right corner:

Step -2: Select a Model to Index for Just Ask from Manage Models feature.

Step -3: After adding a model to just ask one can :

• Set the synonyms for the dimension and measures :- By this user can query model without depending on the exact name of dimension and measure.

For Example: We have created a synonyms “sales” for “before tax amount” measure.

• Set the user specific rules in the model like : whenever users queries a measure it displays the result with the cuts of specified dimension in the rule, set the include and exclude filters, set the sort orders.

For Example : Before tax amount is to be shown by branch.

Step – 4 : Now since the model is ready so we can start querying our model.

Some examples questions are jotted down below:

Q1: Show me top 3 brands by Sales?

Ans:

Q2 : Who are my top3 consistent customers?

Ans:

Q3: Lowest performing branch by sales in East

Ans:

So, we can do multi-dimensional query by adding Branch and East Zone

Q4: What is my sales by month ?

Ans:

Q5: Which customer city is generating most sales ?

Ans:

Q6: Which branch is generating least sales for Ply

Ans:

Q7: How the sales of product group ply performed over month

Ans:

Q8: How did marketing spend impact sales by brands in Kolkata?

Ans: It shows Correlation of Marketing spend with Sales across Brands in a territory

NOTE:

The model which we used have the following dimension and measures:

Please jot down your ideas and suggestion in the comment box to avail the full of this facility by SAC.

The post SAP Analytics Cloud – Just Ask Feature first appeared on ERP Q&A.

Required:

• Datasphere tenant.
• Power BI.
• Need to create a database user for the particular space in the space management.
• Host name, Port number, Password, Database username.
• Need to add External IPV4 Address in the IP Allowlist.
• Hana ODBC client.
• Need to add credentials in Power BI.

Datasphere part:

Login into Datasphere -> Space Management -> Choose the space and select Edit.

Click Create and Make sure that you have enabled Expose for consumption by default

Copy Database Username, Host name, Port, Password.

Go to System-> Configuration-> IP Allowlist-> Trusted Ips

EXTERNAL IPV4 ADDRESS should be added here, not Internal IPV4

To get External IPV4 Address

• Open Command prompt and enter curl ifcfg.me
• Then run curl ifcfg.me in command prompt and add that IPV4 Address in the IP Allowlist.

Add and Save the External ipv4 address here.

ODBC PART:

Need to install SAP HDODBC driver SAP Development Tools (ondemand.com) in the system.

Open ODBC in the system

Click Add

Select HDODBC

• Give any meaningful name to Data source name, description.

• Database type: SAP HANA Cloud or SAP HANA Single tenant (both will work fine).

• Already copied Host URL in datasphere space, Paste the copied Host URL.

• Click Test connection

• Paste the Database username in Username and Password.

POWER BI PART:

Power BI-> Get data-> ODBC.

Select the created ODBC Connection

Paste the same Username and Password which copied in datasphere part, click “Connect”.

Successfully Power BI consuming data from SAP Datasphere

Dashboard built in Power BI

From this POC:

• Data from Datasphere can be consume via OBDC connection 100/100.

• Since ODBC connection is possible, we can consume data into any third-party reporting tools that we want.

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