TM1 Forum

1) Is there any IBM official document describing which ERP is supported by TM1? (supported = connect directly via TI function/connection string or with separated connector as driver)
2) If yes, may I know how to connect to the following, AX/EBS/SAP/other ERP (e.g.: ManEx; http://www.manex.com/Solutions/ERP/erp.aspx)? (As I know, there was a TM1 Connector for SAP, but it is no longer available now. So, what're the alternative?)
3) If no, a staging DB server is required, isn't it

The thread

http://www.tm1forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9734
Import SAP BW data into TM1 using SAP RFC

discusses some third party connectors for SAP BW.

moby91 wrote:The thread

http://www.tm1forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9734
Import SAP BW data into TM1 using SAP RFC

discusses some third party connectors for SAP BW.

Thank you for advising the TM1-SAP connector

So, one thing can be sure is that:
A connector from IBM, ERP vendor or external-partner is required when importing data from any ERP (when there is no staging DB) since the existing interface and function cannot cater it, right?

wilsonmax wrote:So, one thing can be sure is that:
A connector from IBM, ERP vendor or external-partner is required when importing data from any ERP (when there is no staging DB) since the existing interface and function cannot cater it, right?

Why have you overlooked making a connection to the database that the ERP uses?

rmackenzie wrote:

wilsonmax wrote:So, one thing can be sure is that:
A connector from IBM, ERP vendor or external-partner is required when importing data from any ERP (when there is no staging DB) since the existing interface and function cannot cater it, right?

Why have you overlooked making a connection to the database that the ERP uses?

It is because I just want to figure out some workarounds when the case is that the DBA does not allow any direct connection to the DB which the ERP using.
Also, the Dimension selection would be more clear when import data from the ERP directly.

Have you asked the DBA (who won't let you connect to the database) whether they will allow you to connect using some other sort of connector?

wilsonmax wrote:So, one thing can be sure is that:
A connector from IBM, ERP vendor or external-partner is required when importing data from any ERP (when there is no staging DB) since the existing interface and function cannot cater it, right?

Wrong.
I'm not sure where you get this idea. Almost every single ERP system out there uses either an Oracle or SQLServer RDBMS as its database backend. Connecting to the ERP system is usually no more than installing the appropriate ODBC driver and being provided with a username/pwd by the DBA with sufficient privileges to read the tables and views needed to build the required OLAP objects.

IF the DBA objects to a reporting system being given access to "their" database then this is usually overcome with good requirements documentation where the required queries are listed out. (Yes it can be a chicken and egg problem sometimes in that without access to the tables how do you specify a query! But there's usually a way around it via a dev or test system.)

SAP is the only ERP that makes this process really (and I mean REALLY) difficult, but there are a few SAP Connectors available that can overcome this and make it quite easy.

With the exception of SAP you don't need a connector, just like you don't need a staging DB. Sure being able to connect to a DWH wit a star schema with pre-built dimension tables will make life much easier to build dimensions and cubes in TM1 but it isn't a necessary pre-condition.