Connection options to SAP

[cw1194]

Have a perspective client who is currently on SAP R3 (not using BW)...can anyone provide the lowdown on connection options to TM1 for them? Possible solutions?

Regards,
Chris

[stephen waters]

Have a perspective client who is currently on SAP R3 (not using BW)...can anyone provide the lowdown on connection options to TM1 for them? Possible solutions?

Perspective or prospective? Anyway TI is normal approach for this.

[ScottW]

The usual approach is to
- ABAP a flat file out of SAP
- ftp the file to a network location accessible to the tm1 server (usually a folder on the tm1 server)
- import the flat file via TI

This can be scheduled and fully automated.

Although it is technically possible to connect directly to the tables in SAP, unlike most vendors SAP do not and will not publish their table structures and take the view that any direct connection, even if read only, contravenes their software licensing agreement.

[jim wood]

I have connected driectly in the past with other tools. Regardless of what SAP think, the main issue is that all the table names are in German. Also sensative information like salary details are held within virtual views and they can't be accessed easily via ODBC,

Jim.

[Alan Kirk]

I have connected driectly in the past with other tools. Regardless of what SAP think, the main issue is that all the table names are in German.

And when you generate an Excel report, the module names come out in German as well. It was somewhat disorienting to see the ThisWorkbook object come out as something like Diesesarbeitsbuch (sorry, my German is way rusty and I probably don't have that right, but it's something like that.)

I also love how SAP reports come out with their own little workbook palette (not the default Excel one), which means that if you copy a sheet to another workbook the colours go distinctly odd.

Scott's comment about the licensing was of interest, though. I'm going to have to take a look at that further. Seems like an absurdly draconian licensing agreement if that is indeed the case, but with the amount that SAP charge it wouldn't surprise me. We go the data file route, but mainly because the network connection to the division that uses SAP is decidedly... snail like.

[David Usherwood]

I'm waiting to get to a client who will let me ferret round the 'real' SAP tables. The risk (of course) is that SAP can change the names or structures in a new version and break your code. But hey...

And I know someone who tried to persuade me that Cognos licensing meant that if you emailed a report to a colleague that made the colleague a user who had to pay a license. Pshaw!

[jim wood]

We email our reports to the world. I'd better let the boss know it's going be an expensive year......

{load slamming of door as they throw me out. Followed by a an ouch when they throw the TM1 server after me!!}

[Alan Kirk]

I have connected driectly in the past with other tools. Regardless of what SAP think, the main issue is that all the table names are in German.

And when you generate an Excel report, the module names come out in German as well. It was somewhat disorienting to see the ThisWorkbook object come out as something like Diesesarbeitsbuch (sorry, my German is way rusty and I probably don't have that right, but it's something like that.)

{Slaps wrist...} That should be "DieseArbeitsmappe". Close...

[Eric]

I will be diving into the SAP tables via ODBC in 2009. Hello MARA, ALNA, KNA1, and WTF!

Wish me luck!

[jim wood]

Eric,

As far as I remeber there are SAP sites that help you through the table names and what they mean. If you find something like that it may be worth posting links on here (I can't remember where I got the info from. It's been about 5 years since I did it and I have slept for many nights since.),

Jim.

PS. Could you please change your avatar. I keep on having to restrain myself. (If I don't my sreen in work will get damaged!!)

[rollo19]

On the IBM site - supported environments for TM1 9.4: "Cognos TM1 Connector for use with SAP BW - BW version 3.5 and Netweaver BI 7 supported."

Jut wondering if anyone tried the TI data connector for SAP 4.5B?? Or should we dump, then load what is wanted by file?