Microsoft Business Intelligence

Interoperability with SAP

Technical White Paper

Author: Christoph Schuler

Technical Reviewers: Alejandro Caraza Duhne, Alberto Meo, Barry MacMahon, Darmadi Komo, Fazil
Osman, Fernando Armada Rodriguez, Gije Cho, Hermann Daeubler, Humberto Hernandez Pantoja, Jos
Antonio Ferreira Queimada, Jose Vazquez Marmol, Juergen Thomas, Martin Vach

Published: June 28, 2013

Applies to: SQL Server 2012

Target Audience: IT Decision Makers, IT Architects, Technical Consultants

Summary: This white paper describes how customers can benefit from the capabilities delivered by
Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) products in their SAP environment. The paper illustrates the key
scenarios for Microsoft BI interoperability with SAP and how those scenarios can be enabled with
components delivered in the platform as well as by third-party solutions.

Copyright
The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the
issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market
conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot
guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication.
This white paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT.
Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights
under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
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Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property
rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license
agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents,
trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.
Microsoft Office, Excel, SharePoint, SQL Server, PowerPivot, and Power View, are trademarks of the
Microsoft group of companies.

2013 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Page 2

Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 5
Microsoft BI Overview ..................................................................................................... 6
SQL Server................................................................................................................................................ 6
Data Integration ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Data Warehousing ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Analysis ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Reporting ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
SharePoint................................................................................................................................................. 7
Dashboards & Scorecards ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Collaboration ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Excel Services ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Excel.......................................................................................................................................................... 7
PivotTable ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
PowerPivot ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Power View .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Microsoft BI for SAP ........................................................................................................ 8

Scenario Categories .................................................................................................................................. 8
Built into the Platform ................................................................................................................................ 9
Third-Party Solutions ............................................................................................................................... 10
Theobald Software .................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Simplement ................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Interoperability Scenarios .............................................................................................. 11

Extracting or Replicating SAP Data into a SQL Server Data Warehouse .............................................. 11
Using the Data Provider for SAP (part of Microsoft BizTalk Adapter Pack) ........................................................... 11
Using the Microsoft Connector for SAP BI ....................................................................................................................... 12
Using Theobald Xtract IS ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Using Simplement Data Liberator ..................................................................................................................................... 14
Reporting on SAP Data ........................................................................................................................... 15
Using the .NET Data Provider and Query Designer for SAP NetWeaver BI .......................................................... 16
Using Theobald Xtract RS ....................................................................................................................................................... 16
Analyzing and Visualizing SAP Data ...................................................................................................... 18

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PivotTable using the SAP OLE DB Provider for SAP BW ............................................................................................. 19

PowerPivot using SQL Server Data Warehouse ............................................................................................................ 20
PowerPivot using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) ........................................................................................... 20
PowerPivot using Theobald Xtract PPV ............................................................................................................................. 21
Power View ................................................................................................................................................................................. 23

Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 24
For More Information ..................................................................................................... 24

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Executive Summary
Many SAP customers consider their selection of a business intelligence (BI) solution as a critical factor
that directly affects the companys health and future. This decision involves determining which BI platform
can deliver the accessibility and interoperability needed to support the BI requirements of even the most
demanding environments. SAP customers also want a BI solution that is efficient and cost effective.
SAP customers using the Microsoft platform are confident in choosing Microsoft BI as an optimal solution
that adds value to their SAP enterprise investment. The Microsoft BI solution enables customers to
experience true pervasive BI in their organization at a low cost through the tools they use every day.
The key advantages to using the Microsoft BI solution with SAP include:

Usability. A major advantage of Microsoft BI tools for SAP systems is the users familiarity with
the applications. Because Microsoft Office is so widely used, most workers are already familiar
with the BI tools and interfaces, which can help to speed adoption and reduce training costs.
Plus, many workers may not be familiar with the SAP BI tools, so by using the more familiar
Microsoft applications, enterprises can more easily find and train analysts for the business.
End User Access. End users want access to data to create their own reports and models, but IT
departments are not always easily able to respond to hundreds of requests for data or to create
the requested custom views, cubes, and reports. Using Microsoft Office, SharePoint Server and
SQL Server with SAP, end users can access data, create reports and models, analyze and
quickly share them in a professional format.
Reduced Cost. Costs are reduced on the system as a whole in several areas, including training,
ease of use for the IT department, hardware requirements, integrated BI tools, and scalability of
the entire platform. Further, based on a recent study, Microsoft offers the lowest price per
terabyte in the industry on user-available storage.
Hardware Flexibility. Customers can utilize any size of hardware using the Microsoft platform.
There is no need to purchase an expensive, proprietary appliance to get the benefits of the
system. Hardware can be upgraded when needed, not as an entry requirement to the solution.
This allows customers to use less expensive or existing hardware if it is not necessary to upgrade
to a full appliance solution. Customers also gain access to the latest in-memory technologies
developed by Microsoft as a built-in featurewithout having to upgrade databases, retrain
personnel, or purchase additional software licenses.
Performance. With the xVelocity columnstore index, SQL Server offers exceptional speed. No
special or proprietary hardware is needed to gain the advantages of xVelocity, which can be a
major cost savings. Installation is not an issue because xVelocity is part of SQL Server.
Therefore, it does not require hiring a team of dedicated experts to take advantage of the
technology.
Built-in and Third-Party Interoperability. Business value is increased by unlocking data that is
stored in SAP systems, using components that are delivered with the Microsoft BI platform. In
addition, certified third-party solutions are available from Microsoft and SAP partners that extend
the functionality and seamlessly integrate into the platform. Data can be accessed in a secure
and auditable way with support for single sign-on.

These are case studies of SAP customers that have realized the benefit of the Microsoft BI platform:

Kordia Boosts Performance by up to 30 Percent and Supports Rapid Business Growth

Manufacturer Takes Full Advantage of SAP Data by Deploying a Microsoft BI Solution
Microsoft Uses SQL Server 2012 5.8-Terabyte SAP ERP Database to Run Its Global Business

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Microsoft BI Overview
Microsoft Business Intelligence empowers users of all levels with new insights through familiar tools while
balancing the need for IT to monitor and manage user created content. Microsoft BI provides access to all
data types across structured and unstructured sources.
Built with familiar and proven Microsoft products SQL Server, SharePoint and Excel - and powerful end
user features - PowerPivot and Power View - the Microsoft Business Intelligence stack provides
breakthrough insights from easy-to-use tools.

SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server contains enterprise-ready Business Intelligence technologies that unlock new
insights with managed self-service options, large-scale data warehousing and powerful analytics
solutions.

Data Integration
SQL Server Integration Services is a platform for building enterprise-level data integration (and ETL)
solutions. You use Integration Services to create packages that automate tasks such as copying or
downloading files, sending e-mail messages in response to events, updating data warehouses, cleaning
and mining data, and managing SQL Server objects and data. Access data from all database standards
(Oracle, SQL, DB2, Teradata), XML, flat files, and business applications through built-in and third-party
connectors for SAP, ERP, CRM, Web Service, and mainframe applications.

Data Warehousing
SQL Server Data Warehousing gives customers an enterprise ready platform that includes high
availability capabilities, a generational leap in performance with xVelocity in-memory technologies and
integrated BI capabilities exposed through familiar tools like Excel and SharePoint. With Microsoft SQL
Server, you can get a mission critical data warehouse platform that you can acquire, operate and
maintain at low cost.

Analysis
SQL Server Analysis Services offers out-of-the-box data mining and modeling tools that work with Excel
and SharePoint to create and share data models. Analysis Services offers three ways to model data:
multidimensional, tabular, and formulated through PowerPivot. In a multidimensional model, SSAS uses
SAP data to create the online analytical processing (OLAP) cubes that are used to perform complex
business analysis. The tabular model is a newer, in-memory solution that uses compression and the
multithreaded query processor xVelocity to deliver data to reports that can be viewed in Excel and Power
View.

Reporting
SQL Server Reporting Services accelerates report creation and eases collaboration and management by
providing access to data from virtually any data source to meet your business reporting needs. The selfservice reporting capability of Reporting Services allows users to create presentation-ready reports in
minutes instead of hours using the Power View and Report Builder features.

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SharePoint
SharePoint 2013 helps you and your team work better, faster, and smarter. Access the right people and
information to get the job done.

Dashboards & Scorecards

SharePoint 2013 Insights let everyone access the business information they need to make good
decisions. With powerful features like interactive dashboards and scorecards, users can access and
configure the information in databases, reports and business applications to fit their individual needs.

Collaboration
SharePoint 2013 Communities let people work together in ways that are most effective for them. The key
is great collaboration tools that anyone can use to share ideas, find people and expertise, and locate
business informationall managed from a secure collaboration platform.

Excel Services
Excel Services in SharePoint Server 2013 is a business intelligence tool used to publish Excel 2013
workbooks on SharePoint Server. The SharePoint users can render the workbooks that contain data
connections, dashboards or PowerPivot or Power View reports in a browser.

Excel
Microsoft Excel is the most widely deployed BI tool in the world for self-service reporting and analysis. If
you are looking to quickly build out a self-service BI solution that tells the story of your data, you can use
the tool you know and love Excel - to rapidly mash-up, explore, analyze and visualize any data ranging
from a few rows to hundreds of millions of rows.

PivotTable
A PivotTable report is a great tool for summarizing and analyzing your data. A user can quickly analyze
data without entering a single formula. PivotTable reports are designed to aggregate data into sums and
totals, and to work with multidimensional data that is organized into a hierarchy. It is therefore an ideal
tool to report on multidimensional data provided by Analysis Services or SAP BW.

PowerPivot
PowerPivot is a powerful tool for data mashup and data exploration based on xVelocity in-memory
technologies, providing unmatched analytical performance to process billions of rows at the speed of
thought.

Power View
Power View enables stunning data visualization to discover new insights with a highly interactive and
familiar data exploration, visualization, and presentation experience - all within Excel. Power View is also
available in SharePoint and allows sharing and collaboration of business insights in a familiar
environment.

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Microsoft BI for SAP

The Microsoft BI solution enables SAP customers to experience pervasive BI in their organization at a low
cost through the tools they use every day, including Microsoft Office 2013, SharePoint Server 2013, and
Microsoft SQL Server 2012.
The good news about Microsoft BI is that SAP customers using the Microsoft platform often already own
many of the products and services of the Microsoft BI solution. SAP customers can take advantage of
their existing investment in Microsoft products and services, and they can receive immediate business
value from the Microsoft BI solutions. In addition, Microsoft BI includes the tools that end users already
know and like which enables ease of use, high end user adoption, and broad accessibility.
Many SAP customer are already benefitting from running SAP on the Microsoft platform. From operating
system to database solution to BI tools, Microsoft offers robust and familiar technologies that work
seamlessly with SAP.
For more information about the benefits of running SAP on the Microsoft platform beyond BI see the
Enhancing the SAP Environment with Microsoft Server Technologies white paper from Microsoft (June
2013).

Scenario Categories
The following sections present various scenarios that can be used to implement Microsoft BI solutions for
SAP. Each scenario describes the components that are involved to make SAP data accessible for the
user.
Extracting or replicating SAP data into a SQL Server data warehouse
Using SQL Server Integration Services with Microsoft or third-party connectors, data can be extracted
from SAP (in addition to other sources), transformed and loaded into a SQL Server data warehouse.
This scenario can involve any SAP source system, including SAP ERP with or without SAP BW.
Alternatively, using a third-party replication solution, SAP transactional data can be replicated into a
SQL Server data store.
Reporting on SAP data
Using SQL Server Reporting Services with Microsoft or third-party provided connectors, reports can
be designed and run directly against the SAP system. This scenario can involve any SAP source
system, including SAP ERP with or without SAP BW.
Analyzing and visualizing SAP data
Using powerful end user tools such as PowerPivot or Power View within the familiar Excel and
SharePoint environments, end users can either work directly with SAP data or via an intermediate
data store or feed provider. This scenario can involve any SAP source system, including SAP ERP
with or without SAP BW.

Page 8

BI End User Tools

SQL Server Data
Warehouse
SAP Business Suite
(ERP, CRM, etc.)

SAP BW

Within these scenarios:

SAP BW is the SAP Business Warehouse versions 3.5 and higher. The latest version is named
SAP NetWeaver BI 7.3.
SAP Business Suite includes all SAP business applications. SAP ECC (Enterprise Central
Component) is the ERP system and the main component within the business suite. The latest
version is SAP ECC 6. SAP ERP includes functionality for Finance, Logistics, and Human
Resources, among others.

Customers need to be aware that every direct and indirect use of SAP software has to be covered under
the appropriate SAP license. For certain scenarios, including data extraction via the SAP BW Open Hub
Services interface, an additional license may be required.
All scenarios that are outlined in this document have been validated in an environment with the latest
SAP releases, including SAP ECC 6.0 and SAP BW 7.3.

Built into the Platform

Key data integration scenarios are enabled with connectivity components that are available as part of the
Microsoft BI platform. These components are designed to work seamlessly within the Microsoft BI tools
and with the interfaces in SAP that enables a certain scenario. The following sections provide more
details on each component and describe the BI scenario that they are suited for.
Data Provider for SAP (part of Microsoft BizTalk Adapter Pack)
With the Data Provider for SAP you can read data from SAP tables and views or remote-enabled
function modules / BAPIs. The Data Provider can be used directly within an Integration Services
package and can transfer large amounts of data by sending them in multiple, smaller packages.
Microsoft Connector for SAP BI
With the Microsoft Connector for SAP BI you can extract data from, or load data into, an SAP BW
system. The connector is intended for use with Integration Services and is certified for data unload
and load scenarios.
NET Data Provider and Query Designer for SAP NetWeaver BI
With the .NET Data Provider for SAP NetWeaver BI you can design and execute a report against an
SAP BW system using Reporting Services. The data provider is delivered with Reporting Services.

Page 9

 SAP OLE DB Provider for SAP BW

The SAP OLE DB provider is a component from SAP and delivered as part of the SAP front end tools
(SAPGUI) and as a separate download. With the SAP OLE DB provider, you can connect a data
consumer like Excel directly to an SAP BW system.

Third-Party Solutions
In addition to the capabilities provided by the Microsoft BI platform, third-party solutions are available for
customers, specifically targeted towards BI scenarios. In many cases, these solutions enhance and
further expand on the functionality provided by the Microsoft BI platform.

Theobald Software
Theobald Software (www.theobald-software.com) is a vendor of SAP integration software. Theobalds
Xtract suite of products is designed to connect to a broad set of SAP data source objects and make the
data available in different Microsoft target applications. Included in the suite are Xtract IS which enables
efficient data extraction from any SAP system using Integration Services. Xtract RS connects Reporting
Services to an SAP system, and with Xtract PPV, an SAP data feed can be provided for a PowerPivot
report. Theobald is a Microsoft and SAP Partner and their underlying connectivity component is SAP
certified.

Simplement
Simplements BI solutions (www.simplement.us) make real-time SAP ERP data available in SQL Server.
Simplements Data Liberator replicates a subset of the tables from the SAP ERP database into a data
store, where the data is transformed and presented in a unified, user-centric interface. SAP data can be
loaded into a SSAS tabular database, extracted into PowerPivot, or directly accessed by SharePoint and
SQL Server Reporting Services. Simplements underlying connectivity solution is Microsoft certified and
Simplement is a Microsoft Partner.

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Interoperability Scenarios
Extracting or Replicating SAP Data into a SQL Server Data Warehouse
Using Integration Services, you can design and execute ETL packages that connect directly to your SAP
data source using one of the components that are outlined in this section. As an alternative to ETL, a
solution based on replication of SAP data into a SQL Server data store is introduced.

Figure 1: Integration Services Package Design

Using the Data Provider for SAP (part of Microsoft BizTalk Adapter Pack)
With the Data Provider for SAP you can read data from an SAP table/view or a remote-enabled function
module / BAPI. Supported SAP table types include transparent, pool and cluster tables.
The Data Provider requires a custom function module (Z module) to be installed on the SAP system. With
the function module, SAP data is extracted from tables or views, type converted and returned to SSIS.
The function module has built-in functionality to optimize for large data extractions and return the data in
multiple packages. The function module is installed as an SAP transport. The Data Provider requires
username/password authentication.

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SQL Server Data Warehouse

Integration Services
Data Provider for SAP
Z Module

Z Module

SAP ERP, CRM, etc.

SAP BW

Figure 2: Data Provider for SAP

Key advantages:

Well-suited for table extraction

Good performance for larger data sets
Supports parallel extraction
Standardized ADO. NET interface for use with other client apps

Further details & download:

Using the .NET Data Provider with SSIS:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc185548(v=bts.10).aspx
BizTalk Server LOB Adapter Pack: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/biztalk/product-information/line-ofbusiness-adapter-pack.aspx

Using the Microsoft Connector for SAP BI

The Microsoft Connector for SAP BI enables you to extract data from, or load data into, an SAP BW
system. The connector is intended for use with SSIS and includes three main components: SAP BI Data
Source, SAP BI Destination and SAP BI Connection Manager.

SQL Server Data Warehouse

Integration Services
Connector for SAP BI
Open Hub Services

SAP BW
Figure 3: Microsoft Connector for SAP BI

Page 12

The Microsoft Connector for SAP BI is certified for data unload scenarios using the Open Hub Services
(OHS) interface in the SAP BW system. To use the OHS interface, you need to configure an Open Hub
Destination in SAP BW for each source object that you want to extract data from. Data extraction via OHS
requires a separate SAP license. OHS provides three options to unload data: (1) directly to an external
system (SSIS), (2) into tables in SAP BW and (3) into flat files. Some customers prefer to use option (2)
with a subsequent table extract to optimize for performance. The Data Provider requires
username/password authentication.
Key advantages:

SAP certified for unloading data

Supports delta extraction and packaging; well suited for large amounts of data
Supports parallel extraction

Further details & download:

Microsoft Connector for SAP BI: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd433138(v=sql.100).aspx

SQL Server 2012 Feature Pack: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29065

Using Theobald Xtract IS

The Theobald Xtract IS product suite enables SQL Server Integration Services to extract data from
virtually any SAP data object in an SAP business system (ERP, CRM, SCM, etc) or SAP BW system.
The Xtract IS suite offers nine components for SAP data access:

Xtract IS Table - to extract data that is stored in SAP tables or views

Xtract IS Query - to extract data that is defined in SAP queries
Xtract IS BAPI - to extract data returned by remote-enabled function modules or BAPIs
Xtract IS BW Cube - to extract data that is stored in SAP queries and cubes
Xtract IS OHS - to extract data from SAP NetWeaver BI via the Open Hub Services
Xtract IS Hierarchy - to extract BI hierarchy data
Xtract IS BW Loader - to upload attributes, texts and transactional data to SAP BW
Xtract IS Report - to use existing ABAP reports or ABAP programs as data sources
Xtract IS DeltaQ - uses the BW extractor API to extract data from SAP ERP with delta support

SQL Server Data Warehouse

Integration Services
Theobald Xtract IS
Z Module *

Z Module *

SAP ERP, CRM, etc.

SAP BW

* Z module only required for some data source objects (see table)
Figure 4: Theobald Xtract IS

Page 13

The connection to SAP can be based on username/password (with possible encryption) or using SNC
(Secure Network Communication) for SSO. The following SAP data objects are supported with their
requirement in SAP:
Component
Table
Query
BAPI
Report
BW Cube
Hierarchy
OHS
DeltaQ

SAP Release
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above BW 3.1
Rel. above BW 3.1
Rel. above BW 3.5
Rel. above 4.6A

Requirements to the SAP system

For most tasks Z module is necessary, but not for all
Nothing
Nothing
Z module is necessary
Nothing
Nothing
Customizing
Customizing

Theobald products are licensed separately.

Key advantages:

Easy to install with Setup Wizard

Access to virtually any SAP data object
SSO enabled via SNC (Secure Network Communication)
Easy to use. Search/browse for data objects in SAP by description
For simple scenarios or evaluation, does not require installation of Z module

Further details & download:

Theobald Xtract IS: http://www.theobald-software.com/en/products/xtractis.htm

Using Simplement Data Liberator

As an alternative to the ETL methods described previously, the Simplement Data Liberator builds upon
the same replication technology used for the hot standby purposes. Using this technology, data can be
replicated continuously from the underlying database of the SAP system into a SQL Server database.

SQL Server Data Warehouse

Simplement Data Liberator

SAP Business Suite

(ERP, CRM, etc.)
Figure 5: Simplement Data Liberator

Simplement products are licensed separately.

Page 14

Key advantages:

Once initialized, data streams continuously in real-time

Well suited for large volumes of reporting data
Security context and hierarchies are replicated with data

Further details & download:

Simplement Data Liberator: http://www.simplement.us/public/products/dataLiberator.aspx

Reporting on SAP Data

SQL Server Reporting Services enables you to design and execute a report that connects directly to your
SAP data source using one of the components that are outlined in this section. Additional reporting
scenarios are possible, for example where Reporting Services is connected to a SQL Server data
warehouse that has been loaded with SAP data using one of the scenarios outlined earlier. Simplement,
for example, delivers Business Insights packages for their replication solution that enables Reporting
Services to generate real-time operational reports from replicated SAP data.

Figure 6: Reporting Services Query Designer

With Power View (see following section), Reporting Services also delivers advanced visualization
capabilities. This section focuses on scenarios where Reporting Services is directly connected to an SAP
system.

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Using the .NET Data Provider and Query Designer for SAP NetWeaver BI
Reporting Services has built-in support to enable reporting against an SAP BW system. Report design
and execution is supported with a .NET data provider and query designer that connects directly to the
XML/A interface of the SAP BW system. SSO is supported via SAP logon tickets.

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

.NET Data Provider and Query Designer

XML/A Interface

SAP BW
Figure 7: .NET Data Provider for SAP NetWeaver BI

Key advantages:

Enables direct reporting against SAP BW

Delivered with Reporting Services (no separate install)
SSO is supported via SAP logon tickets (requires ticket issuing system)

Further details & download:

Using SQL Server Reporting Services with SAP NetWeaver BI: http://msdn.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc974473(v=sql.100).aspx

Using Theobald Xtract RS

Theobald Xtract RS enables SQL Server Reporting Services to access data from virtually any SAP data
object in an SAP business system or SAP BW system.
Xtract RS provides read access to the following to SAP data sources.

SAP tables
SAP queries
SAP BAPIs and remote-enabled function modules
SAP BW cubes
SAP BW cube members (for use as drop-down parameters in an SAP BW cube based report)
SAP BW query cubes
SAP ABAP reports

Page 16

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

Theobald Xtract RS
Z Module *

Z Module *

SAP ERP, CRM, etc.

SAP BW

* Z module only required for some data source objects (see table)
Figure 8: Theobald Xtract RS

The connection to SAP can be based on username/password (with possible encryption) or using SNC
(Secure Network Communication) for SSO.
The following SAP data objects are supported with their requirement in SAP:
Component
Table
Query
BAPI
Report
BW Cube

SAP Release
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above BW 3.1

Requirements to the SAP system

For most tasks Z module is necessary, but not for all
Nothing
Nothing
Z module is necessary
Nothing

Theobald products are licensed separately.

Key advantages:

Easy to install with Setup Wizard

Direct reporting access to virtually any SAP data object. Not limited to SAP BW.
SSO enabled via SNC (Secure Network Communication)
Easy to use. Tight integration into SSRS design tools. User can search/browse for data objects in
SAP by description
For simple scenarios or evaluation, does not require installation of custom function module

Further details & download:

Theobald Xtract RS: http://www.theobald-software.com/en/products/xtractrs.htm

Page 17

Analyzing and Visualizing SAP Data

PivotTable reports and PowerPivot in Excel provide a very flexible and interactive way to summarize and
analyze large amounts of data. Using the SAP OLE DB Provider for SAP BW, a PivotTable can be
connected directly to an SAP BW system to read data from QueryCubes or InfoCubes.

Figure 9: PivotTable in Excel

PowerPivot is available as an Excel add-in and provides powerful data mashup and data exploration
capabilities that uses in-memory technology to process large amounts of data.
PowerPivot can work with many different data sources. SAP data can be included in a PowerPivot data
model using an intermediary system or data file.

Files with SAP data:

o PivotTable (flattened)
o File extract generated by SSIS
Feeds with SAP data:
o SSRS report
o Theobald Xtract PPV
Databases with SAP data:
o SQL Server data warehouse generated by SSIS
o SQL Server data warehouse generated by Simplement Data Liberator
Multidimensional source with SAP data:
o SQL Server Analysis Services cube based on data extracted with SSIS
o SQL Server Analysis Services (tabular) with Simplement Business Insights package from
Simplement

Page 18

Figure 10: Power View in Excel

PivotTable using the SAP OLE DB Provider for SAP BW

In this scenario, an Excel PivotTable is directly connected to a SAP BW system via the SAP OLE DB
Provider. The OLE DB provider is available from SAP and can be either installed as part of the SAP GUI
front end or as a separate download (64-bit version).

Excel PivotTable

SAP OLE DB Provider

SAP BW
Figure 11: SAP OLE DB Provider for SAP BW

The OLE DB Provider requires username/password authentication.

Key advantages:

Enables direct connection and analysis against SAP BW

Works in Excel and Excel Services (SharePoint on-premise or Office 365)

Page 19

Further details & download:

SAP OLE DB for OLAP:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/03/cf903c47c95875e10000000a11405a/content.htm?frames
et=/en/3a/431e02a4939240b510e851df092c50/frameset.htm

PowerPivot using SQL Server Data Warehouse

In this scenario, PowerPivot uses a SQL Server data warehouse or a flat file as a data source. As
described earlier in this document, Integration Services can be used to connect directly to an SAP
system, extract the data and store it in a file or database table format. Alternatively, a replication solution
like Simplement Data Liberator can be used to replicate SAP source data into a SQL Server data store.

PowerPivot

SQL Server DW
File

Integration Services / Replication

Data Provider / BI Connector / Third-Party

Z Module

Z Module

SAP ERP, CRM,.etc.

SAP BW

Figure 12: PowerPivot with SSIS

Key advantages:

Data from any SAP system can be loaded and combined with non-SAP data
Scales to large volumes of data

Further details & download:

Microsoft PowerPivot: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bi/powerpivot.aspx

PowerPivot using SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

In this scenario, PowerPivot uses SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) as a data source. As described
earlier in this document, SSRS can connect directly to an SAP BW system using the .NET Data Provider
for SAP NetWeaver BI. Once you have created a Reporting Services report containing SAP BW data, you
can expose the data in Reporting Services as ATOM feed. This feed can be consumed by PowerPivot.

Page 20

PowerPivot

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)

.NET Data Provider & Query Designer

XML/A Interface

SAP BW
Figure 13: PowerPivot with Reporting Services

Key advantages:

Utilizes capabilities of Reporting Services design and runtime

Reports can be parameterized
SAP data exposed as ATOM data feed, making it suitable for additional consuming apps and
devices

Further details & download:

Microsoft PowerPivot: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bi/powerpivot.aspx

PowerPivot using Theobald Xtract PPV

In this scenario, PowerPivot uses Xtract PPV as a data source which can extract data from an SAP
business system or SAP BW system. Xtract PPV has two components: (1) Xtract PPV Server, which
extracts data from SAP ERP or SAP BW and provides it as a data feed to PowerPivot, and (2) Xtract PPV
Designer, which is used to configure connections to the SAP system and to design the data extracts.
Xtract PPV provides access to the following SAP data sources:

SAP tables
SAP queries
SAP BAPIs and remote-enabled function modules
SAP ABAP reports
SAP BW cubes, query cubes, and hierarchies
Open Hub Service
DeltaQ

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PowerPivot
Theobald Xtract PPV
(Designer + Server)
Z Module *

Z Module *

SAP ERP, CRM, etc.

SAP BW

* Z module only required for some data source objects (see table)
Figure 14: Theobald Xtract PPV

The connection to SAP can be based on username/password or using SNC (Secure Network
Communication) for SSO The following SAP data objects are supported with their requirement in SAP:
Component
Table
Query
BAPI
Report
BW Cube
Hierarchy
OHS
DeltaQ

SAP Release
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above 4.0B
Rel. above BW 3.1
Rel. above BW 3.1
Rel. above BW 3.5
Rel. above 4.6A

Requirements to the SAP system

For most tasks Z module is necessary, but not for all
Nothing
Nothing
Z module is necessary
Nothing
Nothing
Customizing
Customizing

Theobald products are licensed separately.

Key advantages:

Easy to install with Setup Wizard

Direct reporting access to virtually any SAP data object. Not limited to SAP BW.
SSO enabled via SNC (Secure Network Communication)
SAP data exposed as ATOM data feed, making it suitable for additional consuming apps and
devices

Further details & download:

Theobald Xtract PPV: http://www.theobald-software.com/en/products/xtractppv.htm

Microsoft PowerPivot: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bi/powerpivot.aspx

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Power View
Power View is an interactive data exploration, visualization, and presentation tool that is included in SQL
Server Reporting Services. It provides intuitive ad-hoc reporting for business users such as data analysts,
business decision makers, and information workers.
Power View enables quick and easy visualization of your data while allowing sharing and collaboration of
business insights in a familiar SharePoint Server environment. Power View works with tabular data. This
could be a PowerPivot workbook published to a PowerPivot Gallery in SharePoint, a tabular model
deployed to Analysis Services (SSAS) or an Excel workbook connected to a tabular data source. These
capabilities exemplify the full power of the Microsoft BI platform. With the most recent Service Pack
release of SQL Server 2012, Power View can also directly work with multidimensional models in SSAS.
This document previously described several ways to connect to SAP and generate a tabular data
structure, for example by using Integration Services with built-in or third-party connectivity components or
by flattening a PivotTable that connects directly to SAP BW via the OLE DB Provider.

Power View

SSAS

Power Pivot

Excel
Workbook

Figure 15: Power View

Key advantages:

Familiar UI within Excel

Easy to switch between visualizations
Works with any tabular data

Further details & download:

Microsoft Power View: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bi/Products/PowerView.aspx

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Conclusion
In order to unlock the potential of the entire organization, SAP customers need a flexible and powerful BI
solution that gives all employees tangible insight into daily business activities. This allows employees to
make better, more relevant decisions, and it increases productivity across the organization.
In times of tight IT budgets, Microsofts BI solution provides SAP customers with a lower cost option. The
best part of this Microsoft BI solution is that many SAP customers already have the required Microsoft
services and products in use, which makes the Microsoft solution efficient and cost effective. This means,
little investment is required to get started. SAP customers just need to use these tools properly to realize
significant benefits.
Moreover, the Microsoft BI solution uses familiar tools that information workers use every day including
Microsoft Office applications, SharePoint Server 2013, and Microsoft SQL Server 2012. The Microsoft BI
solution does not require SAP customers to purchase proprietary or specialized applications or additional
licensing, and it does not require additional BI resources and staffing.
The Microsoft BI solution is designed to help organizations transform SAP data, workflows, business
processes, and informational assets into an insightful analysis that drives performance forward. It enables
ease of use, broad accessibility, and minimizes training requirements. These factors empower information
workers and accelerate end user adoption.
Discuss the Microsoft BI solution with your Microsoft account management team and they can help you
determine the best strategy for implementing BI within your SAP deployment.
To learn more about Microsoft BI products and services, visit http://www.microsoft.com/bi

For More Information

The following websites offer more information about the topics discussed in this white paper:

Microsoft business intelligence website: http://www.microsoft.com/bi/

SQL Server website: http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/
Microsoft and SAP Alliance: http://www.microsoft.com/enterprise/partners/sap.aspx
Running SAP on SQL Server Blog (includes Microsoft BI for SAP):
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/saponsqlserver/

If you have specific questions in these areas, or any of the areas discussed in the current paper, that you
would like to see addressed in the subsequent paper, please submit them through the feedback link.
Send feedback.

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