Operational Data Provisioning (ODP)
Operational Data Provisioning (ODP)
robust and flexible infrastructure for data extraction, replication, and synchronization
between SAP systems. It is widely utilized for scenarios that involve data transfer to data
warehouses, analytics systems, or other consuming applications.
2. Features of ODP
● Real-Time Analytics: Enables real-time data replication from SAP ERP to SAP BW
or other analytical tools for timely reporting and decision-making.
● Data Warehousing: Facilitates the extraction of data into SAP BW or other data
warehouses for further processing and analysis.
● Data Replication: Transfers data between SAP systems or from SAP to non-SAP
systems using replication tools like SLT (SAP Landscape Transformation Replication
Server).
● System Migration: Streamlines data transfer during system upgrades or migrations,
such as moving from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA.
4. Technical Functionality
● Delta Data Transfer: ODP supports delta handling, meaning it only transfers
changes since the last data extraction, reducing data volume and improving
efficiency.
● Subscription-Based Model: Consumers subscribe to ODP contexts or queues,
specifying the data they wish to receive.
● Prebuilt Extractors: SAP offers preconfigured extractors for common use cases like
logistics, finance, and HR.
5. Advantages of ODP
● ODP with SAP BW: SAP BW connects to ODP as a consumer to leverage real-time
and batch data for reporting and analytics.
● ODP with SLT: ODP works alongside SLT to enable real-time data replication from
SAP source systems.
● ODP with CDS Views: In S/4HANA, ODP can be used to expose CDS views, which
are optimized for analytics and reporting.
7. Example Workflow
1. Source System: An SAP ERP system contains transactional data (e.g., sales
orders).
2. ODP Context: The ERP system registers this data as part of an ODP context (e.g.,
FI extractor).
3. Subscription: SAP BW subscribes to this ODP context to extract the required data.
4. Data Extraction: ODP handles delta or full data extraction based on the subscription
configuration.
5. Consumption: SAP BW processes the data for reporting or analytics.
1. Prerequisites
● Access to SAP System: Ensure you have the necessary credentials and
permissions to access the ODP framework and data extractors in SAP.
● ODP Configuration: Confirm that ODP is configured in the SAP system and that the
required ODP context (data source) is exposed.
● SSIS Environment: Set up SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) for developing SSIS
packages and a connection to your target data warehouse.
● SAP Connector: Use a middleware tool or library, such as:
○ The SAP .NET Connector (NCo) or
○ A third-party solution like Theobald Software's Xtract IS or ERPConnect.
Middleware or connectors are critical to extract ODP data into SSIS because ODP data
cannot be directly accessed by SSIS. Here are the steps for a typical setup:
Once the middleware is set up, you can create an SSIS package to handle the data transfer:
● Deploy the SSIS package to the SQL Server Integration Services Catalog.
● Schedule the package execution using SQL Server Agent for periodic data refreshes.
● Use logging and monitoring features to ensure the package runs as expected.
6. Considerations
By using this approach, you can seamlessly transfer data from SAP to a data warehouse
using ODP and SSIS.