Load SAP Data
The module "Load SAP Data" reads rows from an SAP table via an RFC function module and writes them into a target database table. The fields to be read are derived from the columns of the target table. An optional SQL statement in the transformation action can supply SAP selection conditions.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Module | Load SAP Data |
| Module Class | DsModSAP |
| Type | Java |
| Purpose | Load data from SAP into a database table |
| Transformation Code | SQL statement that returns SAP selection conditions (optional) |
| Sources | Exactly one SAP table (object type SAP Table) |
| Targets | Exactly one database table |
Description
The module connects to an SAP system using SAP JCo and calls an RFC function module (typically RFC_READ_TABLE or ZRFC_READ_TABLE). The SAP table name and function module are configured in the SAP source object. The column names of the target table determine which SAP fields are requested.
If an action (SQL statement) is configured, it is executed in the target database. The value of the first column of each result row is passed to SAP as a selection condition in the OPTIONS table of the function module. The target database does not filter SAP data — it only provides the selection text.
Without an action, all rows of the configured SAP table are read (subject to SAP authorization and function module limits).
SAP Connection
The SAP connection is configured in the keyfile as a database connection of type SAP System. The connection URL has the following format:
host:system-number:client:language
Example:
sap.example.com:00:100:DE
User and password are stored in the usual connection fields. If the URL is set to dummy, the module performs no SAP access (useful for validation without a live SAP system).
SAP Source Object
The source is an object of type SAP Table (object type id 10):
| Object field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Connection | SAP connection (database id) |
| Funktionsbaustein (Owner) | RFC function module name, e.g. RFC_READ_TABLE, ZRFC_READ_TABLE, ZRFC_READ_TABLE_TEXT |
| Table (Name) | SAP table name, e.g. NAST, VBAK |
Exactly one SAP source object may be connected to the module.
Supported Function Modules
The module is designed for function modules based on RFC_READ_TABLE. Commonly used modules include:
| Function Module | Notes |
|---|---|
RFC_READ_TABLE |
Standard SAP function module |
ZRFC_READ_TABLE |
Customer-specific variant; uses compression |
ZRFC_READ_TABLE_TEXT |
Variant for text tables |
ZRFC_READ_TABLE_BSAD |
Uses OPTIONS_BKPF for selection |
ZRFC_READ_TABLE_BSEG |
Uses OPTIONS_BKPF for selection |
The function module must exist in the connected SAP system and the SAP user must have authorization to read the table.
Target Table
The target is a single database table. Its column names (in uppercase) are sent to SAP as field names in the FIELDS parameter. The column data types of the target table should match the SAP field types as closely as possible.
The module reads the target table structure at runtime (SELECT * FROM schema.table WHERE 1=0) and uses the resulting column list for the SAP request and for inserting data.
Data Type Conversion
| SAP type | Target column type | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
Character (C) |
VARCHAR, VARCHAR2, CHAR |
Trimmed string; empty values become NULL if nullable |
Date (D), 8 characters |
DATE |
Parsed as YYYYMMDD; 00000000 becomes NULL |
| Date/time, 14 characters | DATE |
Parsed as YYYYMMDDHHMMSS |
Number (N) with trailing - |
NUMBER |
SAP negative format converted (e.g. 123- → -123) |
| NOT NULL column, empty SAP value | any | Single space ' ' |
Action (SAP Selection Condition)
The action field contains a SQL statement that is executed in the target database. Each row of the result set triggers one SAP read. The first column must contain the SAP selection condition as plain text.
The text is written line by line into the OPTIONS table of the function module. Each line may contain at most 72 characters (SAP limitation). Use line breaks (CHR(10) in Oracle, newline in PostgreSQL) for longer conditions.
SAP Selection Syntax
The selection condition uses SAP Open SQL syntax as required by RFC_READ_TABLE, for example:
DATVR GE '20260301'
Multiple conditions:
DATVR GE '20260301'
AND KSCHL EQ 'Z001'
Comparison operators include EQ, NE, GT, GE, LT, LE, CP, NP, and logical operators AND, OR.
Important: Filter fields do not need to be present in the target table. They only need to exist in the SAP source table.
Fixed Selection Condition (Oracle)
SELECT 'DATVR GE ''20260301''' FROM dual
The SQL string 'DATVR GE ''20260301''' evaluates to the SAP text DATVR GE '20260301'.
Fixed Selection Condition (PostgreSQL)
SELECT 'DATVR GE ''20260301'''
Dynamic Selection Condition
SELECT 'DATVR GE ''' || TO_CHAR(SYSDATE - 7, 'YYYYMMDD') || '''' FROM dual
Multiple SAP Reads
Each result row triggers a separate SAP call:
SELECT 'DATVR GE ''20260101''' FROM dual
UNION ALL
SELECT 'DATVR GE ''20260201''' FROM dual
Schema Variable
If the target connection defines a schema, ${schema} in the action is replaced before execution.
Debug Modes
Special action values can be used to inspect SAP metadata without loading data:
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
SELECT '1=0' FROM dual |
Logs the SAP field list (name, type, length, key flag, description) |
SELECT '1=3' FROM dual |
Logs a CREATE TABLE DDL script for the SAP table (useful for creating the target table) |
For debug modes, logging level FINE must be enabled.
Attributes
| Name | Type | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truncate Before | Boolean | Y | Empty the target table before loading (uses TRUNCATE trigger if available, otherwise DELETE) |
| Delete Before | Boolean | N | Delete rows before loading (only evaluated if Truncate Before is off) |
| Delete Condition | Text | — | WHERE clause for partial delete (only with Delete Before) |
| Write Size | Number | 10000 | Number of rows per batch when writing to the target database |
Statistics
The module reports the following runtime statistics:
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| rows_processed | Number of rows read from SAP |
| read_duration | SAP read time (µs) |
| write_duration | Database write time (µs) |
| convert_duration | Data conversion time (µs) |
| delete_duration | Delete/truncate time (µs) |
| row_width | Maximum row width returned by SAP (SAP limit is 1000 characters) |
| java_memory | Maximum heap usage (MB) |
| write_mode | 1 = batch insert, 2 = Oracle bulk types |
| rows_upd_non_increment | Retry count on SAP connection errors |
| module_duration | Total module runtime (µs) |
On SAP connection errors, the module retries up to four times with increasing wait intervals (5, 30, 60 seconds).
Examples
Load SAP table NAST with date filter
SAP source object:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Funktionsbaustein | RFC_READ_TABLE |
| Table | NAST |
Target table (example):
CREATE TABLE staging.nast (
mandt VARCHAR2(3 CHAR) NOT NULL,
objky VARCHAR2(50 CHAR),
kschl VARCHAR2(4 CHAR),
datvr DATE,
uhrvr VARCHAR2(6 CHAR)
);
Action:
SELECT 'DATVR GE ''20260301''' FROM dual
Load without filter
Leave the action empty. All accessible rows of the SAP table are read.
Determine available SAP fields
Action:
SELECT '1=0' FROM dual
Inspect the log output for the field list before defining the target table.
Limitations
- Exactly one SAP source and one database target are supported.
- At most 9999 fields can be requested per call.
- Each line in the SAP selection condition is limited to 72 characters.
- SAP returns a maximum row width of approximately 1000 characters; very wide field selections may require fewer columns or a custom function module.
- The special table
DAUERBELEG_POSTENdoes not use automatic field selection. - Selection conditions must use valid SAP field names for the configured table.