Work with SAP ByDesign Data in Apache Spark Using SQL

Apache Spark is a fast and general engine for large-scale data processing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for SAP ByDesign, Spark can work with live SAP ByDesign data. This article describes how to connect to and query SAP ByDesign data from a Spark shell.

The CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live SAP ByDesign data due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries to SAP ByDesign, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to SAP ByDesign and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can work with and analyze SAP ByDesign data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver for SAP ByDesign

Download the CData JDBC Driver for SAP ByDesign installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

Start a Spark Shell and Connect to SAP ByDesign Data

1. Open a terminal and start the Spark shell with the CData JDBC Driver for SAP ByDesign JAR file as the jars parameter: $ spark-shell --jars /CData/CData JDBC Driver for SAP ByDesign/lib/cdata.jdbc.sapbydesign.jar
2. With the shell running, you can connect to SAP ByDesign with a JDBC URL and use the SQL Context load() function to read a table.

   Set the following connection properties to connect to SAP ByDesign.

   • Url: Set this to the Url of your SAP ByDesign site. For example, https://test.sapbydesign.com
   • User: Set this to the username of your account.
   • Password: Set this to the password of your account.
   • CustomService or AnalyticsService: Only one of these must be specified. If you have a custom service you want to retrieve data from, specify CustomService. If you want to retrieve the reports of a analytical service, specify AnalyticsService.
     If neither is specified, 'cc_home_analytics.svc' will used as a default for the AnalyticsService property. If you are not sure what service to specify, you can always query the Services view to list available services.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

   For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the SAP ByDesign JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.sapbydesign.jar

   Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

   Configure the connection to SAP ByDesign, using the connection string generated above.

   scala> val sapbydesign_df = spark.sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:sapbydesign:URL=https://my999999.sapbydesign.com;User=username;Password=password;CustomService=servicename;").option("dbtable","[Inventory Balance]").option("driver","cdata.jdbc.sapbydesign.SAPByDesignDriver").load()
3. Once you connect and the data is loaded you will see the table schema displayed.

4. Register the SAP ByDesign data as a temporary table:

   scala> sapbydesign_df.registerTable("[inventory balance]")

5. Perform custom SQL queries against the Data using commands like the one below:

   scala> sapbydesign_df.sqlContext.sql("SELECT ID, ProductCategoryID FROM [Inventory Balance] WHERE ProductCategoryID = 1234567").collect.foreach(println)

   You will see the results displayed in the console, similar to the following:

Using the CData JDBC Driver for SAP ByDesign in Apache Spark, you are able to perform fast and complex analytics on SAP ByDesign data, combining the power and utility of Spark with your data. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the 200+ CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.