Create SAP-Connected Visualizations in Klipfolio

Klipfolio is an online dashboard platform for building real-time business dashboards for your team or your clients. When paired with CData Connect Server, you get instant access to SAP data for visualizations, reports, and more. This article shows how to create a virtual database for SAP in Connect Server and build visualizations from SAP data in Klipfolio.

CData Connect Server provides a pure MySQL interface for SAP, allowing you to build reports from live SAP data in Klipfolio — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you create visualizations, Klipfolio generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Server pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc.) directly to SAP, leveraging server-side processing to return the requested SAP data quickly.

Create a Virtual MySQL Database for SAP Data

CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

1. Log into Connect Server and click Connections.
2. Select "SAP" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to SAP.

   You can connect to SAP systems using either librfc32.dll, librfc32u.dll, NetWeaver, or Web Services (SOAP). Set the ConnectionType connection property to CLASSIC (librfc32.dll), CLASSIC_UNICODE (librfc32u.dll), NETWEAVER, or SOAP.

   If you are using the SOAP interface, set the Client, RFCUrl, SystemNumber, User, and Password properties, under the Authentication section.

   Otherwise, set Host, User, Password, Client, and SystemNumber.

   Note: We do not distribute the librfc32.dll or other SAP assemblies. You must find them from your SAP installation and install them on your machine.

   For more information, see this guide on obtaining the connection properties needed to connect to any SAP system.

4. Click Save Changes
5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

With the virtual database created, you are ready to connect to SAP data from Klipfolio.

Connect to SAP in Klipfolio

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect Server from Klipfolio to create a new SAP data source.

1. Open Klipfolio
2. Click in Data Sources to add a new data source
3. Search for and select MySQL as the Service
4. Click "Create a custom MySQL data source"
5. Configure the data source by setting the MySQL connection properties:
   • Host: your instance (e.g., CONNECT_SERVER_URL)
   • Port: 3306
   • Database: your database (e.g., SAPERP1)
   • Driver: MySQL
   • Username: your Connect username
   • Password: your Connect password
   • SQL Query: any query to retrieve data (e.g., SELECT * FROM MARA)
   • Select the checkbox to "Include column headers"
   • Select the checkbox to "Use SSL/TLS"
6. Click "Get data" to preview the SAP data before building a data model.

Build a Data Model

After retrieving the data, click the checkbox to "Model your data" and click "Continue." In the new window, configure your data model.

1. Confirm that the model includes all columns you wish to work with
2. Name your model
3. (optional) Set the Description
4. Set "Header in row" to 1
5. Click the toggle to "Exclude data before row" and set the value to 2
6. Click "Save and Exit"

Create a Klip

With the data modeled, we are ready to create a Klip (or visualization) of the data to be used in the Klipfolio platform for dashboards, reporting, and more.

1. Click "Create a Klip"
2. Drag in a component
3. For the Series, select the column whose count or aggregation you wish to visualize
4. For the X Axis, select the column you wish to group by
5. In the Properties tab for the X Axis, click the checkbox to "Group repeating labels"
6. Click "Save"
7. Set the Name & Description and click Save

SQL Access to SAP Data from Applications

Now you have a Klip built from live SAP data. You can add it to a new dashboard, share, and more. Easily create more data sources and new visualizations, produce reports, and more — all without replicating SAP data.

To get SQL data access to 200+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your applications, try CData Connect Server.