Import SAP Data into Microsoft Power Query



The CData API Server offers standards-based Web service endpoints that allow a variety of applications to access SAP data. In this article, you will use the OData format to import SAP data into Microsoft Power Query.

The CData API Server enables you to use REST, OData, JSON, or Open APIs to connect to and query SAP data. The OData standard enables real-time access to the live data, and support for OData is integrated into PowerQuery. This article details how to import an OData feed of SAP data into Microsoft Power Query.

About SAP Data Integration

CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from SAP. Customers use CData connectivity to:

  • Access every edition of SAP, including SAP R/3, SAP NetWeaver, SAP ERP / ECC 6.0, and SAP S/4 HANA on premises data that is exposed by the RFC.
  • Perform actions like sending IDoc or IDoc XML files to the server and creating schemas for functions or queries through SQL stored procedures.
  • Connect optimally depending on where a customer's SAP instance is hosted.

While most users leverage our tools to replicate SAP data to databases or data warehouses, many also integrate live SAP data with analytics tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Excel.


Getting Started


Set Up the API Server

If you have not already done so, download the CData API Server. Once you have installed the API Server, follow the steps below to begin producing secure SAP OData services:

Connect to SAP

To work with SAP data from Microsoft Power Query, we start by creating and configuring a SAP connection. Follow the steps below to configure the API Server to connect to SAP data:

  1. First, navigate to the Connections page.
  2. Click Add Connection and then search for and select the SAP connection.
  3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to SAP.
  4. After configuring the connection, click Save & Test to confirm a successful connection.

Configure API Server Users

Next, create a user to access your SAP data through the API Server. You can add and configure users on the Users page. Follow the steps below to configure and create a user:

  1. On the Users page, click Add User to open the Add User dialog.
  2. Next, set the Role, Username, and Privileges properties and then click Add User.
  3. An Authtoken is then generated for the user. You can find the Authtoken and other information for each user on the Users page:

Creating API Endpoints for SAP

Having created a user, you are ready to create API endpoints for the SAP tables:

  1. First, navigate to the API page and then click Add Table .
  2. Select the connection you wish to access and click Next.
  3. With the connection selected, create endpoints by selecting each table and then clicking Confirm.

Gather the OData Url

Having configured a connection to SAP data, created a user, and added resources to the API Server, you now have an easily accessible REST API based on the OData protocol for those resources. From the API page in API Server, you can view and copy the API Endpoints for the API:

Connect to SAP Data from Power Query

  1. In Microsoft Excel, open the Power Query Editor. From the Data ribbon, click Get Data -> Launch Power Query Editor:
  2. Click New Source -> Other Sources -> OData feed:
  3. In the OData feed connection, set the URL property to the OData Endpoint URL previously copied and click OK:
  4. In the next step of the wizard, define the authentication credentials. Select Basic and then enter the credentials for a user authorized to make requests. Specify the User name and enter the user's authtoken in the Password field:
  5. You can now access SAP data in Power Query. In the Navigator expand the node for the OData feed, right-click a table, and click Transform Data to open the Query Editor. This will display the table data.

Free Trial & More Information

If you are interested in connecting to your SAP data (or data from any of our other supported data sources) from Microsoft Power Query, download API Server to begin creating flexible and customizable REST, OData, JSON and Open APIs from any database or data store! As always, our world-class support team is ready to answer any questions you may have.

Ready to get started?

Learn more or sign up for a free trial:

CData API Server