Skip to main content

18.8 Databases & JDBC/ODBC Patterns

1. Common database sources​

Non-SAP landscapes may include:

  • Microsoft SQL Server,
  • Oracle,
  • PostgreSQL-compatible systems,
  • MySQL,
  • cloud SQL services,
  • proprietary relational databases.

SAP Datasphere's connection catalog supports many non-SAP database types with different capabilities.

2. Adapter versus protocol​

Do not equate JDBC or ODBC with a complete integration strategy.

The connector determines:

  • metadata discovery,
  • query capabilities,
  • replication,
  • data-flow support,
  • authentication,
  • datatype handling.

3. On-premise connectivity​

For on-premise systems, network architecture may involve:

  • SAP HANA smart data integration,
  • Data Provisioning Agent,
  • SAP Cloud Connector,
  • firewall allowlists,
  • private connectivity.

The exact prerequisite depends on the connection type and feature being used.

4. Datatype risk​

Validate:

  • decimal precision,
  • timestamps,
  • timezone,
  • Unicode,
  • binary data,
  • null semantics,
  • large object handling.

5. Incremental loading​

A reliable delta strategy needs a source-side change indicator such as:

  • change timestamp,
  • sequence,
  • log-based change capture,
  • source-supported delta mechanism.

Never use "load only today's records" as a generic delta strategy.

6. Exercise​

A legacy Oracle system contains 8 billion transaction rows.

Design a migration path that minimizes:

  • source impact,
  • network transfer,
  • duplicate data,
  • recovery time,
  • query latency.