Connect Zero Copy Connector for ERP to SAP using OData and HTTP

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Connect Zero Copy Connector for ERP to SAP using OData and HTTP

    This guide explains how ServiceNow customers can securely extract data from SAP ERP systems using OData v2 APIs via HTTP connections with the Zero Copy Connector for ERP. The integration enables data retrieval into remote tables and extraction tables within ServiceNow, facilitating seamless data use for reporting and automation.

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    Note that OData v2 does not support snapshot isolation, which may lead to some data consistency challenges when fetching data from external ERP sources.

    Key Features

    • OData Connection Setup: Connect to SAP systems enabled for OData services. Users must have appropriate OData service authorization assigned in SAP to access data.
    • Secure Data Extraction: Uses HTTP protocol to extract data securely from SAP OData v2 APIs.
    • Configuration Properties: Several system properties can be configured to tailor the OData connection, including:
      • snerpintegration.catalogservicepath: Path to retrieve SAP catalog services, storing service info as XML attachments for offline use.
      • snerpintegration.odatamaxrecordfetchlimit: Limits the number of records fetched per GET call to optimize performance.
      • snerpintegration.odataservicepath: Defines the specific OData service path to connect SAP OData services.
      • snerpintegration.responsetimeout: Sets timeout for OData responses to prevent frequent call failures.
      • snerpintegration.usecookies and snerpintegration.usecsrftoken: Configure cookie usage and CSRF token handling for secure OData calls.
    • Heartbeat Monitoring: Separate heartbeat indicators for both RFC and HTTP protocols monitor system connectivity and trigger data retrieval status updates.
    • Manual Service Addition: Ability to manually add OData services if they are not automatically listed, ensuring flexibility in data source connections.
    • OAuth Authorization: Support for OAuth authorization code flow to authenticate and authorize users accessing SAP OData endpoints securely.

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Ensure your SAP system is enabled for OData and users have the required authorizations for OData service access.
    • Verify the glide.attachment.extensions property does not restrict XML file downloads, as XML attachments are used to store SAP catalog service information.
    • Adjust system properties to optimize data retrieval limits, timeout values, and security settings according to your environment and performance needs.
    • Use heartbeat indicators on the ERP system record to monitor connection health and data retrieval status.
    • For integration with SAP SuccessFactors, leverage OData v2 APIs to access talent management data through the Zero Copy Connector.
    • When necessary, add OData services manually to ensure all required SAP data entities are accessible.

    Expected Outcomes

    By following this configuration, ServiceNow customers can efficiently extract ERP data from SAP systems using OData v2 APIs over HTTP. This enables near real-time data access within ServiceNow for reporting, analytics, and automation, while maintaining secure connections and manageable data loads. The flexibility to configure key properties and monitor system health ensures reliable ongoing integration with SAP ERP data sources.

    Extract data securely from ERP OData v2 APIs using ETL for use in remote tables and extraction tables. OData connects to SAP via HTTP.

    Important:

    OData v2 does not use snapshot isolation so you might experience some data consistency issues when retrieving data from an external ERP source.

    Providing OData access to users

    You must have an SAP system that has been enabled to make an OData connection.

    Extract data using OData and an HTTP connection. To give users OData access, see the following instructions on the SAP help site: Back-End Server: Assign OData Service Authorization to Users.

    Enabling download of XML files

    The glide.attachment.extensions system property restricts the file types that can be downloaded. This property is empty by default. Check that the xml file extension hasn't been added to this property. For more information, see Restrict attachment file extensions.

    New properties

    The following are properties related to OData.
    Property Type Description Create manually? Role needed to edit property
    sn_erp_integration.catalog_service_path string After the hostname and port, this path is used to connect with any SAP catalog service. The default is: /sap/opu/odata/iwfnd/CATALOGSERVICE;v=2/ServiceCollection. After creating the property and setting it to true, a list of all services is retrieved from SAP. The information is stored in an XML file and attached to the system record. The XML can be used later. For example, parse the XML while offline with no connection to SAP.
    Note:
    If there's an update in the catalog service and you want to update the table catalog information, first remove the attachment displayed on the ERP Systems page. Then, run the retrieval process again to refresh the list.
    		 Yes admin
    sn_erp_integration.odata_max_record_fetch_limit integer Limits the number of records fetched for GET calls by adding the $top parameter to the OData calls to reduce the number of records read from the Odata endpoint. No
    sn_erp_integration.odata_service_path string After the hostname and port, this path is used to connect with any SAP OData service. Add a URL in Value to specify the OData service. The default is: /sap/opu/odata/sap. Yes admin
    sn_erp_integration.response_timeout integer Specifies the timeout value for OData response. If OData calls are timed out frequently, increase the timeout value. Specify the value in seconds. The default is 100 seconds. This value is used for responses both from external web and from a MID Server. No admin or sn_erp_integration.erp_admin
    sn_erp_integration.use_cookies true | false Specifies if cookies must be used for OData connection. No admin or sn_erp_integration.erp_admin
    sn_erp_integration.use_csrf_token true | false Indicates if CSRF token should be sent for OData calls in Zero Copy Connector for ERP operations. No admin or sn_erp_integration.erp_admin
    Note:
    To add a new property manually, verify that your scope is set to Zero Copy Connector for ERP, then navigate to sys_properties.list and select New.

    Heartbeat information

    For an ERP system, there are separate heartbeat indicators for RFC and HTTP. When a system is established, the heartbeats become active and the status is updated, including any errors. If the heartbeat calls are successful, BAPI and OData retrieval is triggered in parallel and the status can be seen on the system record. BAPI and table list retrieval is done via RFC. OData retrieval is done via HTTP.

    System record with ODATA retrieval status of completed.

    More information

    For more information about using OData in Zero Copy Connector for ERP, see Create an OData connection in Zero Copy Connector for ERP and OData capabilities supported by Zero Copy Connector for ERP.