Requirements for installing Zero Copy Connector for ERP

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Requirements for installing Zero Copy Connector for ERP

    Before installing the Zero Copy Connector for ERP on your ServiceNow AI Platform, specific configurations must be completed on both your ERP system and the ServiceNow environment. This preparation ensures smooth integration and data communication between ServiceNow and your ERP system, specifically supporting SAP ECC (minimum NetWeaver 7.31) and S/4HANA.

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    Key Requirements

    • Licensing: A valid license and entitlement for Zero Copy Connector for ERP are mandatory to proceed with installation.
    • ServiceNow AI Platform Plugins: Install and activate the Integration Hub plugin and the Financial Services Remote Tables plugin to support integration functionalities.
    • MID Server Configuration:
      • Configure a MID Server with proper connection and credential alias matching the SAP service user credentials.
      • Add Zero Copy Connector for ERP to the Supported Applications and Capabilities tabs on the MID Server.
      • Assign the role snerpintegration.erpmidserver to the miduser to enable use of the ImportSet API for data transfer.
    • SAP Service User Authorizations:
      • In development systems, the SAP service user must have specific authorizations including SRFC (Execute) for key function modules and STABUNAM (Display) for metadata tables.
      • In production and test systems, required authorizations include SRFC with Execute for additional transaction-related function modules and STABUNAM for relevant tables used in models.
    • Spoke Integration Files:
      • Required SAP proprietary JAR files and native libraries must be obtained and attached in ServiceNow under All > MID Server > JAR Files.
      • These files include sapjco3.dll (Windows), libsapjco3.so (Linux), and sapjco3.jar (cross-platform).
      • MID Server will restart multiple times during this setup.
    • SAP Configuration:
      • Install and configure the SAP Java Connector (JCo) on your ERP system before installation.
      • Add the DuckDB JDBC jar to the MID Server jars to support database interactions.
      • Supported ERP systems include SAP ECC (minimum NetWeaver 7.31) and all versions of SAP S/4HANA.

    Why This Matters

    Completing these configurations ensures that the Zero Copy Connector for ERP can securely and efficiently communicate with your SAP systems through the ServiceNow platform. Proper MID Server setup, correct SAP authorizations, and required plugins enable seamless data integration and leverage ServiceNow’s AI capabilities for ERP data.

    What to Expect

    • After configuration, the Zero Copy Connector for ERP will facilitate data transfer from SAP ERP systems without copying data unnecessarily, enhancing performance.
    • You will have a fully integrated ServiceNow AI Platform connected to your SAP ECC or S/4HANA environment through a secure and authorized MID Server.
    • Ongoing maintenance includes managing MID Server JAR files and ensuring credentials remain synchronized with the ERP system service users.

    Before you install Zero Copy Connector for ERP, you must complete several configurations, on both the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system and on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    Licensing

    You must have a license and get entitlement to Zero Copy Connector for ERP for installation. For more information, see Licensing.

    ServiceNow AI Platform plugins

    The following plugins and servers are required for installing Zero Copy Connector for ERP:
    • Integration Hub plugin (for more information, see Request Integration Hub)
    • Financial Services Remote Tables plugin (for more information, see Activate the remote tables plugin)
    • MID Server: The MID Server must be configured to install Zero Copy Connector for ERP. See the following section for more information.

    MID Server requirements

    Communicating with the system of record through a MID Server requires a valid connection and credential alias.
    Note:
    The credentials you specify for the Zero Copy Connector for ERP connection must match the service user credentials in the system of record.

    Zero Copy Connector for ERP and ERP-CM currently support ECC (minimum SAP Netweaver 7.31) and S/4HANA SAP systems.

    Navigate to All > MID Server > Servers, select a MID Server, and add the following:
    1. In the Supported applications tab, edit the list to include Zero Copy Connector for ERP.
    2. In the Capabilities tab, in addition to ALL, edit the list to include Zero Copy Connector for ERP.

      MID server record related lists with capabilities tab displayed showing Zero Copy Connector for ERP.

    For more information, see MID Server.
    Assign the mid_user user the sn_erp_integration.erp_mid_server role. The role enables the MID Server to use the ImportSet API to send data to the ServiceNow instance.
    1. Navigate to All > User Administration > Users
    2. Find and select the mid_user.
    3. Select the Roles tab.
    4. Select Edit.
    5. Find and assign the sn_erp_integration.erp_mid_server role.

    Required SAP authorizations in development system

    For the credentials, use an SAP service type user account in your system of record that requires the following SAP authorization objects:

    • S_RFC with Activity = 16 (Execute) for the following Function Modules:
      • RFCPING
      • BAPI_MONITOR_GETLIST
      • RFC_METADATA_GET
      • RFC_GET_FUNCTION_INTERFACE
      • RFC_READ_TABLE
      • DDIF_FIELDINFO_GET
    • S_TABU_NAM with Activity 03 (Display) for the following tables:
      • DD01L
      • DD02L
      • DD02T
      • DD03L
      • DD04L
      • DD04T
      • DD12L
      • DD17S
      • DD40L
    • S_DEVELOP with Activity 03 (Display)

    Required SAP authorizations in production and test system

    For the credentials, use an SAP service type user account in your system of record that requires the following SAP authorization objects:

    • S_RFC with Activity = 16 (Execute) for the following Function Modules:
      • RFCPING
      • BAPI_TRANSACTION_COMMIT
      • BAPI_TRANSACTION_ROLLBACK
      • RFC_METADATA_GET
      • RFC_GET_FUNCTION_INTERFACE
      • RFC_READ_TABLE
    • S_TABU_NAM with Activity 03 (Display) for the tables you have used in models.

    Spoke integration

    For required spokes, contact the admin of your SAP ECC RFC account to obtain the following SAP proprietary JARs and other required files:
    • Create a record called "SAP Jco Dll" and attach sapjco3.dll. Use this file if your MID Server is installed on a Windows server.
    • Create a record called "SAP Jco so" and attach libsapjco3.so. Use this file if your MID Server is installed on a Linux server.
    • Create a record called "SAP Eco Jar" and attach sapjco3.jar. Use this file for both Windows and Linux.
    Note:
    Create the records at All > MID Server > JAR Files. For more information about creating JAR files and adding attachments, see Synchronize a JAR file to MID Servers.

    The MID Server restarts multiple times during this process.

    For more information on spoke integration, see SAP ECC RFC Spoke.

    SAP configuration

    You must configure the JCO connector before you install Zero Copy Connector for ERP. For more information, see Installing the SAP Java Connection (JCo) on the SAP Help Portal.

    You must add the DuckDB JDBC jar as a MID Server jar. For more information and to download, see DuckDB JDBC Driver 1.1.1 on the Maven web site.

    Additionally, you need the following on your ERP system:
    • SAP ECC (minimum SAP Netweaver 7.31)
    • SAP S/4HANA (all versions supported)
    • SAP Java Connector