SAP Business One Consultants Atlanta, Chicago Newsflash: ODBC integrations by Andrew Karasev

If you plan to do ongoing data integration in SAP B1 without deploying SB1 SDK programming, try to research SAP BO Data Transfer Workbench ODBC source option. This small publication should help you in SAP B1 partner, reseller selection - at least you should be able to ask the right questions about your SAP Business One VAR expertise

1. Initial Data conversion. Data Transfer Workbench has set of CSV templates and all you need to do is to fill them in Excel, paying attention to required and in necessary add values to optional fields. And good news is the fact that most of SAP B1 consultants are familiar and reasonably good with initial data conversion and migration and will help you with filling CSV templates

2. Ongoing data integration. Here, you should find people who are familiar with advanced Workbench techniques. For example, if consultant is saying you that she or he will help you prepare your ongoing integration files in Excel - this is probably not the answer you need to accept

3. ODBC source. Here you use the following technique. Create SQL view, which will prepare your data for import in exactly the same format as discussed above CSV template. ODBC source can work with text file, however the limitations of Text driver may lead you to importing source files into MS SQL Server staging tables. One of the limitations of ODBC source based integration is the fact, that SAP doesn't support scheduled run for it

4. Workbench integration scheduled run. You can create batch file, where you call your XML integration saved file with -s parameter, please read Workbench help. If you like scheduled run for really complex integration, where you would have to deploy ODBC sources, please consider to deploy SQL data import, massage via SQL stored procedure or view and then export it to CSV files - the best tool to do the job is likely Data Transformation Services (DTS) package

About the Author

Andrew Karasev, Alba Spectrum LLC, help@albaspectrum.com, http://www.albaspectrum.com, 1-866-528-0577 , subdivision of M2-D2, SAP Business One VAR and Reseller in Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, California, Texas. Please visit our info portal Pegas Planet: http://www.pegasplanet.com Local Service in Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Houston.