SAP HANA
This article outlines the integration with the SAP HANA connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling, delta crawling, profiling, data preview, data quality, querying, and lineage building (Auto & Manual).
The connector establishes connectivity to the SAP HANA database through JDBC. Access to the SAP HANA database is established using the configured username and password to crawl and profile schemas, map the metadata to the corresponding Data Catalog assets, and build lineage.
Overview
Connector Details
Connector Category
RDBMS
Connector Version
Release6.3.x and later
Connectivity
[How the connection is established with SAP HANA]
JDBC
Verified SAP HANA Version
2
Connector Features
Crawling
✅
Delta Crawling
✅
Profiling
✅
Query Sheet
✅
Data Preview
✅
Auto Lineage
✅
Manual Lineage
✅
Secure Authentication via Credential Manager
✅
Data Quality
✅
DAM (Data Access Management)
❌
Bridge
✅
Metadata Mapping
The following objects are crawled from SAP HANA and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.
Schema
Schema Name
Schema
Databases
Schema
Schema
Schema Comment
Source Description
Databases
Schema
Table
Tablename
Table
Tables
Table
Table
Table_Type
Type
Tables
Table
Table
Tablecomment/ DDTEXT
Source Description
Descriptions
Source Description
Columns
Column_Name
Column
Table Columns
Column Name
Columns
Data_Type
Column Type
Table Columns
OE Column Type
Columns
Comments/ DDTEXT
Source Description
Table Columns
Column Description
Columns
SCRTEXT_M
Title
Table Columns
Column Title
Columns
Data_Length
Data Type Size
Table Columns
Column Length
Columns
Ordinal Position
Column Position
Table Columns
Column Position
View
View Name
View
Tables
View
View
Text
View Query
Views
View
Procedures
Name
Name
Procedures
-
Functions
Name
Name
Functions
-
Functions
Text
Function Query
Functions
-
Indexes
Index name
Index
Indexes
Index
Indexes
If Unique
Yes /No
Indexes
Index
Set up a Connection
Prerequisites
The prerequisites to establish a connection:
Whitelisting Ports
Whitelist the inbound port 30015 to allow OvalEdge to connect to the SAP HANA Server database.
SAP HANA uses port 30015 by default. When a different port is configured, specify the updated port number during connection setup, whitelist the port, and establish proper communication between the system and the SAP HANA Server.
External Supporting Files
Service Account User Permissions
Use a dedicated service account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.
Validate Connection
Sys.M_Database
Select
Schema
Schemas
Select
Tables
Tables
Select
Tables
DD02T
Select
Table Columns
Table_Columns
Select
Table Columns
View_Columns
Select
Table Columns
DD03M
Select
Views
Public.Views
Select
Calculation Views
_Sys_Repo.Active_Object
Select
Procedures
Public.Procedures
Execute
Functions
Public.Functions
Execute
Indexes
Index_Columns
Select
Relationships
REFERENTIAL_CONSTRAINTS
References
Connection Configuration Steps
Users must have the Connector Creator role to configure a new connection.
Log in to OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for SAP HANA, and complete the required parameters.
Connector Type
By default, "SAP HANA" is displayed as the selected connector type.
Credential Manager*
Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on the selection.
Supported Credential Managers:
Database
HashiCorp
AWS Secrets Manager
Azure Key Vault
For more details, click here.
License Add-On
Select the Auto Lineage Add-On checkbox to automatically build data lineage.
Select the Data Quality Add-On checkbox to identify data quality issues using data quality rules and anomaly detection.
For more details, click here.
Connector Name*
Enter a unique name for the SAP HANA connection
(Example: "SAPHANA_Prod").
Connector Environment
Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector. For more details, click here.
Connector Description
Enter the description related to the connector.
Server*
Enter the SAP HANA host name or IP address in the Server field. The IP address is the network address of the server where SAP HANA is hosted
Port*
SAP HANA uses port 30015 by default. The port number can be modified as needed.
Database*
Enter the name of the target SAP HANA database to establish the connection.
Driver*
By default, SAP HANA uses ‘com.sap.db.jdbc.Driver.’ This field is not editable.
Username*
Enter the SAP HANA database account name configured for authentication.
Password*
Enter the SAP HANA database user’s password associated with the provided username.
Connection String
Configure the connection string for the SAP HANA server:
Automatic Mode: The system generates a connection string based on the provided credentials.
Manual Mode: Enter a valid connection string manually.
Replace placeholders with actual server details:
{server} refers to the SAP HANA host or IP address.
Authentication Plugins: jdbc:sap://{server}:30015/?autocommit=false
This is the default authentication string used for connecting to SAP HANA.
Enter schema for DD
tables
Enter the schema name where the Data Dictionary (DD) tables are stored in the SAP HANA system.
Plugin Server
Enter the server name when running as a plugin server.
Plugin Port
Enter the port number on which the plugin is running.
Default Governance Roles
Default Governance Roles*
Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users and teams configured in OvalEdge Security are displayed for selection.
Admin Roles
Admin Roles*
Select one or more users from the dropdown list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in OvalEdge Security are available for selection.
No of Archive Objects
No Of Archive Objects*
This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive.
Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.
Bridge
Select Bridge*
If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list.
The drop-down list displays all active bridges configured in OvalEdge. These bridges enable communication between data sources and OvalEdge without altering firewall rules.
After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:
Click Validate to verify the connection.
Click Save to store the connection for future use.
Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.
The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.
Manage Connector Operations
Crawl/Profile
To perform crawl and profile operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.
The Crawl/Profile button allows users to select one or more schemas for crawling and profiling.
Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.
Select the schemas to crawl.
The Crawl option is selected by default. Click the Crawl & Profile radio button to enable both operations.
Click Run to collect metadata from the connected source and load it into the Data Catalog.
After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Databases tab.
The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling and profiling at defined intervals, from a minute to a year.
Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.
Select a time period for the operation from the drop-down menu.
Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.
The system will automatically execute the selected operation (Crawl or Crawl & Profile) at the scheduled time.
Other Operations
The Connectors page in OvalEdge provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, including their health status.
Managing connectors includes:
Connectors Health: Displays the current status of each connector, with a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping monitor connectivity to data sources.
Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details.
Nine Dots Menu Options:
To view, edit, validate, configure, build lineage, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.
Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.
Validate Connector: Check the integrity of the connection.
Settings: Modify connector settings.
Crawler: Configure data extraction.
Profiler: Customize data profiling rules and methods.
Query Policies: Define query execution rules based on roles.
Access Instructions: Add notes on how data can be accessed.
Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.
Connection Pooling: Configure database connection pool parameters to optimize database connectivity and resource utilization. For more details, click here.
Lineage: Configure Server Dialects for source code parsing and Connector Priority for table lineage connection.
Others: Configure notification recipients for metadata changes.
Build Lineage: Automatically build data lineage using source code parsing.
Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.
For more details on connector settings, click here.
Troubleshooting
If incorrect parameters are entered, error messages may appear. Ensure all inputs are accurate to resolve these issues. If issues persist, contact the assigned support team.
1
SAP HANA connection validation fails
Connection validation may fail if the SAP HANA database name is not correctly identified. Resolution:
If validation fails, switch the connection string to Manual mode.
Add
databaseName=<actual HANA DB>to the connection string.Save the connection details and revalidate the connection.
2
Error while validating connection: Failed to obtain JDBC Connection; nested exception is java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: com.sap.db.jdbc.Driver
The SAP HANA JDBC driver is not included in the standard application package and must be added separately.
Resolution:
Add the SAP HANA JDBC driver file under the Third Party JAR section.
Ensure the driver file name matches the driver referenced in the connector configuration form.
Validate the connection again after confirming the driver file placement.
3
Error while validating connection: Failed to obtain JDBC Connection; nested exception is com.sap.db.jdbc.exceptions.JDBCDriverException: SAP DBTech JDBC general error, invalid database name specified
The database name entered in the setup form does not match the database available on the SAP HANA system.
Resolution:
Run the following query directly on the SAP HANA system to check the current database name: select DATABASE_NAME from SYS.M_DATABASE
Enter the database name in the setup form exactly as returned by the lookup.
Validate the connection again after saving the corrected database name.
4
Error while validating connection: Failed to obtain JDBC Connection; nested exception is com.sap.db.jdbc.exceptions.JDBCConnectException: SAP DBTech JDBC, cannot connect to the configured host and port, connection timed out
The configured SAP HANA host or port cannot be reached from the application.
Resolution:
Verify that the server address and port match the SAP HANA system configuration.
If a Bridge is used, confirm that the same host and port are reachable through the Bridge.
Check firewall and network access rules that may be blocking the connection.
5
Authentication failed
Indicates that the system could not verify the provided credentials due to incorrect or missing authentication details. Resolution:
Verify the username and password, ensure the correct authentication method is used, and retry after confirming the credentials are valid.
6
Username or password is wrong
The authentication attempt failed because the provided username or password does not match the stored credentials. Resolution:
Verify that the correct username and password are entered and update or reset the credentials if necessary.
1
Crawl completed with errors: SAP DBTech JDBC insufficient privilege, not authorized
The connection account does not have the required permissions to retrieve the requested objects.
Resolution:
Grant read-type permission on tables, views, and calculation views.
Grant EXECUTE permission on procedures and functions so their definitions can be retrieved.
Grant the required permission to read primary key and foreign key constraints so table relationships can be identified.
2
Table and column descriptions remain empty after a successful crawl, even though a schema name has been entered in the setup form
SAP HANA stores descriptions either with the table definition or separately in two dedicated description tables.
Resolution:
Grant read permission on the two tables that store table and column descriptions within the schema entered in the setup form.
Verify that the schema entered in the setup form contains those two description tables.
If the schema field is left empty, only descriptions entered when the table was created are retrieved.
3
Index count shown in the crawl summary does not match the indexes found while browsing individual tables
Index details are recorded at the individual table level and are not fully represented at the summary or schema level.
Resolution:
Open the summary page of the specific table to view its index details.
Review the crawl job log for the relevant run to identify tables containing indexes.
For large environments, index details can be added to the job log for easier identification as a known area for improvement.
4
Error when trying to see the columns in a table
The system fails to load or display the column metadata for a selected table due to missing permissions, connectivity issues, or incomplete metadata retrieval. Resolution:
Verify database permissions.
Ensure the connection is active and stable.
Refresh or reindex the metadata so the system can retrieve and display the table columns correctly.
5
Can't find any schemas
The system cannot retrieve schema metadata from the connected database, resulting in an empty or missing schema list. Resolution:
Verify database permissions.
Ensure the user has access to schema metadata.
Re-test the connection after confirming the database is reachable.
6
Modified Views, Procedures, or Functions are not appearing after Delta Crawl
Delta crawl does not fetch newly modified Views, Procedures, or Functions. Resolution:
Ensure Bridge mode is enabled.
Verify the metadata object was modified after the previous crawl.
Confirm the connector has the required metadata access permissions.
FAQs
1
Why is an external driver file needed to connect to SAP HANA?
The SAP HANA JDBC driver is not included in the application's default package.
Upload the required driver file under the Third-Party File section.
The driver must be uploaded before the SAP HANA connection can be created and validated.
2
How can the correct database name be found before setting up the connection?
The exact database name can be obtained directly from SAP HANA.
Run a lookup query against the system view under the SYS schema that stores the current database name.
Enter the returned value exactly in the database name field of the setup form.
An incorrect database name prevents connection validation from succeeding.
3
Does the SAP HANA connector support single sign-on or additional login verification steps?
No. Currently, the connector supports only a plain username and password.
This applies to the main connection setup.
It also applies to the optional remote login option used in query policies.
Single sign-on and additional verification steps are not currently supported and may be considered for a future enhancement.
1
Why does the schema field in the setup form matter for descriptions?
SAP HANA supports two types of table and column descriptions:
Table-creation description: Entered when the table is created and retrieved automatically.
Business description: Maintained separately in two dedicated system tables.
When the schema field is populated with the schema containing the two description tables, the connector retrieves the business descriptions from those tables.
If the schema field is left blank, only the table-creation descriptions are retrieved.
2
What permissions are needed on the SAP HANA side for the connection to work correctly?
The following permissions are required:
Read-type permission: Tables, views, and calculation views.
EXECUTE permission: Procedures and functions.
Required constraint-read permission: Primary key and foreign key constraints for relationship discovery.
Read permission: The two dedicated description tables when separately maintained descriptions need to be retrieved.
3
What is the difference between incremental crawl and delta crawl for the SAP HANA connector?
Incremental crawl:
Retrieves tables that were missed or skipped during an earlier crawl.
Does not detect changes to columns of tables that were already crawled successfully.
Delta crawl:
Uses an SAP HANA history or audit table to identify changes since the previous run.
Used only in specific Bridge-based setups where the number of tables crosses a certain threshold.
Selected automatically rather than manually.
In current and upcoming releases, delta crawl is being replaced by a batch-style approach that retrieves tables in smaller chunks.
4
How does the copy title to catalog option under business glossary settings behave once a term is associated with a table or column?
The Copy Title to Catalog option is a connector-level setting used for bulk actions.
It allows titles to be copied across multiple tables and columns at once.
The connector-level setting acts as the default.
Once a term is associated with a specific table or column, the term-level configuration takes priority.
The term-level configuration overrides the connector-level setting.
5
Why are no tables visible when browsing the selected schema?
If tables are not visible, the most common reason is insufficient privileges or selecting the wrong schema.
Confirm that the correct schema is selected and that the required permissions are granted to access tables within it.
Verify the presence of the tables by running a direct query on the database.
In some cases, tables may exist under different schemas, so review all available schemas and refresh the table list if needed.
Ensure that the database connection is active.
SELECT privileges on the relevant schema are required to view tables.
1
Are all columns profiled during a crawl?
No. Some columns and data types are excluded from profiling.
Columns with a length greater than 4,000 characters are excluded by default.
Large object storage types and long text types are also not profiled.
These restrictions help avoid resource-intensive profiling.
The 4,000-character limit applies across all connector types, not only SAP HANA.
2
What does the row count constraint control during profiling?
The Row Count Constraint applies only when the profile type is set to Automatic.
When enabled, the connector compares the table's actual row count against the configured limit.
If the table exceeds the limit, only a sample of rows based on the configured sample size is profiled.
When disabled, the entire table is profiled regardless of size.
Profiling very large tables can affect performance when the constraint is disabled.
Copyright © 2026, OvalEdge LLC, Peachtree Corners, GA, USA.
Last updated
Was this helpful?