Upsert Custom MDF Attachment via OData

This blog is to demonstrate the steps to upsert an attachment in custom MDF through OData API.

Below are the steps for proof-of-concept:

1. Create custom MDF (Admin Center > Configuration Object Definitions)

• API Visibility = Editable
• Subject User Field = externalCode

• set externalCode’s data type as ‘User’ so that it can be used in Employee Profile
• create field cust_attachment with data type ‘Attachment’

• Always a practice to set the RBP control for custom MDF

2. Create Configuration UI (Admin Center > Manage Configuration UI)

• Set externalCode as not visible (which will auto-fill user ID)

3. Configure People Profile (Admin Center > Configure People Profile)

4. Update RBP for ESS/MSS/Admin Users (Admin Center > Manage Permission Roles)

• User Permissions > Employee Views (so as to show custom MDF in People Profile)
• User Permissions > Miscellaneous Permissions (so as to maintain the custom MDF records)

5. Update RBP for OData API Access User (Admin Center > Manage Permission Roles)

• Administrator Permissions > Manage Integration Tools > OData API Attachment Import
• Administrator Permissions > Manage Integration Tools > OData API Attachment Export

6. Refresh OData Metadata (Admin Center > OData API Metadata Refresh And Export)

7. OData API – Step 1: Import file to Attachment entity (via Postman)

• POST URL: https://apisalesdemo2.successfactors.eu:443/odata/v2/Attachment
• Body:
  • userId: the user ID of OData API User (Mandatory)
  • fileName: file name (Mandatory)
  • module: GENERAL_OBJECT for custom MDF (Mandatory)
  • fileContent: the attachment file in base64 encoded format (Mandatory)
• Send the OData request

• Attachment ID (ie. 7447) is returned (keep this ID for later use)

8. OData API – Step 2: Insert custom MDF record to employee with attachment ID (via Postman)

• POST URL: https://apisalesdemo2.successfactors.eu:443/odata/v2/cust_AttachmentODataInsert
• Body:
  • (Key) effectiveStartDate: in Unix EPOCH time format
  • (Key) externalCode: employee’s user ID
  • cust_attachmentNav
    • link to entity Attachment (with attachment ID 7447)

• Response Message

9. Check in People Profile

Using Postman to send OData queries is only for proof-of-concept purpose and in real project, you may use other programming language to develop a end-to-end process scenario.

Reference:

1. SAP KBA 2599554 – Odata attachment upsert to custom MDF Object not reflecting attachments in UI
2. SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite OData API: Reference Guide