Fileadapter: Whitelist path configuration for each database-system setup

FileAdapter (FA) is one of the functions being offered by SAP Profitability and Performance Management (PaPM). This function is helpful in case consumption or processing of mass data from CSV or TXT file format is being planned.

For example, it is more advisable to use FileAdapter (FA) to load into PaPM a csv file having 1000 or more datarecords than of loading it via ModelTable (MT)

As FileAdapter offers a very useful functionality, I will be guiding you on how to properly setup your whitelist path for each database-system setup with a section detailing out Note 2910484 – File Adapter Special Scenarios for Application and DB Servers

Below are the usual setups I have encountered so far.

So, what is a whitelist path? whitelist path is a directory on your application server where FileAdapter expects to upload and read CSV files on. Since this will not be a fixed directory for all PaPM customers, an additional whitelist path declaration is mandatory via Environment > File Formats tab during modeling phase.

To know more on how to use FileAdapter while modeling in PaPM, visit below link

https://help.sap.com/viewer/56471df1959f4cfd9e3bf7a6d2d5be42/latest/en-US/d8c2ddf22a3146689675a33ea125a301.html

Note: whitelist path to be used in the discussion is /usr/sap/trans/hana but system administrators are allowed to use different directory path as needed.

A) SAP system & SAP HANA database hosted by one Linux server

As this is the simplest setup for FileAdapter, this is just a straightforward setup.

Must remember about whitelist path on this setup:

• /usr/sap/trans/hana must exist and must have a 775 access – this will give sap and database users enough access to read, write, and execute csv or txt files from and to the directory

• /usr/sap/trans/hana must be added as a csv_import_path_filter on post installation step Adjust SAP HANA DB Parameters

• /usr/sap/trans/hana must be declared in the Modeling Environment > Environment > File Formats Tab

B) SAP system & SAP HANA database hosted by separate Linux servers

Since there are two servers (both Linux) involved in this system setup, additional configuration must be performed in order for a FileAdapter to fully work. If not properly done, modeler will encounter “generation error: Cannot open CSV file” error when running the activated FileAdapter procedure in PaPM.

Must remember about whitelist path on this setup:

• Due to “generation error: Cannot open CSV file” issue, SAP administrators must make sure that /usr/sap/trans/hana from the application server is “readable” from the SAP HANA server. To do this follow below:

1. 1. Create a softlink /usr/sap/trans/hana in the SAP HANA server pointing to the application server’s /usr/sap/trans/hana through NFS configuration (mounting)
   2. To check if the setup was completed successfully, create a dummy file on application server’s /usr/sap/trans/hana via “touch” command
   3. Go to the SAP HANA server’s /usr/sap/trans/hana and perform a “more” and “ls -ltr” commands, the dummy file must be readable and visible on the SAP HANA server

• /usr/sap/trans/hana must exist in the application server and must have a 775 access – this will give sap and database users enough access to read, write, and execute csv or txt files from and to the directory

• /usr/sap/trans/hana must be added as a csv_import_path_filter on post installation step Adjust SAP HANA DB Parameters. The declared path must exist in the SAP HANA server as a softlink pointing to the application server

• /usr/sap/trans/hana must be declared in the Modeling Environment > Environment > File Formats Tab

C) SAP system hosted by MS server and SAP HANA database hosted by Linux server

Since FileAdapter has limitation when it comes to having an application server hosted by MS Server due to directory format – in MS Server directories are formatted like DRIVE:\usr\sap\trans\hana which is not readable by Linux hosting the database, modeler will encounter “Generation Error: Cannot Open CSV File” error when running the activated FileAdapter procedure in PaPM. To be able to use FileAdapter with MS server as application server host, below suggestion can be performed.

• Due to “generation error: Cannot open CSV file” issue, SAP administrators must make sure that DRIVE:\usr\sap\trans\hana from the application server is “readable” from the SAP HANA server. To do this follow below:

1. 1. Mount the application server’s DRIVE:\usr\sap\trans\hana onto the SAP HANA server
   2. Create a softlink /usr/sap/trans/hana in the SAP HANA server pointing to the application server’s DRIVE:\usr\sap\trans\hana
   3. To check if the setup was completed successfully, create a dummy file on application server’s DRIVE:\usr\sap\trans\hana
   4. Go to the SAP HANA server’s /usr/sap/trans/hana and perform a “more” and “ls -ltr” commands, the dummy file must be readable and visible on the SAP HANA server

• DRIVE:\usr\sap\trans\hana must exist in the application server and must have a 775 access – this will give sap and database users enough access to read, write, and execute csv or txt files from and to the directory

• /usr/sap/trans/hana must be added as a csv_import_path_filter on post installation step Adjust SAP HANA DB Parameters. The declared path must exist in the SAP HANA server as a softlink pointing to the application server

• During FileAdapter confirguation below suggestion must be done

1. 1. Create two entries in Modeling Environment > Environment > File Formats tab.
   2. During FileAdapter configuration until Mapping step, make sure to use the format pointing to the application server.
   3. Save the configuration
   4. Change the File Format to point on the SAP HANA server then Activate
   5. Choose Run, no issue will be encountered.

As I am almost at the end, I am hoping that this post answered some of your questions and can also guide you in some of your challenges concerning FileAdapter.

I am also encouraging you to please comment below and make myself and others be informed in case you are having a different PaPM system setup than discussed above.

I hope you like this post and enjoy configuring using PaPM

Til my next post!