Which Extension Should I Use?

This guide helps you choose between ERPL and ERPL-OData based on your SAP environment and use case.

Quick Decision

• On-premise SAP behind firewall → Use ERPL
• Cloud/web SAP with HTTP APIs → Use ERPL-OData

Extension Comparison

Feature	ERPL (On-Premise)	ERPL-OData (Cloud/Web)
Target Environment	On-premise SAP systems	Cloud/web SAP services
Network Access	SSH tunnel or direct network	HTTP/HTTPS APIs
Primary Protocols	RFC, BICS, ODP, APE	OData, Datasphere, ODP Web
Installation	INSTALL 'erpl'	INSTALL 'erpl_odata'
Use Case	Enterprise SAP ERP/BW	SAP cloud services, web APIs

Architecture Comparison

Protocol Deep Dive

🏢 ERPL Protocols

RFC (Remote Function Call)

• What: Direct access to SAP tables and function modules
• Use case: Read master data, call BAPIs
• Example: sap_read_table('KNA1')

BICS (BI Consumer Services)

• What: Execute SAP BW queries
• Use case: Analytics, reporting from SAP BW
• Example: sap_bics_show(obj_type => 'QUERY')

ODP (Operational Data Provisioning)

• What: Delta replication from SAP systems
• Use case: Real-time data streaming, ETL
• Example: sap_odp_read_delta('BW', 'VBAK$F', 'NIGHTLY_ETL')

APE (ABAP Pipeline Engine)

• What: CDS entity extraction, with delta including deletes
• Use case: Replicating a CDS entity whose deletes matter, or where the ODP RFC API is unavailable
• Example: sap_ape_read_delta('I_SALESORDER', 'NIGHTLY_ETL')

☁️ ERPL-OData Protocols

OData

• What: RESTful web services for SAP data
• Use case: Cloud integration, web applications
• Example: odata_read('https://api.sap.com/Orders')

Datasphere

• What: Native connection to SAP Datasphere
• Use case: Cloud analytics, data modeling
• Example: datasphere_read_relational('SALES_ANALYTICS')

ODP Web

• What: ODP via OData protocol
• Use case: Cloud delta replication
• Example: odp_web_extract('VBAP', delta => true)

Decision Matrix

Your Situation	Recommended Extension	Why
SAP ERP behind corporate firewall	ERPL	RFC provides direct table access
SAP BW on-premise	ERPL	BICS enables query execution
SAP Datasphere cloud	ERPL-OData	Native Datasphere integration
SAP OData services	ERPL-OData	HTTP-based OData protocol
Hybrid environment	Both	Use ERPL for on-premise, ERPL-OData for cloud
Real-time replication	ERPL	ODP provides efficient delta replication
CDS delta where deletes matter	ERPL	APE reports deletes; ODP's CDS delta cannot
Web application integration	ERPL-OData	HTTP APIs work better in web contexts

Interactive Decision Quiz

Not Sure Which to Choose?

Answer these questions to find the right extension:

1. Where is your SAP system located?

   • a) On-premise behind firewall → ERPL
   • b) Cloud/web-based → ERPL-OData

2. How do you access SAP data?

   • a) Direct network connection → ERPL
   • b) HTTP/HTTPS APIs → ERPL-OData

3. What's your primary use case?

   • a) Read SAP tables directly → ERPL
   • b) Query web services → ERPL-OData

4. Do you need real-time replication?

   • a) Yes, from on-premise SAP → ERPL
   • b) Yes, from cloud SAP → ERPL-OData

Installation Commands

ERPL (On-Premise)

INSTALL 'erpl' FROM 'http://get.erpl.io';
LOAD 'erpl';

ERPL-OData (Cloud/Web)

INSTALL 'erpl_odata' FROM 'http://get.erpl.io';
LOAD 'erpl_odata';

Next Steps

If You Chose ERPL (On-Premise)

1. Install ERPL
2. Quick Start Guide
3. Read SAP Tables
4. RFC Deep Dive

If You Chose ERPL-OData (Cloud/Web)

1. Install ERPL-OData
2. Quick Start Guide
3. Query OData Services
4. OData Deep Dive

If You Need Both

1. Install both extensions
2. Use ERPL for on-premise systems
3. Use ERPL-OData for cloud services
4. Integration Examples

Still Not Sure?

Need More Help?

• Check our real-world examples
• Browse use case scenarios
• Contact our support team

Pro Tip

You can install both extensions and use them together. Many enterprises use ERPL for on-premise SAP systems and ERPL-OData for cloud services in the same DuckDB instance.