Lesson 2 of 6
Live vs import connections
10 min
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The first design decision for any SAC model is how data gets there. A live connection leaves data in the source: SAC sends a query each time a story is opened or refreshed, and the source returns results under the user's own authorizations. An import connection copies data into an SAC model through import jobs, on demand or on a schedule. Both are valid; they suit different questions.
The comparison
| Aspect | Live connection | Import connection |
|---|---|---|
| Where data lives | In the source (SAP S/4HANA, BW, Datasphere) | In the SAC model |
| Freshness | Current at query time | As of the last import job |
| Security | Source authorizations; single sign-on recommended | SAC data access controls and roles |
| Modeling | Limited to what the source query offers | Full SAC modeling: calculations, hierarchies, blending |
| Planning | Not on S/4HANA live queries; planning uses SAC models (or seamless planning on Datasphere) | Yes, with planning models |
| Some smart features | Some are restricted on live data; check SAP Help for your source | Generally available |
| Performance | Depends on source query design and load | Depends on model size in SAC |
Live versus import, as documented in SAP's learning material and connection guides. Feature restrictions change by release; check SAP Help for your source type.
Live connections to SAP S/4HANA
A live SAC model on SAP S/4HANA is built on an analytical query from the virtual data model: the same CDS-based queries that feed Fiori multidimensional reports and that you can find with the Query Browser app (course sap-xpr-203). For Private Edition and on-premise systems, SAC reaches the system through the user's browser, typically with a direct (CORS) or tunnel connection set up by Basis and the SAC administrator; SAP recommends single sign-on so the user's S/4HANA identity, and therefore their authorizations, applies. Variables defined in the query (for example company code or fiscal period) appear as story prompts.
Import connections
Import models copy data from a source query, a table, a file or Datasphere into SAC. For SAP S/4HANA Private Edition, imports usually go through the SAP Cloud Connector and an import connection set up by the SAC administrator. You map source fields to model dimensions and measures, apply transformations, and schedule the import. Every import job has a run history with status and row counts: those are your first test evidence.
- Do users need the data as of this minute?Yes → live · No → next question
- Will users enter plan data?Yes → import into a planning model (or seamless planning on Datasphere) · No → next question
- Do you need to combine sources or add calculations the source query lacks?Yes → import, or model in Datasphere and connect live · No → next question
- Must source authorizations apply automatically?Yes → live with single sign-on · No → import with SAC data access controls
Blending and performance
SAC can blend data from more than one model in a story by linking common dimensions, for example live actuals from an S/4HANA query with plan values from a planning model, linked on company code, product and month. Blending is convenient but adds a layer to test: the linked dimensions must use the same keys and the same member IDs, or rows silently fail to match. When blends get complex, Contoso models the combination in SAP Datasphere instead and connects SAC live to the result. For live performance, the source query does the work: a query with too many free characteristics or no mandatory variables will be slow in SAC exactly as it is in a Fiori multidimensional report. Fix performance at the query, not by switching to import.
What would you do?
Dan wants a margin dashboard that the CFO can open any time, with today's billing, and finance wants to add a "plan" column next to actuals. What design should Noor propose?
Live connection setup checklist
- Basis (Sam) and the SAC administrator agree the connection type (direct with CORS, or tunnel) for CMQ and CMP.
- Single sign-on is configured so each SAC user maps to the same person’s S/4HANA user.
- The analytical queries to be used are identified with the Query Browser and tested in a Fiori multidimensional report first.
- Mandatory variables (company code, period) are defined in the query so stories cannot run unfiltered across all data.
- A restricted test user exists in both systems for access tests.
- The connection is created in each SAC tenant with the right system and client, and documented with its owner.
- Live: data stays in the source, current and secured by source authorizations; modeling and some features are limited.
- Import: data copied into SAC by jobs; full modeling and planning, but SAC security must be designed.
- Live S/4HANA models use analytical queries; SSO maps users to their S/4HANA authorizations.
- Test security with restricted users for both types.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What does a live SAC model on SAP S/4HANA use as its source?
2. Why is single sign-on recommended for live connections to SAP S/4HANA?
3. Which need requires an import (or seamless) planning model rather than a live S/4HANA query?
4. What is the first test evidence for an import model?