BDC Connect: Multi-Platform
As of 2026-08-16
BDC Connect is the multi-platform story — reaching data/consumers beyond the SAP boundary, the answer to "are we locking into SAP?" Honest answer: no, IF connectivity is designed on open standards. Two directions: outbound (governed SAP data products M033 shared to non-SAP — partner Snowflake, open lakehouse, hyperscaler, regulator) and inbound (external/IoT/third-party data into the BDC context). Open standards are the anti-lock-in mechanism: Delta Sharing (M041) is an open protocol — recipients need neither SAP nor Databricks; open lakehouse formats (Delta/Iceberg, M031) underneath. Inbound discipline: land external data as a governed product (M033) with classification (M080) + lineage (M077), not a raw dump (re-creates the swamp). Governance holds across every seam — outbound answers to access (M081)/GDPR (M082); bypassing governance ("just give direct access") is the failure mode. Honest: connectivity reduces lock-in but adds design surface — connect what the business needs on open governed terms, not "everything to everything".
What you will learn
- Explain why open-standard connectivity (Delta Sharing) is the credible answer to the SAP lock-in question
- Design outbound sharing so recipients need neither SAP nor Databricks to consume it
- Land inbound non-SAP data as a governed, classified, lineage-tracked product — never a raw dump
- Keep access control and GDPR holding across every connectivity seam, inbound and outbound
Module overview
BDC Connect is the multi-platform story — how a Business Data Cloud estate reaches data and consumers beyond the SAP boundary, and the answer to the recurring board question "are we locking ourselves into SAP?" The honest, architecturally-sound answer is no, if you design the connectivity on open standards; the consultant who can show governed SAP data flowing to and from non-SAP platforms turns a lock-in objection into an openness selling point.
Two directions of connectivity. Outbound — governed SAP data products (companion module M033) shared to non-SAP consumers: a partner's Snowflake, a data-science team's open lakehouse, a hyperscaler's tooling, a regulator's feed. Inbound — non-SAP data brought into the BDC analytical context: external market data, IoT, non-SAP operational systems, third-party datasets. A complete BDC architecture handles both without either becoming a brittle extraction pipeline.
Prerequisites
- Intermediate hands-on experience on SAP analytics projects
- Review core concepts first: C015, C012, C010
Outcomes
- Understand the core concepts behind bdc connect: multi-platform
- Apply Connect in a typical SAP analytics engagement
- Explain the core architecture and decision points for BDC Connect: Multi-Platform
- Apply a repeatable implementation pattern in a 15-minute lab format
Full module available to members. The full module adds: the decision framework · the end-to-end scenario walkthrough · the KPI scorecard · the anti-patterns · the code blocks · the knowledge check · the diagrams.