How to work with SAP Ariba Procurement Data in Apache Spark using SQL

Apache Spark is a fast and general engine for large-scale data processing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Ariba Procurement, Spark can work with live SAP Ariba Procurement data. This article describes how to connect to and query SAP Ariba Procurement data from a Spark shell.

The CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live SAP Ariba Procurement data due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries to SAP Ariba Procurement, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to SAP Ariba Procurement and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can work with and analyze SAP Ariba Procurement data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Ariba Procurement

Download the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Ariba Procurement installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

Start a Spark Shell and Connect to SAP Ariba Procurement Data

1. Open a terminal and start the Spark shell with the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Ariba Procurement JAR file as the jars parameter:

   $ spark-shell --jars /CData/CData JDBC Driver for SAP Ariba Procurement/lib/cdata.jdbc.saparibaprocurement.jar
   

2. With the shell running, you can connect to SAP Ariba Procurement with a JDBC URL and use the SQL Context load() function to read a table.

   In order to connect with SAP Ariba Procurement, set the following:

   • ANID: Your Ariba Network ID.
   • ANID: Specify which API you would like the provider to retrieve SAP Ariba data from. Select the Buyer or Supplier API based on your business role (possible values are PurchaseOrdersBuyerAPIV1 or PurchaseOrdersSupplierAPIV1).
   • Environment: Indicate whether you are connecting to a test or production environment (possible values are TEST or PRODUCTION).

   Authenticating with OAuth

   After setting connection properties, you need to configure OAuth connectivity to authenticate.

   • Set AuthScheme to OAuthClient.
   • Register an application with the service to obtain the APIKey, OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret.

     For more information on creating an OAuth application, refer to the Help documentation.

   Automatic OAuth

   After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

   APIKey: The Application key in your app settings. OAuthClientId: The OAuth Client Id in your app settings. OAuthClientSecret: The OAuth Secret in your app settings.

   When you connect, the provider automatically completes the OAuth process:

   1. The provider obtains an access token from SAP Ariba and uses it to request data.
   2. The provider refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.
   3. The OAuth values are saved in memory relative to the location specified in OAuthSettingsLocation.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

   For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the SAP Ariba Procurement JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.saparibaprocurement.jar
   

   Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

   👁 Using the built-in connection string designer to generate a JDBC URL (Salesforce is shown.)
   

   Configure the connection to SAP Ariba Procurement, using the connection string generated above.

   scala> val saparibaprocurement_df = spark.sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:saparibaprocurement:ANID=AN02000000280;API=PurchaseOrdersBuyerAPI-V1;APIKey=wWVLn7WTAXrIRMAzZ6VnuEj7Ekot5jnU;AuthScheme=OAuthClient;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;").option("dbtable","Orders").option("driver","cdata.jdbc.saparibaprocurement.SAPAribaProcurementDriver").load()
   

3. Once you connect and the data is loaded you will see the table schema displayed.

4. Register the SAP Ariba Procurement data as a temporary table:

   scala> saparibaprocurement_df.registerTable("orders")

5. Perform custom SQL queries against the Data using commands like the one below:

   scala> saparibaprocurement_df.sqlContext.sql("SELECT DocumentNumber, Revision FROM Orders WHERE OrderStatus = CHANGED").collect.foreach(println)

   You will see the results displayed in the console, similar to the following:

   👁 Data in Apache Spark (Salesforce is shown)
   

Using the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Ariba Procurement in Apache Spark, you are able to perform fast and complex analytics on SAP Ariba Procurement data, combining the power and utility of Spark with your data. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the hundreds of CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.