SeovantisSeovantis
+49 15679 281048Send a request
SAP & ERP2026-10-05

ODP RFC Blocked: Which Paths Remain for SAP Data

Stephanie Escarciga (opens in a new tab)

Many data warehouses, BI tools and custom developments retrieve their data from SAP through the ODP interface via RFC. SAP has prohibited this path for applications outside SAP and technically blocked it in June 2026. The data remains accessible, but through other paths. The basis for this is SAP Note 3255746.

Status: November 2026

What ODP is

Operational Data Provisioning (ODP) is SAP's framework for providing data for analytics. Sources include extractors (DataSources), CDS views, BW objects and SLT replications. ODP delivers full data sets and, via the delta queue (ODQ), only the changes since the last retrieval.

The data is retrieved through the ODP Data Replication API. Its RFC function modules, such as RODPS_REPL_ODP_OPEN and RODPS_REPL_ODP_FETCH, were called directly by many third-party applications.

What SAP Note 3255746 sets out

According to SAP Note 3255746, these RFC modules are intended only for data exchange between SAP applications, such as SAP BW, SAP BW/4HANA or SAP Datasphere. Third-party applications and custom programs may not use them.

The rule has been tightened step by step:

  • October 2022: SAP declares use by third parties unsupported.
  • February 2024: SAP declares it not permitted.
  • April 2026: SAP revises the note and publishes a new API Policy. Under it, only published APIs may be used, and only for their documented purpose.
  • 9 June 2026: with the SAP Security Patch Day, SAP ships the correction from SAP Note 3748819. It technically blocks unpermitted calls.

A temporary opt-out applies until December 2026. SAP Note 3731818 then enforces the block with no further exception. The opt-out does not change the usage rules in SAP Note 3255746.

Affected are SAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA on premise and in the private cloud, and SAP BW as a data source.

Who is affected

Any connection outside SAP that retrieves data via the ODP modules over RFC is affected. This includes many data integration and ETL tools. Microsoft, for example, has confirmed that the "SAP CDC" connector in Azure Data Factory uses this path. Custom programs that call the modules directly are affected as well.

Such a connection can be identified in two places:

  • In the tool's configuration: connection type "ODP" or "SAP CDC" over RFC.
  • In the SAP system: transaction ODQMON shows all subscribers retrieving data from the delta queue. Subscribers that do not belong to an SAP application indicate an affected path.

SAP Note 3439624 helps identify affected calls. Blocked extractions fail with the message “Unknown caller; Call rejected”.

The paths compared

ODP via OData:

  • The same ODP sources are exposed as an OData service through SAP Gateway.
  • Full extractions and deltas remain possible.
  • SAP explicitly names this path as an alternative.
  • OData transfers data more slowly than RFC. Microsoft states about ten times slower for its connector.
  • Without direct RFC access to the ODP function modules.

CDS views with extraction:

  • In SAP S/4HANA, CDS views can be enabled for extraction, including change data capture.
  • They are retrieved via ODP over OData or via SAP Datasphere.
  • SAP ECC has far fewer such views. There, extractors are usually the source.
  • They deliver purpose-built data views instead of raw tables. This fits when a specific subset is needed rather than the full source.

SAP Datasphere and SAP Business Data Cloud:

  • SAP's own tools; the restriction in the note does not apply to them.
  • Replication flows also transfer data to third-party targets, such as data warehouses or cloud storage.
  • They require their own SAP licences; transfer to third-party targets is charged separately.

SAP Landscape Transformation (SLT):

  • Replicates tables continuously, optionally only the changes.
  • An SAP product with its own licence; whether transfer to third-party targets is covered depends on the SAP contract.
  • Pays off where replication demand is permanently high.

Released BAPIs and RFC modules also remain usable for individual business transactions. They provide no deltas and are less suited to large data volumes, but cover many single queries and postings.

Which path fits depends on data volume, delta requirements and the target system. In most cases a migration can be implemented outside the SAP core.

What changes technically when switching

A new path is not just a different connection parameter. Three points affect almost every switch:

  • Setting up the delta again: the delta queue keeps subscriptions per subscriber. A new path starts with a new initialisation. Before that, the point from which data is taken over must be defined.
  • Aligning formats: OData sometimes returns date and number formats, keys with or without leading zeros and field names differently from the previous path. Downstream load processes often expect the old format.
  • Comparing results: whether the new path delivers the same data is shown by a comparison with the old path, for example record counts, totals and samples per source.

Seovantis builds the new connection on a permitted path, usually against mock services for your SAP interfaces with sample data. How the results are compared with the previous path is defined in the statement of work: SAP integrations for ECC and S/4HANA

More on the 2027 maintenance deadline and on interfaces when moving to S/4HANA in the article SAP ECC 2027: What the End of Mainstream Maintenance Means.

Commission a migration

You name the affected interface and the target system; Seovantis records the migration in a technical specification and implements it. Details under SAP & ERP, enquiries via Contact.

Sources

Related article: SAP ECC 2027: What the End of Mainstream Maintenance Means

Related service

SAP & ERP

A similar project?

Briefly describe your situation. I will get back to you within one business day.

Send a request