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How to Connect Power BI to SAP HANA

Cody Schneider•

Getting your valuable SAP HANA data into Power BI for analysis doesn't have to be a complicated technical puzzle. Many teams get stuck on the initial setup, but with the right drivers and a clear process, you can build powerful, insightful reports. This guide will walk you through exactly how to connect Power BI to SAP HANA, step-by-step, including which connection mode to choose and how to sidestep common issues.

Before You Begin: The Prerequisite Checklist

You’ll save yourself a lot of headaches by making sure you have a few key things in place before you even open Power BI. Double-checking this list first will solve 90% of potential connection issues.

  • Power BI Desktop: Make sure you have the latest version installed on your machine. You can download it for free directly from the Microsoft Store.

  • SAP HANA Client: This is the most crucial, and most often missed, prerequisite. Power BI needs the correct SAP HANA ODBC driver to communicate with your database. You'll need to install the SAP HANA Client tools on the same computer where Power BI Desktop is running. Ensure you install the version (32-bit or 64-bit) that matches your Power BI Desktop installation (it's almost always 64-bit these days).

  • Server and Port Information: You’ll need the correct server name or IP address and the instance port number for your SAP HANA database. The port typically follows the format 3xx15, where xx represents the instance number.

  • Authentication Credentials: Have your SAP HANA username and password ready. Your database administrator can provide you with these credentials and ensure your user has the necessary permissions to read the data you need to access.

Two Ways to Connect: Understanding Import vs. DirectQuery

When you connect Power BI to SAP HANA, you’ll be asked to choose a connectivity mode: Import or DirectQuery. Your choice here has a significant impact on performance, report capabilities, and how up-to-date your data is. There's no single "best" option, it depends on your specific needs.

Method 1: Using Import Mode

In Import mode, Power BI copies a snapshot of your selected data from SAP HANA and stores it within the Power BI file (.pbix). It's essentially taking a local copy of the data and compressing it in memory.

You should choose Import mode if:

  • Performance is critical: Because the data is loaded directly into Power BI's high-performance in-memory engine, creating visuals and using slicers is incredibly fast.

  • Your dataset is a manageable size: Import mode works best for datasets under 1GB, as larger datasets can slow down your machine and report refresh times.

  • You need the full power of Power Query and DAX: Import mode gives you access to a complete set of data transformation capabilities in the Power Query Editor and no limitations on DAX functions.

  • Real-time data isn't a requirement: To see new data, you must schedule a refresh in the Power BI Service. The data is only as fresh as your last refresh.

Method 2: Using DirectQuery Mode

With DirectQuery, no data is actually imported into Power BI. Instead, Power BI sends queries directly to your SAP HANA database every time a user interacts with a report (e.g., clicking a filter or opening a page). The report is essentially a live, direct view of your database.

You should choose DirectQuery mode if:

  • You need real-time or near real-time data: Your dashboard will always reflect the current state of your SAP HANA database.

  • Your dataset is absolutely massive: If your SAP HANA data is too large to import (think terabytes of data), DirectQuery is your only viable option.

  • You need to adhere to an existing security model: DirectQuery can respect any underlying security roles and rules that have been set up in SAP HANA.

  • You have a powerful, well-optimized SAP HANA database: Since every interaction sends a query to the source, the performance of your visuals is heavily dependent on the performance of your database.

Step-by-Step Guide: Making the Connection

Once your prerequisites are in place and you've decided on a connection mode, the actual connection process is straightforward. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open 'Get Data' in Power BI Desktop

Launch Power BI Desktop. On the "Home" ribbon, click the Get Data button. This will open a window with a list of all available data connectors.

Step 2: Find the SAP HANA Connector

In the "Get Data" window, you can either scroll through the list under the "Database" category or simply type SAP HANA into the search bar. Select "SAP HANA Database" and click Connect.

Step 3: Enter Your Server Details

A new window will appear asking for your server information. You need to enter the name of your server followed by the port in the format ServerName:Port.

Example: hanaserver.mycompany.com:30015

Step 4: Choose Your Connectivity Mode

Here you’ll choose between "Import" and "DirectQuery." Review the comparison above to make the right choice for your project. After selecting your preferred mode, click OK.

Step 5: Provide Your Credentials

Next, Power BI will prompt you for authentication. You’ll typically select the "Database" option on the left pane and then enter your SAP HANA User name and Password. Ensure the correct connection scope is selected (it's usually fine to leave it at the default server/port level). Click Connect to proceed.

Step 6: Select Your Data in the Navigator

If the connection is successful, the Navigator window will appear. This is where you can see all the catalogs, schemas, tables, and views available to you in SAP HANA. You can browse through and select one or multiple items you want to include in your model. Once you check the boxes next to the data you need, a preview will appear on the right.

Step 7: Load or Transform

At the bottom of the Navigator window, you have two options:

  • Load: Clicking "Load" will pull the selected data directly into your Power BI data model as-is. This is a good choice for when the data is already clean and well-structured.

  • Transform Data: This is often the recommended next step. Clicking "Transform Data" will open the Power Query Editor, where you can clean, reshape, filter, and enrich your data before connecting it to your model. It gives you far more options for preparing your data for analysis.

That's it! Once your data is loaded or transformed, you can start building visuals, creating relationships between tables, and writing DAX measures just as you would with any other data source.

Best Practices and Common Troubleshooting Tips

Even with a perfect setup, you might run into a few common hurdles. Here's how to navigate them.

"The data source provider was not found" Error

Nearly every time you see this or similar errors, the problem is a missing or incorrect SAP HANA ODBC driver. Make sure you've installed a version that matches your version of Power BI Desktop (64-bit for 64-bit).

Slow Performance with DirectQuery

If your DirectQuery visuals are taking forever to load, the issue is almost always at the source. Work with your database administrators to ensure the underlying HANA models/views are optimized for performance. In Power BI, try to create less complex measures and avoid too many cross-filtering interactions. Use the Performance Analyzer in Power BI Desktop to identify the slowest visuals.

Incorrectly Defined Relationships

When using DirectQuery, Power BI will attempt to inherit the relationships already defined in your SAP HANA models. If you’re using Import mode, you are responsible for creating relationships between your tables in Power BI’s Model view. Don't skip this step - proper relationships are the backbone of a functioning data model and are essential for your visuals to work correctly.

Final Thoughts

This process breaks down how to bring your SAP HANA information directly into the Power BI ecosystem for robust visualizations and analytics. The most critical decisions are ensuring the correct driver is installed and thoughtfully choosing between Import and DirectQuery to balance performance with data freshness.

While powerful, BI tools like Power BI can come with a steep learning curve, especially for teams without a dedicated data analyst. For marketing and sales teams who need quick answers from platforms like Salesforce, Google Analytics, or Shopify, setting up these types of connections is often overkill. We designed Graphed to remove this technical barrier. You connect your data sources in just a few clicks and then simply ask questions in plain English - like "create a dashboard showing ad spend vs. revenue this month" - to get live, interactive reports built for you instantly.