Adding OData Services¶

One of ABA's key advantages is its extensibility. Adding support for a new SAP OData service follows a straightforward process.

Prerequisites¶

Before adding a new service, ensure:

The OData service is activated in your SAP system (/IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE)
The service is accessible from the MCP Server network
You have the service metadata (entity sets, properties, navigation properties)
Appropriate authorization objects are configured for target users

Step-by-Step Process¶

1. Discover the OData Service¶

Identify the service from:

SAP API Business Hub (api.sap.com) — Browse by module
SAP Gateway (/IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE) — See activated services
Transaction SEGW — Review custom OData services

2. Define the MCP Tool¶

Create a tool definition the LLM can understand:

{
  "name": "mm_get_purchase_orders",
  "description": "Retrieve purchase orders from SAP. Filter by company code, vendor, date range, PO type, and amount.",
  "parameters": {
    "company_code": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "SAP company code (e.g., '1000')"
    },
    "supplier": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Vendor number or name"
    },
    "date_from": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Start date (YYYY-MM-DD)"
    },
    "date_to": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "End date (YYYY-MM-DD)"
    }
  }
}

3. Implement the Handler¶

The handler translates parameters into OData calls:

Input: { supplier: "Siemens", date_from: "2025-01-01" }
    ↓
OData: GET /API_PURCHASEORDER_PROCESS_SRV/A_PurchaseOrder
       ?$filter=SupplierName eq 'Siemens' 
        and CreationDate ge datetime'2025-01-01T00:00:00'
       &$top=50
    ↓
Output: Formatted purchase order list

4. Register and Test¶

Register the tool in MCP Server configuration
Test with sample queries
Verify authorization behavior with different user profiles

5. Document¶

Update the module documentation with the new capability.

Best Practices¶

Guidelines

Start with read operations — Safe and immediately valuable
Use $select — Request only needed fields for performance
Implement pagination — Use $top and $skip for large result sets
Handle errors gracefully — Translate SAP errors into user-friendly messages
Test authorization — Verify with restricted users, not just admin accounts

Custom (Z) OData Services¶

The same process applies to custom services. Ensure they follow OData standards and are documented for the tool definition.

Need help? Contact the Avvale AI team for integration assistance.