Forum Discussion

riaankotze10's avatar
riaankotze10
New Member
9 months ago
Solved

Powerbi Intergration with SAP

Good day,   I've installed the SAP . NET Connector 3.1 NCo. Up until the stage where i have to load the data or transform the data, i receive this error on most of my data sources. Please assist. ...
PowerrBi report server SAP BW
  • riaankotze10's avatar
    riaankotze10
    8 months ago

    Hi it is resolved thanks. It was an authorization issue from the security teams side.

Zanqueta's avatar
Zanqueta
Super User
9 months ago

Hello riaankotze10,

 

This error occurs when integrating Power BI with SAP using the SAP .NET Connector (NCo) and typically indicates an issue with the connector or the way the query is being executed. The System.NullReferenceException in the stack trace suggests that Power BI is expecting metadata or parameter details that are not being returned correctly by the SAP source.

Why does this happen?

  • The SAP connector in Power BI relies on RFC/BAPI calls. If the SAP function module does not return expected metadata or if parameters are not properly defined, Power BI fails during the preview or load stage.
  • It can also occur when:
    • The SAP .NET Connector is not correctly registered or mismatched with the Power BI version.
    • The query uses cubes or hierarchies that require parameter discovery, but the connector cannot resolve them.
    • There is a missing configuration for RFC destinations or SAP gateway permissions.

 

Recommended Fixes

Verify SAP .NET Connector Installation

  • Ensure SAP NCo 3.1 is installed and registered correctly:
    • Check that the DLLs (sapnco.dll, sapnco_utils.dll) are in the correct directory.
    • Confirm that the architecture (x64) matches your Power BI Desktop installation.

 

Use OData or BW Connector as Alternative

  • For SAP BW or HANA, consider using:
    • SAP BW Connector (supports MDX queries).
    • OData feed from SAP Gateway for more stable integration.

 

Check the others posts also:

Solved: SAP Datasphere to PBI via ODCB - Microsoft Fabric Community

 

 

If this answer was helpful in any way, I would be pleased to receive a 👍, as well as the satisfaction of seeing a DAX measure work for the first time without needing yet another FILTER.
Please mark it as the accepted solution. This helps other community members find the quickest path and saves them from another endless loop 🌀.

 

riaankotze10's avatar
riaankotze10
New Member
9 months ago

Hi Zanqueta, thanks for the repsonse and the suggestions - I've located (sapnco.dll, sapnco_utils.dll) - They are under my OSDisk (C:) under Program Files ---> SAP BusinessObjects --->Office AddIn. Can you advise where they should be?

 

I will confirm with the team if i have authorization to access these sources and then take it from there.

  • Zanqueta's avatar
    Zanqueta
    Super User
    9 months ago

    Hi riaankotze10,

     

    Firstly you need to ensure this dll camo from SAP NCo 3.1 package. They hav e a typical installation path:

     

     

    C:\Program Files\SAP\SAP .NET Connector 3.1\ or 
C:\Program Files (x86)\SAP\SAP .NET Connector 3.1\

     

    (depending on architecture).

    Next Steps

    1. Download and install SAP NCo 3.1 from SAP Marketplace (ensure you have authorisation).
    2. Confirm that:
      • sapnco.dll and sapnco_utils.dll are in the correct folder.
      • The folder is added to the PATH environment variable.
    3. Restart Power BI Desktop after installation.

     

    Why this matters

    Power BI uses these DLLs to establish RFC/BAPI communication with SAP. If they are in the wrong directory or not registered, the connector will fail during data load or transformation.
     
    If this answer was helpful in any way, I would be pleased to receive a 👍, as well as the satisfaction of seeing a DAX measure work for the first time without needing yet another FILTER.
    Please mark it as the accepted solution. This helps other community members find the quickest path and saves them from another endless loop 🌀.

     

    • riaankotze10's avatar
      riaankotze10
      New Member
      9 months ago

      How do i know if it is in the correct folder? When we installed it, the installer display did not provide me with to install it in GAC. 

      • riaankotze10's avatar
        riaankotze10
        New Member
        9 months ago

        I think i really need a teams session - to have you on a call as well as our IM services...