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SAP BuinessObjects (BOBJ) Connector

SAP BuinessObjects (BOBJ) Connector

This article guides administrators on configuring the SAP BusinessObjects (SAP BOBJ) connector in EmpowerID. It includes connection settings, inventory synchronization processes, pagination options, and API version configuration.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following:

  • You have administrative access to the EmpowerID Web UI and the appropriate role to configure Account Stores.

  • SAP BusinessObjects is accessible from the EmpowerID environment over HTTP/S.

  • Valid credentials for the SAP BOBJ REST API are available.

  • Notification templates for duplicate detection are configured if email alerts are desired.

Configuration Parameters

Key Authentication Settings

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

Notes

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

Notes

UserName

Username for authenticating with SAP BOBJ.

(None)

Required for establishing the connection.

Password

Password for authentication.

(None)

Stored encrypted at rest.

URL

Base API URL for connecting to SAP BOBJ.

(None)

Required for all data retrieval.

FullInventoryCompleted

Indicates whether a full inventory has completed.

false

Automatically set after initial full run.

🔐 Security Note: Passwords are stored encrypted in the EmpowerID configuration database. Avoid sharing this value externally.

Connection Endpoints

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

DefaultPaginationUserUrl

Initial user list URL for pagination.

URL + /users?&page=1

GroupURL

URL to access group memberships.

URL + /usergroups/

Pagination Controls

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

PaginationUrl

Continuation URL for pagination.

(Empty string)

Pagesize

Number of user records per page.

"100"

GroupPageSize

Number of group records per page.

"10000"

Notification Settings for Duplicates

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

Setting Name

Description

Default Value

SendNotificationForUserDuplicates

Enable or disable email notifications for duplicates.

"true"

UserDuplicatesEmailMessageName

Email template used for notifications.

"BOBJDuplicateUser"

Ensure the corresponding email template exists in the EmpowerID Email Template library to avoid delivery issues.

Inventory Synchronization Processes

EmpowerID supports both full and incremental inventory for user and account synchronization. Group inventory is always performed as a full read.

Inventory Overview

  • Full Inventory: Reads and syncs all records from SAP BOBJ.

  • Incremental Inventory: Syncs only new or modified records since the last inventory timestamp.

  • Group Inventory: Always performs a full read regardless of timestamp.

Full Inventory

To trigger a full inventory of users:

  1. Navigate to the Account Store Edit page in the EmpowerID Web UI.

  2. Locate and clear the value of LastInventoryAccountTimeStamp.

  3. Save the Account Store.

  4. The next scheduled or manual inventory job will perform a full sync.

Do not manually modify the FullInventoryCompleted flag. The system maintains this value and indicates whether a full inventory has already occurred.

Clearing the timestamp overrides any previous sync state and forces a complete read of all users and groups from the SAP BOBJ system.

Incremental Inventory

Once a full inventory is completed, the connector will default to incremental mode:

  1. The system reads the LastInventoryAccountTimeStamp value to determine changes.

  2. Only user records have been updated since that timestamp was retrieved.

  3. Group inventory remains full and unaffected by this value.

  4. EmpowerID marks objects as deleted if SAP BOBJ no longer returns them.

You can manually update the timestamp on the Account Store Edit page to control what is included in the next sync.

Inventory Components

Account Inventory

  • Reads user accounts from SAP BOBJ.

  • Detects duplicates using logon name matching.

  • Sends duplicate notifications if enabled via notification settings.

Group Inventory

  • Reads all user groups from the source system.

  • Reconstructs group membership and structure within EmpowerID.

Dead Object Detection

  • Identifies users or groups deleted in SAP BOBJ but still exist in EmpowerID.

  • Flags these as deleted in EmpowerID to reflect source-of-truth changes.

API Versioning and URL Behavior

SAP BOBJ supports multiple API versions, which affect how filters (such as updated) are applied during data retrieval.

API Version Impact

  • Without /v1 in the URL: All users are returned regardless of the updated filter.

  • With /v1: The updated filter is respected, enabling incremental behavior.

Best Practice: Use /v1 API endpoints for incremental inventory support. Use non-/v1 endpoints for full inventory regardless of timestamps.

URL Configuration Examples

Setting Name

Purpose

Example without /v1

Example with /v1

Setting Name

Purpose

Example without /v1

Example with /v1

URL

Base API endpoint

http://server:port/biprws

http://server:port/biprws/v1

DefaultPaginationUserUrl

Entry point for user listing

http://server:port/biprws/users?&page=1

http://server:port/biprws/v1/users?&page=1

GroupURL

Endpoint for group membership data

http://server:port/biprws/usergroups/

http://server:port/biprws/v1/usergroups/

Full Inventory with API Version

To perform a full inventory using either API version:

  1. Use one of the following user listing endpoints:

    • http://server:port/biprws/users?&page=1

    • http://server:port/biprws/v1/users?&page=1

  1. Clear the LastInventoryAccountTimeStamp field on the Account Store Edit page.

  2. The system will perform a full read, regardless of version. The /v1 version may apply filters such as updated.

Applying Configuration Changes

Important: After updating any URL or version setting, perform an environment recycle to ensure changes take effect.

Administrative Considerations

  • Ensure correct permissions are applied to the SAP BOBJ account used for integration.

  • Review EmpowerID logs after the first full inventory for duplicate or failed records.

  • Audit changes to LastInventoryAccountTimeStamp and configuration settings regularly for compliance tracking.

  • Always test configuration changes in a staging environment before deploying to production.