Hello everyone!

Setting up connections in SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud Universal Model (SAP PaPM Cloud UM) is straightforward (PaPM Cloud UM Connections) but there are a few important aspects -such as synchronization, mapping, and transports -that are worth understanding to get the most out of it.

In this post, you’ll learn:

• What is a Connection
• System Set Up: Creating a Connection
• The difference between AddOn Environment and Environment connections
• Transport Best Practices (Dev -> Prod)
• Upcoming new functionality

In SAP PaPM Cloud UM, a connection acts as a bridge between a source environment and a target. It creates a logical mapping that allows you to:

Integrate model entities:

• Consume external data
• Reuse models across environments

Connections are environment-specific and are included in transports.

Connections in SAP PaPM Cloud UM can be grouped into three categories:

1. Internal Connections (Environment-to-Environment)
   1. Environment (Environment Connection) Integrates Model Entities with API State = Active from one or more target environments into the source environment. 
   2. AddOn Environment (AddOn Environment Connection) Fully integrates all Model Entities with API State = Active from the target environment. Adopts target data controls and master data associations seamlessly.

1. External Data Connections
   1. HANA Schema (HANA Schema Connection) Consumes data from an underlying data source via a specified SAP HANA schema. 
   2. OData Service (OData Service Connection) Integrates an external OData service.
   3. SAC Model (SAC Model Connection) Reads from and writes to SAC via supported APIs for data export and import. 
   4. SOAP Service (SOAP Service Connection) Connects to applications via SOAP APIs to send and write bulk data.

1. Advanced / Specialized
   1. AI Core Service (AI Core Service Connection) Enables the consumption of AI capabilities within the environment.

To create a new connection, you need both a source environment and a target. The target depends on the intended use of the connection—it can either be another SAP PaPM Cloud UM environment (using an Environment or AddOn Environment connection) or an external source such as a HANA schema, OData service, SAC model, or SOAP service.

In this blog post, we will focus on connections between PaPM Cloud UM environments. To see how this works in practice, let’s walk through the steps to create and configure a connection.

1. To create a connection, start by navigating to the Environment Overview screen. On the right-hand side, you will find the Connections section, which displays the total number of existing connections in the environment (or 0 if none exist). 
2. Click the connection count to open the Manage Connections screen and then choose Create. A dialog window appears, where you can select the desired connection type from the dropdown list before proceeding. 
3. Next, initiate the synchronization by clicking Sync Connection to retrieve all Model Entities with API State = Active. After that, select Sync Models to map the fields from the target to the source environment. 
4. If adjustments are required, you can rename fields by selecting the relevant Model Entity, choosing Edit, and updating the field name accordingly before saving. Note that this option is only available for the Environment connection type. 

AddOn Environment and Environment connection type are both connections to other PaPM Cloud UM Environments, but they behave differently.

The AddOn Environment connection is designed for strict consistency. It synchronizes all Model Entities with API State = Active, including their fields, associations, and data controls. The structure from the target environment is preserved as-is, meaning that no changes to field names or functions are allowed. This makes it the preferred option when you want to ensure a consistent and centrally governed data model across environments.  

In contrast, the offers more flexibility. While it also retrieves all active Model Entities and their fields, it allows adjustments to field mappings and even renaming of fields in the source environment. However, associations are not supported – only the corresponding ID fields are available. This makes the Environment connection suitable for scenarios where the source and target environments do not follow an identical data model and require adaptation.

In summary, the AddOn Environment connection prioritizes strict consistency by preserving the exact structure and relationships of the target environment, making it ideal for centrally governed and uniform data models. The Environment connection, on the other hand, provides greater flexibility by allowing field adjustments and adaptations, making it better suited for scenarios where differences between source and target data models need to be accommodated.

When working across multiple tenants, following a few best practices helps ensure smooth transports and avoids common inconsistencies.

Single Source of Truth:

• Background: Each field in PaPM Cloud UM has a hidden technical unique key used for identification. Even if field names match, keys may differ across tenants.
• Recommendation:
  1. Perform all connection adjustments, mappings, and synchronizations in the Dev tenant.
  2. Transport both source and target environments to Prod.
  3. Do not re-synchronize Prod. Activate directly in Prod to avoid remapping which could create mismatched technical keys.

• Why this matters:
  • Re-synchronizing in Prod may create fields with the same name but different technical keys which will cause activation errors in future transports.

Deleting a target field used by a connection (two-tenant scenario):

• Background: You’ve completed Dev setup, transported to Prod, and activated successfully. Later, you decide to remove a field in the target environment that is used by a connected Model Entity.
• Recommendation:
  1. Delete the field in the Dev tenant.
  2. Re-synchronize the connection in Dev and activate successfully.
  3. Transport the change (including the deletion) to Prod.
  4. Perform future changes as needed.
• Why this matters:
  • If a similar field is later recreated in Dev with the same name, it will receive a new technical key. If the deletion was not transported to Prod, transporting the newly created field will result in two fields with the same name but different technical keys, leading to activation errors.

Environment connections soon support Model Views with API State = Active. It will mirror the Model Entities behavior. The Mapping of the fields from the Model View can be adjusted, and it is usable like a connected Model Entity.

I hope this overview gives you a clearer understanding of how connections work in SAP PaPM Cloud Universal Model, especially when working across multiple environments and tenants. From experience, paying attention to synchronization and transport handling early on can save quite a bit of effort later.