Set up a technical user for OData in SAP Service Cloud

This article explains how to create a dedicated technical user in SAP Service Cloud (C4C) for OData access. This user is required to connect SAP Service Cloud with the Tekst platform. After completing the steps below, you will use the technical user credentials to set up the integration on your Tekst environment at customer.tekst.com.

Overview

Setting up a technical user for OData involves three steps:

1. Create a Communication System
2. Create a Communication Arrangement linked to the OData services
3. Use the credentials to connect on customer.tekst.com

Prerequisites

• Administrator access to your SAP Service Cloud tenant
• Knowledge of your SAP tenant host name

Step 1: Create a Communication System

A Communication System represents an external system that will connect to your SAP tenant.

1. In SAP Service Cloud, open the Administrator menu in the left-hand navigation
2. Go to General Settings
3. Under the Integration section, click Communication Systems
4. Click New to create a new Communication System
5. Fill in the following fields on the General tab:
   • Host Name: Enter the host name for your SAP tenant (e.g., myXXXXX.crm.ondemand.com)
   • System Access Type: Select Internet
6. Optionally fill in the Contact Information section with the contact details of the person responsible for this integration (first name, last name, email)
7. Click Save to create the Communication System

Step 2: Add a System Instance

After saving the Communication System, you need to add a System Instance.

1. Open the Communication System you just created
2. Navigate to the System Instances tab
3. Click Add Row to create a new system instance
4. Enter a System Instance ID (e.g., the same name as your Communication System)
5. Click Save

Step 3: Create a Communication Arrangement

A Communication Arrangement links your Communication System to the OData services and defines which data the technical user can access.

1. On the System Instances tab of your Communication System, select the system instance you created
2. In the Communication Arrangements section below, you will see available communication scenarios
3. Locate the OData Services for Business Objects scenario and click to open it
4. This will create a new Communication Arrangement

Step 4: Configure Authentication

On the Communication Arrangement page, configure the authentication method for the technical user.

1. Navigate to the Technical Data tab
2. Under Inbound Communication Basic Settings, configure the following:
   • Authentication Method: Select User ID and Password
   • User ID: A technical user ID is generated automatically (e.g., _TEKSTODATA). Note this user ID - you will need it later.
3. Click Edit Credentials to set the password for the technical user
4. Enter and confirm the password. Store it securely - you will need it to configure the integration in Tekst.

Step 5: Select the OData Services

Still on the Communication Arrangement page, scroll down to the Services Used section. This section lists all available OData services that the technical user can access.

1. Review the list of OData services and enable the ones that Tekst requires by checking the Assigned checkbox next to each service
2. At minimum, enable the services related to the objects Tekst needs to read and update. Common services include:
   • activity
   • businesspartner
   • businesspartnerrelationship
   • businessuser
   • contact
   • contactaccount
3. If you are unsure which services to enable, contact your Tekst customer success team for guidance

Note: You can optionally mark services as Read Only if Tekst should only read data from that particular service without making updates.

Step 6: Activate the Communication Arrangement

1. After configuring the authentication and selecting the services, click Save and Reactivate in the top-right corner of the Communication Arrangement page
2. Verify that the status of the Communication Arrangement shows as Active

Step 7: Connect on customer.tekst.com

Now that your technical user is configured in SAP, use its credentials to set up the integration on the Tekst platform.

1. Log in to your Tekst environment at customer.tekst.com
2. Navigate to the Integrations page
3. Click Connect Integration and select SAP Service Cloud
4. Enter the following details:
   • SAP Tenant URL: Your SAP tenant URL
   • Username: The technical User ID from Step 4 (e.g., _TEKSTODATA)
   • Password: The password you set in Step 4
5. Click Connect to finalize the integration

Tekst will validate the connection to your SAP instance. Once verified, the integration is active and ready for configuration.

Troubleshooting

• Connection fails: Verify that the Communication Arrangement status is Active and that the correct OData services are assigned
• Authentication errors: Double-check the User ID and password. You can reset the password by opening the Communication Arrangement, navigating to the Technical Data tab, and clicking Edit Credentials
• Missing data: Ensure the required OData services are assigned and not marked as Read Only if Tekst needs write access

Related Articles

• Create a SAP Service Cloud integration
• SAP possible actions
• Objects and fields used