Power BI connectivity issue with SAP Successfactors OData feed

[jeevanmsbi]

Hi,

While trying to connect PowerBI with SAP Successfactors OData feed, we are getting the following error - Unable to connect. "OData: The feed's metadata document appears to be invalid. Please check screenshots.

However, we are able to connect the same data source with excel.

Can you please advise how this can be resolved? Is Power BI certified to use OData feed data source URL (having successfactors.com)?

Thanks,
Jeevan

[waeltken]

It's now 2021 and a properly functioning OData connector in Power BI seems to still be outstanding. 

While SuccessFactors OData feed can be contacted using the "/odata/v2" URL extension, PBI will register invalid metadata errors: "OData: the feed's metadata document appears to be invalid. Error: The metadata document could not be read from the message content. Unexpected XmlAttribute: The attribute ' CollectionKind' was not expected in the given context."

SuccessFactors tech support points out that the metadata file can be pulled by adding "/odata/v2/$metadata" instead, but that just returns the list of entities and attributes. 

Is there any way to marry both the data URL with the correct $metadata file via the separate path? How is this supposed to work?

I checked on the PBI ideas site but there doesn't seem to be an open request for such a connector. I was hoping not to have to painstakingly constuct individual API calls to get at joined data piecemeal. Has anybody figured this out yet?

- Henrik

[Anonymous]

You can connect SF by using OData using web data source create a blank query as follow

let
Source = Json.Document(Web.Contents("https://apisalesdemo4.successfactors.com/odata/v2/User" & "?" & "$format=json", [Headers=[Authorization="Basic XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"]])),
#"Converted to Table" = Record.ToTable(Source),
#"Expanded Value" = Table.ExpandRecordColumn(#"Converted to Table", "Value", {"results", "__next"}, {"Value.results", "Value.__next"})
in
#"Expanded Value"

In place of XXXXXXXXXX put your Authorization key keep Basic word as it is and give one space after basic word. to create authorization key encode your username@CompanyID:Password in Base64 format from ex.https://www.base64encode.org/ for more help you can reffer sap help.

https://help.sap.com/doc/74597e67f54d4f448252bad4c2b601c9/1902/en-US/SF_HCM_OData_API_REF_en.pdf

in Place of user field (red font) you can enter entity name of your database of successfactors.

let us know if you face any issue.

[Anonymous]

This worked for me but it only shows the first 1000 records, how can we navigate to the other pages dynamically?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Has anyone successfully connected from Successfactors VIA Powerbi?

Thanks,

Katie

[jdusek92]

Hello, for anybody looking for a solution, same as me few weeks ago:

Now I am successfully pulling data using Power Query using List.Generate to iterate through the skiptokens. Do not forget to include the paging parameter to avoid duplicate or missing rows.

https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Power-Query/Help-with-recursive-web-power-query-oDATA-SuccessFactor...

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have solution for same problem or any other way to connect successfactors .

[jdasilva]

Hi, I'm in the same situation. I know there is no connector but it should be possible through OData connector. The metadata is also in

https://<host>/odata/v2/$metadata

I've arrived there but I do not know how to continue

Thanks

I will be anxious for news.

[DavidMartin]

could you finally connect to SuccessFactors from PowerBI?
I'll need same. If so, How could you do it? Thanks in advance,
David

[Anonymous]

Had a similar issues - after talking to MS support and SF the answer is to wait for a proper connector from PBI to SF...

Its on the backlog.

[DavidMartin]

could you finally connect to SuccessFactors from PowerBI?
I'll need same. If so, How could you do it? Thanks in advance,
David

[v-yulgu-msft]

Hi @jeevanmsbi,

Please contact with the Web Site developer to confirm whether it supports Odata.

Regards,

Yuliana Gu