SAP Cloud Connector - Setup

What is SAP Cloud Connector.?

SAP Cloud Connector (SCC) is a lightweight software component that securely connects your on-premises systems to SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) without exposing your internal systems directly to the internet.

Think of it as a secure tunnel between your company's internal network and SAP BTP.

For example, if SAP Integration Suite (Cloud Integration / CPI) needs to communicate with an on-premises SAP ECC system, the Cloud Connector enables that communication securely.

Key benefits:

• Secure connectivity: Establishes an encrypted connection to SAP BTP.

• No inbound firewall opening required: It establishes the connection from your internal network to SAP BTP.

• Access control: Exposes only the internal systems and resources explicitly configured.

• On-premises integration: Enables cloud applications to access permitted internal resources.

How the communication work..?

1. The Cloud Connector is installed on a server inside the corporate network.

2. The administrator connects it to the relevant SAP BTP subaccount.

3. The administrator configures the backend system, virtual host, port and permitted resources.

4. The CPI iFlow sends a request to the configured virtual address using the appropriate connectivity setup.

5. The Cloud Connector forwards the request to the actual internal backend system.

6. The response travels back through the secure connection.

Important: Cloud Connector does not automatically make every internal system accessible. The administrator must explicitly configure the allowed systems and resources.

How to download and install it?

Download the installer from tools.hana.ondemand.com. https://tools.hana.ondemand.com/#cloud 

Choose the OS-specific version (Windows MSI or Linux RPM).

Follow the basic installation steps, Cloud Connector runs as a local service.

After installation, access the UI using:

https://localhost:8443

UserName: Administrator

Pwd: manage

You can change the pwd after first login

How to configure it?

• Connect SCC to SAP BTP Subaccount
• Login to the UI.
• Go to Cloud To On-Premises => Subaccount.
• Enter your SAP BTP SubAccount ID, Region, and Authentication details.
• Save and establish the connection.

If successful, the Subaccount will show the status as "Connected"

Add On-Premise Backend Systems

Now expose on-prem services to BTP:

• Navigate to Cloud To On-Premise → Add System.
• Choose the system type (ABAP, HTTP, RFC, etc.).
• Provide host, port, and protocol details of the backend system.
• Map virtual host/port to internal host/port.
• Select resources (paths, RFC functions, services) you want to expose.

Assign Access Control

For each system:

• Enable Access Control.
• Specify the resources BTP apps are allowed to consume.
• Set principal type (none, principal propagation, or basic auth).

Verify the Connection from SAP BTP

• Go to your SAP BTP Cockpit → Connectivity → Cloud Connectors.
• Verify status, system availability, and reachable endpoints.

Supported Protocols

To allow your cloud applications to access a certain on-premise system on the intranet, you must specify this system in the Cloud Connector. The procedure is specific to the protocol that you're using for communication. The following protocols are supported:

HTTP

RFC

LDAP

TCP

Now, provide the CPI - sub-account details and check the status..

Common Issues in Cloud Connector?

Sources: help.sap.com

Thanks for reading :-)