RFC connectivity

Calling ABAP function modules from outside the system over RFC, with destinations and connection pooling handled rather than hand-wired on the calling side.

Overview

InCAPassessed
SAP SHIPSby design
Node.js →

@sap/cds-rfc Calls ABAP function modules over RFC from a CAP service.

Not covered: It stops at the SAP NW RFC SDK. The official path needs that proprietary native library installed, licensed and built for every platform you deploy to — which is the part the community has been working around.

SourceCAP plugins — ABAP RFCchecked
THE COMMUNITY ADDS

RFC clients that run without the native library, such as open-rfc under @sap/cds-rfc, and samples that wire RFC calls into a CAP service.

InBTP/BAIPassessed

On BTP the ABAP system is usually not reachable at all until SAP Connectivity service is in the picture: the proxy through which a cloud application reaches an on-premise system behind a Cloud Connector — HTTP, RFC and raw sockets — without that system being exposed.

SAP SHIPS

Present, not yet described.

Not covered: At the tunnel. Calling a function module through it, and pooling those connections, is the application's side and lives where the code does.

The SAP-published pieces behind this door are SAP Connectivity service and Cloud Connector; the state follows their origin. what_core_does is left empty: no page has been checked that states an intent here, and the entries carry their own descriptions and links.

THE COMMUNITY ADDS

No community artifact is documented here.

InABAPassessed

In ABAP this is the side being called: function modules a system exposes to external callers, over RFC itself or, through an adapter, over HTTP with JSON in and out.

SAP SHIPS

RFC is part of the ABAP language: an RFC stub is generated for every function module registered as remote, so existing function modules can be executed from a remote system.

Not covered: At the RFC protocol and the function modules a system already has. A caller that sends HTTP and JSON, or a generic read of any table with its own where clause, needs ABAP code written for it.

How these entries relate to the RFC interface has not been assessed.

THE COMMUNITY ADDS

Callers that reach function modules from outside, such as erpl-node-rfc from Node.js and pyrfc-mcp for agents, and the called side: HTTP and JSON adapters like abap_fm_json and an SM59 destination bridge in rfc-connector. SAP's route in from BTP is Cloud Connector.

Licence1

LicenceSAP Developer License Agreement 3.2 CAP§ 1AlwaysA covered CAP application uses RFC connectivity to extract SAP product data into a non-SAP product.
  • § 1 License. Productive customer applications are limited to SAP BTP or another SAP-licensed platform, and mass extraction to a non-SAP product is restricted except where solely required for SAP interoperability.

RFC transport does not itself establish permitted use. When the flow copies SAP product data into a non-SAP product, section 1 and its interoperability exception become relevant to the concrete design.

SAP Developer License Agreement 3.2 CAP →

Artifacts10

Group by10 of 10 artifacts
ArtifactSignals
Apps2
Cloud ConnectorSAP's on-premises agent linking SAP BTP to customer-network systems
Signals
none
rfc-connectorForwards abap2UI5 roundtrips to another system over RFC
Signals
Functional boundary
Packages7
@sap/cds-rfcCalls to ABAP function modules over RFC from a CAP service
Signals
none
abap_fm_jsonJSON adapter exposing ABAP function modules over HTTP
Signals
Functional boundary
ADELE RFC APIRFC-callable ABAP API for SAP data extraction for ADELE
Signals
Quiet
ERPLDuckDB extension reading SAP ERP tables, CDS views and BW queries
Signals
Functional boundary
erpl-node-rfcRFC client for Node.js and TypeScript without the NW RFC SDK
Signals
Functional boundary
open-rfcSDK-free TypeScript client for SAP synchronous RFC on Node.js
Signals
Functional boundary
srijan9864/zrfcreadAn RFC-enabled ABAP function module that counts the entries of any table against dynamic where and join criteria.
Signals
Quiet
Services1
SAP Connectivity serviceProxy from cloud apps to on-premise systems via Cloud Connector
Signals
none

Content22

Group by22 of 22 pieces
Piece, what it offers
Expose RFCs as MCP Tools in Integration Suite
SAP Community, ronit199666, Blog
SAP's API Policy on AI Agents: What It Prohibits, Allows, and Leaves Open
SAP Community, Héctor Enríquez, Blog
Running AI agents against SAP ECC 6.0: lessons from building an in-system MCP server
SAP Community, NicolasHernandez, Blog
Show 19 more
Introducing open-rfc: Calling SAP RFC from Node.js Without the SDK
blog.zeis.de — Marian Zeis, Marian Zeis, BlogThe reasoningRunnable code
Using RFC Function Modules and BAPIs in SAP Build Process Automation
SAP Community, MrRaj, Blog
Creating an SAP SD Billing Document Using a BAPI in SAP Build and Accessing It Through 'Joule Work'
SAP Community, MrRaj, Blog
Building Custom Joule Skills via RFC: Guide for SAP S/4HANA and ECC Integration
SAP Community, Robin-Qiu, Blog
Claude ported ABAP functions to new API
SAP Community, jakub_filak, Blog
Extract Rev-Trac requests by custom program and Rev-Trac API
SAP Community, sandraros, Blog
Pattern Function for RFC
SAP Community, ykaldirim, Blog
Using Communication Targets for Outbound RFC Communication in ABAP
SAP Community, Nikolina_MH, Blog
Modernizing RFC/BAPI-based Integrations for a Clean Core with SAP Integration Suite
SAP Community, arunmaarirajha_kv, Blog
IPS provisioning to ABAP Cloud Developer Trial
SAP Community, Laurence, Blog
Configuring SAP Cloud Integration for an IBP to S/4HANA (on prem / private cloud) integration
SAP Community, SofianePebre, Blog
Using SAP managed iFlows for Time series data Integration in SAP IBP – Part 1 - Reading data
SAP Community, Domnic, part 1 of 2, Blog
Using SAP managed iFlows for Time series data Integration in SAP IBP – Part 2 - Writing data
SAP Community, Domnic, part 2 of 2, Blog
Consume ABAP RFC Function Modules in CAP
SAP Community, Wouter Lemaire, BlogThe reasoningRunnable code
Communicate from a Java Application to ABAP via WebSocket RFC using JCo - Migration Guide
SAP Community, simon_luser, Blog
Microsoft Sentinel for SAP goes agentless
SAP Community, Martin Pankraz, Blog
Recommendations for Customers on using the Direct Push-Based Integration
SAP Community, sandra_thimme, Blog
WebSocket RFC to Cloud Using SAP Business Connector
SAP Community, Ulrich_Schmidt1, Blog
How to use SAP Data Intelligence with SAP Cloud Connector
SAP Community, Former Member, Blog
Introducing open-rfc: Calling SAP RFC from Node.js Without the SDK
blog.zeis.de — Marian Zeis, Marian Zeis, BlogThe reasoningRunnable code
Introducing open-rfc: Calling SAP RFC from Node.js Without the SDK
blog.zeis.de — Marian Zeis, Marian Zeis, BlogThe reasoningRunnable code
How to use SAP Data Intelligence with SAP Cloud Connector
SAP Community, Former Member, Blog

Seen working2

ArtifactSignals
Samples2
cap-rfcCalling ABAP function modules over RFC from a CAP service
No license
cap-rfcCAP Node.js action calling BAPI_EPM_BP_CREATE over RFC
No license

Details

Coverage
statecore and community, CAP
assessed
state in BTP/BAIPcore only, assessed
state in ABAPcore and community, assessed
relationshipnarrow by design
also inBTP/BAIP, ABAP
SourceCAP plugins — ABAP RFCchecked
For your agent
Ref
capability:rfc-connectivity
JSON
/capabilities/rfc-connectivity.json
MCP
Connecting an agent