Quick answers to the questions we hear most
What DVW products do, how they connect to SAP, what a trial looks like, and how the security and authorization model works. If your question is not here, contact us.
Products and capabilities
What DVW does, which platforms we work with, and what you can do with our products.
What does DVW do?
DVW Analytics develops integration software that lets you read and write SAP data from any analytics or data platform. We have three product lines: native plug-in connectors for Alteryx, KNIME and Dataiku; the DVW Flow Tool, a standalone SAP data workflow platform; and DVW RPA Tools for SAP for SAP GUI and Fiori automation.
DVW Analytics was founded in 2003 and is trusted by over 500 enterprises worldwide, across every industry, region and business function.
Which platforms do you connect SAP to?
Through our native connectors and the DVW Flow Tool, DVW puts SAP data into:
- Analytics platforms: Alteryx, KNIME, Dataiku.
- BI and visualization: Power BI, Tableau, Qlik, SAS, SPSS, Excel.
- Cloud data platforms: Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, Azure Synapse.
- Files and other targets: CSV, Parquet, Avro, JSON, SFTP, on-premise databases.
If your platform is not on this list, ask us. The Flow Tool ships with over twenty output destinations and we add new ones in response to customer demand.
Can DVW write data back to SAP, or only read from it?
Both. DVW reads and writes SAP data. Write-back is a first-class capability, available today across our Alteryx and KNIME connectors and the DVW Flow Tool. It is one of the things customers evaluate us on most often.
Which SAP systems do you support?
The full SAP estate that the majority of enterprises run today, including:
- SAP S/4HANA on-premise
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud (private and public editions)
- SAP ECC (R/3)
- SAP BW and SAP BW/4HANA
- SAP CRM, SRM, HR/HCM, APO, SCM
- SAP SuccessFactors (Employee Central, Compensation, Onboarding, Performance and Goals, Recruiting, Succession and Development)
- SAP Integrated Business Planning
- SAP Analytics Cloud
- SAP Business Objects (Webi and Universe)
SAP RISE and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition are fully supported.
What SAP data and objects can DVW access?
A wide range across your SAP estate, including:
- Tables and views
- Reports and Transaction Codes
- BW queries, views and InfoProviders
- Business documents (attachments, e.g. PDF)
- SAP GUI and Fiori transactions (through DVW RPA Tools)
- Objects in SAP SuccessFactors, Integrated Business Planning and S/4HANA Cloud
Access to every object runs through your SAP authorizations, so a DVW user only reaches what their SAP role already permits.
Do you support SAP GUI automation?
Yes. DVW RPA Tools for SAP automate SAP GUI and SAP Fiori workflows for the cases where direct API integration is not available. You record the steps once, then replay them as part of an Alteryx workflow, a KNIME workflow, or a DVW Flow Tool flow. Useful for transactions like PA30, MIGO and MIRO and any GUI-only workflow where you need to drive SAP from outside.
Technical and integration
How DVW connects to SAP, what gets installed where, how authorizations and delta extraction work, and how we handle large volumes.
How does DVW connect to SAP?
DVW connects to SAP through the SAP application layer, authenticated as the calling SAP user. It does not connect to the SAP database directly. Every read and write runs through SAP's own authorization checks, so a DVW user only ever sees and changes what their SAP role already permits.
Full architecture detail is on our Help Center at Architecture, SAP Safety Belts, Custom APIs and Authorisations.
Do I need to install anything on my SAP servers?
For most DVW products, no. The DVW connectors and the DVW Flow Tool install on your client or server alongside Alteryx, KNIME, Dataiku or the Flow Tool runtime, and connect to SAP across the network.
Where a scenario calls for SAP-side function modules, you import them into your SAP system in DVW's reserved SAP namespace, under your normal change-management process. Anything DVW runs inside your SAP system stays under your review and control.
Does DVW respect my SAP authorizations?
Yes. Every DVW interaction with SAP is authenticated as the calling SAP user and runs through the SAP authorization engine. Which tables, functions, queries or transactions a DVW user can read or write is controlled by your existing SAP role design and your existing SAP GRC processes. DVW does not bypass, elevate or substitute SAP authorizations.
Optional row-level data authorization is available where you need it.
Can DVW affect the performance of my SAP system?
No more than any other SAP client. Except for SAP GUI automation, DVW reads and writes through the SAP application layer, so every request runs inside the governance and controls your Basis team already configures, including SAP's built-in safety limits for memory, session length and query size. DVW cannot bypass or override them.
DVW RPA Tools drive the SAP GUI the way a signed-in user would, again within that user's authorizations and SAP's normal transaction handling.
Because every interaction stays inside the controls and safety limits SAP already enforces, DVW cannot destabilize or harm your SAP system.
How does DVW handle delta extraction (change data capture)?
DVW captures deltas at the SAP application layer, either on a schedule or driven by SAP events, and every path respects SAP authorizations.
Scheduled delta reads only what has changed since the last run. Event-driven capture is near-real-time: SAP pushes the change the moment a business event fires, so the matching workflow runs within seconds instead of waiting for the next scheduled run.
Event-driven capture is available on SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA on-premise and Private Edition / RISE.
Can DVW handle large data volumes?
Yes. DVW streams large extractions efficiently, holding a single database session for the duration of a query and delivering records to the connector as they become available. In our published benchmark on a three million record test table, DVW completes the extraction in 60 to 80 seconds. Detail and the full benchmark are in the Architecture article.
SAP application server safety limits apply to DVW exactly as they apply to any other SAP client, and we surface clear messages if one is reached.
Does DVW work with SAP HANA?
Yes. DVW connects to SAP applications running on HANA the same way it connects to SAP applications running on any other supported database. We work through the SAP application layer, so the underlying database is transparent to DVW and to your users.
Trial and buying
How to try DVW, what a trial looks like, how we are priced, and how to buy.
How can I try DVW?
Every DVW product is available on a 30-day free trial. You install in your own environment, connect to your own SAP system, and run real workflows against real data. We support you through the trial and you only buy when you are satisfied.
Start at dvwanalytics.com/free-trial and pick the product you want to try.
What do I need to start a trial?
Three things:
- A business email address.
- Acceptance of the DVW Software License Agreement. The same agreement covers paid and trial use, so there is no separate evaluation contract to sign.
- A working installation of the platform you want to try (Alteryx, KNIME, Dataiku, or a Windows server for the Flow Tool). DVW installs alongside.
Do I need a separate evaluation agreement?
No. The DVW Software License Agreement at dvwanalytics.com/license.html covers both paid and trial use of all DVW products, so there is no separate evaluation contract to sign.
If your organization has a standard evaluation template you would like to use instead, ask your DVW account contact and we will work it through.
How is DVW priced?
DVW is licensed on a fixed annual subscription model:
- Desktop licenses for individual users on Alteryx Designer, KNIME Analytics Platform or Dataiku.
- Workbench licenses for individual users on the DVW Flow Tool.
- Server licenses for unattended scheduled execution on Alteryx Server, KNIME Hub, or the DVW Flow Tool Server.
- Add-ons for SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Integrated Business Planning, SAP RPA, and premium destination connectors (for example Snowflake and Databricks).
Pricing is per named user for desktop licenses and per server for server licenses. We are not consumption-priced and we do not meter row counts or API calls. For current prices, request a quote or contact your DVW account contact.
Can I buy DVW through a reseller?
Yes. DVW is available through a global reseller network across multiple regions and industries, and resellers handle a substantial share of our orders. If you have a preferred supplier, ask them to contact us and we will set up the procurement path.
Security and authorizations
Where your data sits, how authentication and single sign-on work, and how data is protected in transit.
Where is my data stored when I use DVW?
Inside your own environment. The DVW connector is an on-premise add-in installed inside your Alteryx, KNIME, Dataiku or DVW Flow Tool environment. All customer data remains within your network. The connector does not store any customer data, and at no time does DVW have access to or sight of your data when the software is in use. Data read from SAP is held in memory only for the duration of the workflow and released when the session ends.
Does DVW support single sign-on (SSO)?
Yes. DVW supports single sign-on to SAP, including SAP Secure Network Communications (SNC) based single sign-on and SAP logon ticket (MYSAPSSO2) based single sign-on, in addition to traditional SAP username and password authentication.
The available methods are set out on our Help Center at SAP Single Sign-On (SSO).
How is data encrypted in transit?
For SAP traffic, encryption is provided by SAP Secure Network Communications (SNC) when SNC is enabled in your SAP environment. We recommend enabling SNC.
For HTTPS traffic to SAP Cloud platforms, SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Business Objects and the Alteryx Server gallery, traffic is secured with TLS 1.2 or higher.
Support and the company
How to reach support, who is behind the product, and who else uses DVW.
How do I contact DVW Support?
Support is included in your license fee. Reach us two ways:
- Our customer support portal at dvwanalyticshelp.zendesk.com.
- Email to your existing DVW account contact.
Support hours are UK business hours, Monday to Friday, and responses are typically provided the same business day.
Where is DVW based?
DVW Analytics is the trading name of De Villiers Walton Limited, a private company registered in England and Wales (company number 04638006) and founded in 2003. Our registered office is at Ground Floor Marlborough House, 298 Regents Park Road, London, N3 2SZ, United Kingdom.
Who else uses DVW?
Over 500 enterprises worldwide, across every industry, region and business function. Named customers include Johnson and Johnson, Mondelez, Hershey, Novartis, AGC and BAE Systems.
Did not find your answer?
Talk to us directly. A short call is the fastest way to get a precise answer for your SAP estate, your platform stack and your team.