Leveraging Delta Sharing for Seamless SAP and Databricks Collaboration

Introduction to Delta Sharing in Enterprise Data Collaboration 

The world today is hyper-focused on data. Organizations require secure and efficient cross-platform data sharing and collaboration. Organizations usually do not combine data from SAP and Databricks because of data silos, security risks, and performance issues such as lags. Databricks Delta Sharing solves these problems by enabling easy and secure data sharing across platforms. It adds value to AI-driven analytics and eliminates the need for complicated ETL steps. 

What is Delta Sharing? 

Delta sharing is an open protocol designed for real-time data sharing. It can be enabled or disabled at will, making it resource dependent and unlike traditional methods that function via replication of data or REST APIs Delta Sharing allows the user to share data in real-time without the need to move or copy it. Delta Sharing is platform agnostic enabling it to work with any data platform, cloud environment, and analytics tool. 

Importance of Secure Data Sharing in Enterprises 

Organizational data can be sensitive; therefore, their secure sharing is paramount. Other processes mentioned like data exports and manual transfers pose big security gaps that can lead to breaches and compliance infractions. Delta Sharing addresses these concerns by ensuring:

• Data security: Delta Sharing offers granular access control protecting sensitive data from unauthorized users. So, the risk for breaching delta sharing is minimal. 

• Regulatory compliance: Delta Sharing helps businesses comply with GDPR and HIPAA standards, avoiding penalties and fostering trust. 

• Operational efficiency: It removes repeat data and redundant transactions, streamlining processes and decreasing operational expenses. 

• Real-time data sharing: Delta Sharing allows users to make instant business decisions and take actions with up-to-date information at their fingertips

Why Use Delta Sharing for SAP and Databricks Integration? 

Delta Sharing makes data sharing simple, safe, and flexible for businesses. It works with SAP and Databricks and helps eradicate data silos, delays in data movement, and overly complicated AI-driven analytics. 

Eliminating Data Silos 

Enterprise data is predominately stored in SAP systems, but access is often gated by data silos, making integration very difficult. Using Delta Sharing, SAP data can be accessed directly and natively from Databricks, eliminating the need for cumbersome ETL jobs. This increases inter-business function and department collaboration. 

Key benefits: 

• Eliminates the need for data duplication and manual exports 

• Streamlines data access across teams and applications 

• Reduces integration costs and operational overhead 

Real-Time Data Exchange Across Platforms 

Traditional batch-based data transfer processes introduce latency, leading to outdated insights. Real-time sharing of data between Databricks and SAP by Delta Sharing enables businesses to always utilize the latest data for analytics, AI models, and reporting. 

Key benefits: 

• Provides instant access to SAP data for analytics and decision-making 

• Reduces the risk of outdated reports due to batch processing delays 

• Supports dynamic business use cases requiring real-time insights 

Enhancing AI and Analytics Capabilities 

As organizations become more comfortable with the SAP-Databricks integration, Delta Sharing enables them to leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities native to Databricks on SAP data without any hassle. Businesses can build predictive models, automate workflows, and derive AI insights without manual data extraction. 

Key benefits: 

• Enhances AI and ML model training with real-time SAP data 

• Automates data processing pipelines for advanced analytics 

• Enables predictive analytics for better business decisions  

How Delta Sharing Works with SAP and Databricks 

Architecture and Key Components 

Delta Sharing consists of: 

• Delta Sharing Server: This component manages access control and serves data to authorized recipients. 

• Data Provider (SAP systems): The source of the data that is shared through Delta Sharing, typically originating from SAP systems. 

• Data Recipient (Databricks): The platform that processes the common data for analytics and AI computation. 

• Access Policies: These are the security and governance policies that manage sharing of data with only authorized users, with control and compliance. 

Fig - Delta Sharing Architecture

Secure and Scalable Data Exchange 

Delta Sharing ensures secure data exchange through: 

• Fine-grained access control: For each user or user role, corresponding access permission can be set so that particular data is available only for a particular user or role. 

• No data duplication: There are no replicated copies of data; SAP stores the data and Databricks accesses it when there is a need, without the need for replication or unwanted movement of data.  

• Support for cross cloud and on premises: AWS, Azure, GCP and on premese are all Delta Sharing supported platforms, which makes sharing data across environments easy. 

Governance and Compliance Considerations 

Delta Sharing has been implemented having robust governance and compliance capabilities to enable organizations security and regulatory compliance. It allows the sharing of data in a controlled manner while maintaining the integrity, traceability, and privacy of the data. 

1. Compliance with GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2: Delta Sharing aids compliance by providing secure and flexible audit trails and access logs that helps organization meet industry standards and compliance. 

2. Data lineage tracking: This capability lets companies control who and what changes were made to their data without loss of control over the movement and alteration of the data. 

3. Encryption in rest and transit: Delta Sharing encrypts sensitive SAP data that is being transferred or stored, therefore ensuring security of the data in all stages of its life cycle. 

Key Benefits of Delta Sharing for SAP-Databricks Collaboration 

Delta Sharing transforms the way companies integrate SAP and Databricks by making data sharing real-time, secure, and scalable. It removes the inefficiencies of traditional data integration and enables improved analytics, AI, and governance. 

Seamless Cross-Platform Data Access 

Traditional integrations from Databricks to SAP rely on complex API-based connectors, manual data export, or batch ETL, which introduce latency and inefficiency. Delta Sharing avoids these limitations by providing easy, real-time access to SAP data in Databricks without data transport or duplication. 

Key advantages: 

• Eliminates dependency on custom API integrations 

• Enables instant access to SAP data from Databricks 

• Reduces time spent on manual data extraction and transformation 

AI-Driven Insights with Unified Data 

Companies relying on SAP data will most probably be overwhelmed with disparate data sets and laborious data preparation prior to taking advantage of AI and analytics. Companies can now natively bring SAP data into Databricks' AI and ML pipelines with Delta Sharing and enjoy faster and more precise predictive analytics. 

Key advantages: 

• Enables AI and ML model training on live SAP data 

• Supports automation of data pipelines for real-time analytics 

• Facilitates advanced analytics without the need for data replication

Improved Data Governance and Security 

Security, compliance, and data governance are all essential to firms dealing with sensitive SAP data. Delta Sharing facilitates centralized data governance control, where firms can enforce granular data access policies and have security and compliance. 

Key advantages: 

• Guarantees compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2, and other regulations 

• Provides detailed access logs for security audits 

• Decreases the risk of unauthorized access and exposure of data 

Implementing Delta Sharing for SAP and Databricks 

Steps to Set Up Delta Sharing 

• Enable Delta Sharing on Databricks: Install the Delta Sharing server to manage data access and securely share data across platforms.  

• Configure SAP Data Provider: In this step, you decide which SAP database tables or sets of data in SAP must be exported.  

• Enforce Access Policies: Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to provide different classes of users appropriate permissions to access common data.  

• Share Data Securely: Use Delta Sharing APIs to create secure Databricks and SAP connections for securely sharing data.  

• Monitor and Optimize Performance: Continuous monitoring and optimizing of data sharing activity for efficiency and security between systems. 

Optimizing Performance for Large-Scale Data Sharing 

• Partition large datasets: Split large data into smaller, manageable partitions for easier querying and faster access to specific data. 

• Make use of caching and indexing: Increase performance by incorporating caching and indexing techniques, providing quicker access to data and decreasing processing time.  

• Ensure network bandwidth optimization: Optimize network bandwidth to provide seamless data transfer, with low latency and fast data exchange between systems. 

Use Cases: How Enterprises Benefit from Delta Sharing 

AI and Machine Learning Workflows 

Delta Sharing enables AI teams to train ML models using SAP transactional and operational data in Databricks without duplicating datasets. 

Key benefits: 

• Enables AI-driven automation and predictive analytics 

• Improves ML model accuracy with real-time SAP data 

• Reduces the complexity of data ingestion and transformation 

Real-Time Data Analytics and Reporting 

Business users can access SAP data in real-time in Databricks to generate reports and dashboards that provide current insights.

Key benefits: 

• Enhances decision-making with up-to-date data 

• Reduces dependency on scheduled batch processing 

• Improves business performance with real-time dashboards 

Supply Chain and Financial Data Sharing 

Firms can transfer supply chain data from SAP to Databricks to facilitate automated logistics, demand forecasting, and financial planning. 

Key benefits: 

• Improves demand forecasting with real-time data insights 

• Enhances financial reporting accuracy and transparency 

• Optimizes supply chain operations with predictive analytic

  
  

Security, Compliance, and Governance Best Practices 

Managing Data Access Control 

• Implement RBAC policies to grant access only to authorized users and roles 

• Allow audit logs to track data accesses and modifications in real-time 

• Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance security on sensitive data 

Compliance with Industry Regulations 

• Adhere to GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 to meet regulatory requirements 

• Implement data residency laws for cross-border data flows 

• Conduct regular compliance audits to maintain security standards 

Ensuring Secure and Transparent Data Sharing 

• Use end-to-end encryption to protect data in transit and at rest 

• Implement automated monitoring for compliance to detect attempts at unauthorized access 

• Ensure data lineage tracking for transparency and accountability 

Future Trends in Data Sharing and Collaboration 

The Evolution of Open Data Ecosystems 

Business data platforms up to now relied on proprietary share models, with the consequence being lock-in and integration problems. Delta Sharing, based on an open protocol, enables improved cooperation through interoperability between platforms like SAP and Databricks without problems. 

Key impacts: 

• Reduces dependency on custom APIs and proprietary connectors 

• Encourages cross-cloud and cross-platform data accessibility 

• Enhances collaboration between different business units and external partners 

AI and Automation in Data Exchange 

With the increasing deployment of AI, data-sharing operations will become more automated and smarter. AI-driven data management solutions will maximize data access in real time, enforce governance policies, and detect security threats in real time. 

Key impacts: 

• AI-powered data cataloging and governance will improve compliance and security 

• Automated data-sharing policies will optimize access control without manual intervention 

• Predictive analytics will help enterprises anticipate data needs and improve decision-making 

Conclusion 

Delta Sharing reimagines SAP and Databricks collaboration by making data sharing real-time, scalable, and secure. Businesses can shatter data silos, optimize AI and analytics, and ensure compliance with robust governance controls. With data-driven decision-making becoming the new standard, adopting Delta Sharing will unlock the full potential of SAP data in Databricks. 

Advancing Delta Sharing for Seamless SAP-Databricks Integration

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