Documentation Plugins SAP HANA data source Troubleshooting

Troubleshoot SAP HANA data source issues

This document provides guidance for troubleshooting common issues when configuring and using the SAP HANA data source in Grafana.

Before you begin

Before investigating specific errors, verify that the data source health check passes:

1. Go to Connections > Data sources and select your SAP HANA data source.
2. Click Save & test.
3. Confirm you see a success message.

If the health check fails, start with the Configuration errors or Connection errors sections.

Configuration errors

Configuration errors occur when required fields are missing or contain invalid values during data source setup.

Missing required fields

Port configuration issues

If you’re having trouble connecting, verify you’re using the correct port:

• SAP HANA Cloud: Typically uses port 443.
• On-premises/tenant databases: Use the port determined by querying M_SERVICES.

To find the correct port, run one of these queries:

From the tenant database:

SQL Copy

SELECT SERVICE_NAME, PORT, SQL_PORT, (PORT + 2) HTTP_PORT
FROM SYS.M_SERVICES
WHERE ((SERVICE_NAME='indexserver' and COORDINATOR_TYPE='MASTER') or (SERVICE_NAME='xsengine'))

From the system database:

SQL Copy

SELECT DATABASE_NAME, SERVICE_NAME, PORT, SQL_PORT, (PORT + 2) HTTP_PORT
FROM SYS_DATABASES.M_SERVICES
WHERE DATABASE_NAME='<DBNAME>'
  AND ((SERVICE_NAME='indexserver' and COORDINATOR_TYPE='MASTER') or (SERVICE_NAME='xsengine'))

For detailed guidance, refer to the SAP HANA documentation.

Connection errors

Connection errors occur when Grafana cannot successfully communicate with the SAP HANA database.

Authentication failed

Symptoms:

• Save & test fails with authentication errors
• Error message indicates invalid credentials

Possible causes and solutions:

Connection refused or timeout

Symptoms:

• Data source test times out
• Error message indicates connection refused
• Intermittent connection issues

Solutions:

1. Verify network connectivity from the Grafana server to the SAP HANA server.
2. Check firewall rules allow outbound connections to the SAP HANA port.
3. Verify the server address is correct and doesn’t include http/https prefixes.
4. For private networks, ensure VPN or private connectivity is configured.
5. For Grafana Cloud, configure Private data source connect if accessing private resources.

TLS verification failures

If you’re connecting to a SAP HANA instance with a self-signed certificate or a certificate signed by an internal CA:

1. Enable Skip TLS Verify to bypass certificate validation (not recommended for production).
2. Or, enable With CA Cert and provide your CA certificate in PEM format.

Query errors

Query errors occur when there are issues with the structure, syntax, or parameters of your SQL queries.

“No data” or empty results

Symptoms:

• Query executes without error but returns no data
• Charts show “No data” message

Possible causes and solutions:

Query timeout

Symptoms:

• Query runs for a long time then fails
• Error mentions timeout or query limits

Solutions:

1. Narrow the time range to reduce data volume.
2. Add WHERE clauses to filter the result set.
3. Optimize the query with proper indexes.
4. Use $__timeGroup to aggregate data into larger intervals.
5. Break complex queries into smaller parts.

SQL syntax errors

Symptoms:

• Query fails with syntax error
• SAP HANA returns parser errors

Solutions:

1. Verify table and column names are correctly quoted (SAP HANA is case-sensitive for quoted identifiers).
2. Check that macros are being used correctly.
3. Test the query directly in SAP HANA Studio or another SQL client.
4. Ensure column names in SELECT match the case used in the database.

Macro expansion errors

Symptoms:

• Macros are not being replaced with values
• Unexpected SQL in the executed query

Solutions:

1. Verify macro syntax is correct (e.g., $__timeFilter(column) not $_timeFilter(column)).
2. Check the Query Inspector to see how macros are being expanded.
3. Ensure time columns are of the correct data type for the macro being used.

Template variable errors

These errors occur when using template variables with the data source.

Variables return no values

Solutions:

1. Verify the data source connection is working (test it in the data source settings).
2. Check that the variable query returns data.
3. Verify the user has permissions to query the tables referenced in the variable query.
4. Ensure the query returns the expected columns. For key/value pairs, use columns named __text and __value, or return exactly 2 columns.

Variables are slow to load

Solutions:

1. Set variable refresh to On dashboard load instead of On time range change.
2. Add LIMIT clauses to variable queries.
3. Optimize variable queries with indexes.
4. Consider using static Custom variables instead of query variables.

Performance issues

These issues relate to slow queries or database load.

Slow query execution

Symptoms:

• Queries take a long time to return
• Dashboard panels load slowly

Solutions:

1. Reduce the time range to limit the amount of data returned.
2. Use $__timeGroup to aggregate data into larger intervals.
3. Add indexes to frequently queried columns.
4. Use LIMIT clauses to cap the number of returned rows.
5. Avoid SELECT * and only request needed columns.

High database load from Grafana

Solutions:

1. Increase the dashboard auto-refresh interval.
2. Use query caching in Grafana Enterprise.
3. Optimize queries to reduce database work.
4. Limit the number of panels per dashboard.

Enable debug logging

To capture detailed error information for troubleshooting:

1. Update your Grafana configuration file (grafana.ini):

   ini Copy

   [log]
   level = debug

2. Restart Grafana and reproduce the issue.

3. Review logs in /var/log/grafana/grafana.log (or your configured log location).

4. Look for SAP HANA-specific entries that include request and response details.

5. Reset the log level to info after troubleshooting to avoid excessive log volume.

View executed queries

When a query fails, check the Query Inspector in Grafana:

1. Open your dashboard panel.
2. Click the panel title and select Inspect > Query.
3. Review the executed query to verify macros expanded correctly.

Get additional help

If you continue to experience issues after following this troubleshooting guide:

1. Check the Grafana community forums for similar issues.
2. Review the SAP HANA documentation for database-specific guidance.
3. Contact Grafana Support if you’re an Enterprise, Cloud Pro, or Cloud Contracted user.
4. When reporting issues, include:
   • Grafana version
   • SAP HANA version
   • Error messages (redact sensitive information)
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Relevant configuration (redact credentials)