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mcp-abap-adt: Your Gateway to ABAP Development Tools (ADT)

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mcp-abap-adt is an MCP server for ABAP ADT in SAP ECC/S/4HANA (on-premise) and SAP BTP ABAP Cloud systems. It gives agents controlled access to real ABAP repositories through ADT, so analysis and changes are grounded in system data instead of assumptions. It is built for AI-assisted pair programming (AIPNV: AI Pairing, Not Vibing), not autopilot vibe coding.

Primary workflows:

  • Deep ABAP analysis: where-used, object metadata, repository navigation, object structure, semantic analysis, dependency and impact exploration.

  • High-level ABAP development: rapid CRUD and iterative updates for RAP and classic ABAP artifacts (classes, interfaces, function groups/modules, programs, DDIC, CDS/view/service artifacts), validated through ADT flows.

Why teams use it:

  • Full CRUD (not read-only): create, read, update, and delete ABAP artifacts

  • Works with On-Premise (ECC/S/4HANA) and ABAP Cloud (BTP) systems

  • Legacy systems (BASIS < 7.50) are not supported at present: that support is parked on the parked/legacy-support branch until it can be tried against a live legacy system

  • Four authentications: basic (HTTP or RFC), SNC (passwordless, RFC), JWT with browser login (service key, ABAP or XSUAA) and JWT you already hold

  • Multiple transports: stdio, HTTP, SSE

  • Several installation variants: the full server (@mcp-abap-adt/core) or the compact one (@mcp-abap-adt/compact), each connecting to the system over HTTP, RFC or SNC — see Installation variants

  • Rich tool surface for ABAP objects, metadata, transports, and search

Authorization & Destinations (Important): A destination is the filename of a service key stored locally. You place service keys in the service-keys directory, and use --mcp=<destination> to select which one to use. This is the primary auth model for on‑prem and BTP systems. See Authentication & Destinations.

You can configure MCP clients either manually (JSON/TOML) or via the configurator CLI (@mcp-abap-adt/configurator, repo: mcp-abap-adt-conf).

SAP BTP Cloud Foundry Deployment

This repository can be deployed to SAP BTP Cloud Foundry as a remote MCP server (streamable HTTP). It reaches an on-premise S/4HANA system through BTP destinations, the Connectivity service and the SAP Cloud Connector. MCP clients connect over HTTPS with an XSUAA token, and nothing in the corporate network is exposed to the internet.

MCP client ──HTTPS + XSUAA bearer token──▶ CF app "abap-mcp-server" (btp/)
                                              │
                                              ├─▶ Destination service ── reads "S4H_ADT" (URL, user, sap-client)
                                              └─▶ Connectivity proxy ──▶ Cloud Connector ──▶ S/4HANA ICM (/sap/bc/adt)

What was changed to make it BTP-ready

Change

File(s)

Purpose

MTA descriptor

mta.yaml

Defines the Node.js app abap-mcp-server and three service instances: abap-mcp-xsuaa (xsuaa/application), abap-mcp-destination (destination/lite), abap-mcp-connectivity (connectivity/lite). Health check on /mcp/health.

Security descriptor

xs-security.json

Scope $XSAPPNAME.MCPUser, role template MCPUser, role collection ABAP_MCP_User, authorities for client-credentials clients, and OAuth redirect URIs for MCP clients.

CF entry point

btp/src/index.ts

Express app. It listens on $PORT, mounts the MCP endpoint at /mcp, and builds the tool list from MCP_EXPOSITION.

XSUAA guard

btp/src/xsuaaGuard.ts

Every call to /mcp needs a valid XSUAA token with the MCPUser scope. Without one it answers 401 with WWW-Authenticate: Bearer resource_metadata=… (MCP OAuth discovery). It also serves /.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp and strips the x-sap-url / x-sap-login / x-sap-password headers, so callers can only use destinations.

BTP destinations

btp/src/BtpDestinations.ts, btp/src/destinationService.ts

Reads destinations from the BTP Destination service (cached for 5 min) and maps them to the server's connection settings (URL, sap-client). Supports an optional allowlist (MCP_ALLOWED_DESTINATIONS).

Destination credential

btp/src/BtpDestinationAuthProvider.ts

Adds the right headers to each ADT request. BasicAuthentication: Authorization: Basic. PrincipalPropagation: the user token exchanged at the Connectivity service. OAuth2 / SAML: the token the Destination service issues. On-premise: Proxy-Authorization and SAP-Connectivity-SCC-Location_ID.

OAuth helpers

btp/src/oauth.ts, btp/src/vcap.ts, btp/src/requestUser.ts

Fetch and cache client-credentials and JWT-bearer tokens, read VCAP_SERVICES / VCAP_APPLICATION, and keep the calling user per request.

Proxy hook in the library

src/lib/connectionFactory.ts, src/lib/utils.ts

New setHttpProxyResolver(). It routes HTTP connections of on-premise destinations through the connectivity proxy, and does nothing unless set. The HTTP wire log now also redacts Proxy-Authorization.

Build scripts

btp/scripts/build.mjs, btp/scripts/mtar.mjs, package.json

build.mjs compiles the lib and core server from this checkout and packs them into btp/vendor/, then compiles btp/src. mtar.mjs builds the .mtar without GNU make. New npm scripts: btp:mtar, btp:deploy.

Docs

docs/deployment/BTP_CLOUD_FOUNDRY.md

Full deployment guide.

Current deployment

Item

Value

Region / API

ca10 — https://api.cf.ca10.hana.ondemand.com

Org / Space

olymel-devops / MCP

App

abap-mcp-server

MCP endpoint

https://olymel-devops-mcp-abap-mcp-server.cfapps.ca10.hana.ondemand.com/mcp

Health check

https://olymel-devops-mcp-abap-mcp-server.cfapps.ca10.hana.ondemand.com/mcp/health (no token needed)

Default destination

S4H_ADT

Service key for technical clients

mcp-client on abap-mcp-xsuaa

Step 1: Cloud Connector (on-premise side)

In the SAP Cloud Connector connected to the subaccount, open Cloud To On-Premise → Access Control → Add:

Field

Value

Back-end type

ABAP System

Protocol

HTTPS (or HTTP)

Internal host / port

S/4HANA ICM host and HTTPS port (e.g. s4hhost.corp.local:44300)

Virtual host / port

e.g. s4h-adt / 44300 (this is what the destination URL uses)

Principal type

None for Basic authentication, X.509 Certificate for principal propagation

Add these resources to the mapping, each with Path and all sub-paths:

  • /sap/bc/adt/

  • /sap/public/bc/icf/logoff

Check that the connector shows Connected in the BTP cockpit (Connectivity → Cloud Connectors). If it uses a Location ID, note it for the destination.

Step 2: Create the S4H_ADT destination

In the BTP cockpit, open Subaccount → Connectivity → Destinations → New Destination (or create it at space level):

Field

Value

Name

S4H_ADT

Type

HTTP

Description

S/4HANA ADT for the MCP server

URL

http://s4h-adt:44300 (the virtual host from the Cloud Connector; always http://, the Cloud Connector does TLS to the backend)

Proxy Type

OnPremise

Authentication

BasicAuthentication

User / Password

SAP user with ADT authorizations (S_ADT_RES, S_DEVELOP, …)

Location ID

only if the Cloud Connector uses one

Additional properties (New Property):

Property

Value

Meaning

sap-client

e.g. 100

SAP client to log on to

mcp-system-type

onprem (optional)

onprem (default) or cloud

Principal propagation (optional): set Authentication to PrincipalPropagation and the Cloud Connector principal type to X.509 Certificate. Then set up trust between the Cloud Connector and S/4HANA (system certificate, CERTRULE). Each MCP user is then logged on to SAP as themselves. This requires users to log in with the authorization-code flow; client-credentials tokens have no user.

More systems: create more destinations (for example S4H_ADT_QA). A client selects one with the HTTP header x-mcp-destination: <name>. To restrict which names can be used, set MCP_ALLOWED_DESTINATIONS.

The destination is read at runtime, so creating or changing it needs no redeploy.

Step 3: Build and deploy

Prerequisites: Node 22+, the cf CLI with the multiapps plugin, and mbt (npm i -g mbt).

cf login -a https://api.cf.ca10.hana.ondemand.com     # org olymel-devops, space MCP
npm ci                                                # once, at the repo root
npm run btp:mtar      # → mta_archives/abap-mcp-server.mtar (works without GNU make)
npm run btp:deploy    # cf deploy mta_archives/abap-mcp-server.mtar

Step 4: Authorize users and clients

  • Users: assign the role collection ABAP_MCP_User in Security → Users (or map it to an IdP group).

  • Technical clients: get a token with client credentials:

cf service-key abap-mcp-xsuaa mcp-client            # clientid, clientsecret, url
curl -s -u "<clientid>:<clientsecret>" "<url>/oauth/token" -d grant_type=client_credentials

The token is valid for 1 hour (token-validity in xs-security.json).

Step 5: Connect an MCP client

Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http abap \
  https://olymel-devops-mcp-abap-mcp-server.cfapps.ca10.hana.ondemand.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>" \
  --header "x-mcp-destination: S4H_ADT"

Generic mcp.json (Cline, Cursor, VS Code):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "abap": {
      "type": "streamableHttp",
      "url": "https://olymel-devops-mcp-abap-mcp-server.cfapps.ca10.hana.ondemand.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <token>",
        "x-mcp-destination": "S4H_ADT"
      }
    }
  }
}

x-mcp-destination can be omitted: SAP_DESTINATION (S4H_ADT) is then used.

Runtime settings (mta.yaml → properties)

Variable

Value

Meaning

SAP_DESTINATION

S4H_ADT

Default destination

MCP_ALLOW_DESTINATION_HEADER

true

Allow x-mcp-destination to choose another destination

MCP_ALLOWED_DESTINATIONS

(empty = any)

Comma-separated allowlist

MCP_EXPOSITION

readonly,high

Tool groups: readonly, high, low, debug

SAP_SYSTEM_TYPE

onprem

Default system type

MCP_PATH / MCP_SCOPE

/mcp / MCPUser

Endpoint path and required scope

DEBUG_HTTP_WIRE

(unset)

true logs every ADT request (credentials redacted)

Change a value with cf set-env abap-mcp-server <VAR> <value>, then cf restage abap-mcp-server; or edit mta.yaml and redeploy.

Troubleshooting

Logs: cf logs abap-mcp-server --recent

Log / symptom

Cause

BTP destination "S4H_ADT" was not found

The destination isn't created yet, or its name differs

Proxy 502/503, connection refused

Cloud Connector not connected, wrong virtual host or port, Location ID mismatch, or /sap/bc/adt/ not exposed

403 from SAP

The SAP user lacks ADT authorizations

401 from the app

Token missing or expired, or no MCPUser scope (assign ABAP_MCP_User or check the service key)

Security notes: with BasicAuthentication, every MCP user acts as the destination's SAP user. Grant that user only what the exposed tools need, or use principal propagation, and enable the low / debug tool groups deliberately. Full guide: docs/deployment/BTP_CLOUD_FOUNDRY.md.

Related MCP server: sap-mcp

Table of Contents

  1. SAP BTP Cloud Foundry Deployment

  2. Getting Started

  3. Architecture

  4. Quick Start

  5. Use Cases

  6. Target Users

  7. Capabilities (High-Level Focus)

  8. Terminology

  9. Authorization & Destinations

  10. Registries

  11. Features

  12. Documentation

  13. Dependencies

  14. Running the Server

Getting Started

Pick a variant first — full or compact server, and HTTP, RFC or SNC to the system. HTTP needs nothing but Node.js 22 or 24; RFC and SNC need the SAP NW RFC SDK and a C++ toolchain on the machine before npm install, because the RFC module is compiled during the install and silently left out when it cannot be. Installation variants has the table and the commands; RFC Setup the steps. To run without Node.js on a machine, build your own portable executable — Node.js and your SAP NW RFC SDK inside.

Install the server and configure your client using the configurator:

npm install -g @mcp-abap-adt/core
npm install -g @mcp-abap-adt/configurator

# stdio (destination)
mcp-conf --client cline --name abap --mcp TRIAL

# HTTP (streamable HTTP)
mcp-conf --client copilot --name abap --transport http --url http://localhost:3000/mcp/stream/http --mcp trial

Full configurator usage (separate repo): CLIENT_INSTALLERS.md.

Terminology

Destination: a local service key filename. You store service keys in the standard service-keys directory, and pass the filename (without extension) via --mcp=<destination> to select which system to use.

See docs/user-guide/TERMINOLOGY.md for the full list.

Authorization & Destinations

Destination-based auth is the default. Drop service keys into the standard platform folder and use the filename as your destination:

mcp-abap-adt --transport=stdio --mcp=TRIAL

Standard service key paths:

  • Unix (Linux/macOS): ~/.config/mcp-abap-adt/service-keys/<destination>.json

  • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\mcp-abap-adt\\service-keys\\<destination>.json

The server supports exactly four authentications; each is a destination stated in a service key, a .env, or both:

Authentication

.env keys

Basic (HTTP or RFC)

SAP_AUTH_TYPE=basic, SAP_USERNAME, SAP_PASSWORD

SNC (RFC only, passwordless)

SAP_AUTH_TYPE=snc, SAP_SNC_PARTNERNAME, optional SAP_SNC_QOP, SAP_SNC_LIB, SAP_SNC_MYNAME — no user, no password

JWT, browser login

SAP_AUTH_TYPE=jwt, SAP_GRANT_TYPE=authorization_code, a service key (ABAP or XSUAA) or SAP_UAA_*

JWT you hold

SAP_AUTH_TYPE=jwt, SAP_GRANT_TYPE=none, SAP_JWT_TOKEN (or the x-sap-jwt-token header)

A jwt .env must state SAP_GRANT_TYPE. The mcp-auth command that writes such a .env comes from @mcp-abap-adt/auth-broker-cli. The browser login listens on port 61001 unless --browser-auth-port says otherwise.

A created object always carries its responsible person: the first stated of the tool's own argument, the x-sap-responsible header, SAP_RESPONSIBLE in the destination's own .env, then in the process environment — else the login: on-premise the destination's SAP_USERNAME, the x-sap-login of an x-sap-url connection, the process SAP_USERNAME; on a cloud system only the system's user. A create that finds none (SNC, a token you hold) is refused naming SAP_RESPONSIBLE; nothing is sent — a message class included, from 17.0.0. The master system comes from x-sap-master-system or SAP_MASTER_SYSTEM (destination .env, then process) — no tool takes it as an argument — else from a cloud system itself; otherwise it is left out and the system applies itself — never refused. Reads are unaffected. The process environment is read once: a change made to it while the server runs is not picked up. See Authentication & Destinations. Coming from 17.x? See the 18.0 migration note — the debugger's embedder surface moved to adt-clients 29, and a debugger start needs at least one breakpoint. From 16.x, the 17.0 note first.

For full details (paths, .env, direct headers), see Authentication & Destinations.

Architecture

The project ships as two packages — and a compact variant of each — because the two usage patterns want different licences. Embedding the tools in a network service should not drag in the obligations of a server that service never runs.

Package

Licence

What it is

@mcp-abap-adt/lib

Apache-2.0

The ADT tool handlers and the embeddable MCP server. No transport: the host supplies one.

@mcp-abap-adt/core

AGPL-3.0-only

The standalone server — stdio, SSE and streamable HTTP, the launcher and the mcp-abap-adt CLI. Depends on the library.

@mcp-abap-adt/compact

AGPL-3.0-only

The compact standalone server, mcp-abap-adt-compact: one tool per operation, the object type in the arguments. Same launcher and configuration as core.

@mcp-abap-adt/compact-readonly, compact-modify

Apache-2.0

The compact tools as libraries, split into the half that changes nothing and the half that writes.

Install @mcp-abap-adt/core (or @mcp-abap-adt/compact) to run a server. Install @mcp-abap-adt/lib to embed the tools in your own application.

1. Standalone MCP Server (Default)

Run as a standalone MCP server with stdio, HTTP, or SSE transport:

mcp-abap-adt                           # stdio (default)
mcp-abap-adt --transport=http          # HTTP mode
mcp-abap-adt --transport=sse           # SSE mode

2. Embeddable Server (For Integration)

Embed MCP server into existing applications (e.g., SAP CAP/CDS, Express). This needs @mcp-abap-adt/lib only — not the AGPL server:

npm install @mcp-abap-adt/lib
import {
  EmbeddableMcpServer,
  NoDedupStrategy, // optional: expose both Read<X> and Get<X>
} from '@mcp-abap-adt/lib/embeddable';

const server = new EmbeddableMcpServer({
  connection,              // Your AbapConnection instance
  logger,                  // Optional logger
  exposition: ['readonly', 'high'],  // Handler groups to expose
  // Default hides Read<X> when Get<X> is exposed (ReadVsGetDedupStrategy).
  // Pass NoDedupStrategy to expose both variants instead.
  // readOnlyDedupStrategy: new NoDedupStrategy(),
});
await server.connect(transport);

See Handlers Management → EmbeddableMcpServer dedup strategies for how readonly tools are deduped against high/low, how to opt out with NoDedupStrategy, and how to plug a custom IReadOnlyDedupStrategy for role-based rules.

Quick Start

  1. Install server: pick the installation variant — full or compact, HTTP, RFC or SNC — and follow the Installation Guide

  2. Configure client (auto): Use mcp-conf from @mcp-abap-adt/configurator (repo: mcp-abap-adt-conf, docs: CLIENT_INSTALLERS.md)

  3. Configure client (manual): See Client Configuration

  4. Use:

Use Cases

  • Impact analysis / where-used before changes: map object usage and probable blast radius.

  • Dependency audit: inspect links across classes, interfaces, DDIC, CDS/views, and RAP artifacts.

  • Migration and cleanup prep: extract repository facts to plan refactoring or cloud-readiness work.

  • RAP and ABAP iterative development: create/update artifacts quickly with ADT-backed operations.

  • Automated documentation and RAG ingestion: pull structured facts from ABAP systems for downstream tooling.

Target Users

  • ABAP developers and ABAP architects

  • RAP developers

  • Team leads and tech leads who need fast repository visibility

  • Teams building RAG/agent workflows for SAP landscapes

Capabilities (High-Level Focus)

Key examples of high-value workflows and tools:

  • Repository and impact analysis: GetWhereUsed, DescribeByList, GetObjectStructure, GetObjectInfo, SearchObject, GetPackageTree, GetPackageContents

  • Code and semantic introspection: GetAbapAST, GetAbapSemanticAnalysis, GetIncludesList

  • RAP development: CreateBehaviorDefinition, UpdateBehaviorDefinition, CreateBehaviorImplementation, UpdateBehaviorImplementation, CreateServiceDefinition, UpdateServiceDefinition, CreateMetadataExtension, UpdateMetadataExtension

  • CDS/View development: CreateView, UpdateView, GetView, DeleteView

  • ABAP OO CRUD: CreateClass, UpdateClass, GetClass, DeleteClass, CreateInterface, UpdateInterface, GetInterface, DeleteInterface

  • Function module/group CRUD: CreateFunctionGroup, UpdateFunctionGroup, GetFunctionGroup, DeleteFunctionGroup, CreateFunctionModule, UpdateFunctionModule, GetFunctionModule, DeleteFunctionModule

  • Transport and activation support: CreateTransport, GetTransport, ActivateObject

  • Quality and testing: RunATC, GetATCRunStatus, GetATCFindings (ABAP Test Cockpit — one run over several objects, findings read back by worklist), ABAP Unit per test carrier — CreateUnitTest/UpdateUnitTest/DeleteUnitTest/RunUnitTest for a class, CreateCdsUnitTest/RunCdsUnitTest for a CDS view, CreateProgramUnitTest/RunProgramUnitTest for a report, CreateFunctionGroupUnitTest/RunFunctionGroupUnitTest/RunFunctionModuleUnitTest for a function group (a run waits for its result; GetUnitTestResult for one that outlasts the wait) — CheckClass and the rest of the Check* family

Registries

Published in the official MCP Registry and listed on Glama.ai.

Features

  • 🏗️ Domain Management: GetDomain, CreateDomain, UpdateDomain - Create, retrieve, and update ABAP domains

  • 📊 Data Element Management: GetDataElement, CreateDataElement, UpdateDataElement - Create, retrieve, and update ABAP data elements

  • 📦 Table Management: GetTable, CreateTable, GetTableContents - Create and retrieve ABAP database tables with data preview

  • 🏛️ Structure Management: GetStructure, CreateStructure - Create and retrieve ABAP structures

  • 👁️ View Management: GetView, CreateView, UpdateView - Create and manage CDS Views and Classic Views

  • 🎓 Class Management: GetClass, CreateClass, UpdateClass - Create, retrieve, and update ABAP classes

  • 📝 Program Management: GetProgram, CreateProgram, UpdateProgram - Create, retrieve, and update ABAP programs

  • 🔧 Behavior Definition (BDEF) Management: GetBehaviorDefinition, CreateBehaviorDefinition, UpdateBehaviorDefinition - Create and manage ABAP Behavior Definitions with support for Managed, Unmanaged, Abstract, and Projection types

  • 📋 Metadata Extension (DDLX) Management: CreateMetadataExtension, UpdateMetadataExtension - Create and manage ABAP Metadata Extensions

  • ⚡ Activation: ActivateObject - Universal activation for any ABAP object

  • 🚚 Transport Management: CreateTransport, GetTransport - Create and retrieve transport requests

  • 🔍 Enhancement Analysis: GetEnhancements, GetEnhancementImpl, GetEnhancementSpot - Enhancement discovery and analysis

  • 📋 Include Management: GetIncludesList - Recursive include discovery

  • 🔍 System Tools: GetInactiveObjects - Monitor inactive objects waiting for activation

  • 🌐 Service Binding Preview: GetServiceBindingPreviewUrl - The browser URL that opens a published service binding's Fiori preview, beside its OData service and $metadata URLs. Composed from the binding, its service definition and the exposed root view — no document carries it. OData V2 and V4; a Web API binding has no preview and says so. On SAP BTP the preview URL carries the browser host (abap-web), where the BTP logon answers, while the service URLs keep the ADT host

  • 🧪 Runtime Diagnostics: RuntimeCreateProfilerTraceParameters, RuntimeListProfilerTraceFiles, RuntimeGetProfilerTraceData, RuntimeGetDumpById - Profiling and dump analysis with JSON payloads

  • 📡 Runtime Feeds: RuntimeListFeeds, RuntimeListSystemMessages, RuntimeGetGatewayErrorLog - Feed reader (dumps — filtered by user, runtime error, exception, object, package or component, and read past SAP's 100 entries per request — system messages, gateway errors), SM02 system messages, Gateway error log

  • 🐞 Debugger (opt-in, --exposition=…,debug): ABAP and AMDP — breakpoints (line, exception, statement, message; a line breakpoint may carry a condition), a background run of a class or report caught at them, another user's requests and terminal mode, stack, variables, watchpoints, steps, leaving a debuggee running, the debugger settings, memory sizes and snapshots. A debug session is named by a state_handle and survives between tool calls on every transport. In user mode a breakpoint catches every request of the request user (the connected SAP user unless another is named), so the set is never on by default. See Debugger

  • 🚀 SAP BTP Support: JWT/XSUAA authentication with browser-based token helper

  • 🔑 Destination-Based Authentication: Service key-based authentication with automatic token management (see Client Configuration)

  • 💾 Freestyle SQL: GetSqlQuery - Execute custom SQL queries via ADT Data Preview API

ℹ️ ABAP Cloud limitation: Direct ADT data preview of database tables is blocked by SAP BTP backend policies. The server returns a descriptive error when attempting such operations. On-premise systems continue to support data preview.

Documentation

For Users

For Administrators

  • Security - Never more secure than its host: who may call the server, HTTPS, TLS to SAP, credentials and state handles, a deployment checklist

  • Deployment Docs - MCP Registry, Docker, release notes

  • Server Configuration - YAML config reference

For Developers

Dependencies

Two packages do the work:

and six packages declare the contracts both of them and this project are written against — @mcp-abap-adt/interfaces-adt, -adt-connection (where IAbapConnection and IAdtWireResponse live), -network, -auth, -auth-sap and -utils. They replace the single @mcp-abap-adt/interfaces umbrella, which is no longer published: a consumer naming a contract package directly gets one copy of it in the tree and takes its majors one domain at a time.

The verdict on an ADT answer is a strategy, not a default: since adt-clients 23 no member judges its own answer, and @mcp-abap-adt/adt-strategies holds the readings this project passes to every call. That is what keeps a refusal ADT embeds in an HTTP 200 — an activation that did not activate, a delete that was refused — from reaching a caller as success.

Everything above is installed by npm install and published to npm. @mcp-abap-adt/sap-rfc-lite is optional and only needed for the RFC transport (and so for SNC). It is compiled during npm install against the SAP NW RFC SDK that SAPNWRFC_HOME names, and npm leaves it out without an error when it cannot be — check with npm ls -g @mcp-abap-adt/sap-rfc-lite. See RFC Setup.


Running the Server

After installing globally with npm install -g, you can run from any directory:

# Show help
mcp-abap-adt --help

# Default stdio mode (for MCP clients; requires .env file or --mcp parameter)
mcp-abap-adt

# stdio mode (explicit; default when --transport is omitted)
mcp-abap-adt --transport=stdio

# HTTP mode on custom port (HTTP requires --transport=http)
mcp-abap-adt --transport=http --port=8080

# Use stdio mode with auth-broker (--mcp parameter)
mcp-abap-adt --transport=stdio --mcp=TRIAL

# Use env destination from platform sessions store
mcp-abap-adt --env=trial

# Use explicit .env file path
mcp-abap-adt --env-path=/path/to/my.env

# SSE mode (requires .env file or --mcp parameter)
mcp-abap-adt --transport=sse --port=3001

# SSE mode with auth-broker (--mcp parameter)
mcp-abap-adt --transport=sse --mcp=TRIAL

# The compact server takes the same options (npm install -g @mcp-abap-adt/compact)
mcp-abap-adt-compact --env-path=/path/to/my.env

Development Mode

npm install
npm run build
npm test

The checkout is not runnable as a server by itself: server/ takes @mcp-abap-adt/lib as a package. To run a build, pack both and install the tarballs together — see From source.

Environment Configuration

Env resolution:

  1. --env-path=<path|file> (or MCP_ENV_PATH) for explicit .env file.

    • Absolute path: used as-is.

    • Relative path or file name only (e.g. my.env): resolved from current working directory.

  2. --env=<destination> for destination file in standard sessions store:

    • Unix: ~/.config/mcp-abap-adt/sessions/<destination>.env

    • Windows: %USERPROFILE%\\Documents\\mcp-abap-adt\\sessions\\<destination>.env

Nothing is looked up in the working directory: a server started inside someone else's project must not take their settings. A .env there is read only when you name it (--env-path=./.env).

Whichever file is chosen is read and written back with a renewed token, whatever --unsafe says. A destination is read once per process: a change to its .env from outside takes effect on restart. .env and environment variables hold secrets and the session; a YAML config file holds configuration only and refuses a secret-looking key.

Example .env file:

SAP_URL=https://your-sap-system.example
SAP_CLIENT=100
SAP_AUTH_TYPE=basic
SAP_USERNAME=your-username
SAP_PASSWORD=your-password

For a JWT you already hold (SAP BTP):

SAP_URL=https://your-btp-system.example
SAP_CLIENT=100
SAP_AUTH_TYPE=jwt
SAP_GRANT_TYPE=none
SAP_JWT_TOKEN=your-jwt-token

For RFC connection:

SAP_URL=http://your-onprem-system.example:8000
SAP_CLIENT=100
SAP_AUTH_TYPE=basic
SAP_USERNAME=your-username
SAP_PASSWORD=your-password
SAP_CONNECTION_TYPE=rfc

SAP_CONNECTION_TYPE=rfc in the --env / --env-path .env selects RFC, as do --connection-type=rfc, the process environment and YAML connection-type: rfc. Precedence: CLI, then the process environment (which the .env value joins, never over one already set), then YAML. Over RFC the host comes from SAP_URL and the system number from its port (80NN → NN); a port that follows no such rule needs SAP_SYSNR in the process environment. See RFC Setup Guide for prerequisites (SAP NW RFC SDK, a C++ toolchain, SAPNWRFC_HOME before the install).

For SNC (passwordless logon over RFC, no user or password):

SAP_URL=http://your-onprem-system.example:8000
SAP_CLIENT=100
SAP_CONNECTION_TYPE=rfc
SAP_AUTH_TYPE=snc
SAP_SNC_PARTNERNAME='p:CN=<system>, O=<org>, C=<country>'
# Creates need a responsible person; over SNC no login is known
SAP_RESPONSIBLE=<your ABAP user>
# Optional: SAP_SNC_QOP, SAP_SNC_LIB, SAP_SNC_MYNAME

The credential of the installed SNC product (for example a Secure Login Client) is mapped to an ABAP user by its SNC name. SAP_CONNECTION_TYPE=rfc (or --connection-type=rfc) is required: SNC logs on over RFC only, and an SNC destination with HTTP is refused. SNC needs the SAP NW RFC SDK and @mcp-abap-adt/sap-rfc-lite, an optional dependency — see RFC Setup.

Not supported since 16.0: SAP_AUTH_TYPE=certificate and kerberos, saml, and a jwt grant other than authorization_code and none, in a .env or service key are refused at startup, naming the authentication (a saml destination with no grant: lacks: grantType). See the migration note for what to do instead.

Generate a .env (JWT):

# Install the CLI globally (one-time setup) — it ships mcp-auth and mcp-sso
npm install -g @mcp-abap-adt/auth-broker-cli

# Write a .env that states its authentication and grant
mcp-auth generate-env --grant authorization_code   # `mcp-auth --help` lists the other flags

The .env states SAP_AUTH_TYPE and SAP_GRANT_TYPE; a jwt .env without a grant is refused at startup.

.env comments rule: only full-line comments are supported (lines that start with #).
Inline comments are not parsed, so keep comments on separate lines.

Claude recommendation: place the service key in the service-keys directory and use --mcp=<destination> (avoid manual JWT tokens).

Command-Line Options

Authentication:

  • --mcp=<destination> - Named destination: service-keys/<destination>.json and sessions/<destination>.env, field by field

  • --auth-broker-path=<path> - Custom path for auth-broker service keys and sessions

  • --browser=<name> - Browser for a login: chrome, edge, firefox, system (default), headless, none

  • --browser-auth-port=<port> - Browser login callback port, 1-65535 (default: 61001); an invalid value is refused at startup

  • --allow-destination-header - Honour the x-mcp-destination header (HTTP/SSE only, off by default)

  • --connection-type=<http|rfc> - SAP connection transport: http (default) or rfc

  • --unsafe - Write named destinations' sessions to disk. By default they are kept in memory (one login per process). A .env you name is written back either way

When --mcp=<destination> is specified, automatic fallback loading of ./.env is skipped.

Examples:

# Named destination, session kept in memory (default)
mcp-abap-adt --mcp=TRIAL

# Named destination, session persisted to sessions/TRIAL.env
mcp-abap-adt --mcp=TRIAL --unsafe

# Custom base directory for service-keys/ and sessions/
mcp-abap-adt --mcp=TRIAL --auth-broker-path=~/prj/tmp/ --unsafe

# Browser login on another callback port
mcp-abap-adt --mcp=TRIAL --browser-auth-port=61005

See Client Configuration for complete configuration options.

Handler logging switches

  • AUTH_LOG_LEVEL=error|warn|info|debug — sets base log level for handler logger; DEBUG_AUTH_LOG=true also enables debug.

  • HANDLER_LOG_SILENT=true — fully disables handler logging.

  • DEBUG_CONNECTORS=true — verbose connection logging in high-level handlers.

  • DEBUG_HANDLERS=true — enables verbose logs for selected read-only/system handlers.

Development

Testing

npm test

Test logging switches

  • TEST_LOG_LEVEL=error|warn|info|debug — controls test logger verbosity (DEBUG_TESTS/DEBUG_ADT_TESTS/DEBUG_CONNECTORS force debug).

  • TEST_LOG_FILE=/tmp/adt-tests.log — writes test logs to a file (best-effort).

  • TEST_LOG_SILENT=true — disables test logging pipeline (console output muted).

  • TEST_LOG_COLOR=true — adds colored/prefixed tags to test log lines.

  • All console.* in tests are routed through the test logger with a [test] prefix.

Building

npm run build

Developer Tools

# Generate tool documentation
npm run docs:tools

# See tools/README.md for more developer utilities

Contributors

Thank you to all contributors! See CONTRIBUTORS.md for the complete list.


Acknowledgment: This project was originally inspired by mario-andreschak/mcp-abap-adt. We started with the core concept and then evolved it into an independent project with our own architecture and features.

License

Two packages, two licences. Which one applies depends on which you install.

Package

Licence

@mcp-abap-adt/lib

Apache-2.0

LICENSE, NOTICE

@mcp-abap-adt/core

AGPL-3.0-only

server/LICENSE

Both are published from this repository with one command, in the order the dependency requires:

npm run release:dry        # rehearses both, touches nothing
npm run release:publish    # @mcp-abap-adt/lib, then @mcp-abap-adt/core

release:publish skips a version already on the registry, so re-running after a failure resumes rather than starting over. It aborts on the first failure instead of publishing the server on top of a library that is not there.

Note that npm publish and npm run are different commands. npm publish release asks npm to publish a package named release, which is somebody else's package on the registry.

Copyright © 2025–2026 Oleksii Kyslytsia

Both are distributed in the hope that they will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

What this means. Running either, on your own data, carries no conditions.

Embedding the library in your own application carries no obligation to open your application: Apache-2.0 asks for the notice and the licence text to travel with it, and nothing more.

Distributing the standalone server, or running a modified version of it as a network service, means passing on the same freedoms under AGPL section 13 — including the source. That is why the two are separate packages: installing the library never puts the server in your dependency tree.

The packages underneath are LGPL-3.0-only — @mcp-abap-adt/adt-clients, adt-strategies, connection, logger, auth-broker, auth-providers, auth-stores and the contract packages interfaces-adt, interfaces-adt-connection, interfaces-network, interfaces-auth, interfaces-auth-sap and interfaces-utils — and the library links them at runtime. It was four of them when this paragraph was written; the rule is the whole scope now, libraries LGPL and servers AGPL or GPL, and the MIT that a few of the auth packages still carried was an oversight rather than an offer. LGPL does not reach your own code, but its terms do travel with those packages whatever this project is licensed as. Plan for that, not for the notice on this repository.

Other terms are possible. Apache-2.0 is what the library is offered under publicly, not the only way it can be offered. The copyright holder may license the same code separately to a party who needs different terms; that takes nothing away from anyone who received it under Apache-2.0, which is permanent. CONTRIBUTORS.md records what keeps that option open, including the rule that no LGPL code from the packages underneath is ever copied into this tree.

History. Releases through 8.13.0 were MIT and stay MIT; 9.x was GPL-3.0-only. A licence change is not retroactive — anyone may still take an earlier release under the licence it carried. See CONTRIBUTORS.md for the full account of how the relicensing was lawful.

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