Meridian Logistics needs a Copilot Studio agent that can query SAP ERP to retrieve real-time shipment status and update delivery records. The SAP system is hosted on-premises behind the corporate firewall. The development team wants to avoid writing custom code and prefers a supported, low-code connector approach. Which connector type should the team configure in Copilot Studio to integrate with SAP?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Think of the on-premises data gateway like a secure tunnel through the firewall — Power Automate uses it as a bridge so your SAP connector can talk to the on-premises system without exposing SAP to the public internet. Option B is correct because the SAP ERP Power Platform connector paired with an on-premises data gateway is the supported, low-code path for on-premises SAP integration from Copilot Studio.
Full Explanation
When SAP is hosted on-premises, the biggest integration challenge is network reachability. Copilot Studio topics execute in the Microsoft cloud, so they cannot directly reach systems protected by a corporate firewall. The on-premises data gateway acts as a relay: it is installed inside the corporate network, establishes an outbound connection to Azure Service Bus, and forwards requests from cloud services (including Power Automate) to on-premises systems like SAP.
Option B is correct. The Power Platform SAP ERP connector is a supported, certified connector that understands SAP's BAPI and OData interfaces. It is used inside a Power Automate cloud flow, which Copilot Studio invokes as an action. The cloud flow passes through the on-premises data gateway to reach SAP. This is the Microsoft-recommended, low-code architecture for on-premises SAP integration.
Option A is wrong because calling SAP OData over the public internet would require opening firewall ports and exposing SAP to external traffic — a serious security risk that most enterprises prohibit, and it bypasses the established gateway pattern entirely.
Option C is wrong because there is no built-in SAP plugin native to Copilot Studio. SAP integration always goes through Power Automate or a custom connector; Copilot Studio itself does not ship with direct SAP connectors.
Option D is wrong because Copilot Studio topic HTTP action nodes send requests from the cloud and would still be blocked by the corporate firewall. The on-premises data gateway is the required bridge, and it only works with Power Automate flows — not with raw HTTP actions in topics.
Exam tip: When you see 'on-premises' in an SAP or SQL Server scenario, the on-premises data gateway is almost always part of the correct answer. Pair it with a Power Automate cloud flow action in the topic, not a direct HTTP call.