Understanding Anaplan's API Requirements

When you need to import data into Anaplan, you're not simply uploading a file and running an import. The Anaplan API requires a specific sequence of operations:

What the API Demands: The Multi-Step Process

1. File Placeholder Creation Every import operation in Anaplan links to a file resource, which acts as a placeholder for your data.

2. Chunk Declaration Before uploading any data, you must inform Anaplan how many chunks your file will be divided into. This is necessary because Anaplan enforces a 50MB maximum per upload chunk.

3. Sequential Chunk Upload For large files (such as a 2GB dataset), you must split the file into chunks and upload each one individually in sequence.

4. Import Execution After all chunks are uploaded, you trigger the import operation, which processes the data according to pre-configured rules in Anaplan.

5. Task Monitoring The import doesn't complete immediately. Instead, Anaplan returns a task ID that you must monitor until the task finishes successfully.

Only after confirming successful completion can your integration flow continue. These are the technical requirements imposed by Anaplan's API architecture.

Implementing this in an Integration Flow: The Traditional Approach

Understanding what the API requires is one thing. Implementing it in an integration platform is where the real complexity emerges.  

Each of the five API steps must be translated into concrete integration components, and the orchestration between them must be carefully managed. Without specialized adapter operations designed specifically for these Anaplan workflows, integration developers face a significant challenge.

The reality is that you must build an integration flow that handles not just the API calls themselves, but all the logic, data transformation, and error handling that connects them together. This means implementing file splitting algorithms, managing stateful loops, parsing complex response structures, and building robust polling mechanisms — all before you've even addressed your actual business requirements.

Required Components

• 5+ separate adapter configurations - one for each API call (chunk declaration, each chunk upload, import execution, status check)
• Custom looping logic - to iterate through chunks during upload
• File splitting functionality - to divide large files into appropriately sized chunks
• Payload parsing scripts - to extract task IDs, status codes, and other response data
• Conditional routing logic - to verify successful completion versus failure states
• Polling mechanism - to repeatedly check task status until completion
• Error handling at each step - to catch and manage failures at any point in the sequence

The Result

This results in lengthy, complex integration flows that span multiple screens, are difficult to understand at a glance, and challenging to maintain and troubleshoot. A single import operation that conceptually should be simple becomes an orchestration project involving dozens of configuration steps, custom scripts, and intricate routing logic.

The SAP Adapter Solution: Upload and Import in One Operation

SAP has developed specialized "Upload and Import" and "Export and Download" operations that orchestrate all these steps internally within a single adapter configuration.

How the Upload and Import Operation Works

The adapter requests only the essential information:

• Source ID: The file resource where data will be uploaded
• Chunk Size: Your preferred chunk size (up to 50MB)
• Import ID: The import process to execute
• Input Body: Your data payload

From there, the adapter automatically:

Error Handling

The adapter throws an exception in the following scenarios:

• Task execution fails
• Task is cancelled
• Monitoring time elapses before task completion

Export and Download

Export operations follow a similar multi-step pattern:

1. Execute the export operation
2. Monitor the task until completion
3. Verify successful completion (not just completed, but completed successfully)
4. Determine how many chunks the exported file contains
5. Download each chunk sequentially
6. Reassemble chunks in the correct order
7. Deliver the complete file

The "Export and Download" operation wraps this entire sequence into a single adapter configuration.

The Impact: Dramatic Simplification

The difference in complexity is striking:

This reduction from complex multi-step flows to single operations represents significant value for organizations integrating with Anaplan, reducing development time, minimizing errors, and simplifying ongoing maintenance.

Why This Matters for Anaplan Integration Projects

These specialized operations aren't just convenience features—they represent a fundamental shift in how Anaplan integrations can be approached:

• Faster Development: Build integrations in hours instead of days
• Reduced Errors: Eliminate common mistakes in chunk handling and task monitoring
• Easier Maintenance: Simplified flows are easier to understand and modify
• Better Performance: Optimized internal orchestration handles chunks efficiently
• Lower TCO: Less development and maintenance time translates to lower costs

Conclusion

While Anaplan's file-based architecture provides flexibility, it introduces integration complexity that can slow down projects and increase costs. SAP's specialized Upload and Import, and Export and Download operations eliminate this complexity through intelligent internal orchestration, allowing integration developers to focus on business logic rather than API mechanics.

If you're planning an Anaplan integration project, these specialized adapter operations can significantly accelerate your timeline and reduce project risk.

Want to learn more about simplifying your Anaplan integrations? Contact Rojo Integrations to discuss how SAP's specialized adapter operations can streamline your integration projects.