ARC 1

What ARC-1 does

ARC-1 exposes SAP ABAP development and administration workflows through MCP. It connects AI assistants to SAP systems using the ADT REST API and organizes its interface into focused tools rather than exposing every backend operation separately.

The server can read ABAP source, method bodies, metadata, table data, CDS artifacts, access controls, service bindings, message classes, long texts, and revision history. It also supports object and source-code search, definition navigation, reference lookup, completion, and dependency-oriented context. Write operations cover ABAP repository objects and selected DDIC metadata, with support for creating, updating, deleting, locking, and unlocking objects.

How it works

ARC-1 is available as an npm package and a Docker image. It can be deployed against SAP systems in BTP or on premises, including BTP Cloud Foundry deployments that use Destination Service and Cloud Connector. Authentication options include API keys, OIDC/JWT, OAuth 2.0, XSUAA, and per-user SAP identity forwarding through supported BTP destination flows.

The tool surface includes SAPRead, SAPSearch, SAPWrite, SAPActivate, SAPNavigate, SAPQuery, SAPTransport, SAPGit, SAPContext, SAPLint, SAPDiagnose, and SAPManage. SAPQuery separates saved SAPscript text access from free-form ABAP SQL, and both paths require their own opt-in. SAPContext provides dependency contracts, live where-used results, CDS impact analysis, and table structure information.

ARC-1 defaults to restrictive behavior. Reading is available independently from mutation, while transport changes, Git writes, data previews, and free SQL require explicit enablement. Administrators can deny individual actions, restrict writes to packages, and use API-key profiles for different access levels. HTTP deployments add configurable CORS, rate limiting, security headers, and audit logging.

Setup and configuration

Deploy the npm package or Docker image, then configure access to the target SAP system and select an authentication method appropriate for the environment. BTP deployments can use managed destinations, XSUAA token handling, and Cloud Connector connectivity to reach on-premise systems.

Important controls include --allow-writes for general mutations, --allow-transport-writes for transport changes, and --allow-git-writes or SAP_ALLOW_GIT_WRITES=true for Git operations. Package restrictions can be applied with --allowed-packages; when writes are enabled without broader package permissions, writes are limited to $TMP. Data previews and saved text access use SAP_ALLOW_DATA_PREVIEW=true, while unrestricted SQL uses SAP_ALLOW_FREE_SQL=true.

HTTP administrators can set ARC1_ALLOWED_ORIGINS for exact-match browser origins and configure rate limits, including the optional per-user quota. SAP_DENY_ACTIONS blocks selected operations, and SAP_BLOCKED_DATA_SOURCES adds a defensive denylist for approved data and SQL deployments.

Tools and capabilities

• Read exact source, method sections, metadata, table data, CDS objects, DCLS, DDLX, SRVB, SKTD/KTD, MSAG, and version history.
• Search SAP objects and source text across the connected system.
• Create, update, delete, lock, and unlock supported repository and DDIC objects.
• Activate individual or multiple objects and publish or unpublish OData service bindings.
• Manage CTS transports and Git workflows through gCTS or abapGit.
• Run linting, PrettyPrint, syntax checks, ABAP Unit, ATC, diagnostics, traces, and quickfix operations.

Limitations and notes

Dependency results from SAPContext are bounded, source-derived contracts and optional KTD content rather than a complete relationship inventory. Git operations are disabled by default. Transport mutations, data previews, free SQL, and other sensitive capabilities also require explicit opt-in. Availability of writable object types can vary with the SAP BTP environment, and package restrictions apply to writes rather than reads.