Outlining SAP Integration Suite Capabilities

This lesson provides an overview of the capabilities of the SAP Integration Suite, including data integration, process integration, and API management. The suite provides comprehensive tools to seamlessly connect systems and data sources.

SAP Integration Suite is an industry-leading integration platform as a service that helps organizations seamlessly connect and integrate their applications, data, and processes - within the enterprise and beyond. A starter collection of prebuilt best practice integration packages helps integration developers achieve faster time to value. Execute the integration content on the Business Technology Platform or within your private landscape. The following image is the big picture of the Integration Suite. The Integration Suite includes implemented capabilities, which are investigated in more detail in the following text. SAP Event Mesh is not a capability of the Integration Suite by itself, it is an independent service on the SAP BTP. The SAP Business Accelerator Hub is also an accelerator for integration solutions and offers:

• 3400+ prebuild integrations
• 3800+ APIs
• 600+ business events
• 250+ connectors
• And much more*

Manage business events (SAP Event Mesh, SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh).

The following is an overview of the capabilities implemented in the SAP Integration Suite. The individual capabilities are described in detail in the following text.

SAP Integration Suite offers you a comprehensive set of options for connecting to SAP and non-SAP systems.

80+ Standard Adapters

• Use a set of out-of-the-box standard adapters when modeling your integration flow. This set includes:
• Technical adapters that allow you to connect SAP Integration Suite to remote systems via specific protocols such as HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, RFC, and so on.
• Application-specific adapters that allow you to connect SAP Integration Suite to applications such as SAP SuccessFactors, Twitter, ELSTER, and so on.

170+ non-SAP connectors

• Use a range of connectors that allow you to connect SAP Integration Suite to a range of SAP and non-SAP applications such as Citrix GoToWebinar, Dropbox Business, Evernote, Gmail, to name a few.
• Each connector is an application programming interface (API) that provides a set of API methods that you can use to access the resources of the connected application.
• In addition, SAP Integration Suite comes with an Adapter Development Kit that allows you to develop your own adapters and deploy them on your tenant.

As the SAP Integration Suite combines different remote services in a central interface, you must consider the individual capabilities and their deployment options. Except for cloud integration, deployment on Cloud Foundry takes place within a public cloud with a subscription model.

• SAP Integration Suite
• Connectivity Options
• Edge Integration Cell

Cloud integration is described as a central component of the Integration Suite. It enables the connection of on-premise and cloud systems and supports various integration scenarios to harmonize data and processes.

Integration developers can use existing integration content, adapt it, or develop new content. This content defines how messages are processed in integration scenarios. Various functions are available for managing this content. The following are some of the features that Cloud Integration offers. The full list of features can be found here: Feature Scope Description for SAP Cloud Integration

Integration developers can use predefined integration content, extend it, or develop their own integration content from scratch. Integration content refers to all design artifacts that define how a message must be processed during an integration scenario.

SAP provides reusable integration content consisting of various predefined integration flows and other elements (for example, value mappings) that cover the integration requirements for some standard integration scenarios.

SAP Cloud Integration offers a content designer to create your own integration content. You use an iFlow to define senders, recipients, and the processing of messages. The iFlow is provided on a tenant and includes adapters for the connection to external systems and steps for message processing. It is also possible to simulate the integration process without activating it, whereby tracing is supported.

Communication to and from SAP systems takes place through adapters. SAP offers various adapters to configure and secure connections and protocols for data exchange between systems. In addition to standard adapters, customers can also create their own adapters. An overview of all currently available inbound and outbound adapters can be found under the link: Adapter

Cloud Integration can process messages in different ways, including:

• Message transformation
• Calling external systems or subprocesses
• Routing
• Storing data during processing
• Protecting messages
• Additional features

An overview of the currently available message processing features can be found here: Message Processing

The Cloud Integration runtime supports Quality of Service at least once. This means that Cloud Integration guarantees that an incoming message is processed at least once on the tenant.

If you use one of the following adapters, you can configure more Quality of Service settings:

• AS2 sender adapter.
• AS4 sender adapter.
• XI sender and receiver adapter.

SAP Cloud Integration supports API-based integration development (as an alternative to coding). The SAP Cloud Integration Design application provides graphical editors for designing the following types of APIs:

• OData API (an OData API-based integration scenario with OData V2 sender adapter).
• REST API (a REST API-based integration scenario with HTTPS sender adapter).
• SOAP API (a SOAP API-based integration scenario with SOAP 1.x sender adapter).

With the SAP Cloud Integration Monitor application, you can use and manage SOAP, REST, and OData APIs and monitor the messages processed through these APIs.

Enables integration developers to monitor message processing and cloud integration components at runtime, manage artifacts required to establish a secure connection between the tenant and remote systems, and manage tenant-specific data stores.

• Monitor message processing
• Manage integration content
• Manage security artifacts and deploy them on the tenant.
• Manage keystore entries
• Manage the lifecycle of keys.

An overview of the currently available message processing features can be found here: Monitoring and Operations

The following is a solution diagram, with Process Integration Style and A2A use Case Pattern.

• SAP Cloud Integration
• Feature Scope Description for SAP Cloud Integration

API management is another important aspect of the SAP Integration Suite. It includes the management of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to ensure secure and controlled access to data and functions.

The API Management capability within SAP Integration Suite is a complete solution that fulfills all corporate requirements for API security and governance. It allows you to publish, promote, and monitor APIs in a secure and scalable environment.

Create Cross-Channel Experiences

Use API Designer and Open APIs to create a cross-device, mobile-first, omnichannel experience.

Secure Your Digital Assets and Interfaces

Protect your data and digital assets in this hyper-connected world. Gain deep insights into API usage.

Manage the Entire Lifecycle of APIs

Scale billions of API calls to unlock new opportunities and business potential and create additional value.

Engage Developers and Partners

API Business Hub Enterprise makes it easy to share managed APIs and collaborate with customers, partners, and developers.

Unlock New Revenue Streams

Monetize your data and digital assets with the help of the API portal. Upsell and cross-sell through your ecosystem.

Develop B2B Integrations

Extend solutions with additional SAP BTP functions for mobile, offline, and integration.

Benefit from the Support of Multi-Client Capability

Use this service in multi-client capable applications.

The following is a solution diagram with API Management with the integration style "User Integration" in the "User2Cloud" integration domain.

API Management

Open Connectors offer ready-made integrations for various third-party applications. They simplify the connection to external systems and extend the functionality of the SAP platform.

The Open Connectors capability within SAP Integration Suite makes it easy to build seamless integrations with over 150 non-SAP applications using prebuilt connectors.

Accelerate Application Connectivity

Use prebuilt connectors to simplify, standardize and accelerate connectivity with third-party cloud applications. These prebuilt connectors are kept up to date with changes to the underlying APIs.

Use Common Resources

Map data in common resources to transform fields provided by one or more third-party applications into a normalized resource at SAP.

Create Formula Templates and Instances

Use formula templates and instances to create workflows that are independent of specific third-party cloud applications. Use different step types and triggers, such as events or schedules.

Upload and Download Data in Bulk

Upload and download data in bulk in a normalized way, regardless of the underlying service architecture.

The following is a sample solution diagram.

SAP Open Connectors

The integration assessment tools help to evaluate existing integration landscapes and identify opportunities for improvement. These tools support the planning and implementation of efficient integration strategies.

The Integration Assessment capability within SAP Integration Suite implements the SAP Integration Solution Advisory Methodology and thus supports the definition of the integration landscape. It helps you to define integration patterns and ensure consistent use of integration technology.

Maintain SAP Integration Solution Advisory Methodology Master Data

Use predefined SAP Integration Solution Advisory Methodology master data and customizing options.

Create Business Solution Requests

A business solution request represents the leading object for an integration request from a business perspective.

Create Integration Requests

An interface request represents the leading object for an integration request from a technical perspective.

Select Appropriate Technology

Automatic selection of the appropriate technology based on SAP Integration Solution Advisory Methodology master data, integration guidelines and questionnaires.

The following figure shows the start page of the Integration Assessment capability within SAP Integration Suite:

Integration Assessment capability within SAP Integration Suite

Migration assessment tools support the planning and implementation of system migrations. They help to identify potential risks and develop strategies to minimize disruptions during the migration.

The Migration Assessment capability in SAP Integration Suite helps you to minimize the technical effort involved in migrating configuration objects from an SAP Process Orchestration System 7.5 to the SAP Integration Suite. The Migration Assessment capability within SAP Integration Suite helps you to assess whether your integration scenarios can be migrated. It offers the following functions:

Extract Data

Extract data from your existing SAP Process Orchestration 7.5 system.

Estimate Migration Effort

Evaluate and estimate the effort required to migrate your SAP Process Orchestration 7.5 configuration objects to the SAP Integration Suite.

Migration Assessment capability within SAP Integration Suite

The Integration Advisor capability within SAP Integration Suite offers recommendations and best practices for designing integration scenarios. It uses machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to find optimal integration solutions.

The Integration Advisor capability within SAP Integration Suite simplifies B2B/A2A/B2G integrations by providing a library of system types for various industry standards such as UN/EDIFACT, SAP IDoc, and ASC X12. Users can create new Message Implementation Guidelines (MIG), generate Mapping Guidelines (MAG) for reconciling different business system standards. They can also create runtime artifacts for integration tools such as SAP Cloud Integration and SAP Process Orchestration to avoid time-consuming manual interface configurations.

Simplify the Design of Message Implementation Guidelines

Simplifies the design of message implementation guidelines (interfaces) based on industry (interfaces) based on industry standards and the definition of mapping guidelines for specifying mappings between these interfaces.

Support of Type Systems

This contains a library of type systems, that is, a collection of message templates provided by agencies that maintain the B2B standards. The available type systems are:

• External B2B standards: ASC X12, UN/EDIFACT.
• SAP S/4HANA: SOA, IDoc, OData.
• SAP Ariba: cXML.

Integration with SAP Cloud Integration Design Environment

Based on the designed message implementation guidelines and mapping guidelines, the required runtime artifacts (for validation, conversion, transformation, preprocessing, and postprocessing) are automatically generated and can be used in integration workflows.

The following is a simple overview of the implementation of a B2B/A2A/B2G integration:

Browse the Library of Type Systems

The Library of Type Systems is a collection of standardized message templates for B2B, A2A, and B2G that are developed and maintained by the respective agencies. For example, SAP IDoc from SAP SE or ASC X12 from ANSI ASC X12. These standards facilitate the implementation of B2B integrations when used by business partners.

Message Implementation Guidelines (MIGs)

The Message Implementation Guideline (MIG) is used in the Integration Advisor capability within SAP Integration Suite as the basis for creating a Mapping Guideline (MAG) and defines all the necessary information for implementing a customized message interface.

Mapping Guidelines (MAGs)

A mapping guideline is an artifact that serves as a reference for the implementation of mappings in integration applications. It facilitates the mapping of A2A/B2B messages according to type system standards and defines how source and target messages are implemented. The guideline describes the mapping of nodes in detail, including definitions and transformation instructions such as functions or code-value mappings.

Exporting Runtime Artifacts

Once you have created the Message Implementation Guidelines (MIG) and Mapping Guidelines (MAG), the next step is to use these artifacts in the integration solution to enable integrations with your business partners. Currently, the Integration Advisor capability within SAP Integration Suite supports the export of runtime artifacts for SAP Cloud Integration and SAP Process Orchestration.

By exporting the runtime artifacts, the application automatically generates a set of schemas, scripts, and examples from a mapping guideline, including:

• Schemes for syntax conversion, for example, from EDI syntax to XML or vice versa.
• Schemes for the precise validation of user data based on the rules and constraints defined in the message implementation guidelines.
• Preprocessing and postprocessing scripts for presorting payload data or enriching it with additional information required for mapping.
• Main script for XSLT mapping.
• Examples for testing the artifacts in the runtime.

The following is the landing page of the Integration Advisor capability within SAP Integration Suite with the usable type systems.

SAP Integration Advisor capability within SAP Integration Suite

SAP Event Mesh enables event-driven integration and communication between different systems. It supports the creation of real-time applications and the orchestration of business processes.

SAP Event Mesh is a fully managed cloud service that enables applications to communicate through asynchronous events. The service offers the following main functions:

Publish Business Events

Publish business events from SAP and non-SAP sources in hybrid landscapes from digital core to extension applications through an event-driven architecture.

Consume Business Events

Consume business events from SAP and non-SAP sources across SAP's event-driven ecosystem including SAP Extension Suite, SAP Integration Suite and select inbound-enabled SAP back ends.

Seamless Connection

Provides reliable data transfer for extension and integration scenarios through decoupled communication.

The following is an event mesh with a configured queue.

The following is a solution diagram with the use of the event mesh.

SAP Event Mesh

The advanced event mesh extends the functions of the SAP Event Mesh by offering greater scalability and extended integration options.

Take advantage of a complete event streaming, event management, and monitoring platform that combines best practices, expertise, and technology for event-driven architectures (EDA) on a single platform. The following features are available for Advanced Event Mesh:

Event Streaming

Deploy event broker services, create event meshes, and optimize and monitor your event-driven system.

Event Management

Discover, visualize, share and manage various aspects of your event-driven architecture (EDA). You can also model your EDA to visualize the relationships between component relationships.

Event Monitoring and Insights

Use monitoring dashboards and confidential notes to identify potential issues before they negatively impact your brokers and event broker services.

The following is a sample solution diagram using SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh.

You can see from the comparison table that advanced event mesh has more features than Event Mesh.

SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh

This lesson introduces more integration tools that help to improve connectivity and data harmonization in a company's IT landscape.

In addition, with SAP Process Orchestration and the SAP Application Interface Framework, there are also on-premise applications that play an important role in integration solutions such as SAP Process Orchestration and SAP Application Interface Framework.

Discover and use digital content packages with APIs, ready-made integrations, business process models, and sample applications from SAP and selected partners. In addition to APIs, the SAP Business Accelerator Hub provides the central location for prebuilt integration content for the SAP Integration Suite (cloud integration capability). The suite, which is available for the integration of various SAP applications such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Fieldglass, and SAP Customer Experience for integration with SAP and third-party applications.

See: https://api.sap.com/

SAP's integration platform for on-premise use: model, implement, integrate, and monitor custom process applications and integration scenarios - quickly and flexibly.

See: https://www.sap.com/products/process-orchestration.html

Implement, monitor, and manage application interfaces from a central location in SAP S/4HANA or SAP Business Suite to simplify the handling of interfaces in your system landscape.

See: https://www.sap.com/products/application-interface-mgmt.html