Analyzing Connectivity Options Between Back-End Systems with SAP Process Integration

SAP NetWeaver 7.5 enables technology trends like the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, cloud, big data, and analytics and offers a foundation for the easy and fast development of simple business applications. It supports Java 8 to enable Java-based hubs like SAP Enterprise Portal, SAP Process Orchestration, and SAP Business Process Management to benefit from new Java features.

The innovations in ABAP and Java, together with improvements to the SAP NetWeaver hubs, SAP Fiori, and lifecycle management offer significant benefits.

SAP Process Integration (PI) connectivity covers the various options of connecting systems to the Integration Server. The messages must be in the process integration protocol so that a system can exchange messages with SAP PI. This protocol is either supported by the system itself or it is connected using an adapter, which converts the message from the external format or protocol to the process integration protocol.

SAP PI provides a variety of adapters to connect applications that are based on various technical or application-specific protocols. In the case of the sender, the adapter converts the inbound message encrypted in the sender protocol into a Process Integration Simple Object Access Protocol (PI SOAP) message. In the case of the receiver, the PI SOAP message is then converted into the receiver’s protocol.

The central component of the adapter runtime is the Adapter Framework, which has services for messaging, queuing, and security handling. The Adapter Framework supports the J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA) standard and addresses resource adapters that are either part of SAP PI or provided by SAP partners.

The AAE is based on Java Enterprise Edition (JEE) and enables adapter communication between systems (centralized or non-centralized). The central AAE is used in most situations to handle the implementation of most collaborative processes within a system landscape. The non-central AAE is used for large data volumes or for load balancing.

For systems that are separated by a firewall from its central AAE, a non-central AAE is required because these systems do not have access to the adapters in the environment. The non-central AAE is configured centrally in the ID and can be monitored by the Component Monitor.

You can develop generic modules for each adapter in the module processor to extend the adapter with additional functions. These modules are developed in Java and are of the Local Enterprise Bean type. In the communication channel, you specify where you want to integrate the module in the module processor. In synchronous communication, you can also modify response messages by using your own modules.

It is possible to integrate customer adapters into the AAE. For more information, see the documentation and SAP Note 766332. SAP provides a help tool for converting parameter adapters and modules.

For more information on API, see the appendix of SAP Note 1004000.

It is possible to perform routing and mapping activities in the AAE instead of the Integration Engine. The performance during the transmission of an individual message improves with local processing, which generally results in a higher message throughput.

The following are examples of adapters processed in the integration engine:

• Remote Function Call (RFC) adapter

  This adapter enables communication with SAP systems using the RFC interface.

• File/File Transfer Protocol (FTP) adapter

  This adapter enables data exchange with external systems using a file interface or an FTP server.

• Intermediate Document (IDoc)/IDoc AAE adapter

  This adapter enables the exchange of IDocs, adapters are available both in the Integration Engine and also in the AAE.

• HTTP Adapter/HTTP AAE adapter

  This adapter enables the exchange of data using the HTTP protocol. Adapters are available both in the Integration Engine and also in the AAE.

• Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) adapter

  This adapter enables access to databases using JDBC.

• Java Messaging Service (JMS) adapter

  This adapter enables communication with messaging systems using the JMS API.

• SOAP adapter

  This adapter enables integration of remote clients or web service providers using SOAP. It can also be used for proxy communication when leaving the protocol as XI 3.0.

• Mail adapter

  This adapter enables you to connect e-mail servers to the Integration Engine.

Starting with SAP NetWeaver 7.5 SPS22, the software of the SAP Process Integration add-ons Connectivity Add-On and Secure Connectivity Add-On has been moved to the standard.

The name and the storage location of the XML file for the adapter metadata schema must be known.

To load into the PCK:

• Open http://host:5<instance>00/CPACache/schemaupload.jsp.

• Enter the information described above.

• Choose Upload.

The new adapter now displays in the selection list for the configuration of the communication channel.

To load into the Enterprise Services Repository:

1. In the Enterprise Services Repository, position the cursor on a software component version and open it. You can also create a software component.

2. .Under the software component version, create a namespace that corresponds to the ManagedConnectionFactory attribute namespace or the coded namespace of the adapter.

3. To load the metadata, call the context menu under Adapter Objects and Adapter Metadata.

4. Choose New and enter the information described above.

5. Choose Create.

6. Choose Adapter Metadata → Import XML Description.

7. Save and activate the metadata schema.

You can now use the schema in the Integration Directory to define the communication channel.