Explaining the Uses and Functionality of SAP Process Orchestration and the Advanced Adapter Engine (AEX)

Until SAP Process Integration (PI) 7.1, Adapter Engine was used to connect the Integration Engine (IE) to SAP systems or non SAP systems. Using the various adapters in the Adapter Engine, local processing in the Adapter Engine started as part of SAP PI 7.1, with the creation of the Advanced Adapter Engine (AAE). The AAE allows for end-to-end message processing without using the central ABAP-based pipeline of the Integration Server. If local processing is configured, several communication calls and persistency steps can be eliminated. The AAE reduces resource consumption and latency and increases message throughput.

Further enhancements came with 7.1 EHP1; some of the limitations of version 7.1 were solved, such as content-based routing, receiver split, or proxy routing, but the dual-stack system was a prerequisite. With SAP PI 7.3, the first installation option that relies only on Java and not ABAP, is available with added features to close the gap with the dual-stack option. This new option, called Advanced Adapter Engine Extended (AEX), has richer connectivity and routing capabilities.

The AEX installation option provides the connectivity capabilities of the AAE. The AEX provides design and configuration tools, such as the Enterprise Services Repository (ESR) and the Integration Directory (ID), to set up scenarios that are based on the AAE. The ID installed with AEX contains the same subset of configuration options as that of the AAE, which is basically the integrated configuration. The AEX supports the mediation capabilities of the AAE. In version 7.3 EHP1, the completion of the IDoc Java Adapter and further enhancements of other adapters together with the possibility of installing AEX in the same Java Application Server as SAP Business Process Management and SAP Business Rules Management, created a full new solution called SAP Process Orchestration.

Version 7.4 makes it possible to use SAP HANA as a database with the same functionality as 7.3 EHP1 and in version 7.5, it is not possible to use dual stack PI. Despite this removal, most customers should already be using Java-only systems or in the process to moving.

SAP Process Orchestration is a package solution that combines the power of SAP Business Process Management (BPM), SAP Business Rules Management (BRM), and SAP PI into a single, integrated solution.

A typical integration is built as a point-to-point solution. SAP PI tries to avoid such unmanageable constructs through the use of a central integration engine. Recently, process orchestration has started to use an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). ESB supports a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) in an organization’s eco-system. In such situations, SAP AEX plays the roles of a middleman, courier, and translator. SAP AEX is an ESB responsible for implementing the communication and interaction between the software applications that are participating in the exchange of data. It is at the heart of an SOA implementation strategy.

AEX duties include the following:

• Controlling the routing of message exchange between applications.

• Handling the transformation and mapping of the data and messages transferred from the source to the target system and vice versa. The message structures of the business applications on both ends of the exchange do not need to be the same.

• Handling the security and conversion of the protocol between the service provider and consumer.

• Monitoring the exchange of messages between the involved systems.

• Managing the various versions of the services provided by the ESB.