Maintaining Interface Objects

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Create interface objects
  • Import Interface Objects into the ESR

Interfaces in the Enterprise Services Registry (ESR)

All interfaces involved in the message flow of the scenarios should be stored in the ESR. In this way, you can choose the interface objects using input help during configuration.

Note

SAP asks all customers to create all interface objects in the ESR but, during configuration, you can enter any value in the communication interface fields. Therefore, it is possible to create objects outside the ESR but, due to this reference, the ESR can use them.

In addition, you can easily refer to the interface objects during the creation of integration scenarios or mapping. The ESR acts as a central point of information for all interfaces.

You can create interfaces using one of the following methods:

  • Service interface and service operation
  • External definitions
  • Imported objects

Service Interface

You create service interfaces and service operations in the ESR using the Enterprise Services Builder (ESB) or the SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio (NWDS).

Create Interface Objects

Business Scenario

You want to understand how to navigate between different interface objects and explore the individual objects of an integration scenario like software components, namespaces, and underlying interface objects.

Exercise Information

Note

In this exercise, when the values include ##, replace the character with a two-digit number (01–30).

Exercise Options

You can perform this exercise in two ways:

  1. Live Environment: choose Start Exercise, and from the entry page choose Open PDF Document. Follow the steps described in this pdf in your own system landscape.
  2. Simulation: choose Start Exercise, and from the entry page choose Start Tutorial. Watch the step-by-step instructions within the simulation.

Note

We recommend running the simulation first.
ExerciseStart Exercise

Task 1: Create Source Service Interface and Service Operation

Steps

  1. Open NWDS 7.5 and open Enterprise Service Repository Perspective. Log on with your user ID and password if required.

    1. Navigate to Window → Perspective → Open Perspective → Other. Select Enterprise Service Repository Perspective.

    2. If required, log on with your BIT500-## credentials

  2. Create a service interface, according to the table.

    FieldValue
    Software Component VersionSC_BIT500_##_A 1.0 of education.com
    Namespacehttp://education.sap.com/sca##
    Service Interface NameSI_Material_outb
    CategoryOutbound
    Interface PatternStateless
    OperationSI_Material_outb
    ModeAsynchronous
    Request Message TypeMT_Material

    1. In NWDS use Enterprise Service Repository perspective. Navigate to SC_BIT500_##_A of education.com → SC_BIT500_##_A of education.com and select your namespace,http://education.sap.com/sca##.

    2. Right-click http://education.sap.com/sca## and choose New → Service Interface.

    3. In the Create Service Interface window enter the data from the table.

    4. Choose Finish.

    5. If required, create a new Change List.

    6. In the Service Interface Overview screen expand the Advanced area.

    7. Make sure the Category in the Advanced area is Outbound and the Interface Pattern is Stateless. Leave the rest of the attributes as default.

    8. Select the Definition tab.

    9. Check that an operation has been created with the same name as the Service Interface.

    10. In the Details area, check that the Type has been set to Asynchronous.

    11. Select SI_Material_outb → Input and choose the Add Input Message button.

    12. Choose the Browse button and set the flag for Include Message Type.

    13. Select Message Type MT_Material.

    14. Choose Finish. The result should look like the figure below.

    15. Save your changes.

Task 2: Create a Target Service Interface and Service Operation

Steps

  1. Create a service interface, according to the table.

    FieldValue
    Software Component VersionSC_BIT500_## _B of education.com
    Namespacehttp://education.sap.com/scb##
    Service Interface NameSI_Materials_inb
    CategoryInbound
    Interface PatternStateless
    OperationSI_Material_inb
    ModeAsynchronous
    Request Message TypeMT_Materials_B

    1. In NWDS use the Enterprise Service Repository perspective. Navigate to SC_BIT500_##_B of education.com → SC_BIT500_##_B of education.com and select your namespace, http://education.sap.com/scb##.

    2. Right-click http://education.sap.com/scb## and choose New → Service Interface.

    3. In the Create Service Interface window enter the data from the table.

    4. ChooseFinish.

    5. If required, create a new Change List.

    6. In the Service Interface Overview screen expand the Advanced area.

    7. Make sure the Category in the Advanced area is Inbound and the Interface Pattern is Stateless. Leave the rest of the attributes as default.

    8. Select the Definition tab.

    9. Check that an operation has been created with the same name as the Service Interface.

    10. In the Details area, check that the Type has been set to Asynchronous.

    11. Select SI_Material_inb → Input and choose the Add Input Message button.

    12. Choose the Browse button and set the flag for Include Message Type.

    13. Select Message Type MT_Materials_B.

    14. Choose Finish.

    15. Save your changes and activate all your objects.

External Definition of Interfaces

You can import interfaces into the Enterprise Services Repository (ESR) with structures that have been defined using the following:

  • Web Service Description Language (WSDL).

  • XML Schema Definition (XSD).

  • Data Type Definition (DTD).

Imported Objects

You can import Remote Function Call (RFC) signatures and Intermediate Document (IDoc) types from the SAP system by using an RFC. This enables you to generate an XML schema.

In this case, connection data to the SAP system containing the current RFC signatures or IDoc types is defined for the software component.

SAP only delivers some RFC signatures and IDoc types of the software components in the ESR.

Caution

If you want to import an SAP RFC signature, or an IDoc type, you must import it into your customer-specific software component version.

Learning

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