Maintaining Products and Software Components in the System Landscape Directory (SLD)

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Use product and software component terminology
  • Create products and software components in the System Landscape Directory (SLD)
  • Import Software Components from SLD into the Enterprise Service Repository (ESR)

Software Components

Technically, a software component is a modular entity that you can implement in multiple products.

Note

Software components are subject to further development, which results in various software component versions.

Product and Software Component Definition

A product is a grouping of independent software components that is shipped to customers. A product is also subject to further development. This might be due to changes made to the software components or the addition of further software components if any functional enhancements are made to the product. In most cases, each product has multiple product versions. For example, the SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) application has product versions SAP CRM 4.0, 5.0, 7.0 and more.

In an ABAP system, one or more software components are assigned to a product. The software components can have various versions.

Product versions are software units that you can install on your system and that run independently of other software (for example, SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 6.0).

Product Instance

In the System Landscape Directory (SLD), an independent object that is known as a software feature represents the relationship between the product version and the software component versions. This construct of the software feature enables you to represent complex products. In contrast to the products and software components versions that are visible in the SLD, the software features are not based on any visible objects.

Hint

You can access the SLD in various ways. In an ABAP back end, you may use transaction SLDHTMLGUI to connect to the SLD.

Example of a Product and Software Component

To display the products and software components along with their versions in the System Landscape Directory (SLD), on the SLD initial screen, choose Software Catalog.

You can import SAP products and SAP software components into the SLD. Your administrator does this after installing SAP Process Integration (PI). SAP Service Marketplace also provides the latest updates and you should import these updates twice a year.

If you use non SAP software components and products, create them manually in the SLD.

Create a Product and Software Component in the SLD

Business Scenario

You are want to create a product and software component in the System Landscape Directory of SAP NetWeaver.

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: Check an Existing Product and a Software Component

Steps

  1. Open SLD on your SAP NetWeaver Process Integration 7.50 system.

    1. Open -for example- the Internet Explorer Browser and enter the URL http://nwktdc00.wdf.sap.corp:50000/dir.

    2. Click on System Landscape Directory.

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

  2. Check the SAP ERP product, available versions, the software components, and other details.

    1. In the Software Catalog screen area, select Products.

    2. In the first row of the Product table (the filter), enter SAP ERP and choose Enter.

    3. Select SAP ERP and look at the versions on the right.

    4. Choose SAP ERP 6.0 from the Version table.

      Result

      At the bottom of the screen, the details for SAP ERP version 6.0 are shown.

    5. Check the software components that can be part of this product.

    6. Navigate to one of the software components, for example, SAP Basis 7.00.

    7. Check some of the details of the software component.

Task 2: Create a Product and Software Components

Steps

  1. In the SLD, create a product called P_BIT500_## with two software components SC_BIT500_##_A and SC_BIT500_##_B. Use the information in the table.

    FieldValue
    Product NameP_BIT500_##
    Product Vendoreducation.com
    Product Version1.0
    Instance Namebit500_instance
    Software Component 1 NameSC_BIT500_##_A
    Version1.0
    Production Statereleased
    Software Components 2 NameSC_BIT500_##_B
    Version1.0
    Production Statereleased

    1. In the SLD, go to Software Catalog → Products.

    2. Choose New….

    3. Select the Create a new product and version option and choose Next.

    4. Enter the product details from the table above.

    5. Choose Next.

    6. Enter the Instance Name and choose Next.

    7. Enter the first software component name and version, and choose Finish.

    8. In the Software Type field, select Software Component Versions and choose New….

    9. Select Create a new software component and version.

    10. Choose your product from the Product Version list.

    11. Enter your second software component name and version, and choose Finish.

Use of Software Components in the ESR

Each software component provides programs for particular functions. Software components have external interfaces to enable them to communicate with other software components. These interfaces can be both inbound and outbound.

Examples of SAP Inbound Interfaces

  • The Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI) programming interfaces and Remote-Function Modules (RFMs)
  • File interfaces.
  • Inbound Intermediate Document (IDoc) interfaces.
  • XML interfaces (SAP Basis 6.20 or higher).
  • Java or ABAP inbound proxies (SAP Basis 6.20 or higher).
  • Web services
  • Enterprise services

Outbound interfaces cannot all be described by one object; they exist implicitly.

Examples of SAP Outbound Interfaces

  • File interfaces in the form of a program that creates a file.
  • IDoc outbound interfaces.
  • Remote Function Call (RFC) outbound interfaces in the form of a program that starts an RFC by using CALL FUNCTION...DESTINATION.
  • XML interfaces in the form of a program that sends an XML message by using HTTP.
  • Java or ABAP outbound proxies (SAP Basis 6.20 or higher).
  • SAP Process Integration (PI) outbound proxies.

Conventions for Creating Namespaces

You can use the following conventions for creating namespaces:

  • Prefix http://

    When you specify an HTTP address as a namespace, the HTTP address used ensures that the name of the namespace is unique. This specification does not mean that you can access additional information about the namespace from this address (in some cases an XML schema definition is hidden behind the address). SAP namespaces follow the standard http://sap.com/xi/.

  • Prefix urn:

    Namespaces with these types of prefix have no value because they are not connected with a Web page on the Internet.

Caution

It is assumed that conventions ensure that namespaces are unique. For more information about namespaces, go to www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml-names.

Within a namespace, the Enterprise Services Builder (ESB) allows you to maintain objects in different areas. These include SAP Process Integration scenario objects, modeling objects in the ESB area, interface objects, mapping objects, adapter objects, as well as objects that identify a work area, in other words, software components, and namespaces.

The key objects of an interface in the interface objects area are service interfaces, together with the corresponding service operations, message types, and data types.

Import Software Components into the Enterprise Service Repository (ESR) and Create a Namespace

Business Scenario

You want to import software components into the ESR and to create namespaces.

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: Import a Software Component into the Enterprise Service Repository

Steps

  1. Start NWDS 7.5 and open the SAP Process Integration Designer perspective. Open the Enterprise Service Browser tab.

    1. Choose Start → All Programs → SAP NetWeaver → NWDS 7.5 → NWDS 7.5 SP21.

    2. Navigate to Window → Perspective → Open Perspective → SAP Process Integration Designer.

    3. Choose the Enterprise Service Browser tab.

  2. Import your software components.

    1. On the Enterprise Service Browser tab under System: NWK you’ll see all available Software Component Version from the ESR. Open the context menu by clicking the right mouse button.

    2. Select New → Software Component Version.

    3. In the New Software Component Version window, select the Import from SLD radio button.

    4. In the line below, enter SC_BIT500 as filter option.

    5. Choose your Software Component Version and select the Original language.

    6. Choose Finish.

    7. To import your second Software Component, repeat steps b) to f).

Task 2: Create Namespaces

Steps

  1. Create a Namespace using the data in the table.

    Software Component VersionNamespace
    SC_BIT500_##_Ahttp://education.sap.com/sca##
    SC_BIT500_##_Bhttp://education.sap.com/scb##

    1. Select the SC_BIT500_##_A tab, 1.0 of education.com tab.

    2. In the Software Component Version Details screen, under Details, choose the Edit button.

    3. In the Namespace Details screen, under Namespace List, choose the Add button.

    4. Enter the name of your namespace.

    5. Choose Save.

    6. Repeat steps a to e for SC_BIT500_##_B.

  2. Check your new namespaces under your Software components.

    1. On the Enterprise Service Browser tab, expand your software component. You should be able to see your namespaces.

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