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1
Put your integrated WebSphere environments into production fast
SAP System Landscape Directory (SLD) was
originally developed as a part of SAP Exchange
Infrastructure (SAP XI), SAPs system landscape
integration solution, and the link between the two
remains strong. SLD provides SAP XI with the infor-
mation it requires to integrate systems across the
system landscape.
SAP XI has two primary components: the
Integration Builder for the design and configuration
of an SAP XI integration scenario, and the Integration
Server for runtime of the integration scenario. The
Integration Builder contains an Integration Repository
for design purposes and an Integration Directory for
configuration purposes.
As shown in Figure 1, the Integration Repository
uses software component information from SLD to
design integration scenarios.
S AP XI a n d S L D
by G eorge Yu
Similarly, the Integration Directory uses business
systems defined in SLD as senders and receivers of
integration messages that enable the integration
scenario, as shown in Figure 2 on the next page.
Without the information defined in SLD, SAP XI
can neither build nor run its integration scenarios.
SAP XI concepts are discussed in detail in previ-
ously published SAP Professional Journal articles,
1
so
here I focus on the SLD perspective by looking at the
two SLD components that interact with SAP XI to
enable SAP XI integration technical systems and
business systems.
Software Component
Version
Software Component Version
Integration Repository (Design)
Business Scenario
Application Component
Role
Product Version
Product Version
Product
Software Component
System Landscape Directory
Interface Mappings

Figure 1 The SAP XI Integration Repository and SLD

1
A Beginners Guide to Implementing SAP Exchange Infrastructure
(SAP XI) Paving the Way to Seamless Integration (March/April
2005) and A Beginners Guide to Implementing SAP Exchange
Infrastructure (SAP XI) Designing and Configuring an SAP XI
Integration (May/June 2005).
SAP Professional J ournal November/December 2006
2 www.SAPpro.com 2006 SAP Professional J ournal. All rights reserved.
Technical systems
A technical system is a physical system on a server in
the system landscape. Figure 3 illustrates the content
of technical systems. It lists each individual system
with its host name, system number, release number,
installed clients, message server, and installed prod-
ucts, and also highlights the points at which the
technical system links with business systems.
A technical system must first be registered in the
SLD server, either manually or via an SLD data
Integration Directory (Configuration)
Business System
Technical System
System Landscape Directory
End Points
Sender:
Receiver:
Business System
Business System
Routing Relations
Sender:
Receiver:
Business System
Business System
Mapping Relations
Business System
Technical System
SAP system
Name, host name, system number, release number
Installed clients Business Systems
Message server
Installed products
SAP standalone Java system
Technical system ID Business Systems
Third-party system Business Systems
Installed products
Figure 3 SLD technical system content
Figure 2 The SAP XI Integration Directory and SLD
SAP XI and SLD
No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. 3
supplier. After registration, the defined technical
system provides periodic updates to the SLD server.
Two systems on the same server are two entries in the
technical system list. Third-party systems as well as
SAP systems can be registered as technical systems.
Many SAP systems have multiple clients on a
single system installation. Each client serves a
different group of users, but shares the same ABAP
code and a common Basis layer. To distinguish these
clients, SAP XI introduced the business system
concept.
Business systems
While technical systems represent physical systems,
business systems represent logical units of these
systems. For example, if one technical system has six
clients in the case of an ABAP-based system, it can
have up to six business systems representing each of
these clients. Business systems are senders or
receivers that exchange messages with each other via
SAP XI, and are registered in SLD. A business system
is always associated with a technical system.
Figure 4 illustrates the content of business
systems. It lists each business system with its name,
the integration server it is connected to, the installed
software components (such as SAP CRM or SCM)
that indicate the system type, and the technical system
client it represents, and also highlights the points at
which the business systems link to the technical
system.
A third-party system can be registered as one busi-
ness system. Since third-party systems dont use the
multi-client concept used by SAP systems, each third-
party technical system corresponds to one business
system. There is also no multi-client concept in the
SAP J2EE Engine, so the same applies to standalone
SAP J2EE Engines.
Business System
SAP systems
Related Integration Server
Installed products
client Technical System
SAP Java systems
Related Integration Server
Technical System Name
Third-party systems
Related Integration Server
Technical System
Installed products
Business partners
Related Integration Server
Primary URL
Figure 4 SLD business system content