Interfacing with SAP G.V.

SHIVAKKUMAR
Interfacing with SAP R/3
G.V.SHIVAKKUMAR
venkatesansivakumar!ah"".c".in
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Interfacing with SAP G.V.SHIVAKKUMAR
This document will cover high level design of external interfaces with SAP. This document will be more useful to both
technical and functional consultants. Thanks to Margret, William, Evans !ose"h in giving in"uts and diagrams shared to
make the document meaningful. Thanks to ever#one.
$egards,
%.&.Shivakkumar venkatesansivakumar!ah"".c".in
Interfacing with SAP G.V.SHIVAKKUMAR
1. Introduction
'ne of the "rimar# challenges of SAP im"lementation "rocess has been integrating SAP with the
other a""lications. (e it the existing )egac# s#stem, on which the customer has s"ent the mone#
and time building com"lex business s"ecific logics into it, or the bu**word of the new era
+web,enabling+ a""lications, which o"ens u" the e(usiness "athwa# to the whole world of
customer and "artners to interact directl# with the E$P s#stem.
SAP "rovides basic infrastructure needed to bridge this ga" b# "roviding various tools,
techni-ues technologies for the integration.
This document takes a closer look at these interfacing techni-ues, effective wa#s and scenarios to
em"lo# them, and their "ros cons.

Interfacing with SAP G.V.SHIVAKKUMAR
2. SAP Interfacing Techniques
SAP A% has been coming u" with new tools and techni-ues to su""ort emerging industr#
standard EA. technologies from time to time.
The following are the techni-ues currentl# su""orted b# SAP /as in SAP &ersion 0.1c2 for both
batch and real,time interfacing.
(atch 3ata 4ommunication /(342
(atch .n"ut /(.2 3irect .n"ut /3.2 "rograms
$emote 5unction 4all /$542
Electronic 3ata .nterchange /E3.2
A""lication )ink Enabling /A)E2
(usiness A""lication Programming .nterface /(AP.2
SAP Automation Tools
SAP 4onnectors
.nternet Transaction Server /.TS2
)ow,level communication techni-ues
4P.,4 4ommunication
Platform s"ecific develo"ment libraries for S6A T4P7.P communication
and a number of third "art# EA. tools to integrate SAP and 6on,SAP s#stems with $78.
Interfacing with SAP G.V.SHIVAKKUMAR
3. How they all ft together
The following diagram ex"lains how these interfacing mechanisms work hand in hand with each
other.
SAP $78
B!
Transaction
A(AP
Program
"lat "ile
#"!s
$. Batch ata !o%%unication &B!'
(atch 3ata 4ommunication /(342 is the oldest batch interfacing techni-ue that SAP "rovided
since the earl# versions of $78. (34 is not a t#"ical integration tool, in the sense that, it can be
onl# be used for u"loading data into $78 and so it is not bi,directional.
(34 works on the "rinci"le of simulating user in"ut for transactional screen, via an A(AP
"rogram. T#"icall# the in"ut comes in the form of a flat file. The A(AP "rogram reads this file and
formats the in"ut data screen b# screen into an internal table /(343ATA2. The transaction is then
started using this internal table as the in"ut and executed in the background. The following
diagram ex"lains this "rocess.
BDCDATA
Flat
BDC
File
ABAP Prgra!
Since the (34 techni-ue invokes the standard SAP transaction, which the normal user would
invoke interactivel#, all the in"ut field validations, translations and flow are intact and behaves in
accordance with the ex"ected "rocess flow /Please note that this is does not hold good in a few
cases, in which the 3ialogue module checks whether the Transaction is being executed
interactivel# or in the (34 (atch mode in order to control the screen flow. 5or exam"le getting the
confirmation from the end,user2.
This fli" side of it is "erformance hit. Since (34 has to go through all the Transactional screens
and validations, most of the time is s"ent b# the s#stem in loading the 396P$' /3ialog screens2 as
o""osed to doing the actual business function.
There are two wa#s to run (34 "rograms.
:sing 4A)) T$A6SA4T.'6
:sing (atch .n"ut Sessions
.n ;4all Transaction+, the transactions are triggered at the time of "rocessing itself and so the
A(AP "rogram must do the error handling. .t can also be used for real,time interfaces and
custom error handling logging features.
Whereas in (atch .n"ut Sessions, the A(AP "rogram creates a session with all the transactional
data, and this session can be viewed, scheduled and "rocessed /using Transaction S(3)2 at a
later time. The latter techni-ue has a built,in error "rocessing mechanism too.
). Batch In*ut &BI' + irect In*ut
&I' *rogra%s
These are SAP su""lied standard A(AP "rograms for loading master and transaction data into
SAP. (oth these t#"es of "rograms take a flat file as the in"ut and load the data into the $78
s#stem.
(atch .n"ut /(.2 "rograms still use the classical (34 a""roach but don+t re-uire an A(AP
"rogram to be written to format the (343ATA. The user has to format the data using "redefined
structures and store it in a flat file. The (. "rogram then reads this and invokes the transaction
mentioned in the header record of the file.
3irect .n"ut /3.2 "rograms work exactl# similar to (. "rograms. (ut the onl# difference is, instead of
"rocessing screens the# validate fields and directl# load the data into tables using standard
function modules. 5or this reason, 3. "rograms are much faster /$M3AT.63 , Material Master 3.
"rogram works at least < times faster
2
2 than the (34 counter"art and so ideall# suited for
loading large volume data.
3. "rograms are not available for all a""lication areas. 'nl# a limited number of 3. "rograms
have been su""lied b# SAP, which is listed below.
SAP su**lied irect In*ut Progra%s
Progra% escri*tion
$M3AT.63 MM= 4reate Material master data
$5(.()>> 5.= 4reate Account documents
$&A5SS>> S3= .nvoicing external transactions
$AA)T3?? AM= 4reate Asset Account documents
$@E&EAT> 4',PA= External data transfer to 4'
The 3irect .n"ut sessions can be created, viewed, scheduled, "rocessed and restarted using
Transaction B(,- or using Progra% #B(,SH./.
) ti%es faster
2
= (ased on the benchmark "erformed b# the author. $esult ma# var# de"ending on factors
like number of Transactions, Material &iews, S#stem load, $elease, 3atabase, '"erating S#stem, Bardware
etcC
0. #e%ote "unction !all &#"!'
$emote 5unction 4all /$542 in SAP $78 is based on :6.A+s $emote Procedure 4all /$P42. $54
enables the real1ti%e link between different $78 instances and can connect SAP to 6on,SAP
s#stems.
With $emote 5unction 4all, both inbound /$54Server2 and outbound /$544lient2 interfaces are
"ossible. SAP also "rovides a toolkit called $54 AP. for non,SAP s#stems to interact with SAP+s
5unction modules remotel#.
The following diagram illustrates the $54 calls between SAP non,SAP s#stem "rograms.
Syste% 2 SAPA Syste% 2 SAPB
5unction =
4all 5unction ;DE$eadE.nventor#+ DE$eadE.nventor#
3estination ;SAPB+
4all 5unction ;getStockFuote+
3estination ;3AS+
Syste% 2 3AS
main/2
G .
$fcAcce"t/2H
$fc.nstall5unction/
;getStockFuote+,C2H
I
getStockFuote/2
G
I
= $54 communication between s#stems
SAP maintains a central re"ositor# of intero"erable s#stem definitions called J3estinationsK
/Transaction S()42. The following t#"es of connections are "ossible with $54 3estinations.
4onnection to $78 s#stem
4onnection to $7L s#stem
External "rogram connection via T4P7.P
External "rogram connection via S6A or APP4
$54 via s"ecial A(AP70 drivers
Most other interfacing techni-ues like A)E, E3., (AP. etcC are inherentl# based on the $54 technolog#.
5. 6lectronic ata Interchange &6I'
Electronic 3ata .nterchange /E3.2 is the industr# standard format for exchanging (usiness data.
SAP uses a neutral format called .ntermediate 3ocument /.3oc2 for communicating E3. A)E
messages.
The .3oc interface contains data structures and "rocessing logic for each of the business
transaction. These are grou"ed as Message T#"es. The external E3. Server is res"onsible for
receiving the E3. messages sent b# the trading *artners. These E3. messages are then ma""ed
onto the .3oc structure fields and stored in the .3oc interface la#er b# SAP.
E3.7.3oc su""orts both inbound and outbound interfaces. The .3ocs received through the E3.
Server can be configured to automaticall# get "rocessed, or can be stored in the .3oc interface
la#er for a future manual or scheduled "rocessing.
The .3oc interface la#er also has a "owerful error handling, re"orting, monitoring and re,
"rocessing mechanism built into it /Transaction /6I2. .3oc is also tightl# integrated with the
Work5low s#stem of SAP for initiating other business tasks u"on receiving7sending E3.
messages.
The .3oc interface can be em"lo#ed for non,SAP a""lications to load or extract data from SAP
s#stem. (ut t#"icall#, E3. 7 .3oc is engaged when SAP s#stem is to be integrated with an# of its
business "artners /4ustomers, Su""liers and other "artners2 for carr#ing out standard business
transactions /like 4reate Sales orders, Sending Purchase orders to Su""liers, etcC2.
7. A**lication 8in9 6na:ling &A86'
A""lication )ink Enabling /A)E2 is a middleware tool, which is "art of SAP+s (usiness framework
Architecture /(5A2. A)E can effectivel# be used for loosel# cou"led Asynchronous
communication between SAP s#stems and wit non,SAP s#stems. A)E is based on the
distributed "rocessing architecture and hence integrates a""lications with the local database
rather than centrali*ed one.
A)E messages are based on the .ntermediate 3ocument /.3oc2 format, similar to the E3.
counter"art.
Though A)E can be used to interface with non,SAP s#stems, usuall# it is used to distribute
Master Transactional data between SAP $78 instances.
The A)E distribution can be based on,
(usiness AP.s
.3oc Message T#"es
3istribution based on .3oc Message t#"es /exam"le, MATMAS 7 MAT4'$ for Material Master
3ata '$3E$S 7 '$34B% for 4ustomer master etcC2 are t#"icall# used in 8.x SAP releases.
The order of the da# /since release 0.>A2 and future is A)E distribution through (AP.s.
The main advantage of A)E is that it can work between different releases of $78 s#stems. So,
even after a release /version2 u"grade, A)E links continue to work as is. Since A)E is based on
the .3oc "rocessing model, error handling becomes eas#.
4. Business API &BAPI'
(usiness AP. /(AP.2 is the most im"ortant com"onent of SAP (usiness 5ramework. (AP.
enables SAP and third "art# a""lications to interact and integrate with each other at the (usiness
'bMect 7 Process level.
Till some time back, SAP was dee" into its not,so,friendl# interface and architecture, which it
inherited from the .(M Mainframe based "arent s#stem. (ut now it has come u" with trul#
"latform inde"endent business obMect interfaces using (AP.s. (usiness 'bMects and (AP.s
"rovide an obMect,oriented view of SAP+s business functionalit# /Transaction BAPI2.
A**lication !o%*onent
3istributed
BAPI
Business .:;ects
A86
#"!
(usiness
Processes
.ntegration
Services
4ommunication
Services
= (AP. and the SAP (usiness 5ramework
(AP.s are im"lemented using $emotel# callable 5unction modules. These $54s are assigned
as a calla:le %ethod of a (usiness 'bMect in the (usiness 'bMect $e"ositor# /('$2. All (AP.s
are inde"endent of the screen and hence can work in the background without user intervention.
(AP. su""orts both inbound and outbound "rocessing. Since it follows obMect,oriented a""roach,
SAP has "ositioned itself to su""ort interfacing through (AP.s in the future.
1-. SAP Auto%ation Tools
SAP Automation Tools are set of tools, com"onents and class libraries for develo"ers to integrate
non,SAP s#stems with SAP s#stems.
There are two tool sets available for SAP Automation.
SAP %:. interfaces
$54 (AP. interfaces
SAP %:. interface toolset can be used for develo"ing a""lications that can interact with SAP
transactions interactivel#, so that the end,users can access SAP Screens directl# from other
a""lications /like showing SAP screen from a &isual (asic screen scra"er "rogram2. These
toolsets use the SAP%:. a""lication server com"onent to connect to SAP $78.
:sing the second set of tools, SAP lets #ou access $54s and (AP.s directl# from non,SAP
s#stems. :sing these tools #ou can
4onnect to $78 from outside of the SAP %:. interface environment
Access SAP business obMects and (usiness AP.s /(AP.s2
Access $78 $54 function modules
Trigger $78 transactions in batch mode from outside of $78
Provide an alternative %:. interface to $78 a""lications and transactions
/Screen scra"ers2
Send or receive inbound or outbound .3oc documents to or from $78 The
SAP Assistant toolset contains following com"onents.
4, 4NN, !ava, &( AP.s 4lass files
Active A controls
4'M 7 34'M connectors server
Standalone EAE files, etcC
SAP Automation tools are ver# "owerful develo"er toolkit, which is ideal for develo"ing both
inbound and outbound real,time interfaces to or from SAP $78 s#stem.
11. SAP !onnectors
There are a number of connectors su""lied b# SAP for integrating $78 with different a""lications
and technologies.
SAP (usiness 4onnectors
SAP !ava 4onnectors
SAP .6ET 4onnectors
SAP 34'M 4onnectors
The !ava, .6ET and 34'M connectors are took kits, which are functionall# similar, to enable
intero"erabilit# between SAP and other software. These toolkits t#"icall# come with middleware
AP.s to su""ort $54 /s#nchronous, transactional -ueued2, (AP.s, and .3ocs. These connectors
are ideal for custom interface develo"ment for the in,house integration needs.
SAP (usiness 4onnectors is a ste" above the technolog# connectors. (usiness 4onnectors
allow integration of local and a""lication over the net, with o"en standards /like AM) etcC2. The
(AP. and .3oc interfaces are made available to "artners over the net using secured AM) based
services. .n addition, (usiness 4onnectors enable to ex"ose additional Web Services over the
internet for the business "artners to get information dee"l# buried into #our E$P s#stem.
12. Internet Transaction Ser<er &ITS'
.nternet Transaction Server /.TS2 is the transaction "rocessing s#stem that connects the web
BTTP server and the standard $78 s#stem. .TS is available since SAP release 8.?%. All the
.nternet A""lication 4om"onents /.A42 of SAP will be transacted through .TS.
:sing .TS .A4 the standard $78 transactions can be "erformed through the World Wide Web.
Some of the business com"onents that are "re,web,enabled b# SAP are,
B$ Em"lo#ee Self,Service /ESS2
4om"onents in SAP $etail Store
SAP (L( Procurement
.t is also "ossible to we:1ena:le the custom transactions and other standard transactions using
.TS, using the following tools and com"onents su""lied b# SAP.
SAPOWeb Studio
SAP %:. for BTM)
Web $54
Web $e"orting
Web Transactions
These com"onents su""ort generation of d#namic BTM)s, BTM)
(usiness
, !avaScri"t, 4ommon
%atewa# .nterface /4%.2, Microsoft .nformation Server AP. /.SAP.2, 6etsca"e Server AP. /6SAP.2 and
can interact with !ava, 4NN or &( "rograms.
Though the current develo"ment environment is not #et a matured one, it will soon be so in the
forthcoming releases of SAP.
13. !PI1! co%%unication
4ommon Programming .nterface , 4ommunication /4P.,42 is a direct "rogram,to,"rogram
communication "rotocol. Those who want to develo" sim"le but "ro"rietar# "rotocol can use this
techni-ue. $emote 5unction 4all /$542 is a sim"lified version of 4P.,4, so that the "rogrammer
need not worr# about the communication "rotocols and rather can concentrate on communicating
business information between "rograms.
4P.,4 allows an A(AP "rogram to set u" a connection to one or more external a""lication
"rograms in order to send data directl# to these "rograms.
!PI1! ABAP State%ents
!PI1! !all in ABAP 6=*lanation
4'MM:6.4AT.'6 .6.T .nitiali*e connection
4'MM:6.4AT.'6 A))'4ATE Set u" connection
4'MM:6.4AT.'6 A44EPT Acce"t connection
4'MM:6.4AT.'6 SE63 Send 3ata
4'MM:6.4AT.'6 $E4E.&E $eceive data
4'MM:6.4AT.'6 3EA))'4ATE 4lose the connection
.n short, 4P.,4 is the low,level stuff that hard,core "rotocol develo"ers will be interested in. .t is
not meant for (usiness,'bMect,level or A""lication,level integration.
1$. 6AI Products for SAP #>3
There are a number of Enter"rise A""lication .ntegration /EA.2 "roducts, which can integrate SAP
$78 with various other "roducts and a""lications. These "roducts claim to work at different levels of
integration, vi*., technolog# integration, a""lication integration, business "rocess integration,
s#stem integration etcC
Most of the "roducts are generic integration tools that come with SAP s"ecific ada"ters. Man# of
these also come with "re,built (usiness 'bMect Tem"lates for integrating SAP+s standard
business obMects like Sales 'rders, .nvoices, Purchase 'rders etcC
Some of the EA. "roducts that are available in the market are =
.(M+s ;Webs"here+ /formerl# known as 4rossworlds2
(EA+s ;Weblogic .ntegration+
Seebe#ondPs ;eQ%ate+
.T Architects ;4onnect,.T+
Tibco+s ;(usiness 4onnect+
(acksoft+s ;btalk+
Mercator+s ;.ntegration (roker+