About Course: What is Process Integration & Orchestration

What is SAP PI?

SAP PI (Process Integration) is an enterprise integration platform that provides seamless integration between SAP and non-SAP applications within the organization A2A (Application to Application) or even outside the organization B2B (Business to Business). It allows organizations to exchange information between internal softwares within the company and external systems outside the company.

The SAP PI full form is Process Integration.

What is SAP PO?

SAP PO (Process Orchestration) is a tool for automation and optimization of business processes. It combines features of SAP Business Process Management (BPM), SAP Process Integration (PI), and SAP Business Rules Management (BRM). In other words, SAP Process Orchestration is a more advanced version of SAP PI and has all the tools required to integrate applications.

The SAP PO full form is Process Orchestration.

Understanding SAP PI/PO with an Example

But this was a technical aspect of SAP PI, but to understand this better we will see the example of implementation of SAP Process Integration.

SAP PI PO Overview

Let see how SAP PI handles the XML messages by the help of Integration Broker. The exchange of data or message in SAP PI occurs in these four phases.

Curriculum:

• Message Transformation: During message exchange, it transforms the structure of the business data
• Message Routing: Forwarding a message sent by a sender system to one or more receiver systems
• Connectivity Adapters: Connecting the integration broker and receiver system, the adapter will transform the incoming message into an inbound message and later convert it to the format of the receiving system at the other end
• Integration Processes: Cross component Business Process Management (ccBPM) consists of functions for enhanced service orchestration.

Next in this SAP PI tutorial, we will learn How SAP PI/PO works.

How SAP PI/PO works

SAP PI performs three basic functions

• Connect: SAP PI has an ability to integrate with all application regardless of whether it is an application from a 3rd party or from the SAP. It uses the adapter framework to integrate 3rd party solutions.
• Co-ordinate: It can define a path/workflow for each business transaction that is integrated. It ensures that each message is correctly delivered from the source to the target destination
• Communicate: It can translate files into any format whether an internal file format or any business to business integration standard.

Next in this SAP PO , we will learn about SAP PI PO architecture.

SAP PI/PO Architecture

SAP PI is not a single component responsible for the integration of SAP and Non- SAP application, but it is a cluster of components that together make SAP PI functional. This architecture of SAP PI or components is used during design time, configuration time and at run time. The various components of SAP PI include

System Landscape Directory:

It is a central information provider in a system landscape. SLD contains two types of information, “Component Information (Installable & Installed) and Landscape description.”

Integration Builder:

It is a tool-set which contains a set of tools for accessing and editing integration objects

Integration Server:

It is a central processing engine of the PI. All messages are processed using this server.

Central Monitoring:

With the help of this monitoring of PI domain is done, and “workbench” is the tool that is used for monitoring.

Adapter Engine:

It acts as a connector to connect the integration engine to SAP systems and other systems.

Message Processing Technique by PI:

To access data from SAP and Non-SAP application this technique is used. SAP PI uses an intermediate document like IDoc to Flat files to transfer their data.

Design:

Process Integration (PI) uses integration repository to design message structure

Configuration:

Integration Directory (ID) is used to configure technical parameters for objects created in IR ( Integration Repository)

Message Processing:

Once the IDOC is activated in SAP system, PI takes in charge and convert messages into XML format for its internal processing

Connectivity: Proxy Framework & Adapter Framework

Adapter Framework:

SAP PI connects with any external systems (SAP or Non-SAP) using the Adapter Framework. The adapter framework is based on the AS Java runtime environment and the connector architecture (JCA) version. The adapter framework consists of two default module chains if message processing is to be executed entirely within the adapter, default module chain for the adapter can be used.

• One for the sender direction
• One for the receiver direction

There are four types of Adapters used in SAP PI

• File adapters: It exchanges files with external systems
• JMS adapters: It communicates with a messaging system
• SOAP adapters: It communicates with providers and clients of web services
• JDBC adapters: It is an extended pack for SAP PI

Other interfaces supported by adapter framework are

• Configuration Services ( API and Adapter metadata xsd)
• Administration Services
• Various service APIs provided by Adapter framework- Thread Manager, Transaction Manager)
• Adapter framework includes a message audit log API. The API can be used for the technical trace and logging to write trace statements that describes the execution of the code.

SAP PI/PO Security

For messages, SAP PI provides the message level security for XI message protocol, for the SOAP adapter, for the RosettaNet protocol, for mail adapter, for the CIDX protocol and for connectivity with WSRM (Web Service Reliable Messaging) enabled systems. In SAP PI message level security enabled through the use of encryption, digital signature, SAML Assertion, Username token, Certificate token, etc. Authentication methods supported by WS infrastructure for transport level includes basic authentication (Password and Username), SAP assertion ticket, and HTTP over SSL.

Connecting Integration Server with WSRM (Web Service Reliable Messaging) Enabled System

To connect with WSRM enabled system you use a communication channel of adapter type WS.

• You use a sender agreement with an assigned WS sender adapter to connect the Integration Server to a WS consumer
• You use a receiver agreement with an assigned WS receiver adapter to connect the integration server to a WS provider

Benefits of Security in SAP PI/PO

• Permissions of the receiver application are checked against the original user
• In the receiver system, a user can be audited
• Dynamic configuration at the PI receiver channel
• New Features in SAP PI/PO
• The new features in SAP PI include
• Centralized monitoring based on SAP solution manager.
• Very large (binary) file to file transfer
• IDOC ( Intermediate Document ) and HTTP adapters in AAE (Advance Adapter Engine)
• User Centric perspective in the ESR
• Interface and Mapping based message split on AAE
• Time Out configuration per communication channel
• Automated Transport for Schema Validation
• Replacing Trex, user-defined message search
• User Centric perspectives in the ESR

Add-on for SAP PI: Secure Connectivity add-on (SGTP Adapter, PGP module) & B2B add-ons (OFTP adapter, AS2 adapter, EDI separator, EDI XML converter etc.)

Advantages of SAP PI/PO

• In comparison to any other middleware product monitoring in SAP PI is better. It offers monitoring features like a message, performance, component monitoring and so on, all of which can be used to track and rectify the errors.
• SAP PI supports various SAP components which are required while integrating with SAP PI
• Adapters and mappings are good as compared with any other middleware product
• Asynchronous and Synchronous communication is possible