SAP Net Weaver Overview

NetWeaver is:
An Application and Integration platform that unifies people, information and business
processes.
A safe choice with full A.NET and J2EE Interoperability.
The business foundation for SAP and partners which reduce the integration cost with PreDelivery Content and increases the Business Flexibility.
A platform that is based on Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA); SAP hopes to release
future product offerings in compliance with ESA
NetWeaver is NOT:
A replacement for SAP R/3! A marketing strategy (only)

Integration
The following graphic is a simple overview showing how SAP NetWeaver XI/PI is
positioned. The important components and concepts are listed on the right-hand side.

SAP NetWeaver XI/PI is part of the usage type Process Integration.

Features
SAP NetWeaver XI/PI is based on general standards so as to enable external systems to
be integrated.
At the center of the infrastructure is an XML-based communication that uses HTTP
(Hyper Text Transfer Protocol).
The application-specific contents are transferred in messages in user-defined XML
(eXtensible Markup Language) schema from the sender to the receiver using the
Integration Server.
Note:

In the above graphic, Integration Broker is an SAP NetWeaver capability (that is, the
features for a technological area of SAP NetWeaver) that is supported by SAP NetWeaver
XI/PI. The Integration Server, on the other hand, is a technical runtime component.
Senders and receivers that exchange messages using the Integration Server are separated
from one another.
This separation makes it easier to connect systems that are technologically different.

Every system that can exchange messages with the Integration Server can also exchange
messages with all other systems that are connected to the Integration Server.
SAP NetWeaver XI/PI supports the following methods of communication with the
Integration Server:

Direct communication using proxies, which you generate in the application

systems beforehand using a description in WSDL (Web Service Description
Language).

Communication using adapters. In this case, you create interfaces for

message exchange in the application system, or use existing interfaces.

Simple message processing on the Integration Server is stateless.

This means that the Integration Server does not know of any connections
between various messages.

Cross-component integration processes, on the other hand, describe related processes,

which can use the knowledge about messages that have already been processed to further
control the process (for example, waiting for the corresponding response for a message in
order to start further actions).
You can use SAP NetWeaver XI/PI to model, change, and manage these crosscomponent integration processes centrally; these processes are executed on the
Integration Server and are included in message processing by configuration.
As with cross-component integration processes, you save the entire integration
knowledge of a collaborative process centrally in SAP NetWeaver XI/PI.
Objects at design time in the Integration Repository and objects at configuration time in
the Integration Directory.
In this way, SAP Exchange Infrastructure follows the principle of shared collaboration
knowledge:
You no longer need to search for information about a collaborative process in each of the
systems involved, but can call this information centrally instead.
This procedure considerably reduces the costs for the development and maintenance of
the shared applications.

SAP XI/PI is an integration technology and platform for:

SAP and Non-SAP systems

A2A and B2B scenarios
Synchronous and Asynchronous communication
Cross component Business Process management and it include built-in engine for
designing and executing integration process (Business process).
The goal of SAP XI/PI is to provide single point of integration of all systems inside and
outside the corporate boundary across technologies and organizational boundaries.
The important feature of XI/PI is openness, flexible and transparency to the integration
process. It is based on ESA and SOA.
The overall key concept of SAP XI/PI is to drive integrated business process across
heterogeneous and highly dynamic landscapes in a more manageable cost effective way.
The basic idea is to provide runtime infrastructure which allows heterogeneous systems
to be tied together with fewer connections and at the same time, in order to connect those
applications and let messages flow from one application to other, have a centralized
storage of integration knowledge.
SAP Exchange Infrastructure forms the basis for the integration of business processes.
SAP XI/PI provides a technical infrastructure for XML-based message exchange to
enable the integration of SAP systems with each other on the one hand, and SAP and nonSAP systems on the other.
In SAP XI/PI, integration knowledge is shipped in the form of pre-defined integration
scenarios.
Furthermore, SAP XI/PI provides a set of integrated tools for creating and managing all
integration-relevant information.
XI/PI provides
Shared Integration Knowledge:
- Stores and maintains the Integration Scenarios, Business Processes, Web Services,
Interfaces, Mappings, Routing Rules, etc.
- Enables distribution execution.

- Supports UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration).

Loose Coupling via XML messaging:
- Asynchronous communication as far as possible.
- Synchronous communication is also supported.
Openness and Interoperability:
Openness

Use open, XML-based standards

Leverage Industry Standards in B2B scenarios

Interoperability

Connect to applications using specialized adapters

Connect to existing integration solutions using JMS (e.g. MQSeries) or SOAP

Why Choose SAP Exchange Infrastructure?

A common IT landscape at any customer site includes several e-Procurement

applications, various existing ERP systems of different versions, Engineering /
Manufacturing systems.
All these systems are working almost heterogeneously, because they cant talk to each
other seamlessly.
Integrating all these systems leads to a high complexity in managing.
With SAP Exchange Infrastructure and collaborative business, SAP approaches the
Integration Challenge from a different angle.
The basic idea is to provide a runtime infrastructure which allows heterogeneous systems
to be tied together with fewer connections and at the same time, in order to connect those
applications and let messages flow from one application to the other, has a centralized
storage of the integration knowledge.
Enables an easy integration of applications and business partners based on open
standards.
Integration costs are high
Lots of heterogeneous systems
Long integration projects
IT environments become increasingly rigid

Pressure on IT increases
Must leverage existing investments

How to Lower TCO

Reduce complexity
Minimize the number of connections - using hubs
Use only 1 platform to integrate all people, information, and systems
Reduce custom integration
Deliver .NET and J2EE interoperability
Deliver adaptors for ISV products
Deliver products, not projects!
Increase company performance
Increase ease of use, scalability and adaptability

Increase business process flexibility by using an Enterprise Services Architecture

Evolution

Document Mgmt
Market Analysis

SCM

Trading

E-Procurement

Technical systems
PLM

Reuse existing technologies like JCA-compliant

Adapters or XSLT- / Java mappings integrate existing Web Services

allows easy and non-disruptive addition of new services and processes.

Integration of existing and new SAP systems.

Integration of existing customer and 3rd party components.

Pre delivered Integration Contents and Meta-data (CRM, SCM, SRM,

etc).

Benefits

Lower TCO by using open / industry-specific standards

Out of the box integration of SAP solutions.

Simplified upgrade of SAP solutions.

Versioning and modification management of integration meta-data.

Leverage existing investments.

Arrive at new integration landscape in an evolutionary manner

Allow easy and non-disruptive addition of new services and processes.

Arrive at new integration landscape in an evolutionary manner

XI Component Overview

The XI/PI is not a single component but a collection of different components which work
together flexibly to implement the integration scenarios.
You can create and maintain 3 types of components
-

Design Time

Configuration Time

Run Time

XI/PI Components

SLD (System Landscape Directory)

Is a central repository of information about software and systems in the data center.
Integration Builder
A client-server framework for accessing and editing two stores of Shared
Collaboration knowledge.
It has two parts, which are fat clients to SLD where we can import the objects and use
them locally.
The basic reason for separating Integration Repository from Integration Directory is
because by separating design time activities from configuration time activities,
SAP can ship content from the Integration Repository, which each customer can
implement for their specific landscape in the Integration Directory.
IR (Integration Repository)
It is used for the design and development of interface, Process and Mapping objects that
are used to implement Integration Scenarios.
Usually they contain static objects, which can be used for different landscapes by
defining the routing rules in Integration Directory.
ID (Integration Directory)
They contain dynamic objects where in we configure scenarios using the objects from
Integration Repository and route the messages between systems.
Integration Server
This component provides run time for XI/PI. This is central processing engine of XI/PI.
BPE (Business Process Engine)
Business Process Engine enables SAP Netweaver with BPM capability by processing
integration processes at runtime.
BPE uses functions of the workflow engine and generates workflow from integration
process at runtime.
IE (Integration Engine)

Integration engine enables processing of XML messages that are exchanged between
applications in heterogeneous system landscapes.
Using adapters such as IDoc, http, it can process IDocs (Intermediate documents), http
requests and Remote Function Calls.
It is runtime environment of SAP Exchange Infrastructure, which has the task of
receiving, processing and forwarding XML messages.
Processing is done with the evaluation of Collaboration agreements, by determination of
receivers and execution of mapping programs.
AE (Adapter Engine)
Adapter engine is used to connect Integration Engine to SAP systems and external
systems.
Various types of adapters are provided to convert XML and HTTP based messages to the
specific message protocol and format required by the partner systems and vice-versa.
It is based on adapter framework, in turn based on SAP J2EE Engine (as part of the SAP
Web Application Server) and J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA).

XI/PI Key Functionalities

SAP XI/PI abandons the point-to-point integration approach, favouiring instead a

model that features loosely coupled applications communicating via
XML/SOAL/HTTP.

A message is received at the Integration Server and is examined by the runtime

environment; based on the configuration for the particular message type and
content, the message is routed to the appropriate receiver(s), perhaps undergoing a
mapping to the partner format along the way.

The XI/PI Adapter Engine is based on the integrated J2EE engine of the SAP Web
AS; it allows for central configuration and monitoring of all adapters, even those
that are installed de-centrally.

The Adapter Engine includes its own security message processing, and message
queuing functionality.

In order to enable B2B scenarios, XI includes security features such as message

encryption, digital signature and non-repudiation.

SAP provides Industry Standards content for the Integration Repository; for
instance, implementations of Rosetta Net Partner Interface Processes (Pips). The
Integration Directory includes Collaboration Profiles and Collaboration
Agreements for enabling B2B communication.

It depends on many parameters

as mentioned system landscapes

If you have R/3 or any SAP systems in your environment, then you can definitely
think of XI/PI as an Integration tool.

Total Cost of Ownership is reduced

XI/PI is a Centralized Integration Platform with Open Standard. In current world,

Openness is important.

Skill Set

Also remember that XI/PI is an Evolving Integration Tool.

Here are the advantages

* Easy Integration with SAP products & components (RFC, IDOC, and Proxy).

* Data security as expected from any SAP product.

* Standards based - XML, XSD, Xpath etc
* Ability to communicate with other messaging systems/products.
* Business Process Management
* Synchronous & Asynchronous communication possible.
* Complex processes for communication possible instead of only sending and receiving
(business process management) (connect e.g. asynchronous and synchronous steps,
define complex communication scenarios)
* Mapping etc possible to accomplish in Java. Platform independent Java components.
* Java & .Net support.
* Big range of adapters for different technologies / tools (SOAP, Mail, JDBC,
CDIX...)available in standard or offered by other companies (EDI e.g. by See burger).
* Process functionalities inside XI/PI to modify content in the communication channel on
own defined rules for business purposes.
* Central monitoring for data communication for all your communication between
different systems.
* And the marketing issue: SAP and its partners provide high volume of development
capabilities to make XI/PI always up-to-date for new requirements
I would say XI is the best tool for integration (especially to integrate SAP products),
secondly it provides us with lots of option to interact with R/3 and other SAP servers.
It also has central monitoring system which helps us to monitor whole of the scenario in a
single place.
Other integration tools can be WebMethods, Tibco etc
SAP Exchange Infrastructure is SAPs platform for process integration based on the
exchange of XML messages.

Connect

XI/PI has the ability to connect all applications regardless of whether it is an

application from a 3rd party or from SAP.

The solution has pre-built connectivity to all SAP modules

Such as SAP CRM and utilizes the Adapter Framework to integrate 3rd Party
solutions
Such as Siebel, People Soft, Legacy systems, or AS/400s and Mainframes.

Coordinate
XI/PI has the ability to define a path/workflow for each business transaction that is
integrated.
The system actively routes each message to ensure that it is properly
delivered from the source to the target destination.
Active monitoring allows Administrators to manage document exchange on an exception
basis.
Communicate
XI/PI has the ability to translate files into any format whether an internal file format or
any Business to Business integration standard including but not limited to an XML
format, an EDI format, a marketplace, or a Web Service.
Finally, there are multiple communication Protocols included which allow the routing of
a file over protocols such as s/FTP, http/s,SOAP, ebMS, Value-Added Networks, or EDI
INT (AS1, AS2).
Understanding the SAP Exchange Infrastructure
Now, you might be saying to yourself, we already have solutions that provide all of this
functionality. True, most organizations have invested previously in an integration
strategy, but what we see in over 90% of organizations is that they have multiple
translators and communication brokers, which they are supporting on a daily basis. This
is both a resource drain as well as a monetary drain. For example, it is not uncommon to
see the following even in smaller organizations:

Multiple Point to Point connectivity

For example, R/3 connected to a 3rd party

Warehouse Management Solution via an internally developed adapter or with the

SAP Business Connector

A 3rd party EAI Integration Broker to connect legacy mainframe systems to SAP
and WMS

A 3rd party EDI translator to communicate messages

A 3rd party XML broker to communicate XML messages to marketplaces and

non-EDI Trading partners

A communication server that focuses on sending messages via FTP, Value-Added

Networks and Internet protocols such as AS2 solution of choice for SAP end users
Interface

Service B

Service A

Software Component 1

Outbound Interface

PI

Business System A

Business System B

Software Component 2

Inbound Interface

As a SAP XI/PI Developer you will be required to

Gather requirements, develop specifications and technical documentation.
Perform requirement analysis and high and low level design.
Perform the coding, testing and integration mapping Interface with onsite / offshore
project teams,
Sometimes responsible for developing java applications based on clients requirement
specifications,
Preparing the technical design document, creating prototypes, analyzing and
Identifying performance bottle-necks,
Providing technical and user documentation and training to client,
Providing relevant data to the Module Leader for status reports.