Doubts about (E)SOA

[roberto_mazzola]

Hi,

I have some doubts about (E)SOA and SAP integrated with 3th party applications.

For example, I would like to use an external Sales Order Management System and integrate it with SAP R/3

3th party software Sales Order is a J2EE 1.4 /1.5 application and distribute standard Web Services (using WSDL and so on...) and it can consume external (SAP) Web Service.

So I believe this is the perfect SOA integration scenario, right ? (this is my first doubt)

But, I really need the NetWeaver PI 7.1 or XI module (to call it a SOA intregration) ?

I suppose to have:

If I suppose to have only the that 3th party software that invoke SAP R/3 Web Service (and no viceversa), I believe than

a SAP R/3 system with Enterprise Service Bundles (ESBs... but where are they installed ? in another server, another NetWeaver component ?)

a SAP NetWeaver CE 7.1 server with the 3th party software installed

are enough. Right?

In this way we have a low number of layers and a minimun hardware and skill requirements.

Of couse a SAP NetWeaver PI (or XI.. I haven't understand what is better... I believe XI) module would be very nice to have an "orchestrator" and "manager" to build business applications using Web Services.

This layer allow to define business process, and introduce a "transformation engine".

My goal is to have a SOA oriented architecture to integrate 3th party applications and SAP but without force final customer to use a specific Intregration layer (NetWeaver PI 7.1, or Websphere, TIBCO, JBoss)

Thank You to all

and sorry if this is not the right place where post this kind of questions

Roberto

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Roberto,

In fact the discription you have made about the scenario bundled over a Netweaver App. Server Stack Java and Composition Environment 7.1 is surely enough to support your SOA ESB ( Enterprise Service Bus) instead the need of a complete system landscape including PI 7.1

Considering you just have the intention to support non SAP J2EE applications and at the time you shall give them all capability to connect SAP R/3 system such as you have explained here.

I understand you have to consider the possibility to work restricted inside your java landscape, the stack Java will be able to suport both web services you have (I'm considering those top-down and bottom-up, coming from wsdl and ejb's).

Even considering just the stack java, as I'm understanding you want to figure out, you still have the UDDI from Stack Java Netweaver's side, this is also enough to support your enterprise SOA solutions.

Other point is that you even want to communicate with your ABAP programms, so some connectors must to be coded from the NW2004s Java's side, and there's no other way to do that without JCO APIs.

About PI 7.1 it could be a pretty good improvement to your SOA ESB, but you also should consider the budget and all efforts you need to depploy this feature, PI 7.1 it's a really SOA conformity ESB Process Integration module for SAP and non-SAP systems, and it's really a valuable advantage for an heterogeneos service environments, but not exactly to the scenario you have described here.

I'm considering you want just integrated results in SAP System....and keep the inteligence at the Java side.

[roberto_mazzola · Accepted solution]

Hi Paulo

thanks very much for your reply.

It help me.

Maybe you can help me again..

What is there relation between XI (3.0) and PI 7.1 ?

I believe that the new family and fully standard SOA / BPM product is PI and XI was the old "family"

thanks again and best regards

Roberto

[Former Member]

Hi Roberto,

Regarding your last question about XI 3.0 and PI 7.1, we can start from the point...they're a complete differente platform considering the Netweaver Application Server where they're bundled.

XI 3.0 is the old XI Platform, based on Netweaver Application Server Stack ABAP + Stack Java on version 2004s (7.0) with its service released based on SR2......maybe it couldn't say more than we already know about SAP Netweaver, therefore this version still remains in Java 1.4.2 release.

So you must consider how deep you want to go in your environment, considering a regular to strong effort to migrate your Java Proxies and ABAP Proxies at all. this version has also a master installation for both 64 and 32 bits platforms.

PI 7.1 is the newest, maybe not so stable like the last one, but here, we are surely talking about something new, even the Stack Java and ABAP are based in CE 7.1 and the new SAP Netweaver 7.1, considering Composition Environment 7.1 we are really talking about Java 5, the sun software where sap has been based for this version.

If you are planning to start from SAP and you really intend that you will have a strong effort to integrate your legacy (non-sap) to sap systems. I strong recommend that you start from here. This version has only a master installation for 64 bits platforms.