MessageHeader Documentation

[phil_soady]

I have being trying to find documentation on MessageHeader from the Enterprise Services.

Looks to be on each and every ES.

The PI content which we have loaded doesnt have any documentation on the Structure. Why not?

Have searched in vain on the Workplace to place to find any documentation of the fields.

*MessageHeader Element BusinessDocumentMessageHeader *

Where is this MessageHeader information used ?

On a second note:

Why is the documentation not delivered in the XI content ?

Is the XSD documentation featue used at all anywhere ?

is it possible to download the documentation with a WSDL ?

I find WSDLs , just no documentation.

How do people address the how to use an interface question.

SOA is not the issue. We have over 100 custom Services running just fine. (Custom PI service interfaces)

Understanding the GDT and delivered content is my challenge.

Any tips appreciated.

[Former Member]

Hi,

There's a comprehensive document (the name escapes me now but you could search for SAP GDT Catalog and download it). It's about 15 (an a half) thousand pages long. This document is comprehensive and goes down to the finest detail of the data types used and how they should be used. I've found that, before diving into SAP Enterprise Services, I had to go through this catalog several times to understand the usage/use cases.

An example of the BusinessDocumentMessageHeader usage:

[http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/10ad5bc3-67fe-2b10-be90-e9085a21d67f?quicklink=index&overridelayout=true]

You'll find more detail on it's usage (down to individual field level) on page 11940. So there isn't comprehensive documentation deleivered with the WSDL's or XI Content (I'm assuming it's because of the size of the reference documentation) but use this SAP GDT Catalog as your reference.

When you've read this section, you start seeing why this header (based on UN/CEFACT CCTS sepcifications as with all other SAP GDT's) why this header is relevant in all SAP Enterprise Services (in relation to idempotency, FEH, tracing, monitoring etc.).

Best Regards, Trevor

[phil_soady]

Hi trevor,

I appreciate you taking time to answer the question. And award points for this.

But it my view GDT Documentation is not service documentation.

ESWORKPLACE is worse.

So there isnt service / service operation documentation i assume.

Nor decent coverage of the MessageHeader?

Please prove me wrong.

Regards

phil.

[Former Member]

Hi Phil,

Ok, I thought you were specifically needing documentation on the breakdown of the MessageHeader. It all comes down to interpretation I think. For Service/operation documentation, for me, the ES Worplace works really well. This wasn't always the case though and the ES Workplace has vastly improved since it was first available.

Again, for me personally, the SAP GDT Catalog and the MessageHeader breakdown in there is sufficient. Having worked on lots of integration projects I understood the merits of the MessageHeader concept long before I saw SAP's version of it. The MessageHeader concept is always used (especially when disparate systems are used in integration) to ensure consistency across the Enterprise, so for an integration person it makes sense at first glance.

Having said that (and being a Techie myself), when first navigating through the ES Workplace, having an SAP Functional person on hand helped tremendously. So the SAP GDT Catalog would make more sense to a technical (integration) person while the ES Workplace would make more sense for a business (functional) person.

Best Regards, Trevor

[phil_soady]

In case you are interested,

the solution lies in class CL_WS_IDP_HELPER

See txn WSIDPADMIN to activate the cleanup jobs.

here is a blog to help the uninitiated.

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/60679679-85c1-2c10-9fa4-cc009a522...

WORD of warning about using idEmpotency.

The cleanup jobs remove the ability to prove the "answer" to caller.

If the dup arrives 1 day late, you cant provide the original response anymore since the cleanup job has removed it.

So what exactly do you expect to get from idEmpotency.

make sure you consider the error handling before using.

[phil_soady]

In case you are interested,

the solution lies in class CL_WS_IDP_HELPER

See txn WSIDPADMIN to activate the cleanup jobs.

here is a blog to help the uninitiated.

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/60679679-85c1-2c10-9fa4-cc009a522...

WORD of warning about using idEmpotency.

The cleanup jobs remove the ability to prove the "answer" to caller.

If the dup arrives 1 day late, you cant provide the original response anymore since the cleanup job has removed it.

So what exactly do you expect to get from idEmpotency.

make sure you consider the error handling before using.

[phil_soady]

Hi Trevor,

yes I was after specific detail on the message header.

The interpretation and use of the data in a given SAP service.

When there is common behaviour describe that centrally, but some description of how the data is processed

and the affect it has would be good.

The GDT doesnt tackle the issue of functionality. What transactions to use in SAP backend to utilize the data etc.

Eg how and when do the Services Use the "party" fields.

Also when and how are SCHEME ID and AGENCY attributes used.

Does this imply Extended XML processing must be used.

There are NOTES about performance and EXTENDED xml processing.

How should one use Scheme ID and Agency in the message Header ?

Where is the reference to PAF in the GDT ? There is an example only of the attribute SCHEMEID in the GDT documentation.

But no discussion about how it used.

The example is always this Purchased Order example.

What about how it is used in PAF.

What about the behaviour of TESTIndicator.

Is it used properly ? What does test mean on a create service ? Rollback ? Do you get a response with DOC ID ?

What if Doc id is manadatory in response.

Having a generic header is great and techies who have been doing interfacing for years

know and understand, and indeed use message headers.

SAP ES has one, Im genuinely trying to understand EXACTLY what sap does with each field and each attribute in the header.

Is this possible without looking at code?