point-to-point connection bs direct rfc connection

[Former Member]

Hello:

I can execute one RFC made on one SAP System (sys1) in other SAP System (sys2) only by the creation of the corresponding RFC destination, so I don't know that's the utility for direct connections between two SAP Systems. Could someone explain me what's the advantages of using direct connections bs RFC connections ?. The unique factor I can thinks is that RFC protocol is more restrictive than WS protocol so In some cases if it's not possible to communicate both systems via RFC connection we can use direct connections. (HTTP/SOAP) . Is there any other factor for using direct connection ?

In the second case (Direct Connections) I suppose that the messages can't be monitored in SAP PI (RW or sxmb_moni) because the communication is made witout the participation of the IS. It's that true ?

Thanks in advance.

[rodrigoalejandro_pertierr]

the are two differents things.

During the direct communication process, two systems directly communicate with one another through the Web services runtime, without switching between a central integration server. Accordingly, process integration runtime services, such

as mapping or routing, cannot be used.

You can make the configuration settings required for both systems involved centrally in the Integration Directory. They are then propagated to the back-end systems through cache notifications. Currently, this mechanism is used to completely provide only back-end systems with configuration data based at least on the ABAP 7.10 application server.

Using direct communication optimizes your performance during message processing, as you switch off the components of middleware software. At the same time, however, your administration effort for processing this point-to-point connection using direct communication increases as the connections are normally not centrally configured.

[Former Member]

Hello Rodrigo:

Thanks for your quick response but I know this, I visited the blog

Point-to-Point Connection using ABAP in SAP using PI 7.1 ().

The question is a comparison between a direct call of one RFC between two SAP Systems (you don't need SAP PI) through RFC connection and a point to point connection using SAP PI 7.1, that implies the use of the Web Services Runtime and needs the configuration of ABAP proxies in the source and the target system.

And in the case of using point to point connection can you monitor the communication messages via sxmb_moni or RW.?

[rodrigoalejandro_pertierr]

you can monitor the message in boths in sxi_monitor or RWB in your case.

if you want to know how to monitor an scenario RFC to RFC the better aproach is with a pass-throught scenario and not with direct connection. thats because whats the blogs says:

When an environment contains many point-to-point connections, the administration and maintenance of connections becomes quite cumbersome to support. This is where the benefit of SAP Netweaver 7.1 Process Integration (PI) becomes obvious. PI provides a tool and infrastructure to centrally design, configure and support of the point-to-point connection. With PI, message types and interface can be designed in the Enterprise Service (ES) Repository, and connection configurations and communication channels can be done in the Integration Directory (ID). 

Direct Connection applys better, for example if you go for WS-RM protocol o allows a much greater message throughput performance, simply because a middleware is not involved in message processing. However, because of this, services such mappings, dynamic receiver determination, ccBPM (as provided by the middleware) are no longer available during the message exchange.

Rgds

Edited by: Rodrigo Alejandro Pertierra on Nov 10, 2011 1:19 PM