SAP PI or SAP CE for consuming Enterprise Services

[Former Member]

Good Afternoon,

I have a question on whether to use SAP PI or SAP CE for consuming Enterprise Services. Both the components can directly communicate to the ESR and consume the services. But what is the SAP's recommended approach on this? Is it good always to pass through PI even though CE(Portal) needs to consume the Enterprise Services?

I would appreciate if someone share some thoughts!

Thanks!

[baskar_gopalakrishnan2 · Accepted solution]

SAP PI is a middleware tool.  As you know middleware tool has standard features like monitoring, log tracing, performance monitoring, tuning,  alert mechanism and so.  SAP PI 7.1 and later supports SOA technology. You can even do more than just doing service definition like registering services and more. So I would recommend using PI for the better practice. Plus you can seperate application logic from the middleware logic using PI.   You can handle many standard authentication procedures using PI. SO I would recommend PI.

Ofcourse you can consume Enterprise services using any product that host web services runtime. If your requirement is simple you might go for CE.

Refer SCN to understand and learn about PI.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Baskar,

I know that the below mentioned areas are very well supported in PI.Based on your comments should I assume that these were lacking in Portal(CE)?

monitoring, log tracing, performance monitoring, tuning,  alert mechanism and Authentication procedures 

I apologize for being a pest - I need to give a recommendation to the customer and I should give some valid points. If you say that these were missing in CE then I completely agree with you.

[baskar_gopalakrishnan2 · Accepted solution]

Yes, What I mentioned PI middleware features are not available in CE.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Baskar,

If I take an example of log traces from your features - you are saying log traces in not available in CE. In other words I can't see them in NWA - Are you sure about this?

Thanks!    

[baskar_gopalakrishnan2 · Accepted solution]

log traces available in both. What I meant is in addition to server logs,  you can record messages like system errors, business errors and successful processed messages and available in the PI. You can retrieve them whenever you want. Also you archive those error messages for some time for reference.Plus you have capability to see the entire message flow by the time it enters PI and leaves PI.

[Former Member]

Hi,

>> Is it good always to pass through PI even though CE(Portal) needs to consume the Enterprise Services?

The use of end point url as common hub is quite feasible in SAP PI

Cheers

Agasthuri

[Former Member]

>>I have a question on whether to use SAP PI or SAP CE for consuming Enterprise Services. Both the components can directly communicate to the ESR and consume the services.

If that so, SAP PI is preferred option,

>>Is it good always to pass through PI even though CE(Portal) needs to consume the Enterprise Services?

Depends upon the requirement & good to thru SAP PI

>>My question still revolves around which is the best approach. Let say If I have both PI and CE on my landscape, then which one will you prefer

SAP PI

>>My only question is if my CE needs to consume ES then do I need to route through PI.

SAP PI preferred way

Cheers

Agasthuri

[Former Member]

Hello Raj and Baskar,

Thanks for your response. I know about PI. But don't know about CE. My question still revolves around which is the best approach. Let say If I have both PI and CE on my landscape, then which one will you prefer and why you prefer one over the other?

Raj,

We can have central ESR and Point both PI and CE to the ESR. But that's not the whole point. My only question is if my CE needs to consume ES then do I need to route through PI. Hope I'm clear on my question.   

Thanks!

[rajasekhar_reddy14]

Hi ,

if you have both in landscape(PI and CE) then i would prefer PI , becuase middleware offeres many features baskar already pointed.

Best Regards,

Raj

[baskar_gopalakrishnan2]

>Let say If I have both PI and CE on my landscape then which one will you prefer and why you prefer one over the other?

I would prefer only PI for the less maintanence and above mentioned PI features in my earlier reply.

[rajasekhar_reddy14]

Hi,

It depends on your client land scape.

If you have CE insttaled on your landscape then CE it self has ESR and Service registry so you dont required PI . You can directly consume/use enterprise services. this is standard approach, even you can publish in CE ESR .

If you have PI environment then you can use PI. PI also have ESR/SR.

Best Regards,

Raj