Advantage and disadvantages of XI

[Former Member]

Dear All,

I was asked to list down the Advantages and Disadvantages of XI over other middleware tools in an interview

Please advice.

Regards,

Ashish

[Former Member]

Hi Ashish,

Advantages of XI:

XI is a middleware like many others. It is well suited for connecting SAP systems with each other and with non-SAP.If your focus is not on SAP systems, other solutions might be a better choice today. SAP XI provides an integrated workflow engine that allows to define adapters to non-XML-protocols and mappings to convert data content from source to target.

Any fully mature middleware should provide these three layers.

1. An independent Message Queue

2. A data consolidator and mapping engine

3. Workflow processor.

XI is lacking full-fledged Message Queue compared to other established Middleware products.

Currently, SAP XI does not have the features like IBM Websphere, Seeburger or TIBCO.

SAP's next XI release might provide this missing piece and many more features which is due 2007 i guess.

Here are the advantages of SAP XI from my point of view.There are lots of advantages but to list a few :

• Easy Integration with SAP products & components (RFC, IDOC, 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 Seeburger).

• Process functionalities inside XI to modify content in the communication channel on own defined rules fpr 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 always up-to-date for new requirements

Regards,

Subhasha Ranjan

[Former Member]

it has got shipped its sap componenets with it such as MY SAP solutions with it...i.e CRM,etc

<b>interaporability</b>

<b>SAP to NON SAP SYSTEMS</b>

<b>ROI(Return on investment)</b>

<b>single point of integration.</b>

[Shabarish_Nair]

one of the frequent questions asked here

Ref:

https://forums.sdn.sap.com/click.jspa?searchID=1464536&messageID=1582939

[Former Member]

Shabarish the link isn't working...

regards,

Ashish

[Shabarish_Nair]

try this -

[Former Member]

Pleas have a look into these discussions~

[Former Member]

Ashish,

>>Shabarish the link isn't working...

This is the correct link

Regards,

Jai Shankar