Why XI is need ?

[Former Member]

Hi friends,

I have some couple of questions in XI?...

Why we need to use XI?..eventhough some existing Integration tools are avaliable in the market..like TIBCO.. Webmethods etc...What XI does TIBCO does...same Vice versa..

<b>Wht is the major difference between these</b>...Why SAP developed XI ?

please send your answers...ASAP..

Regards,

Kumar.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Kumar,

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.

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

Also check this doc on XI:

http://www.sap.com/platform/netweaver/pdf/BWP_SB_ExchangeInfrastructure.pdf

For more information about XI, Please go through this link:

https://websmp201.sap-ag.de/xi

Regards,

Subhasha Ranjan

Message was edited by:

Subhasha Ranjan

[Former Member]

<b>SAP XI:-</b>

SAP XI is an integration technology and platform for

&#61692; SAP and Non-SAP systems,

&#61692; A2A and B2B scenarios,

&#61692; Synchronous and Asynchronous communication,

&#61692; cross component Business Process management and it include built-in engine for designing and executing integration process (Business process).

&#61510; The goal of SAP XI is to provide single point of integration of all systems inside and outside the corporate boundary across technologies and organizational boundaries.

&#61510; The important feature of XI is openness, flexible and transparency to the integration process. It is based on ESA and SOA.

&#61510; The overall key concept of SAP XI is to drive integrated business process across heterogeneous and highly dynamic landscapes in a more manageable cost effective way.

&#61510; The basic idea is to provide runtime infrastructure which allows heterogeneous systems to be tied together with fewer connections and at the same time, in order to connect those applications and let messages flow from one application to other, have a centralized storage of integration knowledge.

<b> XI Advantages over other middle wares?</b>

• Pre-Delivered integration content

(Def:-SAP solutions bring their integration Meta data like CRM, SRM, SCM, xRPM, etc.) As

<b>Delivered with the integration repository of XI

Benefit:-</b>

A) Out-of-the-box of integration solution

B) Simplified upgrade of SAP solutions

C) Versioning and modification management of integration of Meta data.

<b>* Openness and interoperability</b> (Def:-Connect to existing integration solutions) like

Through JMS messaging (e.g MQ series) and SOAP.

Use open, XML standards for integration

Incorporate existing functionality in to new process (Adapters (JCA),web services(WSDL)).

Message was edited by:

Raghavesh Reddy

[former_member201264]

hi

In a vast developing business world, each one is trying to get automation among their business locations.With respect this, it is required to integrate all its business location and to maintain data consistancy throughout the business.

To cope this they can use diferent no of technologies like XI, TIBCO etc.

Among this I can say XI is the good one, Y bocoz, now days most of the industries are implementing SAP to automate the business process, and that too XI is one of the SAP madule so it can easily integrate with not only R3 and all sap modulels but also with NON SAP technologies by using deff no of built in adapters and by using customising adapters.

And with BPM we can also achieve the complex business integrations.

thaks

sreeni

[Former Member]

Hi

For information about XI you can check out the following link:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/14/80243b4a66ae0ce10000000a11402f/frameset.htm

SAP Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI) enables you to implement cross-system processes. It enables you to connect systems from different vendors (non-SAP and SAP) in different versions and implemented in different programming languages (Java, ABAP, and so on) to each other. SAP Exchange Infrastructure is based on an open architecture, uses open standards (in particular those from the XML and Java environments) and offers those services that are essential in a heterogeneous and complex system landscape:

- Modeling and design of messages, transformations, and cross-component integration processes

- Configuration options for managing collaborative processes and message flow

- Runtime for message and process management

- Adapter Engine for integrating heterogeneous system components

- Central monitoring for monitoring message flow and processes

SAP XI supports internal company scenarios and cross-company scenarios.

Main advantage of XI over other middleware tool is Central Monitoring and Central Development & one more thing is that it is from the leader in ERP, XI is better suited for IDOC and RFC scenario that other middleware tools,so i guess if companies have SAP then they go for XI rather than other middle ware ,

as far as i remember SAP was recommending Webmethods before they came up with XI.

This should be helpful to you.

Regards

Sumit Jain

• Rewards with points if you find it useful.

[Former Member]

Dear Kumar,

SAP is running very strongly in market and captures wide area of vendors. As lot of big organizations are running with SAP. The daily communication internally with SAP Products and their providers and customers involves huge amount of information transfer.

SAP XI is product of SAP for EAI and business integration so it provides seamless integration between SAP to SAP or SAP and other ERP systems.

SAP XI is emerging and SAP is looking forward to provide Service Oriented Architecture with SAP-XI. SAPXI is supports open industry standards like Java,SOAP and XML. So it can be connected to any system via these open standards.

I hope this information clears your doubts.

**Reward points if it helps you.

Regards,

Shri