How to use "Communication Parties" and "Business Components"

[Former Member]

Hi experts,

we are currently re-evaluating how to use the available configuration objects in the Integration Builder (Swing) / Integration Directory (NWDS) due to our migration to single stack PI 7.4.

So far we decided

• Use "Business Systems" only for internal SAP Systems

We also have a vague concept for Business Components in place, still input is welcome

• Use "Business Components" to distinguish between different "partners and systems" / "transmission techniques" / "subsystems"
  • Not really easy to define a general approach, we plan have one Business Component per transmission type as a general rule
    • For example: WHATEVERSYSTEM_FILE, WHATEVERSYSTEM_FTP
  • This allows us, for example, to use the same Service Interface from the same Partner/System via FTP and FILE which would not be possible with just one Business Component
  • Sometimes we have to distinguish between subsystem,
    • For example: WHATEVERSYSTEM_DEV, WHATEVERSYSTEM_QA

Where I would really appreciate your thoughts is of how to use "Communication Parties"

• First, should they be used at all?
  • They don't even get a separate page on help.sap.com for AEX 7.4 anymore, and we don't want to utilize an object that might get obsolete over time
• We know the general rule to use "Communication Parties" for B2B / EDI communication, but don't see any technical reason for this, and wonder if this statement from back of the beginning of XI is still valid
• We are thinking about adding "Communication Parties" to all our interfaces
  • The benefit would be, that we have one common party, for many different "Business Components".
  • For example you could have 10 Business Components (for the same system / partner) with the same Party. In the PI Monitoring you could search for the Party, and find all communication not having to care which specific Business Component was used
    • For example "Communication Party" WHATEVERSYSTEM with several "Business Components" WHATEVERSYSTEM_FILE, WHATEVERSYSTEM_FTP, WHATEVERSYSTEM_SOAP, ...

Thanks for your help.

[engswee · Accepted solution]

Dear Elias

Regarding usage of parties, there are technical reasons to use this especially if your integration landscape involve B2B scenarios. If your scenarios are just A2A, I would suggest that you do not use Party as it unnecessarily complicates your design. It also goes against SAP's recommended best practice.

Refer to my replies on the threads below on usage of party.

Re: When to use Party in PI configuration?

Re: Connection with external System using AS2/SFTP adapter.

Also, the following is the best practice documentation by SAP.

Refer to the following sections to get a better idea on how you should go about the restructuring.

3.1.4 - Business System

3.3.3 - Party

3.3.4 - Communication Component

Rgds

Eng Swee

[naveen_chichili]

Hi Elias,

>>Where I would really appreciate your thoughts is of how to use "Communication Parties"

Communication parties are not really needed when you are working with A2A communication when you deal with B2B communication you need to define the Party.

>>We know the general rule to use "Communication Parties" for B2B / EDI communication, but don't see any technical reason for this, and wonder if this statement from back of the beginning of XI is still valid

We define party to identify external partners

Defining a Party - Process Integration Tools (Eclipse-Based) - SAP Library

>>For example you could have 10 Business Components (for the same system / partner) with the same Party. In the PI Monitoring you could search for the Party, and find all communication not having to care which specific Business Component was used

If you use one party for multiple components yes as you said in monitoring you would be able to check the components used for the party.

Thanks,

Naveen

[Former Member]

Hi Elias,

The points mentioned by you are correct. You need to create communincation parties only for B2B Third parties. You define only those systems within your landscape in the SLD by creating TS and BS. Would suggest creating a business component directly in ID.

Regards,

Sriram