the usage of SAP gateway

[raffinkira]

Hi all,

I am a beginner of SAP gateway, I have been doing some research.

Now I am wondering what can SAP gateway do besides acting like a web-based database.

It says that by using REST and oData, resource can be operated. What does this resource mean? It seems it's more than just data.

Moreover, how REST style deal with the cases like some process-oriented ones?

For example, in my current project, we have developed decades of BAPIs and each one refers to a business senario.

We deployed these BAPIs as web services. But I can't imagine how to do the same thing by using REST?

[AshwinDutt]

Hello Yu,

SAP Gateway is an interface which enables end users to consume the backend business logic via REST based Open Data (OData) format.

With SAP  Gateway we can generate services based on BOR objects, RFCs.. in order to consume the backend business logic.

SAP Gateway is an evolutionary step to support an expanding range of services and offer them via lightweight application and user interface technologies that are intended for consumption by end users.

Referring the below will help :

Regards,

Ashwin

[raffinkira]

Thanks for the reply and links.

But one more question, if web application wants consume backend logic, why don't just use web service or other interface techs?

[AshwinDutt]

According to me SAP Gateway is built to enable business application which are on back end systems onto mobile devices ( lightweight services ).

Referring the below may also help ->

http://scn.sap.com/community/process-orchestration/blog/2013/08/09/a-gateway-to-lightweight-services...

Regards,

Ashwin

[former_member184867]

Here are my thoughts on this topic...

Usage of Gateway:  OData is essentially the main driving reason for using Gateway. OData is a light weight - people centric consumption model. It is very useful for mobility scenarios. Once you expose the functionality of SAP in  the form of OData, any technology that understand OData can make use sap data without any knowledge of SAP. If tomorrow any new technology comes, SAP does not have to change anything. So to me, it is a very nice way to decouple SAP from the ever changing frontend technologies and hardware evolution.  OData also brings uniformity across SAP in data access mechanism.

So what is Gateway offering --

1. Mechanism to create maintain manage OData service 2. Lifecycle management 3. Security 4. Tracing  5. Logging 6. Metering 7. Toolkit in other languages(android/ios ) 8. Eclipse tooling 9. Integration support and many more

Now the question of using Web Service and not Gateway:Web service is heavier compared to OData in mobility scenarios.  Also it is a kind on 'Point to Point' connection between SAP and the Consumer application. One needs to know both SAP and the Consuming technology(at least to some extent). How the web service is defined is upto the developer, and there is no standard specified. If tomorrow some other application tries to use the Web service, it may not fit. Also OData offers you the capability to perform SQL like operation using the URI.They are really very useful to cater to people centric use cases.

Regards,

Atanu

[Former Member]

Thank you for your discussion.

'One needs to know both SAP and the Consuming technology(at least to some extent). '

I think the developer just need to know the WSDL of SAP service like RFC/FM.

SOAP/WSDL is also an open standard tech. Do they really need to know SAP specific knowledge?

[Former Member]

Hi,

The following are the benefits of oData services over webservices.

1. These are very  light weight. In web services the request and responses are very big due to the SOAP envelopes.  In oData services we don't have any envolopes. Moreover if you use JSON format it will become very light rather than XML.

2. The interface is very simple - with a single interface you can do all the CRUD operations just by changing the parameters and HTTP methods.

3. Also oData services standard is a widely accepted and easy to consume from different kinds of consumers mobile, web, ...

Best regards,

Jashua