Real time interface with a non-SAP system

[Former Member]

The company I work for is in the process in replacing a number of legacy systems by putting SAP at the heart of the business. One of these legacy systems has several client applications that process and post transaction data in real time into the legacy system database.

This is currently achieved through the use of SQL Server replication to distribute mirror copies of the database. The custom developed client applications I mentioned above then update those mirror copies directly. The updated records in the database replicate back into head office and then appear in the corporate system in "near" real time. The data is always valid due to the live nature of the client application data source and this saves the business a significant amount of resource by not having to manually correct the collected transaction data.

Through the implementation of SAP the above mentioned legacy system will be decommissioned. This leaves us in the position where we need to find a solution to providing a real time mechanism for the capture and posting of these transactions into SAP.

One of the several (.NET) client applications used to capture the transactions I mention above has been web service enabled, abstracting the data source from the client. This leaves us in the position of how do we change the plumbing behind the web service to get data in and out of SAP in real time.

Through some research on these forums I came across a presentation endorsing the use of the SAP Exchange Infrastructure to create mappings between the client application objects and SAP data. My understanding is that these mappings can then be setup as inbound and outbound interfaces that abstract the data input/output between SAP and a third party (non SAP) system.

I am trying to put together a paper on the options we have for creating a real time interface.

Is using SAP Exchange Infrastructure a valid approach and what other alternatives do we have for real time input and output between SAP and a non-SAP system?

Hope you can help.

Regards, James

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

>>Is using SAP Exchange Infrastructure a valid approach and what other alternatives do we have for real time input and output between SAP and a non-SAP system?

I personally feel, XI is the best approach than others, since one end you are gonna have SAP.

>>One of the several (.NET) client applications used to capture the transactions I mention above has been web service enabled, abstracting the data source from the client.

There are so many integrations usig webservice(the 3rd party application is in .NET) to XI to SAP. You can go for SOAP adapter (.net) and either IDOC or RFC for SAP.

Regards

[prateek]

<i>Is using SAP Exchange Infrastructure a valid approach and what other alternatives do we have for real time input and output between SAP and a non-SAP system?</i>

Yes. SAP XI is a perfect approach for ur business requirement. The SAP and non-SAP applications in ur landscape must communicate through a middleware. The basic purpose is to store the integration logic at a central position thus avoiding point to point communication.

SAP XI is recommended integration solution by SAP. There are other middlewares in market that can perform integration task. e.g. webmethods

Regards,

Prateek

[Former Member]

Hi James

have a look on these links for <b>Integration with Non-SAP Legacy Systems </b>

<b>

How To…Connect non-SAP RFCPrograms with SAP Netweaver Exchange Infrastructure</b>

Refer this PDF....

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/d0a8949b-098d-2910-2b8e-b5e9b7da...

<b>Integration With Microsoft</b>

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/helpdata/en/75/b8a742d2efc611e10000000a1550b0/frameset.htm

SAP XI 3.0 help says:

You can use the IDoc adapter to connect SAP systems (as of release 3.1) and <b>non-SAP systems with the Integration Server using native IDoc structures</b>

<b>Integration SAP EM 4.0 and SAP ICH 4.0 via SAP XI </b> Pdf

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/50acad90-0201-0010-43ba-f8fc18eb...

Using XI, you can make use of the JDBC receiver adapter at the non-sap system since i believe its a database.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/64/ce4e886334ec4ea7c2712e11cc567c/content.htm

<b>Please go through the following Blog</b>

/people/swaroopa.vishwanath/blog/2007/01/22/ale-configuration-for-pushing-idocs-from-sap-to-xi

Thanks !!

Questions are welcome here!!

Also mark helpful answers

Thanks,

Abhishek Agrahari