My scenario ....

[inigo_sacramento]

My experience with XI is none but i'm responsable of it in a sapnish company.

I went to the sap training one month ago. The training consisted in TBIT40 and TBIT44 (only a part). Everything was OK because SAP was configured properly.

The problem was that wen i arrived home and started to make the same exercises, nothing works. First of all i founded an standalone application. The person who configured this scenario decide to put files on a folder of a PC. Then, this file adapter send files to XI BOX, XI BOX send the message via BAPI to R3 and return an answer to the PC with an XML file.

I can't understand this scenario. First of all, because i read that standalone adapters are part of XI 2.0 and in XI 3.0 is usual to work with the new adapters that are integrated in the XI BOX.

My scenario is like this : 5 PC that makes XML files. This XML files must be 'uploaded' to XI via FILE ADAPTER. I don't care if the files folders are in the XI BOX or in remote PC. I will use file adapter (NFS) is the files are in the XI BOX or FTP adapters if they are in remote computers.

Next step was making a demo to show to the customers hoy XI works. I made 2 third party business systems. The integration server and the R3 backend were already defined. I made all the integration repository part and then try to make the integration directory part. My doubts appear defining the comm. channels. I defined 1 sender communication channel to 1 of the business systems. This comm channel was receiver of a file via FTP. The result must be another XML file posted in another remote PC, via FTP.

all my efforts are for nothing. I couldn't make this scenario go well. So, my question is, what have i done wrong?

Could you help me with this simple case?

note : i had a 'hard conversation' with a systems consultant that told me that she must install the standalone java application in order to use file adapters, but i told her that in XI 3.0 this is not neccesary. Is she telling me the truth or is she wrong?

Thanks a lot to everyone.

[manish_bhalla2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Inigo,

You do not need to install the standalone Java adapater (Plain J2se Adapter) in order to use file adapter. It is an optional alternative. You can very well use the adapter engine that is part of the XI 3.0 Integration Server... this is visible in the Integration Directory as communication channels.

<i>Note:

The sender file adapter picks up a file from a folder (via NFS or FTP) and 'sends' it as XML to XI.

The receiver file adapter 'receives' XML from XI integration engine and writes it to a folder (via FTP or NFS).</i>

In your scenario ( File -> XI -> BAPI -> XI -> File) you will need...

1. For each folder that you want to pick up a file from, you will need a separate 'sender' file adapter (comm channel).

2. Each of these file adapters (comm channels) you will need to create a separate sender agreement.

3. For each folder that you wish to write a file to, you will need a separate 'receiver' file adapter (comm channel).

4. For each of these file adapters, you will need to create a separate receiver agreement.

Integration to the R/3 system can be done in one of three ways...

1. Best option is to use ABAP proxies. For this, you will need to create a receiver comm channel of type XI adapter. You will need to have a receiver agreement for this. No sender adapter or sender agreement is needed. The BAPI you wish to call can be called as a regular function call within the proxy execute method.

2. Alternative option is to use BAPIs directly via the RFC adapter. This will not work if the BAPI you are calling does not have an explicit commit work.

3. Last option is the IDOC adapter (only if you are using IDOCs...not applicable in your scenario)

I hope this helps you with your problems.

Cheers

Manish

[inigo_sacramento · Accepted solution]

Hi again.

Another doubt is ...

File -> XI -> BAPI -> XI -> File

wher do i have to define the comm chanels to make the communications between FILE -> XI, XI -> BAPI and XI -> FILE.

Thanks.

[manish_bhalla2 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

All the comm channels have to be defined in the Integration directory under the relevant business systems.

For example, the File -> XI ( sender) and XI->File (Rcvr) channels will be configured under the third party system in the Integration directory.

The systems and channels can then be added to whatever scenario you need them in.

Cheers

Manish

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

U can go thru my blog on the same scenario

/people/arpit.seth/blog/2005/06/27/rfc-scenario-using-bpm--starter-kit

<i>>>define the comm chanels to make the communications between FILE -> XI, XI -> BAPI and XI -> FILE.</i>

U will define these communication channels in Integration Directory in relevent Business System.

Regards

Arpit Seth

[inigo_sacramento · Accepted solution]

Ok Manish.

And from XI->R3 and R3->XI ..

i must define a sender(RFC) from XI (under XI business system .. XI->R3) and a receiver(RFC) (under XI business system R3->XI) and then a sender (under R3 system R3->XI) and a receiver (under R3 XI->R3)

Is this OK ?

Thanks

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

The channels for this scenario wil be created as follows

1)File->XI (File Sender Channel)

2)XI-> RFC (RFC Reciever Channel)

3)XI->File (File Reciever Channel)

For getting a clear picture of this scenario go thru my blog.

Regards

Arpit Seth

[inigo_sacramento · Accepted solution]

Thanks Arpit. I've already read your blog. It's very helpful.

There is a thing i don't understand (not in your blog)

I don't understand why, when we recive the answer from the BAPI, we don't need to create a new comm channel as sender (from R3).

Other thing i don't understand is why do we need to make a BPM.

Is not possible to do the same without BPM?

Is neccessary to make a BPM ehn we use synchronous communication?

Thanks a lot for your help.

[manish_bhalla2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Inigo,

You do not have to use BPM in all scenarios.

If I remember correctly, you are using BPM here because you are getting an asynchronous message from the File, sending a synchronous message to the BAPI in R/3 and then sending the response as a asynchronous message to another file.

You will not need a sender comm channel for the BAPI because it is for a synchronous message.

Cheers

Manish

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

<i>>>when we recive the answer from the BAPI, we don't need to create a new comm channel as sender (from R3).</i>

See for that u hav to understand that

"RFC Sender Channel transforms <b>RFC CALL to RFC-XML</b> and RFC Reciever Channel transforms <b>RFC-XML to RFC CALL</b>.As it is as follows <b>File(Input XML)->XI->XML->RFC</b> we need a RFC Reciever Channel to convert into a RFC CALL.This RFC CALL will execute the RFC and than the response will be sent to XI".

This whole process is done by the <b>Synchronous Send step</b> of BPM.Then we have to send this msg to File(async).Thus i had use BPM and given answer of ur second question also.:-))

Regards

Arpit Seth