Sap aif что это такое
На территории СНГ стартовали продажи решения SAP Application Interface Framework
Компания SAP объявила о старте продаж решения SAP Application Interface Framework (AIF) на территории СНГ. Решение предназначено для создания и управления интеграционными интерфейсами, а также мониторинга с ориентацией на конечного бизнес-пользователя, не обладающего знаниями в IT. Внедрение SAP AIF позволит компаниям любой отрасли и масштабов деятельности снизить расходы на эксплуатацию систем, повысить точность и качество данных, снизить количество сбоев и ошибок в работе систем, повысить эффективность работы бизнес — и ИТ-подразделений.
SAP AIF — система с простым унифицированным интерфейсом, которую легко установить и настроить. Решение SAP AIF разработано командой SAP Consulting для повышения эффективности системной интеграции — одной из рутинных задач, на которую ИТ-подразделения тратят значительные ресурсы. Эффективность решения уже подтверждена десятками западных клиентов в различных отраслях. Так, крупнейший в Европе автомобильный концерн Daimler с помощью AIF успешно управляет 192 корпоративными интерфейсами и поддерживает 900 бизнес-процессов по подразделениям компании по всему миру.
По экспертной оценке SAP, затраты на сопровождение интеграционных интерфейсов при внедрении SAP AIF сокращаются на а в последствии эксплуатации систем — до Эффект достигается за счет упрощения настроек, повышения скорости обнаружения и исправления возникающих ошибок, возможности повторного использования компонентов и других функциональных особенностей SAP AIF.
ИТ-подразделения, используя SAP AIF, могут усилить контроль над взаимодействием систем и получить больше времени для решения стратегических задач и внедрения инновационных решений. Бизнес-пользователи получат понятный инструмент мониторинга критичных для бизнеса интеграционных процессов. SAP AIF позволяет: сократить расходы на интеграцию и сопровождение систем, снизить общую стоимость владения системами, повысить эффективность бизнес-подразделений за счет более стабильной работы ИТ решений и сокращения времени решения инцидентов, повысить эффективность ИТ служб.
Подробную информацию о решении можно получить на сайте компании SAP.
SAP AIF: So what is it all about?
For years businesses have wanted a central cockpit to monitor and correct interface errors. In the past most interfaces were IDoc centric. IDoc errors were easy to monitor and with some training a business SME could correct the error and repost/reprocess it using a suite of transactions and mechanisms. One could implement a bespoke Workflow to notify an user or an Organisation Unit if a specific Business Object failed to post. Transactions like BD87 would allow you repost the failed IDoc once the underlying data issues were resolved. Often this would be a missing customising entry or missing/incorrect master data which the SME could fix easily and then repost the IDoc. Or if the data sent by the source system itself was incorrect you could request your Customer/Vendor to fix the data on their end and resend the message (and hopefully the IDoc would post successfully this time round).
However as SAP and organisations moved more towards an SOA centric approach to interface applications and do business with their partners there seemed to be no genuine tools for business users to correct errors in the system. SAP then introduced Forward Error Handling (FEH) and Error and Conflict Handler (ECH). This was aimed at empowering end users who had the business and process knowledge but limited technical know how to correct errors on their end. FEH was based on the concept of Forward Error Recovery
Forward Error Recovery states that “The receiving system must not send an error to the calling system if that error could be handled closer to the receiving system” ( SAP® Guidelines for Best-Built Applications That Integrate with SAP Business Suite by Richard Probst ).
SAP AIF is a product from SAP’s CDP group (Custom Development Projects) that enables organisations to achieve all this and more. It is essentially a framework that provides a business user (who may or may not be technology savvy) tools to easily monitor errors and rectify them.
“AIF” stands for Application Integration Framework; but don’t confuse this with Adobe Interactive Forms (the correct term for which is of course SIFbA – SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe).
Architecture Overview
The above diagram has been taken from an SAP presentation – SAP Application Interface FrameworkOverview and Outlook ( Markus Gille, SAP AIF Global Solution Owner, SAP AG and Nadia Jenkins, Business Mgr, SAP Custom Development ANZ).
Out of the box, SAP AIF currently supports only Enterprise (and Web) Services that are based on the Proxy framework. However, you can expect to see other interfacing protocols (like IDoc, BAPI, RFC) in future releases.
Use Case
I have covered some of the more common features of SAP AIF here based on what an organisation is most likely to implement. More such features will follow soon.
Error Correction
SAP AIF is a business tool that is used primarily by business users to correct interface errors.
Translation – Fix Values
Fix Values are used when a one-to-one translation is required from old to new (and new to old) field contents. In an inbound interface scenario a legacy application may continue with their old code set and pass that to the SAP system which would be based on the new code set. The reverse is also true. SAP would pass the new code set data to a legacy application and the translation from new to old will be handled by SAP AIF.
Translation – Value Mapping
Value Mapping is a complex derivation of data based on the source field contents. It may be dependent on a single or multiple interdependent data sets. Value Mapping offers a framework to configure SQL statements, Conversion Exits or a Default Value (if nothing is returned). Custom Function Modules can be configured for more complex requirements.
Data Checks
Various checks can be implemented for an interface. A check could be to allow the interface to succeed if field A = a variable or a constant, or else fail the message. This is where the business user will come in and change the contents of field A to the correct value and reprocess the interface. Of course simple (no code) and complex checks (Function Module) can be implemented.
Actions
An Action is linked to a processing step of an interface in SAP AIF. An Action results in the triggering of at least one Function Module call. An example of an Action is inserting a Balancing Line Item in an FI document (if the credits do not tally with the debit entries) prior to posting. Similarly an Action can also be used to invoke a post-processing step.
Non-Interface Scenarios
SAP AIF is not restricted to just interfaces. It can be hooked to custom built applications via APIs.
Value Add
Although majority of SAP customers would use SAP PI for interfacing it is however not a pre-requisite. SAP AIF can function just as well with interfacing protocols IDoc, BAPI, RFC, Enterprise/Web Service calls without SAP PI as a middleware broker (or for that matter any other middleware solution). The current version of SAP AIF supports Enterprise Services out of the box. To support the other mentioned protocols in the current version, the framework needs to be extended using custom code. The product roadmap however looks promising, and future releases of SAP AIF will cater for these protocols as well.
References
A Word of Thanks
Last but not the least; a word of thanks to friend and SAP Mentor Sascha Wenninger for his timely and tireless help on this.
Please note that this document is work in progress. It highlights the core (and more commonly used features of SAP AIF). More to follow in the next few days.
Comparison on Application Interface Framework (AIF) and Process Orchestration (PO)
SAP Application Interface Framework ( AIF )
Interface Implementation (Design Time)
Monitoring and Error-Handling (Runtime & Operations)
Application Interface Framework Benefits :
SAP Process Integration / Process Orchestration
SAP Process Integration/ Process Orchestration provides an easy and flexible middleware platform to design, model, implement,execute and monitor business processes by ensuring seamless connectivity to multiple different business/ technical systems and applications (SAP and non-SAP).
“I already have PI, does it still make sense for me to use AIF?” – Yes
“I want AIF, does it still make sense for me to use PI?” – Yes
Joint usage of PI and AIF : PI / PO is an integration platform, AIF is an integration add-on for your business applications
As general recommendation IT landscape with both business applications and integration platforms/middlewares
As general recommendation IT landscape with both business applications and integration platforms/middleware,The typical AIF user is a business user and a functional user where as PO / PI user is a Technical User
Combined,PO / PI and AIF with both tools in one landscape, you can have two (field/structure) mappings in one integration scenario
Which Tool for which mapping
SAP PI / PO – (Structure) Mapping
SAP AIF – Field Mapping
I have PO / PI and AIF: where should I perform mappings?
The answer: typically in both ( Reason: aclean, future-proof integration architecture )
The data structures are the decision-making factor for whether to go for PO / PI or AIF. the questions like..
In which data structure does the data arrive in PI? ( All format conversions are typically performed in PI )
In which data structure is the data submitted into the backend system? ( All business logic, validations as well as the final handover into BAPIs etc is done in AIF )
I have many old legacy applications. Can I connect them directly to AIF? NO, connectivity to different protocols (files, JMS, …) is a typical task of PO / PI
SAP PI – Value Mapping ( If you want a landscape-wide value mapping mechanism: use PI )
SAP AIF – Value Mapping ( If you want a business application-centric value mapping mechanism in one or more specific business application(s), use AIF )
My sincere thanks to Markus Gille for sharing his knowledge for the above blog. For AIF product relate clarification reach Markus Gille
Michal’s tips: Application Interface Framework (AIF) – IDOC processing with AIF actions
In my previous article on Application Interface Framework (AIF) Michal’s PI tips: Application Interface Framework (AIF) 2.0 – monitoring existing IDOCs I’ve described how to monitor IDOCs in the Monitoring and Error Handling transaction of AIF without any changes to the existing IDOC scenario. This is fine if you want to start doing AIF scenarios but if you want to unleash the full potential of AIF (using indexed tables for searching, creating alerts or using Interface Monitor) you need to change your IDOC scenarios a bit so they will be using the full AIF flow configuration. This article will show a step by step solution on how to achive that.
IDOCs will be processed via an AIF generic function module which will start the AIF flow and at the end of the AIF processing the standard IDOC function module will be called again.
1. You need to generate a raw data structure (which is the same as SAP data structure).
2. You need to configure a new interface in AIF.
3. You need to create a new IDOC process code which will be using the AIF generic function module.
4. You need to attach the new process code to the partner profile of the IDOC.
5. You need to set up the AIF interface engine details. This can also be done by /AIF/IDOC_GEN where you need to select variant 02.
6. You need to create a new AIF action which will start the AIF function module that will convert the raw SAP IDOC structure back to the IDOC data and call the standard IDOC function module. With note 1769872/SP1 a new function module was delivered that makes this step easier.
7. You need to define a structure mapping where you can assign the action to your interface.
8. You need to create an interface determination for the IDOC so it will know which interface should get started.
9. Now you will be ready to monitor your IDOC flow in AIF.
I will stick to the example from you previous article Michal’s PI tips: Application Interface Framework (AIF) 2.0 – monitoring existing IDOCs and show how to process STATUS IDOC via the AIF.
Step 1 and Step 2 that is generating an SAP structure for the standard IDOC and configuring a new interface in AIF are exactly the same as in the previous article so there is no need to copy the configuration once more.
Step 3
In order to start the AIF with the IDOC we need to create a new process code in transaction WE42 but before you do that you should assign the AIF function module to the IDOC which you want to process with AIF in transaction WE57 – the module that we will be using is – /AIF/IDOC_INBOUND_PROCESS_FUNC and the config in WE57 can look like shown in Figure below.
Then you need to assign the message type to the function module in transaction BD51 as shown in Figure below (please note that you can create your own message type as well).
Next you can create a new process code in transaction WE42 and assign the function module – /AIF/IDOC_INBOUND_PROCESS_FUNC to this new process code.
Step 4
Once you create a new process code you need to configure it in the partner profile for your inbound IDOC in transaction WE20.
Step 5
The engine details will be a bit different that in case of the previous article as this time we want to use AIF log and in the next article AIF index tables so the engine configuration, transaction – /AIF/CUST_IF – Interface Development – Additional Interface Properties – Specify Interface Engines, will look like below. If you use the /AIF/IDOC_GEN report with an appropriate variant this step can be generated as well.
– Application Engine = IDOC
– Persistence Engine = IDOC
– Selection Engine = AIF index tables
– Logging Engine = AIF application log
Step 6
AIF action is a place where business logic is being executed in a form of function modules which are responsible to process the data in AIF. They can do all sort of things like invoking BAPIs and other function modules. In our case we need build a function module which will change the SAP data back into IDOC data (as it was changed from IDOC data to raw data structure in the first AIF module – /AIF/IDOC_INBOUND_PROCESS_FUNC) and we need to call the standard IDOC function module. We need to start with creating a function module like – ZMICHAL_KRAWCZYK_01 but make a copy from /AIF/FILE_TEMPL_PROCESS to copy the interface of the module. Code for the module – ZMICHAL_KRAWCZYK_01 can be found in the listing below – please have a look at the comments in the code.
