In this presentation I'll be covering the current state of SAP Integration. The inspiration is from the current SAPPHIRENOW conference that covers most of what integration is about.
We will cover topics like S4 Integration, API management, SAP Cloud Platform, Open Connector, SAP Cloud Integration, prepackaged content.
Video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZQiRupxfwU
Check out our testing tool to improve your development speed at http://figaf.com/IRT
3. Understand your integration
● There is the following types of integration
○ Process (PI/Cloud Integration)
○ Data
○ UX
○ IoT
○ Analytic
● Get the ISA-M and perform the mapping of what needs to be done
○ Free process tool
○ Map existing and future data tools.
4. ● New CIO Guide from SAP 70 Pages
○ https://figaf.com/cioguide2
● A lot of about the same topics as this presentation covers
● List all products for integration and their relationship
● Comparison and recommendations
○ PI/PO vs CPI
○ PI/CPI vs AIF
● SAPs direction
○ Automation of integration
○ Prepackaged content
CIO Guide
5. ● End of maintenance for previous release
○ <7.4 End 2020
○ 7.5 End 2024
● Next release of Netweaver release later this year
● PI will get updates from cloud development
● Still the tool for integration
● TODO
○ Migrate to 7.5 single stack
○ Get away from Seeburger
Netwaver 7.5 /PI
7. The Intelligent Enterprise
● SAP now has a host of different applications Ariba, SuccessFactor,
Fieldglas, Hybris as a best of breath direction
● From old SAP days where all was in on application it was all
connected
● If selecting the SAP branded apps customers expect they are
connected
● Making it all of it smarter with Machine Learning (ML), you can
customize some of the models
8. ● New branding on the Customer focused applications
● One view to see all that is happening.
● Integration with the different sources
C/4 HANA
9. ● Same code sent to different deployments
○ Cloud has new innovation, ML and APIs
■ Also have metadata around entries to ensure compatibility
■ No development object all done externally
○ New cloud version using the onprem code
● Onprem one yearly release then implementation so 2 year gap for
developments.
○ You probably want to keep the speed.
○ Will need to migrate at some point, so go as standard as possible
S/4 Cloud vs Onpremise
11. ● Goal is to use Cloud approach, no customization
● Enhancements as extensions no coding
● API is a big thing
○ Ask for missing APIs via SAP process
○ Can create API on CDS views
● S/4 cloud contains some IDOC but only for SAP use.
S/4 Integration
12. ● API first strategy
● 1500 different API, so probably biggest API provider
● Look at the new API platform API.sap.com
● Try out the application
● Request new APIs to get it delivered, you cannot develop it self.
Requests is used to prioritize
● Same API not identical across platform, so a mapping is needed.
● SAP is working on harmonizing some so no mapping needed
○ One word Enterprise-SOA.
API
13. ● EDI scenarios
○ No IDocs for it
○ Only APIs
○ No development and use external fields
○ Integration Advisor should be the goal
○ Not sure all custom process can be handled in middle ware
○ https://blogs.sap.com/2017/11/17/sap-s4hana-cloud-edi-integration-
strategy/
S4 EDI
14. ● The datahub was released last year
● An ETL tool to transform data in processes good for big data
● Now realtime integration/transformation so data is just one place
● Big data cannot be moved anywhere
● Cloud be used between SAP system to just have one data source
● GDPR
○ Data is only one place and it is easier to delete
● Questions
○ How this ties into the integration teams
SAP Datahub /HANA
16. ● Strategic tool for handling all integrations
● Enhancements with SAP tools like S/4, Ariba ..
● Leonardo services
● Many different tools in it
● Todo
○ Understand the platform
○ Try to create an application on SCP
○ Try to enhance a SAP application
○ Look at pricing calculator
Cloud Platform
17. ● SAP is great for integration with Enterprise system
● Focus on business apps, internal facing
○ Authentication services
○ Cloud Connector to expose data externally
● SAP can run on all of the above to get it close to your data
● SAP cannot compete with raw services
○ Virtual servers
○ Docker images
○ Non HANA databases
○ API platform
● Get at mix depending on SAP services required
SAP Cloud vs AWS, Azure, GCP
18. ● New platform probably using the Data hub
● Good way to have one masterdata object across the SAP Platform
● Each object owned by one business
● Real time views on the data so no data transfer
● Questions
○ How this will integrate with third party applications
○ Probably uses the new Data hub
○ Can you do validations in it
Masterdata as a Service
19. Open Connector
● Partnership with Cloud Elements
● Provide 150+ prepackaged connections for popular integration
platforms
● One generic interface for creating the integration
● No more need for adapters for special cases
● Questions
○ Will be a part of SCP Cockpit
○ Licensing?
20. ● 5000 Customers live with it
○ Mulesoft had about 1000 customers when sold
● Open Connector to make integrations easier
● Pre delivered content is updated
● Todo
○ Start using it pretty affordable
○ Use it for all cloud integrations
○ Get your hands on it
Cloud Platfrom Integration
21. ● After Google got APIGEE we did not know SAP direction
● As much as SAP is focusing on API they need a API platform for
internal use to handle all the APIs
● Exposing the APIs is probably also easier if you anyway is in the
cloud
API management
23. ● In CIO guide SAP hint a tool to automate some integration and
integration content advisor. More on the development side.
● You will have to deliver more integrations
● Have to ensure you platform is updated
● Automate testing to be able to update faster
Faster integration development
24. ● Development lifecycle tool
○ Track your development, know what object is changed
○ Test the objects changed
○ Document the real changes
● Test tool
○ For patch/upgrades setup test in a week for all interfaces
■ Run same tests for each time
○ Ensure that development does not break interfaces
● Run with both SAP PI/PO and Cloud Integration
● Free up to 10 interfaces
● See more at https://figaf.com/IRT
Figaf offerings to improve speed
26. ● My video blogs
○ https://blogs.sap.com/2018/06/06/sapphirenow-day-1-with-focus-on-
integration/
○ https://blogs.sap.com/2018/06/07/sapphirenow-day-2-from-integration/
● Whitepapers blog
○ http://blog.whint.de/sapphire-2018-integration-review/
● CIO guide
○ https://www.sap.com/documents/2018/06/de3238a0-077d-0010-87a3-
c30de2ffd8ff.html
● SAP Best Practice
○ https://rapid.sap.com/bp/
References