Exchange Infrastructure (XI)

This document gives you clear understanding of Global configuration and Specific configuration data of a Business system or client Configuration data of the integration engine. It is necessary to configure the Integration Engine, which enables the exchange of messages at run time.

This is an administrative activity that helps to optimize the utility of Integration Engine. As a PI consultant, understanding of Integration Engine configuration helps, how best you can utilize the resources available with Integration engine. 

To understand the value of configuring the Integration Engine, one needs to know about Integration Engine. 

Integration Server constitutes of three engines: 

·         Business Process Engine: BPE executes and persists Integration process.

·         Integration Engine: IE executes the integration logic of Integration Builder. Messages in XI are passed through a series of pipeline steps belongs to XI Pipeline.

·         Adapter Engine: Adapter engine Converts XML and HTTP based messages to/from specific protocol as configured with Target/Source system

 

 

Salient Points: 

• There are two types of configuration data:

Global configuration data

Specific configuration data 

• Configuration data is client specific. This allows you to configure multiple systems (clients) in different ways in one SAP system.

Global Configuration data:

v      Global configuration data defines the role of the business system. This data can be configured in two ways.  By loading the configuration data from the System landscape directory or configuring locally.

v      Prerequisite for the first method:  Business system details about the current business system should be available in SLD.

v      Steps for loading Global Configuration data:

o        Go to SXMB_ADM transaction. Choose Integration Engine Configuration

o        Got to Edit ® Change Global Configuration Data ® System Landscape Directory – Load Configuration.

o        Save the loaded data.

Note: The above loaded Global configuration data from SLD can be revoked by using Undo Global Changes. Also note that the system displays a message if no data is maintained in the System Landscape Directory

v      Steps for Changing Global Configuration data:

o        Go to SXMB_ADM transaction. Choose Integration Engine Configuration

o        Choose Edit ® Change Global Configuration Data.

o        For Role of Business System field, select the option as either Application System or Integration Server.

A business system can be configured as an Integration server or Application system:

Ø       Integration Server

The Integration server executes only integration logic available Integration Builder. They can also be identified as Pipe Line Steps. It receives XML message, determines the receiver, executes the mappings, and routes the XML message to the corresponding receiver systems. Thus configured Integration Engine is identified to be Central Configured Integration engine.

Note: Only one client of SAP system can be configured as Integration Server.

Ø       Application system

The Application system will not execute the integration logic. It in turn calls the integration server to execute the integration logic if required. It acts as sender or receiver of XML messages. So, the Application system with a local Integration Engine requires the Integration server to execute the integration logic.

v      Two ways of Global configuration for configuring your business system to call an Integration Server (Other than your business system):

o        http://<host>:<port>/sap/xi/engine?type=entry

<host> - Integration Server host name

<Port> - HTTP port.

Note: Provide the user and password with the HTTP service (/sap/xi/engine) in the target system. All the XML messages on the Integration Server are processed using the above user details.

○     dest://<Integration Server-Destination>

      Create a RFC destination of type H in the current client and provide host name, port of the integration server and path prefix as

      /sap/xi/engine?type=entry

      Also provide the user and the password.

Specific configuration data:

v      Specific configuration data defines the parameters of a specific category. For E.g., IDoc, Runtime, Performance etc.

v      Steps for changing the specific configuration data:

o       Go to SXMB_ADM transaction. Choose Integration Engine Configuration

o       In the Category field, choose the parameter category.

o       Choose Change Specific Configuration Data.

o       Go to change mode, this allows to define the new values to the parameters or change the existing values of the parameters. Use the input help to select the parameters and values. 

Use the above procedure to define the parameters of the following categories.

1.       IDOC Adapter

2.       Sync/Async Communication

3.       Business Process Engine

4.       Monitoring

5.       Performance Monitoring

6.       Runtime 

Find below the screenshot illustrating a sample business system configured for the above parameters.