CODEWITHSUNDEEP
apiintegrationsap-erpbapiidoc
Happiness
Happiness

Reputation: 21

How does API based data integration work?

I am managing a web application which have to be integrated with other systems such as SAP/Oracle ERP. I am pretty familiar with the middleware method of data integration where I use my stored procedures to read/write data from/to the middleware database and the other system(SAP/Oracle ERP,etc) use their methods or custom applications to read/write their data from/to the middleware DB.

Now I know that these companies like SAP have their own API for integration.So i want to understand how does API based integrations work. Can you guys please help ?.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1482

Answers (1)

Lily
Lily

Reputation: 376

One of the best resources for SAP integration is the SAP API Business Hub: https://api.sap.com/. You can use it to search for predefined APIs that are available within the SAP system. To use these APIs, you will need to configure and activate them in the SAP system. These predefined solutions are designed to be used for a particular business process. For instance, to send/receive employee data for HR records, or to send/receive purchase orders. SAP aims to provide sufficient APIs that almost any integration needs can be met with their predefined solutions.

Regarding the types of API solutions SAP uses, SAP allows for the creation and consumption of OData, an open protocol for REST based APIs. This blog series contains a good introduction to how OData is used in SAP: https://blogs.sap.com/2016/02/08/odata-everything-that-you-need-to-know-part-1/. OData uses HTTP requests, so the two systems can interact using the standard CRUD operations (create, read, update, delete). Two important transaction codes to work with IDocs are:

  • SEGW (gateway service builder): create OData services
  • /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE (activate and maintain services): activate and query the services

In addition to this, as you mentioned, SAP has its own API technologies. Two key SAP technologies for integration are:

IDoc (Intermediate Documents):

  • This is a document format that you can use to send data to external systems (outbound) and receive data from external systems (inbound).
  • You set up partner profiles for the system you are sending data to (t code WE20).
  • There are predefined IDoc types that define the data contained in the IDoc (this is the 'basic type' and 'message type'). IDoc data is organised into segments and, for a given IDoc type, you can append the segments so that only the specific data you require is sent.
  • You will need to map the data structure from the outbound and inbound systems using your middleware.
  • For a detailed guide to IDocs I strongly recommend the ALE (application link enabling) e-book on the SAP Learning Hub if you have access. You can use t code WEDI to browse the relevant ALE t codes.

BAPI (Business Application Programming Interfaces):

  • These are similar to function modules, but, unlike function modules, they can be called remotely. Like IDocs, they use RFC (remote function call).
  • BAPIs can be executed using SE37. You need to set up a test sequence (Test -> Test Sequences) because BAPIs do not automatically commit. Give the name of the BAPI, then 'BAPI_TRANSACTION_COMMIT'. Then execute the sequence to use the BAPI.
  • Many pre-existing BAPIs are already in SAP. You can browse them using t code 'BAPI' (BAPI Explorer).
  • Please see this guide for further information on BAPIs and for instructions to make your own BAPI from scratch. https://www.guru99.com/all-about-bapi.html

Upvotes: 2

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