Interface Optimization with AIF

Markus Gille, SAP AG

September 18, 2013 Public
A Mind Shift in Interface Handling

 Streamline efficiency, provide better interface architecture, and

reduce costs in interface implementation and monitoring.
 Improve architecture of complex information and
communication flow between different business units to
secure business goals.

Standardization and harmonization

of interface implementation and monitoring

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Holistic Interface Handling by SAP Application Interface Framework

SAP Application Interface Framework

 A powerful framework for interface implementation, monitoring and error handling
 A proven solution with more than six years of development and customer history
 A cross-industry solution with customers from 22 industries
Interfaces
Interface Implementation (Design Time)
 Interface implementation mainly through Customizing menus
Error
 Easy access to relevant data or functions of underlying SAP application
monitoring Framework for
 Re-use of interface components (e.g. checks, mappings, actions) with focus on interface
 Supports variants of interfaces (exceptions or additional steps) business implementation
 Independent implementation and testing of interface components and interface users
variants
SAP Application Interface Framework
Monitoring and Error-Handling (Runtime & Operations)
 Business user monitoring (power user)
 Customizable authorizations for interface access
 Overview of interface status

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SAP Application Interface Framework
Architecture Overview
SAP Application System
SAP Application Interface
Framework BAPI (BAPI®)
Checks

(e.g. IDOC, Proxy, BDOC, Files)

SAP Standard

Technical Basis Integration

Field Mappings
Application
Value Mappings Standard ___
Function
Actions Data and
PI Local Variants Functions
Customizing Customer
(Interface-specific) Function
Monitoring and Error Handling

Application Log
Alert Management
Security/Authorizations

Legend:
SAP Basis
SAP Application Interface Framework Interface Implementation Monitoring and Error Handling Alerting
SAP Standard Application (Technical User) (Business User) (Business User)

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Typical Components in Complex Integration Scenarios
Solution Manager, SAP Process Integration and SAP Application Interface Framework

Solution Manager,
SAP PI,
SAP Application system “1” and SAP AIF
SAP
together provide a complete
AIF
toolset for complex integration
PI scenarios.
They efficiently combine
SAP Application System “n”
Operational Monitoring,
SAP
AIF Technical Integration,
and

Solution Manager / BPMon Transactional Error Resolution

cross-system monitoring capabilities

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SAP Application Interface Framework
Usage Scenarios and broad Coverage of underlying Basis Technologies

Multiple Usage Scenarios allow Implementation of new Interfaces as well as Monitoring of existing
Interfaces. A broad range of underlying Basis Technologies can be addressed.

SAP Application System

Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3
Use
UseAIF
AIFRuntime
RuntimeAND Monitoring
AND Monitoring Use Monitoring on top of multiple Use Runtime only (e.g. for
technologies (e.g. existing IDOC) synchronous interfaces RFC etc.)
Checks Checks
Structure Mappings Structure Mappings
Value Mappings Value Mappings
Actions Actions

Implementation possible Web BDOC Customer

Proxy specific MWB
(partly supported by Service technology
templates) on e.g.: XI Runtime
ALE / Files Enterprise Synch.
qRFC bgRFC CIF
IDOC Service RFC

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Sample Use Cases of SAP Application Interface Framework based
Interface Implementation and Functional Monitoring

Applications Analytics Cloud / On Demand Mobile HANA DB / Technology

Middleware/ESB or
Technical Other
PI Crossgate Gateway
Integration Integration
Layer

Business Integration Layer with AIF Interfaces

for interface implementation, Error

Framework for
AIF runtime, and monitoring with
interface
focus on
functional monitoring and business users
implementation

error handling
SAP Application Interface Framework

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Benefits and Values
SAP Application Interface Framework
Benefits for the IT, Business & Management

Benefits for the IT:

A Framework for Interface Implementation with great Governance
through interface lifecycle
 Simplified Interface Landscape and Architecture

Benefits for the Business:

Easy and efficient Interface Monitoring targeted at business users
 Reduced time needed for error handling

Benefits for the Management :

Transparency, Governance, Cost Savings, and Compliance
 Controlling Interface Landscape & the Budget

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SAP Application Interface Framework
Benefits for the IT

Benefits for the IT:

A Framework for Interface Implementation with great
Governance through interface lifecycle
 Fast implementation of Interfaces
 Enforcement of implementation guidelines
 Re-use of components in multiple interfaces
 Allows versioning of interfaces
 Unification of required skills
 Test tool for automated testing
 Tool-supported documentation of interfaces

 Simplified Interface Landscape and Architecture

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SAP Application Interface Framework
Benefits for the Business

Benefits for the Business:

Easy and efficient Interface Monitoring targeted at business
users
 Transparency of interfaces within area of responsibility
 User-friendly Interface Information
 Ability to correct errors within their system on User Friendly Screens
 Capabilities for mass error handling
 Highlighted Errors in Interface Documents which offer forward
navigation to issue
 User Alerts in case of Errors

 Reduced time needed for error handling

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SAP Application Interface Framework
Benefits for the Management

Benefits for the Management:

Transparency, Governance, Cost Savings, and Compliance
 Interfaces with significantly reduced implementation costs
 Efficient Interface Monitoring leads to reduced monitoring costs
 Secure compliance by providing a multi-layer authorization concept
 Restrict changes of interface data down to field level
 Central compliance report to track changes
 Transparency and governance throughout complete interface
development life cycle

 Controlling Interface Landscape & the Budget

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SAP Application Interface Framework
Positive Effects on TCO and ROI

Positive Effects on TCO and ROI: Reduce Costs by Using

 Implementation SAP Application Interface Framework
– Reduced interface implementation costs and efforts
– Enabling reusable interfaces and interface components Effort Comparison
– Minor testing efforts
– Shorter project duration by parallelization of tasks
– Lower interface lifecycle costs

 Operations
– Saves time in daily work
– Increases efficiency in monitoring and error handling
– Improves data quality Conventional AIF Methodology
– Clear responsibilities and reduced dependencies between IT and Development
business users
– Avoid duplicate efforts (technical and business monitoring)

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Example Daimler AG: High Potential for Cost
Reductions and Shorter Project Duration

Slide from a presentation by Thomas Dietz, Daimler AG (SAP CCoE Forum in Salzburg, Austria)
http://www.sap.com/austria/about/events/event_ccoe_info_forum_10/hidden_agenda/pdf/BO_4_18_4_Thomas_Dietz_Daimler_SAP_CCoE_Salzburg_2010.pdf

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Advantages in the Area of Compliance

 Restrict visibility of interface data

 In contrary to many traditional monitoring transactions, the monitoring in AIF is role based and
access to data can be restricted by customizable authorizations
 Authorizations can be restricted on interface level and based on interface data (e.g. plant, company
code)
 Restrict changes to interface data
 Interface data changes can be restricted down to individual field level (e.g. in financial documents
bank account number and value not changeable)
 Compliance reporting
 A central compliance report exists where all interface data changes can be reviewed centrally (e.g. if
auditor requests list of changes)
 Ensure consistency of data generated from interfaces
 Build-in re-start logic ensures that correct interface version and mapping values are used even if in
multi-actions subsequent steps of the interfaces are restarted after a new interface version has been
activated or new mapping values are active
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Sample Business Cases
Sample Calculation:
Monitoring and error handling for one interface (Inbound delivery)

Source of Savings Conventional setup SAP AIF

Number of inbound deliveries per month 10000 10000

Error rate in percent 1% 1%
Average processing time in minutes 30 Minutes 10 Minutes
Total processing time in hours 50 16,7
Internal cost rate for employee in Euro 100 100
The optimized approach for Total processing cost per year in Euro 60.000 20.000
monitoring and error handling Reduction of error rate for repeated errors 1% 0,5 %
allows to significantly reduce the Reduced costs per year under consideration of better efficiency for
60.000 10.000
repeated errors
effort for monitoring and error
handling
Yearly Cost Savings (one interface): 40.000 to 50.000 Euro

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Value / Business Case for Usage of SAP AIF
(Example with real data from a customer)

Total Benefits with SAP AIF

€ 1.750.000
Yearly Cost Saving Potential
€ 1.385.000

€ 250.000 € 1.500.000
Implementation
Operations
of Interfaces € 1.200.000
€ 185.000

€ 50.000 € 1.500.000
New Interfaces Monitoring
€ 45.000 € 1.200.000
€ 50.000
Optimization
€ 20.000
€ 150.000
Roll-out
€ 120.000

€ AAA Likely
€ BBB Conservative

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Value / Business Case for Usage of SAP AIF
(Example with real data from a customer)

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Collaboration of PI/PO and AIF
Joint usage of PI and AIF

“I already have PI, does it still make “I want AIF, does it still make sense
sense for me to use AIF?” for me to use PI?”
Customer A Customer B

The answer to both questions is: yes

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Joint usage of PI and AIF (2)

AIF
Positioning
PI is an integration platform
PI
AIF is an integration add-on for your business
AIF
applications

They have different capabilities and purposes AIF

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General Recommendations

…in an IT landscape with both business applications and integration platforms/middlewares

No business logic No integration logic

into the integration into the business
platform! applications!

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General Recommendations (2)

In a landscape with SAP AIF and SAP NetWeaver PI this means:

Business logic into AIF, Integration logic into PI,

not PI! not AIF!
Typical business logic Integration Logic – Typical
patterns patterns
• Calculations • Mapping of data structures
from different sender
• Validations
formats to AIF format
• Checks
• Routing of messages
• …
• Connectivity to various
protocols (FTP, RFC, ….)

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Target Users

The typical AIF user is

• A business user

• A functional user

The typical PI user is

• A Technical User

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Collaboration of Monitoring Tools
SAP Solution Manager/Business Process Monitoring and
SAP Application Interface Framework
Monitoring Pyramid with different Levels of Monitoring

Strategic:
Complex analysis and overview of monitoring results or KPIs
based on multi-dimensional criteria and for a long time frame
Example: SAP Business Intelligence, SAP Business Objects
Strategic
Operational (Process-oriented):
Holistic monitoring (overview level/alerts) of business
processes (often cross-system) which are in execution or for a
historic view
Example: SAP Solution Manager, SAP Business Process Monitoring
Operational
Transactional:
Detailed monitoring of process parts, individual process steps
or interfaces inside of a single system which are in execution or
for a specific, quite recent time frame
Transactional Example: SAP Application Interface Framework, Individual
transactions like BD87, WE02 etc.

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Collaboration based on Monitoring Pyramid

Local End User Central Operational Level Management Level

Interact Act

Business Process
Check Process Execution Outbound Business Management
Delivery
Process Management
Business Process User Board or executive level,
& Business Process Expert
Controlling units, Business Analyst
Post Goods
Act
Create Issue
Solve errors in Accounting Create
Accounting Document Accounting
Interface Document
Check Alerts and Check Strategic
Thresholds on Business KPIs
process level

SAP Application Interface SAP Business Process Business

Framework Monitoring Warehouse

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Collaboration of SAP Business Process Monitoring and SAP
Application Interface Framework
SAP Business Process Monitoring
 … is focused on stabilization of business processes which can be cross-system
 Goal is to centrally monitor critical process steps and interfaces within business processes
 Identify critical situations by monitoring predefined thresholds
 Alert in case of identified critical situations

SAP Application Interface Framework

 … is focused on monitoring and error handling on detail level inside single application system
 Enable business users to efficiently solve specific interface errors inside application system
 Allow controlled mass change of interface data

Both together
 … complement each other
 Efficiently combine Operational Monitoring with Transactional Error Resolution capabilities

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IDOC Use Cases
Engine Concept and Engines
IDOC Monitoring with additional Enabler Call
IDOC processing with standard ALE function called inside an Action

In addition the AIF Enabler is called to write AIF index tables and statistics

Monitoring of interface documents in AIF monitoring, but this scenario provides more
benefits than the previous scenario with only little more implementation effort. The business
user has more “comfort” features in monitoring

SAP Application System

Standard IDoc
Process Function

Legacy IDoc SAP Application Interface

Framework
system Enabler
Customizing
(Interface-specific)
Monitoring and
Error Handling

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Engine Concept and Engines
IDOC Implementation and Monitoring

IDOC processing is done in AIF from where a standard ALE function is called inside an Action.
Now it is possible to implement additional Checks, Field Mappings, Value Mappings, call
multiple Actions, enrich data and so on.

Monitoring of interface documents in AIF monitoring

SAP Application System

SAP Application Interface
Framework
Checks
Field Mappings
Legacy IDoc Value Mappings
Standard IDoc
system Actions
Process Function
Customizing
(Interface-specific)
Monitoring and
Error Handling

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Engine Concept and Engines
IDOC/BAPI Implementation and Monitoring

Basically same scenario as before but now a BAPI or other function is called instead of the
IDOC standard function, this might enable additional functionality
IDOC processing is done in AIF from where a BAPI function is called inside an Action

Monitoring of interface documents in AIF monitoring

SAP Application System

SAP Application Interface
Framework
Checks
Field Mappings
Legacy IDoc Value Mappings - BAPI
system Actions - Customer Function
Customizing - Standard Function
(Interface-specific)
Monitoring and
Error Handling

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Further Information
Additional Information

Detailed Technical Information

SAP Application Interface Framework is a modification free add-on to SAP application systems based on SAP
Netweaver Basis 7.0® (from SP17)
Certain functions (part of additional add-on “AIFX”, e.g. web UI, SIW generator, monitor ECH messages, …)
require SAP Netweaver Basis 7.31
 SAP Application Interface Framework is available in the following languages:
 Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese,
Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Turkish
 For Online Help, Master Guide, and Developer Cookbook please refer to SAP help portal under
http://help.sap.com/aif.
 Additional information can be found at: http://www.sap.com/aif and inside the AIF SCN Community
http://scn.sap.com/community/aif
 A ~2 minute video on AIF can be found on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbs8HiIUYzg

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SAP Consulting AIF Consulting Services
SAP Education AIF Course Offerings

Discover Evaluate Plan Build Run

Web Session Planning Service

Application
Enablement Workshop Implementation Management
Services
Discovery Workshop Pilot Implementation

Business Case Calculation Coaching

Value Visibility

Course BIT 750 – Interface Implementation with AIF

Please see SAP Education Course Catalog for schedule

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Thank you
Contact information:

Markus Gille
Global Product Owner
SAP Application Interface Framework
SAP AG

© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.