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Introduction to Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3

Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect connects to an R/3 system through the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3. The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 provides connectivity and executes interactions on an R/3 system. This chapter discusses the following topics:

• Architecture: Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3

• Required Software

• Supported Platforms

• Postinstallation

• Installing Oracle AS ProcessConnect Utility Modules in Your R/3 System

Architecture: Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3

The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 is a JCA-based component that plugs in to Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect. Using Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect, you can access R/3 remote function call modules (RFCs), BAPI modules, and Application Link Enabling (ALE) Intermediate DOCuments (IDOCs).

As shown in Figure 1-1, the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 runs on the machine running Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect and uses native R/3 protocols to download metadata from the R/3 system. The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 uses R/3 libraries to send calls to, or receive inbound calls from, the R/3 system.

Figure 1-1 Architecture

Text description of the illustration xipsa001.gif

The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 supports both outbound and inbound interactions. Outbound interactions are supported for the adapter exchange protocols, RFC, BAPI, and ALE. Inbound interactions are supported for RFC and ALE.

ALE is an event-based protocol and the ALE interactions do not have reply records. For RFC, inbound interactions have request records and no reply records, because Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect supports only asynchronous communication for inbound interactions. Each record has one record element associated with it. The following naming convention is used for the records.

• Request records

  AEProtocolName_interactionGroupName_interactionName_Request 
  
  

• Reply records

  AEProtocolName_interactionGroupName_interactionName_Reply 
  

  See Also: Chapter 3, "Defining an Interaction"

Outbound Interactions: Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect Acting as a Client

If you want to make your Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect application to act as a client sending IDOCs or invoking RFC or BAPI function modules, then you must create an outbound interaction for the R/3 system. When this interaction is triggered, an IDOC is sent to the R/3 system (in cases of ALE) or the interaction for the function module is invoked (in the case of RFC and BAPI).

For sending an IDOC to an R/3 system, you must set up the ALE-related settings in the delivery channel for the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3. When you browse the ALE in the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect user interface, methods associated with each IDOC are displayed. These methods are called Send and AdvancedSend. Interactions can be built around either of these methods.

Inbound Interactions: Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect Acting as a Server

If you want your Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect application to act as a server receiving R/3 IDOCs or RFC calls, then you must create an inbound interaction for the R/3 system. To receive an inbound call, you must first assign the RFC program ID in the delivery channel of the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3. When the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 starts, it registers itself as the destination for this program ID within the R/3 system. After registration, the R/3 system sends calls with the program ID to the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3. The type of RFC destination in R/3 is TCP/IP.

For ALEs, you must use the AdvancedSend method associated with the ALE IDOC to define your event/procedure. When an IDOC is sent or an RFC call is invoked from the R/3 system, the adapter raises an inbound interaction and the record is sent to Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect.

Required Software

The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 supports an R/3 system, version 4.6B or 4.6C, using the R/3 RFC library, librfccm.so (Solaris) or librfccm.sl (HP).

To work with the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 and Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect:

1. The R/3 system you are going to use must be running.

   You must have developer rights to the sections of the R/3 system that you will access.

2. You can have the R/3 SAPGUI installed.

   Although not required for standard use, the SAPGUI is recommended for tracking ALE messages. It is not required for standard use of RFC function modules. The SAPGUI is available in the SAP RFCSDK.

The R/3 system is not modified except for an optional module to improve the performance of metadata retrieval.

Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect can be used with existing R/3 systems without any changes. However, to speed up retrieval of function modules and IDOC definitions, you can use the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect utility function modules. If you cannot install the R/3 system utility function modules for ALE, you can manually download ALE IDOCs from an R/3 system to the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect computer to browse the ALE IDOCs locally.

See Also: "Installing Oracle AS ProcessConnect Utility Modules in Your R/3 System" "Manually Downloading an IDOC"

Supported Platforms

The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for SAP R/3 is supported on:

• Solaris 8 (2.8)

• HP-UX 11.0

Postinstallation

1. Verify you are connecting to an R/3 system, version 4.6B or 4.6C.

2. Copy the R/3 RFC library, librfccm.so (Solaris) or librfccm.sl (HP) and place it in ORACLE_install/ip/adapters/lib.

3. The R/3 system you are going to use must be running.

   You must have developer rights to the sections of the R/3 system that you will access.

4. You can have the R/3 SAPGUI installed.

   Although not required for standard use, the SAPGUI is recommended for tracking ALE messages. It is not required for standard use of RFC function modules. The SAPGUI is available in the SAP RFCSDK.

5. If using ALE IDOCs, you have either installed the utility modules or have manually downloaded IDOCs.

   See Also: "Installing Oracle AS ProcessConnect Utility Modules in Your R/3 System" "Manually Downloading an IDOC"

Installing Oracle AS ProcessConnect Utility Modules in Your R/3 System

Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect includes files for installing the utility function modules on your R/3 system (these are called transport requests in R/3). These function modules only to be imported one time, and are only required on an R/3 development machine. (They are not required on an R/3 production machine.) A single import is used for both ALE and RFC enhancements. The following provides an overview on why you would use the function modules, and the steps to import the files into an R/3 system.

• Performance Enhancement for Defining Interactions with RFC Function Modules

• Performance Enhancement for Defining Interactions with ALE IDOC

• Checking If the Custom Function Modules Are Installed

• Importing the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect Utility Function Modules
  • Copying the Files to the Transport Directory

  • Running the Transport Request Commands on the R/3 System

Performance Enhancement for Defining Interactions with RFC Function Modules

In an unoptimized R/3 environment, RFC table retrieval is slow because Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect downloads information for area, groups, and functions from one large table. To reduce the time spent downloading information, Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect provides function modules that allow selective retrieval of areas, groups, and functions from three separate tables.

Performance Enhancement for Defining Interactions with ALE IDOC

Installing the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect function modules is optional for ALE IDOCs. There are two ways to use Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect and R/3 to explore IDOCs:

• You can use the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect function modules to automatically search the R/3 system for existing IDOCs. You must have administrative rights to modify an R/3 system.

• You can manually download the ALE IDOC definitions (*.mtd files) to the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect computer.

  See Also: "Manually Downloading an IDOC" to download IDOCs locally for browsing

Checking If the Custom Function Modules Are Installed

To check if the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect utility modules have already been installed in your R/3 system, perform a simple check. In the R/3 system SAPGUI:

1. Navigate to transaction /nse37.

2. Search for the function module /ACTIONAL/*.

   If it is not there, install the utility function modules.

Importing the Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect Utility Function Modules

The following outlines how to import specific Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect R/3 objects (the /ACTIONAL/namespace and /ACTIONAL/DEV/devclass) in your R/3 system. The import file is compatible with 4.6B and 4.6C versions.

Copying the Files to the Transport Directory

To load the ACTIONAL namespace and devclass objects, copy the files contained within: ORACLE_HOME/ip/adapters/config/SAP into two subdirectories under the R/3 trans directory. The subdirectories are: cofiles and data.

1. Copy all the files starting with K*.* into the cofiles subdirectory on your R/3 system, for example, \usr\sap\trans\cofiles.

2. Copy the all the files starting with R*.* into the subdirectory data on your R/3 system, for example, \usr\sap\trans\data.

Running the Transport Request Commands on the R/3 System

1. Change directories to the transport\bin subdirectory.

2. Type tp checkimpdp SID.

   Where SID is the system identification. The default is 00.

   The response should be RDDIMPDP is scheduled. Contact your R/3 system administrator about transport system problems if you get another response.

3. Type tp cleanbuffer SID.

   This empties the transport buffer for your system.

4. Type tp showbuffer SID.

   This shows that the buffer is clean.

5. Type tp addtobuffer SS3K900063 SID.

   This brings the first transport (number ranges) into the buffer.

6. Type tp addtobuffer SS3K900041 SID.

   This brings the second transport (number ranges) into the buffer.

7. Type tp showbuffer SID.

   This shows how the buffer has been loaded.

8. Type tp import SS3K900063 SID u1.

   This command imports the first transport into your system.

9. Type tp import SS3K900041 SID u1.

   This command imports the second transport into your system.