BEA WebLogic Server, User Manual

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Overview
2-2 BEA Systems, Inc.
Overview
SAP Remote Function calls require no system setup other than the Connection Target
Parameters. If you do not intend to send IDocs to the SAP system, you may skip this chapter.
In inbound IDoc processing, the adapter reads an XML document and creates an SAP
Standard format IDoc. The adapter can optionally transform incoming data into the
standard format through XML transformation or SAP ALE transformation. After assembled
as an IDoc, the file is sent to SAP for inbound processing. Multiple IDocs can also be
assembled into a larger document for efficient processing. For more information, see the
SAP documentation.
ALE IDocs used for transmission of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) messages require
information about the intended target and method of transmission stored on the BEA
WebLogic Server.
An IDoc consists of a Header that contains sender, processing type, receiver and other
information, and multiple data segments, which contain the information to be processed.
To store the parameters for processing of the IDoc messages, SAP requires a “logical
system” entry for each transmission system. The Logical System stores type information
about the Partner and the kind of messages expected from the partner.
The Partner Profile defines the kind of message and the type of SAP function called to
process that particular IDoc in an application. SAP also requires a filtering model, whether
or not it is used for a particular message, called a Distribution Model that defines a message
type and applies optional segment filters. After these are established, Inbound ALE/IDoc
processing can begin.
The Control Section or reference structure file EDI_DC40 (defined in SAP R/3), must be
completed and contains all the identifying information about the IDoc. The assembled
header and data records are sent to SAP by the adapter. SAP does not require an incoming
port to be specified. It takes the incoming RFC stream and assigns a port designation. In the
Partner Profile, a function module must be identified to process the IDoc in the R/3 system.
Usually, IDocs are written directly to the database and slowly read by the application (for
example, Purchasing for Purchase Orders). This can take time depending on the type of
data and the application. The adapter can “post to the database and return” or “post and
wait.” This is defined in the Partner Profile on the host system. In either case, you may send
a status IDoc message to obtain the status of your IDoc or use appropriate transaction
codes in SAP to view the IDocs online.
You must perform the following steps to configure SAP for inbound IDoc processing:
1. Configure a logical system.
2. Configure a distribution model.
3. Define an inbound partner profile.