XI and PI glossary explains the most common abbreviations and terms used in the XI area.
Please keep the descriptions short as they are just supposed to give a general idea about the term.
SAP XI PI Glossary
A
Adapters
Adapters enable the Integration Engine to communicate with applications
that either use different message format (non XML, like: flat files, EDI documents)
or different protocols (non HTTP, like: FTP, JMS, JDBC)
Acknowledgement
Informing the sender system(XI) of succes/failure of delivery/processing of the message in the receiver system
Types of Acknowledgements: transport and application
B
Business Process Modeling Language
BPML is a meta language used for modeling business processes.
BPM, ccBPM
Integration processes are design objects used to model complex message flows
in SAP Exchange Infrastructure. With BPMs you can use many
senders, receivers, loops, correlations, blocks which is not possible
in a standard message flow without the BPM.
Sample steps used in a BPM: send, receive, transform, block, control.
C
Conversion Agent
SAP Conversion Agent by Itemfield is a data conversion tool that enables you
to create interfaces between any data formats (unstructured, semi-structured)
and XML-based systems. It has much more advanced functions that content converison
option of the file adapter. Mappings developed with the use of SAP Conversion Agent
can be used as adapter modules in standard SAP Exchange Infrastructure adapters.
Correlations
You can use correlations when you need to assign messages to the same
BPM instance. Messages can have different structures but the key
on which you base the correlation needs to have exactly the same value
for one BPM instance.
Context objects
Context objects are objects based on the XPath expressions.
Therefor they can be used to simplify the access to the content of a message.
D
Data type
A data type is a basic unit for defining the structure of the XML data used
to exchange messages with the use of SAP Exchange Infrastructure
I
Integration Builder
Central tool for designing and configuring all objects which belong to the SAP Exchange Infrastructure.
It consists of Integration Repository and Integration Directory.
Integration Directory
Directory that contains all configuration information for SAP Exchange Infrastructure
(communication channel parameters, adapters, message routings, business systems, interface determinations)
Integration Engine
Runtime environment of the SAP Exchange Infrastructure that receives XML messages
and after processing in the pipeline , transfers them to the receiver systems.
Integration Knowledge
Also know as XI Content is the knowledge which contains all the required Integration Repository Objects necessary for Integration of various Processes which can be shipped to the Customer.
(Integration Repository Objects Includes integration scenarios, interface objects, messaging objects, mappings objects and adapter objects necessary for the Integrating Processes)
SAP Standard XI Content for various standard integration scenarios are available at SAP Service Marketplace
Integration Repository
Repository is a place where all design objects of the SAP Exchange Infrastructure
are stored (like Data types, Message Interfaces, Message Mappings)
Integration Scenario
Describes a cross-component process that is based on messages exchanged between
different systems but with the use of SAP EXchange Infrastructure
Integration Server
A server that has a centrally configured Integration Engine that is used to act as a message broker.
F
Fault message type
Fault message types are designed to represent errors that occur on the inbound interface
and can be reported back to the Integration Engine.
L
LUW-Logical Unit of Work
Each message in the queues, is represented by an LUW. LUW consists of a series of dialog steps, and the results of these are written to the Database in a single Commit. If an LUW in a queue is interrupted during execution, the entire message fails, and the queue fails.
M
Mappings
Mappings are programs that enable the XI to change both the structure
and values of messages processed inside it. There are 4 types of mappings:
Message Mappings - Graphical Message mapping
XSLT mappings - (both on java and abap stack)
Java mappings
ABAP mappings
Mapping lookups
These are interfaces developed inside the mappings that allow to check some values
based on other values. You can use a lookup API to implement them.
Message Interface
Message Interface is an interface that describes the direction of the message
(inbound, outbound), type of it (synchronous, asynchronous) or is it used in the BPM - abstract
Message Type
A message type is made of a data type and describes the structure of a message on a higher level then
the data type
N
Namespace
To create an individual components, you have first to create a separate namespace within the prevoiusly imported software component.
P
Payload
Payload is the content of the message that is being exchanged.
PCK
Partner Connectivity Kit is a tool than enables you to connect to SAP Exchange Infrastructure
The PCK is a J2EE-based application and as XI also uses the SAP XI Adapter Engine.
Proxy
Proxies are program language specific executable interfaces generated from program language independent WSDL documents for Interfaces defined in Integration Repository. XI provides options to generate proxies for ABAP & Java. ABAP Proxies can be generated using Se80/Sproxy. Java proxies can be generated using SAP Netweaver developer studio
Q
QOS
Quality of Service: Speicifies the mode of message exchange.
Types of QOS: BE (Best Effort)[Synchronous], EOIO (Exactly Once In Order)[Asynchronous], EO (Exactly Once)[Asynchronous]
R
RWB
Runtime Worbench is a central place from which you can monitor your XI server.
you can do it with various monitors:
Component Monitor
Message Monitor
Performance Monitor
End to End monitor
Cache Monitor
Alert Configuration
S
SLD
The SAP System Landscape Directory (SLD) is a central place
where you store all the information about your system landscape.
It consists of two parts:
Component Information: Information about SAP and third party products and components.
Landscape Description: Information about all installed systems (servers).
SNC
SNC is a software layer in the SAP System architecture that provides an interface to an external security product. SAP Systems include basic security measures, which include the SAP authorization concept and user authentication based on passwords. With SNC, you can extend SAP System security beyond thesebasic measures to include protection offered by an external security product.
Software Catalog
In the Software Catalog, in addition to the information about the technical and business systems, the software components involved in an interface or a business transaction are maintained.
Software Component
Represents a collection of all versions of a software component. Software components represent the reusable modules of a product. They can be upgraded or have patches installed.
Software Component Version
Represents a particular version of a software component
SSL
To encrypt communication between clients (Database Manager CLI, for example) and the XI Server, SSL could be used. SSL is a quasi-standard protocol developed by Netscape. It is used with an application protocol, for example, HTTP.
V
Value mappings
Value mapping is a function that allows you to map different object values to another values.
You can either store the table in Integration Directory or fill it via mass replication interface.
