Clarification needed

[Former Member]

Hi,

please clarify the below mentioned.

As u know SAP XI is the new technology to integare cross system components. my doubt is that what is the dif between EDI,BAPI and Xi interms of connecting to dif systems.

what is the added advantage with XI?

Thanks in adv.

Regards,

Raja.

[Former Member]

Raja,

XI is a middleware.

EDI is a industry standard messaging formats that most of the middlewares support

BAPI is a SAP propreiatry way of integrating SAP with other applications.

XI - You can do message mappings.

The sender system need not bother about the target format.

Middlewares are more strategic in a organization, usually all the integrations in a org. happen through a middleware.

Regards,

Ravi

Note : Please mark the helpful answers

[Former Member]

Hi Ravi,

Thx for the clarification. cud u please explain the same in detail. I mean how actually it has additional adv over these EDI & BAPI in terms of configuration,implementaion,user friendliness & cost.

Rgds,

Raja.

[Former Member]

Raja,

You cannot compare EDI / BAPI to XI, read my first post more carefully. XI is a middleware and EDI is standard and BAPI is a way integrating with SAP.

XI can do the integration using EDI formats, where as EDI messaging formats cannot be understood by SAP Directly. So, XI transforms EDI message format to a IDOC / BAPI format and sends that to SAP.

You need to understand the purpose of middelware first. Search on the web if you can find any info on the baiscs of middleware.

Regards,

Ravi

Note : Please mark all the helpful answers and close the thread if the question is answered.

[Former Member]

Hi Ravi,

Thanks again i'll do the search on middle ware.

I know EDI is the format, can u clarify me just one thing if we use EDI , innerly it's nothing but XI which transforms this to SAP understandable?

Raja.

[Former Member]

Raja,

Yes, XI transforms the EDI message format to a IDOC / ALE format, but you (XI Consultant) will have make that message mapping either graphically/java/ABAP/ XSLT so that the mapping happens correctnly. Now, the middleware also check for mandatory data and can also do the value mapping, calculations as the data in one system might be represented in a different format / value.

Regards,

Ravi

[Former Member]

Hi,

XI :- Is the middleware tech.

It stands between SAP and outside world.

It Handles Data in XML format;

XI is directly connected to SAP.

Since XML is unversal format of data ; it can stand between any Non SAP and SAP system.

<b>XI & NetWeaver</b>

http://www.bmc.com/products/documents/66/35/56635/56635.pdf

http://www.iwaysoftware.com/

/tech_brief/TechBrief_SAPNETweaver.pdf

http://www.techsupport.businessobjects.com/PAR/Data_Integration_XI/Products.pdf