Interface startegy ?

[Former Member]

Gurus,

We have to design an Interface strategy here where in curent system is using VBA excel tool to extract data from legacy databases and generate a file for peoplesoft..We have to replace Peoplesoft with SAP...

Just wanted some suggestions on we should achieve this for interfaces...What can be the strategy...

Cheers:

Mike

[Sm1tje]

Is it a one time interface to migrate the data from the legacy system to the Peoplesoft / SAP, or will it be used on a more frequent basis?

For interfacing you can use the file interface you currently have working. But instead of uploading it into Peoplesoft, you can upload it into SAP. You have to write a program which will read the file and find some BAPI (Business Application Programming Interface, which are some sort of function modules) which will process the file and for example create business partners. You can then create a job which will process the file in background during the night (after office hours).

But SAP offers more interfaces like IDoc interfacing.This however requires more knowledge of the SAP system and at this moment it does not look like you have a lot of experience with SAP. So file interface (for now) should give you a good start.

If you can, please elaborate on your exact requirement.

Regards,

Micky.

[Former Member]

Here are some tips, hope it may help you:

- Find the SAP Transactions and fields that corresponds to that data on the file. You should have a field-to-field correspondece for each field you want to record.

- Study the field data elements and check if some data consistence is necessary (changing data disposition in fields, etc.)

- Study if some extra condition is necessary to upload the file records to SAP.

- Develop a program to record the file data into SAP tables. For doing that, you should have an internal table with all the fields type C exactly like the file fields. It's like you have an internal table exactly like the file. For that you may use GUI_UPLOAD function (when manipulating local files) or OPEN DATASET/ READ DATASET/ CLOSE DATASET statements (when manipulating server files).

After that, you should find a way to validate data (checking the formats, etc.) and recording to an internal table which will be your source to update the SAP Data Dictionary Tables.

- Use CALL TRANSACTION or Batch-Input to fill the SAP Data Dictionary Tables. It's the safest way for updating data on SAP standard processes. Or if you'll have a Z table, simply populate the table with the new data.