Welcome to the blog series on integrating SAP Cloud for Customer with SAP ERP and SAP CRM. This series walks you through the integration guides; highlighting key considerations as well as where you should go to ensure you have all the information you need for the integration.
This blog focuses on configuration required in SAP HCI for the integration. Before reading this blog you should read the blog on getting ready, which walks through the guides you need and setup that should happen prior to the HCI configuration.
There is a new SAP Cloud for Customer release every 3 months. Each release will normally include new integration scenarios. This blog is not comprehensive of all scenarios and required configuration. Before doing the configuration, always ensure you have the latest version of the integration guide from Service Marketplace. The integration guide is kept updated with the most recent scenarios and required configuration.
This demonstration describes using the WebUI to configure and deploy.
This demonstration walks through the key HCI configuration steps using Eclipse UI.
The HCI configuration includes:
- Determine if you will use Basic Authentication or X.509 certificates for Authentication
- List which integration flows you need, which you can use standard and which require some extensions or changes in mapping
- Configure standard integration flows and deploy using WebUI
- Do mapping adjustments in Eclipse, configure, and deploy using Eclipse
Determine if you will use Basic Authentication or X.509 certificates for Authentication
The decision to use X.509 certificates or basic authentication with HCI must be made prior to the HCI configuration. Normally it is made early in the project since it impacts timelines, cost, and the overall security for the project. SAP recommends X.509 certificates for production. However, if you have not used X.509 certificates for any other internet apps that update your on-premise applications, you do not have the use them only for SAP. It is your decision. The following table outlines the pros and cons of basic authentication versus certificate authentication.
| Basic Authentication | Certificate Authentication |
|---|
| + Easier and less expensive to deploy | + Uses asymmetric cryptography (more secure) |
| + Do once and you are done | + Must be purchase from Certificate Authorities |
| - Uses SCN user ID/password (system user coming soon) | - Expires every year, once expired integration fails |
| - Passwords can be sniffed and/or guessed | - Longer setup times (~ 1 week) and deploying is more complex |
List which integration flows you need, which you can use standard and which require some extensions or changes in mapping
There are many integration flows for integration with ERP. By this time you should know which integration flows you need to use. You also need to know which require any mapping adjustment or extension. Today, standard integration flows can be configured and deployed using the WebUI with certificate based authentication. . All extensions and changes must be done using Eclipse. Additionally, Eclipse must be used for basic authentication configuration.
If you use X.509 certificates, require no changes to the integration flow, and then configure using the WebUI.
For all integration flows that require changes, they must be exported from the WebUI and imported into Eclipse in order to make changes. All scenarios using basic authentication must be configured in Eclipse.
For all integration flows where you need to change the standard mapping or do any extensions, the Eclipse UI is required. To get the integration flows into Eclipse you download them from the WebUI and import them into Eclipse. Once they are in Eclipse you can make anychanges you required. This e-learning describes downloading the integration flows from the WebUI, importing them into Eclipse, configuring and deploying.
For more information on extending integration flows, use this document .
Once you have the integration flows configured and deployed in HCI, you can monitor the runtime via the WebUI or the Eclipse UI’s.
For more information on HCI, check out abinash.nanda's HCI blog series
Please check out the other blogs in our C4C integration blog series at http://scn.sap.com/community/cloud-for-customer. The blog series includes the following blogs:
General
SAP Cloud for Customer Prepackaged Integration Content
How-To Guides and E-learning
Using HCI or PI
Web Dispatcher as a Reverse Proxy
HCI Web UI
Initial Load (coming soon)
ERP Integration
Get ready to integrate
ERP configuration
Cloud configuration
PI Configuration (coming soon)
HCI Configuration (this blog)
CRM Integration (coming soon)
Happy integrating!
