Meet your new friend EMIS: Event Mesh in SAP Integration Suite

[KStrothmann]

"SAP Integration Suite is an integration platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) that helps you quickly integrate on-premise and cloud-based processes, services, applications, events, and data. Accelerate innovation, automate more processes, and realize a faster time to value." 

This is what sap.com says about SAP Integration Suite, and the statement has just become even more true: your new friend EMIS has arrived ... the new Event Mesh capability of SAP Integration Suite that will be available for all customers using standard and premium editions.

Let's go through this step by step and let's first quickly look at EDAs and their benefits.

Event-driven Architecture

An event-driven architecture is a software architecture using events as the core means for interaction between its software components. Events are significant changes - in our context for example a Sales Order getting created or a Business Partner getting updated in SAP S/4HANA. In an EDA, you are informed about these events in almost-real-time.

Event-driven architectures are a great fit for distributed software environments and allow for minimal coupling. This might result in not only a loose coupling but also a highly flexible software architecture that is constantly changing and adjusting.

EDAs have a number of advantages over more traditional architectural styles, typically building on the loose coupling and the real-time aspect that comes with EDAs:

• The situational awareness is increased by receiving updates on events in other business applications in real time which might result in quicker and better business decisions.
• The loose coupling that comes with EDAs results in an increased flexibility and scalability. In the end this allows to adjust to changing business environments quickly.
• Easy re-use of existing eventing infrastructure providing more comfort and less costs. You set up an eventing infrastructure once and then use it again and again for different events and event sources.
• Open standards like the CloudEvent standard allow to cross vendor boundaries with ease

There are even more advantages like improved fault tolerance, low latency and efficient operations that come on top of the advantages mentioned above.

SAP's Event-driven Ecosystem

To summarize the above: if you have not already done it, you might want to explore event-driven architecture for your integrations.

SAP offers already quite a number of event sources, event broker technology and event consumers. To point out a few highlights in respect to event sources:

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud exposes 600+ standard events, most of them extensible and adjustable using different technologies. 
• SAP S/4HANA exposes pretty much the same number of SAP standard events and provides similar approaches for extension and adjustments in the newer releases. 
• SAP ECC allows for custom events to be created 
• SAP SuccessFactors solutions provides the Intelligent Services Events 

As for broker technology, SAP offers SAP Event Mesh as part of the SAP Business Technology Platform and SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh as an optional offering of SAP Integration Suite (that is available standalone as well).

If you ask me, SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh is the offering that I see most customers ending up with once their EDAs reach a certain maturity level, or a certain scale. Advanced Event Mesh offers extreme scalability and a myriad of sophisticated features. If you are interested in AEM, check it out here.

Some customers though like to start smaller or just want to power smaller or simpler business scenarios. The new Event Mesh in SAP Integration Suite is for them.

Event Mesh in SAP Integration Suite

Event Mesh in SAP Integration Suite is a fully-managed cloud service for enabling applications, integrations and extensions to communicate asynchronously through events. It allows for end-to-end EDAs in or beyond the SAP event-driven ecosystem.

• EMIS as Event-Broker-as-a-Service decouples communication between event sources and event consumers in a plug-and-play fashion
• Business real time event transport and different quality of service levels
• Direct integration to SAP S/4HANA events
• Caters to low to moderate event volumes and includes a focused feature set, perfect for businesses just beginning their EDA journey
• As EDA implementations mature and expand, transition smoothly to Advanced Event Mesh for volume, features and broader landscape coverage

Availability and Rollout

The Event Mesh capability in SAP Integration Suite has just been introduced and we are in the process of making it available. Some of you might have already seen this new capability in your Integration Suites, since we have already started rolling it our across data centers earlier this week. If you haven't seen it yet, it should come for you in the next days. If you have a Standard or Premium edition of SAP Integration Suite that is.

What you should know now

Let's summarize the key pieces of information on EMIS today:

• EMIS is fully integrated in the SAP Integration Suite Cockpit
• Supports the majority of features available with SAP Event Mesh as of Q2 2024
• EMIS will be available for SAP Integration Suite standard and premium editions from 2nd half of June 2024
• Maximum message size is 1MB and spool size for all messages/events to be buffered is 2 GB
• Currently there is no migration support for existing SAP Event Mesh instances. This is planned for later in 2024.
• The new capability will be visible in the provisioning application. After activation an EMIS instance within Integration Suite is created.

Detailed information can be found in SAP Note 3461547   to understand functional and non-functional qualities.

What is planned for Q3 2024

Selected additional features are planned to come in Q3 2024:

• REST and MQTT Support
• Webhook support
• Migration support for existing SAP Event Mesh instances to EMIS

Specifically the REST support that will be important for the add-on connectivity and the migration support that will allows for facilitated migration to EMIS will be important features that are on the horizon.

A Crucial Building Block

I am quite glad that EMIS is available to customers now. It's another, crucial building block in SAP's event-driven strategy. And this strategy is highly important: event-driven architecture is expected to grow at exponential rates year over year and to become a game changer and enabler technology for other technologies - like AI specifically. What does it help if you have the smartest AI agent take decisions based on outdated data? Right, you need real time data ideally, and this is what EDA gives you.

EMIS will lower the hurdle for a lot of SAP customers to get started with EDA.  Which is a great thing for somebody like me that is fully convinced of the technology. And, as stated above, I believe that EMIS will be the convenient and easy starting point of an event-driven journey.

In the long run latest I expect that this journey is going to take you to SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh. Because I believe you will simply love EDAs. And you will want to take the next step.

For now: I highly recommend you to take the first step. If you are an SAP Integration Suite customer, have a look at Event Mesh in SAP Integration Suite. It's there now.

[ajmaradiaga]

Are you interested in seeing this in action, join me on Wednesday (June 19th at 10:30 AM CET) - https://youtube.com/live/tUIG34xT3oo - when I will explore the new Event Mesh capability part of the SAP Integration Suite. We will enable the capability, create queues, add topic subscriptions, and exchange messages between a CAP project and SAP Cloud Integration.

[Saurabh_Kabra]

Hi @KStrothmann ,

One question...is new EMIS capability only available for the Standard or Premium edition of Integration suite? What about Trial or Free plans? Is it planned to be there as well in future?

Best
Saurabh

[ADR]

Thanks @KStrothmann for the quick blog for EMIS. 

The question I have, how is it priced now? Does it come free with the IS without any additional cost based on number/size of messages? 

- Anupam

[KStrothmann]

Hi Saurabh @Saurabh_Kabra , Hi Anupam @ADR ,

1. Will be available in free tier.

2. 100 events = 1 IS msg

Best,

Karsten

[Johannes23]

Hello @KStrothmann ,

how does it work in case I just want to use SAP Event Mesh (not advanced) as standalone solution (without SAP Integration Suite) - as it was possible before? Am I forced to license the SAP Integration Suite anyhow?

I can imagine this would have some impact on designing lightweight EDA solutions and its pricing - because not only the messages would be part of the costs but also the SAP integration Suite plan.

Best regards,
Johannes

[KStrothmann]

Hi Johannes @Johannes23,

Currently nothing has changed in respect to SAP Event Mesh. You can license SAP Event Mesh standalone as before. Or you can go for EMIS. Or, if you want to go for a more powerful offering, Advanced Event Mesh. So in the end you can pick what fits for you from the portfolio.

What is going to happen in future is harder to say. We have understood that the lightweight EDA solution is highly valued and appreciated, and that there is a need for a smaller offering in the market.

I intend to write a blog on how the pieces fit together some time in the coming weeks.

Best,

Karsten 

[Christophe2]

Hello @KStrothmann do you know when the messages metering will be integrated into SAP Note https://userapps.support.sap.com/sap/support/notes/2903776? Thank you very much! Christophe

[ULF1]

Hello,

for a connection with S/4HANA 2022 onPremise I need the service key from EMIS. Unfortunately the service key from the SAP Integration Suite instance does not work.

[florian2636]

@ULF1 I had the same issue. The service key does not contain the namespace used during definition of the queue. If you take the service key into the S/4 channel creation, make sure to add the namespace.

Example

...
    "serviceinstanceid": "xxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "namespace": "L1/L2/l3",
    "uaa": {
...

That it will work if the queue subscriptions are correctly maintained as well.

[arpit123]

Hi

The event mesh capability will be also available for trial account?

[JaySchwendemann]

Thanks for the insights. Sounds like existing SAP Event Mesh might converge into EMIS in the future? Could you say something about that?

Also some sort of rough tabular comparison of SAP Event Mesh, EMIS and SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh might come in handy 🙂

Cheers

Jens

[GreggHinkle]

Can I use SAP Netweaver Add-On for Event Enablement with Event Mesh in Integration Suite like I can with Standalone Event Mesh?

[KStrothmann]

Hi @GreggHinkle,

currently not. The REST support is not there yet, and it is required for the add-on. The plan is to deliver the REST support in Q3 and then the add-on will work with EMIS.

Best,

Karsten

[KStrothmann]

@JaySchwendemann 

There is a strategy paper my colleagues work on that should be released some time soon. I believe this document will answer a lot of your questions.

In respect to the tabular comparison, I think I had posted something like that in a blog a while ago for EM and AEM. EMIS will be very similar in Q3 to EM in respect to the features supported. Currently what is missing is Webhooks, REST and MQTT support. These features are planned for Q3.

Best,

Karsten

[GreggHinkle]

Thanks Karsten for your answers. The other question that I have is after the missing features are added to EMIS, is there a reason to use Standalone Event Mesh over Event Mesh Integration Suite especially if you already subscribe to Integration Suite?

[KStrothmann]

@GreggHinkle If you already subscribe to Integration Suite and the feature parity is there, I would highly recommend to use the Integration Suite version. New features will come for that code base, I would expect easier migration to AEM if needed and so on. So, there is a clear answer.

Karsten

[Venkat_Vyza]

Hello @KStrothmann ,

Thanks for the great summary.

Quick question: Looks like EMIS is NOT available in BTP Trial Account. Any plans to make it available in Trial Account? 

@ajmaradiaga 

Thank you,
Venkat Vyza

[TobiasFehringer]

@KStrothmann Do you know when exactly in Q3 2024 Webhooks, REST and MQTT will be supported within EMIS?

[peterczo]

What if we already have event broker technology that is non sap? Can s4 private cloud standard events use non SAP brokers as well or do we first need to use EMIS or advanced event mesh to make s4 events consumable? 

[KStrothmann]

@peterczo You can make SAP S/4HANA events available to 3rd party brokers using different channels. A direct exposure of SAP standard events is not possible. You would have to take one step in between, as you had already assumed.

So, either Advanced Event Mesh or SAP Integration Suite would be needed and should support your required connectivity out of the box. SAP Event Mesh you could probably make work as well, I would not recommend it due to the smaller throughput and the fact that you would have to take care of the connectivity to your broker technology.

So, either Integration Suite or AEM would be your recommended path.

Best,

Karsten

[KStrothmann]

@TobiasFehringer I can refine the expected timelines some: Webhooks to come in September, REST now looks like early Q4. 

Best,

Karsten

[HarshAgarwal]

Hi @KStrothmann ,

To create service key, it asks us to add integration suite, event mesh entitlement and create a new instance or subscription of the same.

Does adding this subscription in-cure additional cost apart from the cost mentioned above(100 events message = 1 IS message)?

Regards,
Harsh

[saurabhkumbhare]

Hi @KStrothmann ,

Is there a default topic namespace that IS-EM uses? (Which we should use in S4)

Thanks

Saurabh

[KStrothmann]

@HarshAgarwal To my understanding there is no additional cost when spinning up EMIS. The charging should be fully consumption based.

Details in the note: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2942344 

Best,

Karsten

[tokgozatakan]

Dear @KStrothmann,

Is there a more clear timeline on the migration of existing EM instances? Is there a documentation for it? 

[sakai94]

How can I use this queues in an iFlow? With EM Standalone you can consume them with HTTPS or AMQP Connectors.

[minal_vaidya2]

Hi @KStrothmann 

Is there any update on the Q3 2024 features planned for EMIS? webhook, REST availability etc?

Thanks

Minal

[i840740]

Planned for Q2 2025
Migration support from SAP Event Mesh to SAP Integration Suite, advanced event mesh

SAP Road Map Explorer

[Groß-Tobias]

Hi @KStrothmann 

any update about the Q3 / early Q4 planned REST support?

Thanks in advance. BR

[philippeaddor]

@sakai94 With the AMQP Sender Adapter (selecting the WebSocket protocol). 

[KStrothmann]

Hi @Groß-Tobias ,

REST support for EMIS should be available end of October to beginning of November, depending on data center since it should be a phased roll out.

Best,

Karsten

[KStrothmann]

Hi @minal_vaidya2,

Phased rollout. End of October to beginning of November for REST support. I think the webhook support might already be there, so check for it. If not until end of October.

Best,

Karsten

[AshishRaje]

Thanks for blog @KStrothmann .

It seems REST support is not yet available. Any idea when it will be available as it is mandatory to use with SAP NetWeaver Add-On for Event enablement. 

[KStrothmann]

@AshishRaje The REST support should already be available. To be specific, it has been rolled out with Quality of Service 0 and for QoS 0 all associated APIs are available. Quality of Service 1 is planned for Q1/2025.

The NetWeaver Add-On for Event Enablement works as well with EMIS. There are already customers using it with EMIS.

Best,

Karsten

[yannickb89]

Hi @KStrothmann ,

I'm wondering what's the difference between Event Mesh and the SAP Cloud Application Event Hub, as the latter integrates with Cloud ALM. 

Can you please help here for better understanding as we want to integrate a SAP Cloud Solution on BTP with Cloud ALM to monitor certain business events.

Thanks upfront!

[KStrothmann]

@yannickb89 

Let me start with a short answer: SAP Cloud Application Event Hub is geared towards SAP Cloud Applications as the name indicates (for once an SAP name actually fully fits). It does not support any on prem backends or 3rd party components. 

Event Mesh and Advanced Event Mesh are event brokers/meshes offering basic and (highly) advanced features in the SAP ecosystem and beyond. So this includes on prem and 3rd party. Specifically AEM has been developed to be the backbone of EDA across the entire enterprise, way beyond just SAP. 

Important point: all these offerings complement each other. So the Event Hub can be used as an event hub for SAP Cloud Applications and feed these events into AEM/EM (feature on the roadmap for early 2025), for example. 

I would recommend to read this longer document describing SAP's EDA strategy. It provides a full overview of how the pieces fit together.

 Best,

Karsten

[yannickb89]

Thank you @KStrothmann this helps a lot!!! 

[ShivaPalapudi]

Hello @KStrothmann 

    Previously we have implemented Event Mesh standalone application as POC and integrated with our S4HANA 2020 SP02 system.  We were able to create channel with service key and able to push S4HANA events to the event mesh.

 Unfortunately, after the migration of event mesh to IS , we are not able to activate channel in S4HANA. Getting bad request error.

  After migrating to EMIS, we have created RFC destination, OAuth manually in SAP and then provided these details in the channel. We are unable to activate the channel now in S4HANA 2020 sp02.

 Also, the instance generated in BTP for new EMIS does not have "namespace".

Thank you,

Shiva

[KStrothmann]

@ShivaPalapudi It's a little difficult to help you here - the community is the wrong channel unfortunately for your issue. In short: this should obviously work, so wondering what does not fit in your environment.

Could you please open up a ticket and send the number to me via a private/community message (or alternatively via e.g. LinkedIn message if you prefer that)?

Thanks and Best,

Karsten

[ShivaPalapudi]

Hello @KStrothmann 

     Thank you for your quick reply. I have created a case 34376/2025

Thank you,

Shiva Palapudi

[ChingHong]

@ShivaPalapudi , please refer to this, it might able to help you.

SAP S/4HANA direct connectivity with Event Mesh in... - SAP Community

Alternatively, you can follow the same old way, generate the channel using default based on the generated service instance key, but will need to manually add a namespace tag in the json as below

so far it works for me.