SAP Master Data Integration - sharing and synchronizing master data in the integrated Intelligent Suite

[Rui-Nogueira]

** Please be aware that this blog post is from 2020 and part of the content is already outdated. Please checkout this follow-up blog post on this matter.

 

In the blog post SAP One Domain Model – the lingua franca of the integrated intelligent suite you got a basic understanding of SAP One Domain Model and how it is related to the SAP Cloud Integration Strategy. You can learn more details by reading the blog post from my colleague juergen.heymann about SAP’s One Domain Model and Domain Driven Design.

The following blog explains how SAP Master Data Integration (for better readability I’ll use term MDI from here on) will share and synchronize master data between connected applications using SAP One Domain Model.

SAP Master Data Integration service

With MDI the SAP Integration Suite – SAP´s Hybrid Integration Platform has a new capability helping customers to share and synchronize business objects across SAP’s integrated Intelligent Suite.

MDI consolidates standalone offerings announced at past SAP TechEd’s: SAP Master Data for Business Partners and SAP Master Data for Products.

The service uses SAP One Domain Model as the exchange format to achieve a consistent view of master data across end-to-end business processes in the integrated Intelligent Suite.

Figure 1 – Evolution of Master Data Integration

 

MDI provides reliable real-time replication in a hub-and-spoke approach. This allows every business application to have its own copy of the relevant master data.

How does it work?

Customers need a sub-account under their global account on SAP Cloud Platform to create an entitlement for MDI. So far this is an offline process which will be automated soon.
[update Nov 2020: this has been automated, so no offline process is needed anymore]

Whenever a master data record undergoes change, the involved business application informs the MDI service. If the event is processed successfully, the connected business applications will be informed about the change immediately, with the customer having control of:

• Data distribution (e.g. bank data change shared with payroll system)


• Primary data source (e.g. only S/4HANA system can change cost center data)

Non-disruptive

Customers can continue to use existing integrations in their heterogenous landscapes. So there is no need to migrate over to MDI for existing integrations unless you want to onboard new SAP solutions into your landscape.

Out-of-the-box integration

Relevant master data objects  that have been delivered with SAP One Domain Model will be adopted by MDI and the respective SAP solutions will step by step build out of the box integrations for those business objects.

How SAP Master Data Integration is used

The capabilities of MDI can be used in various customer scenarios within the integrated Intelligent Suite. It allows adapting the business objects used in the Intelligent Suite to the specific needs of customers.

The most important customer scenarios are:

• Integration of 3^rd party solution business objects with the integrated Intelligent Suite


• Development of Apps/Extensions that extend the business objects with customer specific attributes


• Master Data Management

Figure 2 – SAP One Domain Model - the lingua franca of the integrated Intelligent Suite

 

Free for SAP to SAP integration within the Intelligent Suite scenarios

SAP customers will get MDI as part of the integrated Intelligent Suite. Meaning that the data synchronization between all SAP cloud solutions that are connected to MDI is provided at no additional cost.

3^rd party support

SAP Cloud Platform Integration (CPI) will support SAP One Domain Model and works with MDI for 3^rd party integration scenarios within the Intelligent Suite.

This will make it possible to extend the reach of SAP’s integrated Intelligent Suite to 3^rd party solutions and their business objects by using CPI.

Developing Apps/Extensions

By using the assets of e.g. SAP Extension Suite or SAP Graph, customers will be able to enrich their SAP landscapes with their own business objects.

MDI will provide these SAP products with a consistent view on the aligned business objects of the Intelligent Suite. This makes it easier for developers to develop suite-centric apps and extensions that access the suite instead of specific SAP solutions within their landscape

Master Data Management

While master data integration is about the distribution of master data based on SAP One Domain Model for a harmonized view across all applications, master data management is about ensuring high quality, trusted master data across the enterprise provided by SAP Master Data Governance.

SAP Master Data Governance will integrate MDI to address master data management use cases such as consolidation (de-duplication and best-record calculation), data quality management, and central governance.

Update Oct 23, 2020: My colleague markus.ganser explained more in detail the difference between SAP Master Data Governance and SAP Master Data Integration.

Availability

SAP Master Data Integration is generally available to customers since end of 2020.

What comes next?

SAP Master Data Integration will continuously increase the number of supported business objects delivered by SAP One Domain Model (e.g. like a cost center) to cover the end-to-end business scenarios as outlined in the SAP Integration Strategy.

Also, the capabilities of Master Data Integration will be integrated step-by-step into the SAP Integration Suite and other SAP solutions to cover the most important customer scenarios.

We are looking forward to your questions and for providing you with more detailed information around SAP Master Data Integration.

Update Oct 11, 2020: You can now explore the SAP One Domain Model in the API Business Hub.

[SyambabuAllu]

Hi Rui,

Thanks for sharing in detail info on oneMDI.

Thank you,

Syam

[KAnandh]

Dear Mr.Rui

Nice to read on this new development.

Could you bring more insights on data privacy aspect (GDPR) in this new integration model?

Thanks & Regards,

[prateek]

Thanks Rui for sharing this valuable information. A couple of questions:

1. Is there a plan to enhance MDI to an extent that it can replace standard replication between SF and ECC/S4 through CPI? If yes, do you have a tentative timeline?


2. How will MDI take care of customization in S/4 (custom fields) or SF (MDF or additional fields)? Will these need to be added to the central One Domain model in MDI?

Thanks,

Prateek

[Rui-Nogueira]

Dear K Anandh, let me ask my colleagues and I'll get back to you.

 

Best,

Rui

[torben_schuchart]

HI Prateek,

following the answers to your questions:

Is there a plan to enhance MDI to an extent that it can replace standard replication between SF and ECC/S4 through CPI? If yes, do you have a tentative timeline?

• In the R2R scenario the integration for workforce and cost center between Successfactor and S/4HANA Cloud is available in Q3/2020. The integration with S/4HANA on-premise will be available later.

 

How will MDI take care of customization in S/4 (custom fields) or SF (MDF or additional fields)? Will these need to be added to the central One Domain model in MDI?

• Yes they have to be added to the ODM model in MDI.  The fields must also be added in each affected application.

BR Torben

[LeandroBronzatt]

One question: Does it have the potential to replace any SPRO replication needed as a whole?

Example:

• You need Company Codes to exist in different SAP systems.
• It is a ungrateful job to keep different SAP systems with synchronous SPRO data

Recently we migrated from Solman Customizing Distribution to LT RS but this is still not a centralized solution.

[Barin]

From custom MDF standpoint the need of moving those is critical to understand. However its clear that SAP never wants redundant data.

[Barin]

Hi Anadh

 

any specific question around GDPR from HR standpoint. MDI uses the WorkforcePersons structure for HR data availability hence GDPR solution that HR solution uses wouldn't be impacted in any case as far as I understand.

 

thanks

[Barin]

BIB CPI integration is required for payroll so we are not looking at any immediate roadmap for replacement as I understand today.

[I018228]

Hello Torben,

You mentioned The MDI integration with S/4 OP will be available later, do you have the roadmap for this, could you please kindly share?

Thanks and regards,

Liyang

[siddharthrajora]

Its already available here for S4HANA

SAP Master Data Integration – sharing and synchronizing master data in the integrated Intelligent Su...

 

[Barin]

This is a one time activity. Company codes are not added in frequent unplanned fashin. same is with the enterprise structures across organization.

There are integrations being provided in OD model so futuristic solution will have all that is required.

However this will never include configuration synchronization. This activity has a lot of challenge honestly and your worry is well understood.

The solution to this is master data element synchronization and not configuration synchronization.

 

 

[Barin]

Hi Liyang

 

What solution are you looking at connecting with MDI for OP. can you list the modules.

 

thanks

[Barin]

Prateek to reply to question 1

 

1. As I understand today CPI is to be used (BIB) for all HR process purpose.


2. MDI is for workforce where minimum HR elements will be covered which are required to be consumed.

Please note that MDI is not a replacement of BIB. If you are running payroll and you need pay data then you will need BIBCPI.

hope this clarifies.

[zia_akbar3]

Hi Rui

Can a third-party app that is responsible for maintaining Vendor creation and maintenance, use MDI to sync data with an on-premise MDG system? Will we have services available in MDI to receive data from Third Party App and can MDI sync with MDG afterward?

[andre_sorge]

Hello Rui,

is there a list of business systems with supported business objects having a standard implementation to MDI for CRUD and distribution scenarios?

Or is the intention that implementation to MDI is always a project specific solution?

Best regards,

André

[paul___]

How do Master Data Integration and SAP Event Mesh and Event Driven Architecture work together?

Do e.g. the events relating to the SAP Event Mesh use the OneDomain Model.  Do you have any blogpost or similar on how to best use the Master Data Integration and SAP Event Mesh together?