Interface between SAP ECC and externa POS system via TCP connection

[TheoMich]

Hi experts,

We need to establish a new interface between SAP ECC and external POS system via TCP connection.
The problem is that our SAP system does not support ABAP Push Channels (APC) technology and we need another way to accomplish it.
The interfaces' flow need to be as shown below:

1) SAP ECC (client) must invoke a TCP request towards POS system
2) POS system must respond back with an confirmation

Both communications must be established with TCP connection.
Can you propose any other way to implement this interface?

Thanks in advance,
Theodore

[DominikTylczyn]

Hello @TheoMich 

Would you provide details of your integration scenario, i.e.:

• what business event/document initiates TCP communication to POS
• what needs to be posted upon receiving TCP communication from POS

Best regards

Dominik Tylczynski

[TheoMich]

Hello @DominikTylczyn,

On the printing program and before the printout of a Billing Document that has a payment card as payment method, a request must be sent from SAP ECC to POS server in order to validate the payment card's data and amount's payment. Based on the response from POS the system will complete or stop the printout.
So, the request from SAP must have some payment data that POS system needs to validate and perform the payment process.
Our problem is on the establishment of this communication between the two systems via TCP sockets.

Best regards,
Theodore

[DominikTylczyn]

Hello @TheoMich 

As your system doesn't support ABAP Push Channels yet, you'd need an intermediate piece of software to establish TCP communication, that would serve as RFC-TCP bridge. Then your process would work as follows:

1. A billing document printout is triggered in ECC.
2. The printing program calls a custom RFC function to verify credit card payment. The RFC function needs to be implemented by the RFC-TCP bridge and the printing program would need to be either custom or enhanced standard.
3. Upon receiving the RFC call, the RFC-TCP bridge calls POS via TCP, verifies the payment details and returns the result as an exporting parameter of the RFC call to the printing program.
4. The printing program aborts the printout if the payment verification fails.

You can try to use SAP Plant Connectivity as a RFC-TCP bridge. I don't have much experience with SAP PCo, but my gut feeling it is cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.

Alternatively you can develop your own RFC-TCP bridge in Java, using SAP Java Connector. That is relatively straightforward. Feel free to use my Bride class as a starting point. The class provides RFC-TCP bridging for my EWM-PLC simulator.

Best regards

Dominik Tylczynski