SAP NetWeaver Process Integration, B2B add-on SP02 got released on 21 October 2013 with lot of new enhancements.
Also, I am glad to inform you that AS2 Adapter is now Drummond certified.
Major SP2 enhancements are:
- Trading Partner Management
- New messages support for Tradacoms and EANCOM
- Local Message Monitor with B2B flavour
- and many other EDI and B2B adapters related enhancements.
Important Documentation
- Configuration guides (Application Help) is now available at http://help.sap.com/nw-b2b-addon
- Installation/Master/EDI Content/Security guides are available at folowing location on Service Market Place
- 1695520 : SMP Download location of Business to Business Add-On
- 1695522 : Compatibility matrix : Supported Process Integration releases
Let us have a look on the below information to find out "What is new".
OFTP Adapter
Archiving Messages
OFTP adapter archives different messages on the session initiated either by the sender communication channel or by the receiver communication channel. These incoming or outing messages can be archived for future reference.The following are the types of messages that can be archived:
- Incoming Wired Message
- Payload After Decryption
- Incoming EERP
- Incoming NERP
- Archive Error Messages
Defining Own and Partner Passwords Using Plain Text
The authentication mechanism for setting up the OFTP connection on the sender or receiver side can now be entered using plain text, by enabling the clear text for passphrase option.
AS2 Adapter
Archiving
AS2 adapter (sender and receiver) has been enhanced to support archiving for different payloads, such as MDNs,decrypted messages, error messages, and wired messages.
Handling Duplicate File Names
AS2 adapter now supports handling of AS2 messages with identical file names. While processing an inbound AS2 message, the adapter checks for identical file names preserved on the PI server. If the message is found to have an identical file name, the adapter dispatches an error or warning MDN to the message sender.
File Name Preservation with MDN
AS2 adapter supports the preservation of the file name of an AS2 document on a PI server. The sender channel of the AS2 adapter checks for the file name tagged to an inbound AS2 message. If the adapter receives an AS2 message without a file name, then it dispatches a negative MDN to the trading partner.
Creating New XI Message
AS2 adapter supports the creation of new XI messages for received MDN for synchronous MDN’s. In SP 01 this feature is available only for async MDNs
Acknowledging Missing File Names
AS2 adapter dispatches a negative MDN to the message sender if the incoming AS2 message file name is not present in the message receiver’s database. This is an optional feature.
EDI Separator Adapter
Receiving and Processing different EDI messages on a Single Channel
Processing new EDI message types has been introduced in EDI Separator adapter sender and receiver channel. The sender channel of the EDI separator adapter supports the handling of the following message protocols:
- EANCOM
- Tradacoms
- Plain
- XML (Routing and Splitting)- using this feature , You can route and split XML messages from a given XPath to the right ICO.
- Default
Now, with all these options you can process different message types with one ICO. This is typically required for VAN use cases. Other message types that are supported by EDI Separator (from SP1) includes EDIFACT, X12 and Odette and VDA.
Free Text
You can now configure parameters in EDIFACT sender channel by enabling the free text option. This option has been introduced to support new message types that can be defined using EDI Content Manager.
ANSI ASC X12 997 & EDIFACT CONTRL Support
This optional feature has been introduced in the adapter to detect the request for functional acknowledgment by reading the ISA/UNB segment in an EDI document, and dispatches the acknowledgment. Based on each incoming message, EDI Seperator can automatically decide whether to generate functional acknowledgment or not. Other options that were already available with SP1 were “Required” and “Not required”.
Supporting Qualifier Code
X.12 sender channel can be configured to handle sender and receiver ID qualifier code. Earlier you could define only Sender and Receiver IDs.
EDI Content Manager
EDI Content manager now supports the following:
- Message comparison has been introduced. You can compare two different messages on the same screen with different color codes to understand the differences and similarities.
- Where used list to display related information. You can use this option at different levels (field, segment etc.) to check if specific selected element is getting used where all other places before you take a customization call.
- Allows you to edit the message from the same context. You can now edit the complete message (field, segment, composites) from the same screen context. Still older options (segment editor, field editor etc.) are available for bulk maintenance
- Allows you to copy message types to create new message version. Using this option, you can easily change the version of the message that you are copying. You can use these option to create support for new messages (eg. VICS, UCS, EDIFACT versions etc.)
Trading Partner Management
This is a console for defining, maintaining, and viewing trading partner profiles and agreements. The trading partner application has the following major components, which can be accessed from the B2B integration cockpit:
- Partner profile management. You can create and maintain CRM related data for your trading partner along with EDI specific parameters (message types, encoding etc.)
- Partner agreement management: You can define rules based on sender, receiver and message type to defined different EDI parameters like encoding, indenting etc. or custom parameters.
- Functional profile management: You can define custom parameters and defined rules based on sender, receiver and messages so that you can use it during message mapping. You can reuse your message mapping by calling these rules with predefined UDFs in ESR.
- Automatic certificate rollover: Now, you can define the automatic rollover for a certificate based on expiry or custom timeings
- Allows you to configure administrative tasks
Be ready to get some further TPM usability enhancements within SP2 scope.
Introducing EANCOM Support
- New EANCOM content is included. You need to import .b2b files shipped along with the solution.
- EANCOM converter module (available via Generic Converter Module) has been introduced for converting EANCOM messages to XML and the other way round. This helps to configure single communication channel to process different EDI formats and same module can be used for inbound and outbound scenarios. It supports new module parameters for EANCOM converter module.
- The EDI separator adapter now supports CONTRL acknowledgment for EANCOM message type.
- The EDI content manager has been enhanced to handle EANCOM messages. Features in the EDI content manager allow you to do the following:
- Create or edit different components of EANCOM messages.
- Copy, modify, and assign control keys.
- Generate XSD files.
- Export or import EANCOM documents.
- Convert EANCOM documents to XML and the other way round.
- Test the conversion of EANCOM messages.
New Messages support for TRADACOMS
New messages have been added for different versions. For more details, please refer EDI Content guide on Service Market Place.
Enhancements in Converter Modules
Introducing EDI Search Parameter Module
This new adapter module can be configured on any sender or receiver channel. This module automatically assigns correlation ID (sender , receiver and interchange no.) and dynamic header parameters on detecting any format of EDI messages such as EDIFACT, EANCOM, X12, TRADACOMS and Odette. You use this module parameter only when no other converter module is getting used. If you are using any other converter module or EDI Separator receiver channel, it automatically publishes the same parameter as listed above. These parameters enables the search functionality in message monitoring.
Human Readable Report for 997 and CONTRL
This adapter module generates a report that contains details related to 997 and CONTRL FA’s in a human readable format. To generate and display human readable content, you need to provide the module name as localejbs/AcknowledgementReportModule and define report.format in the parameter name column. To display the report in XML format, one need to specify the parameter value as XML as the adapter takes HTML format as the default value. The generated report that contains human readable description gets attached to XI message and can be viewed from the message monitoring screen.
NOTE: Recommendation is to use this module only in the ICO where you are sending/receiving 997/CONTRL message. Report format is configurable and is available as either XML or HTML.
EDI Attachment Parameter
The edi.copy parameter adds the source message as an attachment before conversion to ensure persistence at the receiver’s side. To enable the persistence you have to use other module as prescribed in documentation. To summarize, now you can store the raw EDI payload along with XI message as an attachment for both Inbound and Outbound side. However, outbound side persistence is only available with PI 7.31.
Archiving Format
The format of the “%TS” parameter used while archiving a file has been changed from YYYY.MM.DD_HH-MM-SS.MSSS to YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.MSSS.
Monitoring EDI Messages –Enhancements in PI local message monitor
New features have been added to enhance the Local message monitoring capability of EDI messages flows. The following sections describe the newly added features in message monitoring application:
B2B Acknowledgements Monitroing Support : Special Tab and new columns in local message monitor of PI
B2B acknowledgment tab page provides information about acknowledgements that are exchanged between the trading partners. It contains different columns such as type of functional or technical acknowledgements, status indicator, status code, correlation ID and so on.
Two columns have been added with name “Technical Acknowledgments” and “Functional Acknowledgments” to monitor different acknowledgments related to XI message.
Related Messages
The related messages displays and helps to identify different XI messages such as batch messages, split messages and acknowledgements associated to the respective EDI message.
EDI Message Search
You can now search for EDI messages using the message Correlation ID. The correlation ID identifies and tracks, outgoing and incoming EDI transmissions. In the search field you can provide a criteria that contains unknown characters or use “*” for none or any letters that may relate to interchange ID, sender
identifier, or receiver identifier.
Note: Please refer SAP Note mentioned in documentation to check the monitoring enhancements done in different PI releases. Support for EDI message search was also downported to B2B Add-On SP1..
