IDoc messaging

Overview

IDoc messages have been the gold standard of reliable SAP-to-SAP communication for many years in SAP ERP, and are still strategic and relevant for SAP S/4HANA – ASAPIO Integration Add-on now allows you to use all your SAP standard and custom IDocs in today’s heterogeneous IT landscapes and for event-driven architecture – code-less!

On-the-fly IDoc conversion to JSON-based messages, bidirectional
for SAP-to-SAP connectivity via data brokers and platforms
for SAP-to-any connectivity, using IDocs as a proven and reliable interface

Send IDocs as outbound JSON message

Create Logical System

Transaction: SALE
Select the created Connection
Go to section Basic Settings → Define Logical System
Add New Entry and specify:
- Log.System: Name has to be “LOCAL”
- Name: choose a description

Create Customer Distribution Model

Transaction: BD64
Create Model View and specify:
- Sender: Sending client
- Recipients: Logical system (LOCAL)
- Add message type as required (e.g., MATMAS)

Create IDoc Port

Transaction: WE21
Select the created Connection
Go to section ABAP-PI
Add New Entry and specify:
- Port: choose a name (e.g., ACI_IDOC)
- Description: choose a description
- Function module: /ASADEV/ACI_IDOC_PORT_TRIGGER

Create Partner profiles

Note:

Make sure a Distribution model is available (Transaction BD64)

Transaction: WE20
Open folder: Partner Type LS
Go to section Outbound Options.
- Receiver port: ACI_IDOC
- Basic Type: MATMAS05

Create Outbound Object

Note:

In the example below, we want to trigger an outbound message for SAP material master IDocs (IDoc name “MATMAS”), convert the IDoc payload to JSON and send it to an event broker instance.

Transaction: SPRO
Goto ASAPIO Cloud Integrator → Connection and Replication Object Customizing
Or go directly to transaction: /ASADEV/68000202
Select the created Connection
Go to section Outbound Objects
Add New Entry and specify:
- Object: name of the outbound configuration
- Extraction Func. Module: /ASADEV/ACI_GEN_VIEW_EXTRACTOR
- Message Type: Specific message type (Example: Z_SAP_EM_MATMAS)
- Load Type: Incremental Load
- Trace: activate for testing purposes
- Extraction view name: EDID4
Formatting Function: /ASADEV/ACI_GEN_IDOC_FORMATTER

Data extraction will be carried on by a generic extractor (/ASADEV/ACI_GEN_VIEW_EXTRACTOR) with message type Z_SAP_EM_MATMAS. The generic extractor reads and extracts the data contained in the view EDID4, which has the information related to the IDOCs.

Example configuration:

Data extraction will be carried out by a generic extractor (/ASADEV/ACI_GEN_VIEW_EXTRACTOR) with message type Z_SAP_EM_MATMAS. The generic extractor reads and extracts the data contained in the view EDID4, which has the information related to the IDOCs.

Set up ‘Event Linkage’

Link the configuration of the outbound object to a Business Object event:

Navigate to Outbound Objects → Event Linkage or use transaction SWE2.
Add New Entry and specify:
- Object Category: BO BOR Object Type
- Object Type: /ASADEV/ID
- Event: ACI_TRIGGER_EVENT
- Receiver Function Module: /ASADEV/ACI_EVENTS_TRIGGER
- Linkage Activated: tick the checkbox
- Check Function Module: /ASADEV/ACI_EVENTS_CHECK

Set-up ‘Header Attributes’

Specific for the IDoc Outbound use-case you have to specify the header attributes:

BOR_ATTRIBUTE_MessageType with the actual message type of the IDoc you want to send (e.g. MATMAS). This will be used in the check function module to filter out IDocs that are not relevant.

Set-up ‘Header Attributes’ – General

Header attribute	Header attribute value
BOR_ATTRIBUTE_MessageType	Select single IDoc type by message type (e.g. “MATMAS”)

Set-up ‘Header Attributes’ – Azure

Header attribute	Header attribute value
AZURE_TOPIC	Topic/Queue (e.g., “/my_topic”)

Set-up ‘Header Attributes’ – Confluent/Kafka

Header attribute	Header attribute value
KAFKA_TOPIC	Topic/Queue (e.g., “sap_demo.matmas”)

Set-up ‘Header Attributes’ – Solace

Header attribute	Header attribute value
SOLACE_TOPIC	Topic/Queue
SOLACE_CALL_METHOD	POST
SOLACE_CONT_TYPE	text/plain
SOLACE_DELIV_MODE	Persistent

Set-up ‘Header Attributes’ – SAP-EM

Header attribute	Header attribute value
SAP_EM_TOPIC	Topic/Queue (e.g. /myqueue)
SAP_EM_CALL_METHOD	POST
SAP_EM_CONT_TYPE	application/json
SAP_EM_QOS	0

Test the outbound IDoc event creation

Note:
Message type should be MATMAS in our example (screenshot shows ARTMAS because it’s a retail system)

Start transaction BD10 to test the described formatter:

Results can be shown in transaction /ASADEV/ACI_MONITOR.

Receive IDocs from inbound JSON message

Note:

In the example below, we want to receive an inbound message for SAP material object from an event broker, which will be a JSON format. The JSON payload will be converted into an IDoc (IDoc name “MATMAS”).

Create Message Type

Create message type, If not already done before during the Outbound configuration.
Transaction: WE81