Welcome back.

This is the second part of a three part series on integrating MDM with ECC using the Syndication Server and Exchange Infrastructure First, MDM is not a typical SAP app. For this interface, transferring master data from MDM to ECC, we can use XI to perform the data transformation and content conversion. 1. Registering MDM in the System Landscape Directory (SLD) I am going to register MDM the same way we would register a legacy or third party software product in the SLD. 1.1 Define Software Product Click "Products". And Press "New Product Version".

Fill in details, such as MDM by SAP, version 500 (for 5.0), then press "Create".

Enter a "Name", such as MDM,

1.2 Define Software Component Fill in the remaining information (Name and Version) and then press "Create" to finish making your product registration.

You should then be taken to a screen that looks similar to the following image. You should also see an entry in the "Software Components" tab if you were to click that.

1.3 Create New Technical System Return to the homepage of the SLD and click the Technical Systems link.

Select Third-Party and press "Next". Enter the system name and host name of your MDM server, then press "Next". From the list of installed products, select the software component that you just created. 1.4 Create New Business System Now this particular step is very important. As I mentioned before, MDM does not have the typical ALE configuration of other SAP products. Well, now is our chance to define the information that we will need in order for XI to communicate with MDM. In this case, we are going to create a logical system name for MDM during the process of creating a new business system. The logical system name is critical, and that is the only thing that XI will use to represent the product when building an intergration scenario, so make sure to make note of the logical system name that you enter when creating a new business system.

From the SLD home page, select Business Systems. Select "New Business System". Select, "Third-Party" and press Next. From the System drop down menu, select the third party technical system that you created. Enter a logical system name, and press Next. Enter a name for your business system, such as companyname_mdm, or such. Select the Product and Software Component and press Next. In the "Related Integration Server" drop down menu, select your XI machine and press Finish. You should now be able to see a screen such as the following when selecting your new business system.

2. Integration Repository (Design) As most of you probably know, this is where we are going to do two main things. (1) Specify the XML format of the message that comes into XI, and that of the message that leaves XI. And (2) perform the mapping from one XML format to another. But first thing is first, we must start by importing our MDM software component from the SLD. 2.1 Import MDM component from SLD Open the Integration Repository (Integration Builder: Design). Navigate to Tools -> Transfer from System Lanscape Directory -> Import Software Component Versions

Scroll down until you reach the component that you built in the SLD. Select the component and press Import.

You should notice that on the left hand column, where the navigation bar of software components is, there is a new item that has the name of the software component you just imported. It should look something like this:

2.2 Create Namespace Expand the sub tree for the newly added MDM software component. Right-click -> Namespace. In the screen that appears on the right, add a new row in the namespaces section and enter your namespace. Don't forget to save!

2.2 External Definitions In this example I was working with the MATMAS05 IDoc. So we are going to cheat a little bit, and simply export the XSD (XML structure) of the MATMAS05 IDoc from one of the other components that should be registered by default in your integration repository. From there, we will import that XSD into an externel definition in our namespace. Expand the sub tree for the SAP APPL software component. Expand the second sub tree for the SAP APPL *version (ie: 6.00). Expand Imported Objects. Expand IDocs. Navigate to MATMAS.MATMAS05 IDoc and double click to bring it up.

Go to Tools -> Export XSD. Save the file to a directory on your computer.

Now lets return to our namespace and import the XSD that we just exported. Seems a bit silly doesn't it? Expand the sub tree for your MDM component. Expand the sub tree for your namespace. Expand Interface Objects. Right-click External Definitions -> New... Enter a name for your definition, such as MATMAS05, or something similar. Press Create.

Change the category to XSD. Press the button next to the File* field to navigate your computer for the saved XSD. Don't forget to save!

2.3 Mapping For this particular scenario, the mapping is going to be incredibly simple. Because the file that we are picking up from MDM will already be an XML file with the same structure (almost) as the MATMAS05 IDoc.

Expand the subtree for your MDM component. Expand the subtree for your namespace. Expand Mapping Objects. Right-click Message Mappings -> New... Enter a name for your map, such as matmas05_to_matmas05. That's a really bad name, but you get the point ;)

Click the icon in the source message section that has a questions mark. Select Source Message -> Search for Repository Object.

Navigate to the MATMAS05 external definition that you created. Select Apply.

Repeat this process for the target message as well, using the same external definition. Your screen should now look similar to this:

We are going to start by working with some constants. Notice the BEGIN field and the EDI_DC40 context in the target message are both highlighted red. This is because BEGIN is a required field, and the EDI_DC40 context contains required fields below it. This means that those fields must have a value or the mapping will not work. Because the source message is coming from MDM, and won't contain any IDoc information, we have to use constants to fill this void.

Double-click MATMAS05IDOCBEGIN element from the target message to bring it into the mapping window in the lower part of the screen. From the Functions dropdown menu at the bottom of the screen, change to Constants. Click the Constant function to add it to the mapping screen.

Double click the Constant function in the mapping window to bring up it's properties. Change the value to 1. Press Ok.

Drag your mouse from the white box in the constant function on the right side, to the white box in the BEGIN element on the left hand side and release. Notice they turn green. You have now mapped those fields.

I am now going to outline the maps to be made for the EDI_DC40 context, assuming that you can follow a similar procedure as above and repeat it with minor changes to the rest of the element's mappings. (constant)1 :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40SEGMENT (constant)EDI_DC40 :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40TABNAM (constant)2 :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40DIRECT (constant)MATMAS05 :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40IDOCTYP (constant)MATMAS :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40MESTYP (constant)NA :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40SNDPOR (constant)NA :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40SNDPRT (constant)001 :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40SNDPRN (constant)NA :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40RCVPOR (constant)NA :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40RCVPRT (constant)NA :: (target) MATMAS05IDOCEDI_DC40RCVPRN Next we are going to map the rest of the fields and contexts 1 to 1. Meaning, all of the source fields from E1MARAM and E1UPSLINK contexts will be directly mapped.

Select the E1MARAM element in the source structure. Select the E1MARAM element in the target structure.

Press the mapping button shown in the picture below Say Ok to the warning.

You can now hide all mapping, and then show all mappings to display something that should look similar to this:

Repeat this process for the E1UPSLINK contexts. The last step involved with the mapping is to add a very simple piece of logic to the MSGFN field, which will represent the IDoc status code. This is a potential pitfall that you can run into when integrating MDM and ECC. Because MDM is not a standard SAP product, no material numbers will be generated for materials that are loaded into MDM for the very first time that have not previously been loaded into ECC. When materials are loaded into ECC or R3, a material number is generated. Of course, in this scenario, ultimately we want to update the materials in ECC whenever a change is made in MDM.

So we need some logic that will essentially do something like this: If a material number exists, map MSGFN field with constant If a material number does not exist, map MSGFN field with constant 005

002

Our mapping is now done, lets save the message mapping and continue on.

2.4 Message Interface The next thing we need to do is create a message interface. Navigate to Software Component -> Namespace -> Interface Objects -> Message Interfaces. Right-click -> New... Enter a name for your message interface. In this case I use the terrible name of MaterialMDMtoECC. Which, I might add, should never ever ever be used in a real environment (or anything past sandbox) unless you are interested in losing your job.

Modify the settings to reflect those of the settings shown in the below image, then save the message interface:

2.5 Interface Mappings Navigate to Software Component -> Namespace -> Mapping Objects -> Interface Mappings. Right-click -> New...

In the source interface section, select the message interface that we built in the last step.

In the target interface section, you can simply select the MATMAS05 IDoc from the SAP APPL component.

Then press the "Read Interfaces" button and the rest of the information should be filled in for you.

Save your Interface Mapping, and it's time to move on to the next phase! Of course, don't forget to activate your change list.

3. IDoc Adapter Before we jump into the other Integration Builder component and start configuring our communication channels, lets go make sure that the appropriate settings have been made for the IDoc adapter. We are going to be using this adapter to convert our mapped XML message into an actual IDoc message and send that to ECC. You would think that you could simply provide the communication channel with the RFC destination and port and it would be able to post the IDoc to the designated system, but unfortunately it's not that simple. But if you have never configured an IDoc adapter, don't worry, it's just as easy as making RFC destiantions. However, I am going to assume that your basic ALE and RFC destinations have already been configured.

3.1 Create IDoc Adapter Port Run transaction IDX1 on your XI system (not your ECC system). Press F5, or click Create.

Enter your Port name using the format SAPxxx, where xxx is the SID of your target destination. In this case, my target is RS1, because RS1 is the SID of my ECC sandbox environment. Do not deviate from this format, or it will not work! Enter the Client number for your target system. Such as 100. Enter a Description. Enter the RFC Destination of the target system. Save the Port.

3.2 Load Metadeta Run transaction IDX2 on your XI system. Press F5, or click Create. Enter a Description.

Enter the IDoc Type as MATMAS05. Enter the Source Port as the port you created in the last step (ie: SAPRS1_100). Save.

4. Integration Directory (Integration Builder: Configuration) This is the last step in the process before we move on to testing. In this step we will configure the communication channels which specify the IDoc adapter configuration that we created in the last step, as well as the file adapter configuration for picking up the source XML file and processing it. We are going to start by creating a new scenario and assigning our business systems to a service without party. Basically, this means that we are telling XI which systems we want to talk to. .1 Create New Scenario Click the New Object button, as highlighted in red below.

Enter a name for your scenario. Enter a description for your scenario. Press Create. 4.2 Create Communication Channels Right-click Service Without Party and click "Assign Business System".

Press Continue. Leave the party field blank, and press Continue. Select the business system for MDM and ECC as created in the SLD. Uncheck the "Create Communication Channels Automatically" selection and press Finish.

Now you should notice that if you expand the Business System subtree you will see the two systems that you just added. Now we have to create the first communication channel, which will be the outbound communication channel. Keep in mind, when referring to communication channels, outbound means the data coming out of MDM and inbound means data going into SAP. It's very easy to make a mistake and follow an incorrect naming convention (well, not the standard way) by thinking inbound is data coming into XI, and outbound is data leaving XI. But SAP prefers you refer to your communication channels in the manner that inbound data is data going into SAP. So, our first communication channel I am simply going to name "Outbound". Right-click Communication Channel and press New... Enter a name for the channel, such as Outbound, and press Create.

\ In the parameters tab, in the Adapter Type field press the "Display Input Help F4" button, marked by a blue circle and a question mark to bring up the input selection for adapters. Select the file adapter. Press Ok.

Select the "Sender" radio button. I am using NFS, and picking the file up from a directory. No file conversion is needed, so for Message Protocol simply select File. Select Integration Server as the Adapter Engine.

Specify the source directory for XI to pick up the file. Specify the filename of the XML file that XI will be picking up. The processing parameters I chose to use are as follows: Don't forget to save.

Now we will build the communication channel for the inbound message to SAP. Repeat the process for creating a new communication channel, but this time using the business system that represents your ECC machine. For adapters, select the IDoc adapter. Choose IDoc adapter. Select the Reciever radio button. Transport Protocol : IDoc. Adapter Engine : Integration Server. Message Protocol : IDoc. Enter the RFC destination created in SM59 for the ECC server. Enter the IDoc adapter port created in the IDX1. I used 700 as the release. Save.

4.3 Receiver Determination Right-click Receiver Determination and select New... Select your ECC business system as the service. Select the interface that was built in the integration repository as the interface. Select your namespace for the scenario as the namespace. Select use virtual receiver checkbox. Press Create. Save. 4.4 Interface Determination Right-click Interface Determination and select New... Enter MDM business system as sender service. Enter ECC business system as receiver service. Select your interface. Select your namespace. Press Create. Save.

4.5 Sender Agreement Right-click Interface Determination and select New... Enter MDM business system as sender service. Select your interface. Select your namespace. Press Create. Select Outbound as your Sender communication channel. Save. 4.6 Receiver Agreement Right-click Interface Determination and select New... Enter MDM business system as sender service. Enter ECC business system as receiver service Select your interface. Select your namespace. Select Inbound as your Receiver communication channel. Press Create. Save. Now we're all done with the configuration in XI; activate your changelist and you're ready to go! The next part (III) in the series will be focusing on testing and monitoring.