SAP Exchange Infrastructure for Developers

As an integral part of end-to-end process integration, this book provides both experienced and new SAP XI developers with a detailed overview of the functions and usage options of the SAP Exchange Infrastructure.

First, readers learn about the central challenges and problems involved with business information systems integration and uncover the extensive options and functions provided by SAP XI to resolve these issues - with a special emphasis on the importance of SAP XI in ESA scenarios.

Then follow the authors as they take you deep into the system with a series of practical exercises for the development and configuration of mappings, adapters, and proxies: RFC-to-File, File-to-IDoc, ABAP-Proxy-to-SOAP, and Business Process Management. Each exercise is rounded off by a description of relevant monitoring aspects. A step-by-step introduction to all the individual interface technologies used, which are then combined in a comprehensive case study - part of which is devoted to SAP's BPM Technology - makes this book an invaluable resource.

Save time and avoid costly errors in your daily work using the detailed instructions on how best to handle necessary development and configuration objects of SAP XI, plus much more.

Valentin Nicolescu studied business information management at the University of Hohenheim, Germany. Since 2003, he has worked at the SAP University Competence Center (SAP HCC) at the Technische Universität München (TUM), Germany, where he is responsible for the operation of SAP training systems for higher education throughout Germany and for providing SAP training to higher education teachers. In addition to his focus on components of the SAP NetWeaver technology platform, he is involved in traditional ERP training with SAP R/3 and SAP ERP. He is a certified SAP technology and development consultant XI and a technology consultant Web AS and Enterprise Portal.

Professor Burkhardt Funk studied physics and information technology at the universities of Kiel, Würzburg and Stony Brook (USA). After obtaining his PhD degree, he began work in 1997 at McKinsey & Company, where he was a consultant in the areas of retail banking and e-business for international banking institutions. In 2000, he founded his own company. Today, Burkhardt Funk is Professor of Information Management at the University of Lüneburg, Germany. At the Institute for Electronic Business Processes, his areas of work include the business process-oriented integration of business IT systems and the application of web service-based technologies. He is also a managing partner of the Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsinformatik Lüneburg mbH (Lüneburg Society for Information Management (GWIL)), the main activity of which is carrying out development-intensive projects in the SAP area.

Professor Peter Niemeyer studied mathematics at the University of Ulm and the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. He began work at SAP AG after obtaining his PhD degree in 1996. Initially, he spent many years as an application developer in the Financials area of SAP, and then became a Software Consultant, handling several development-oriented projects for national and international companies. Today, Peter Niemeyer is Professor of Information Management at the University of Lüneburg, Germany. At the Institute for Electronic Business Processes, his areas of work include application development on the basis of ERP systems, and the business process-oriented integration of business IT systems. He is also a managing partner of the Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsinformatik Lüneburg mbH (Lüneburg Society for Information Management (GWIL)), the main activity of which is carrying out development-intensive projects in the SAP area.

Matthias Heiler holds a degree in physics and is a Solution Sales Executive at SAP AG in Walldorf, Germany. After his studies, he worked as a mainframe application developer in the aviation industry, and then as a project manager on international projects in the areas of banking and automotive for a US consulting firm. He has worked at SAP since 1995, first as a trainer in the area of SAP Basis (R/2 and R/3), and then switched to the Sales area in 1999. Today, his focus area is service-oriented architectures, particularly integration platforms and business process management. He also lectures in business processes with SAP systems at the International University of Bruchsal, Germany.

Dr. Holger Wittges obtained his PhD degree from the University of Hohenheim, Germany, under the supervision of Professor Krcmar and with the topic “Connecting Business Process Modeling and Workflow Implementation”. He then worked for three years as an IT project leader with debitel AG in Stuttgart, Germany. Since 2004, he has been operations head of the SAP Hochschul Competence Center (SAP University Competence Center (SAP HCC)) at Technische Universität München. His current research areas are standard software, serviceoriented architectures, and performance metrics in ERP systems. He is also a certified Technology Consultant for SAP NetWeaver―Enterprise Portal & Knowledge Management.