How to connect an ABAP system to AEX for XI 3.0 (Proxy) scenarios
To allow the usage of ABAP proxies in an integration scenario with AEX and an ABAP system,
the required RFC connections need to be set up accordingly on the ABAP stack.
The following blog gives an overview of the required steps.
Thanks a lot to Michal’s blog which was the basis for my overview.
Overview
The main steps which need to be performed to set up a proper proxy connectivity are the following:
- Connection to Enterprise Service Repository (ESR)
- RFC connection to the AEX
Detailed Setup Description
1. Step: Connection to Enterprise Service Repository
- Start transaction SM59
- Create RFC-Destination of type “G” (HTTP-Connection to external server).
- Add a connection called “SAP_PROXY_ESR”:
- Add AEX server host name and port (port usually 50000)
- Add Path Prefix = “/rep“
- The user in the “Logon & Security” tab needs to be assigned to role SAP_XI_REP_SERV_USER
- The connection can be tested via transaction SE80 or SPROXY.
If the ESR connection is not working, the following error message will appear:
If the ESR is connected properly, the connected ESR is shown:
2. Step: RFC-Connection to the AEX
- Goto transaction SM59
- SM59 -> http Connection to ABAP System (Type H)
- Add AEX server hostname and port (usually 50000)
- Path is “/XISOAPAdapter/MessageServlet?ximessage=true”
- The connection can be tested by clicking button “Connection Test”
I am confused by the RFC connection type (for AEX). According to help.sap.com the HTTP Destination for the Advanced Adapter Engine is type "G" below:
Creating the HTTP Destination for Advanced Adapter Engine
To create the HTTP destination to connect your ABAP backend system (business system) to Advanced Adapter Engine (AEX), perform the following steps:
Source: Connecting the ABAP Backend to Advanced Adapter Engine - Configuring Process Integration After Installation - SAP Librar…
I also found another page on help.sap.com that says type H. So I'm going with type H
5.In the Corresponding Integ. Server field, enter an HTTP destination (pointing to the corresponding Integration Server) with the following syntax: dest://<HTTPDESTINATION>.You have to create this HTTP destination in transaction SM59 as a destination of type H. You can maintain all the settings that transaction SM59 offers, namely HTTP, HTTPS, user, and password.More information:
Source: Configuring the Role of the Business System - Configuring Process Integration After Installation - SAP Library
We have a requirement to implement point to point integration of SAP (on-prem) with a third party software that is in the Cloud - through HTTPS calls. Simply speaking, SAP is on-prem and we would like to make a WebAPI call to the Cloud hosted software. All goes well when we set the SAP Global proxy. But, this doesn't allow whitelisting of the third party software WebAPI URLs to ensure it is opened only for such calls and not all others. As such, setting up global proxy in SAP is disallowed from security standpoint. On the other hand, the third party software plugin (ABAP-Ad on) on SAP Side, is hard wired to only make a direct HTTPS call to the target (API)URL but, does not have provision to make an RFC call. Under these circumstances, are there other ways than RFC, to make this integration possible and have/establish a safe and secure connection between on-prem SAP Server to make WebAPI (HTTPS - point to point calls) to the third party software hosted in the Cloud?
By the way, the proxy need is safely achieved in S4HANA integration with the same third party Cloud software in another project. S4HANA being on the Cloud has more options and is less rigid.
Would appreciate if someone would help provide the different standard ways in which SAP On-prem server could make safe point to point (HTTPS) calls to third party cloud software (RESTFul APIs). I understand that RFC is one of them, but, as explained above, we would like to explore, what other alternatives do we have on SAP side, without forcing the third party ABAP-Ad on change their call.
Baseline of what I am after, is, exploring ways in which SAP On-Prem could connect/make point to point HTTPS calls safely to Externally hosted WebApplications.
Any detailed step by step documentation for each option would be very helpful.
Thanks