SNC 7.02 – An Experience with SAP Standard Contents

We started to look into SAP provided Standard Content objects for SAP PI 7.1 EHP 1 as soon as SCN 7.0 EHP 2 and ECC 6.0 EHP 6 upgrades were finalized in our project. We had an idea that we were going to introduce a new SWCV, SNC 7.02 (same we did for SNC 7.0) which would contain all the Repository / Design objects and SAP APPL 6.06 would take care of all ECC IDocs. [For more information Using SAP XI/PI Predefined Content]

When we actually installed Predefined content, we found that only Service Interfaces and different types of messages like Message Types, Fault Message Types etc. are available under SNC 7.02. So what about the Mappings?

After thorough research, we found more two SWCVs  A. ESM SNC 7.02   B. SNC IC 7.02.

Again ESM component did not consist of any Mapping, so we discarded the first one. Now, SNC IC 7.02 is the component with Process Integration Scenarios, Actions, Operation Mappings, Message Mappings etc which we were looking for.

All the Proxy Interfaces are mentioned in SNC IC 7.02 but originally defined within SNC 7.02.

SNC IC 7.02 has underlying software component version as SNC 7.02.

Next surprise waiting for us was SAP ECC IDocs SWCV. All the Operation Mappings of SNC IC 7.02 were using SAP APPL 6.05 and not SAP APPL 6.06. But ECC was going to be upgraded to EHP 6.

Questions that started to come into our mind:

1. Which Software Component Version should be mentioned in PI Configuration Objects? SAP APPL 6.05 or SAP APPL 6.06.

2. IDX2 will contain 6.06 IDoc structures, so any possibility that SAP APPL 6.05 IDoc mappings defined in SNC IC 7.02 would fail?

3. What would be the adverse effects of SWCV discrepancy?

4. Should we assign Sender / Receiver Interfaces / IDocs to ECC Business System in SLD from both APPL 6.05 and APPL 6.06? [For more information Cant find Interfaces in the associated Business System?]

We experienced that very less number of documents regarding SNC 7.02 SAP Contents are available in Help SAP / SCN.

We had gone through SAP Content Java / XSLT mappings and compared IDocs with APPL 6.06 version in detail. Then we asked for SAP recommendation before moving the objects to higher environments.

Now below are the SAP recommendations:

1. It would be APPL 6.05. In that way ESR as well as ID objects would have the same version of reference and be synced. Also upward compatibility is ensured by SAP which means if any program or code is written for lower version of object (in our case APPL 6.05), higher version would be automatically compatible (in our case APPL 6.06).

2. No, it will not fail. All new fields introduced in EHP 6 version of IDoc are either optional in the mapping or have been checked before performing any logic in order to prevent failure (like subString function).

3. No adverse effect from performance or end to end process perspective. As mentioned above, SAP has upward compatibility.

4. In SLD, SAP APPL 6.06 would be automatically assigned to ECC Business System as a result of ‘Self-Registration’ (Technically installed for EHP 6 upgrade) and should not be manually changed. So, no need to manually add SAP APPL 6.05.

Now the question is how we would be able to select SAP APPL 6.05 interfaces, like Receiver interface in Interface Determination. Answer is ‘No Need’. There is no need to manually select the interface. Just select the Standard Content Operation Mapping with correct SWCV and Namespace.

The last part which remains in question is what about the new fields for IDocs of APPL 6.06.

Proxy structures and its corresponding mappings are defined for APPL 6.05 IDocs. So if you need to pass these new fields from Source to Target or vice versa, you need to go for custom mapping. May be SAP would come soon with newer version of mappings with APPL 6.06.

Another suggestion could be, copy the Standard / Pre-Defined Mappings into custom SWCVs/Namespaces and change the IDoc versions to SAP APPL 6.06. But any how new fields are not used / passed through mappings, so we ignored this solution.

Now all the Process Integration Scenarios and Actions defined in SNC IC 7.02, are not exactly updated with SAP APPL 6.05/6.06 or SNC 7.02. You can see IDoc SWCVs mentioned with ID which is indicating Workspace Not Found issue. As we used custom ID / Configuration objects, we were not bothered about this. [For more information Process Integration Scenario in SAP PI 7.1]

Otherwise you may find references of the below SWCVs in Actions:

(ECC-DIMP 605, ESM SNC 7.02, SAP APPL 6.00, SAP APPL 6.03, SAP SCM IC 7.01 etc.)