B2B Add-on SP2: enhancements and new features

Recently (10/2013), SAP released SP2 of the B2B add-on for SAP PI/PO. This blog briefly describes the enhancements and new features. Afterwards, I will describe and show the most interesting new features and enhancements into detail in a separate blog.

Summary

Details

OFTP Adapter

• Enhancement on the message types which can be archived
• A new feature is defining your own and partner passwords using plain text, on both sender and receiver side

AS2 adapter
5 new features were introduced with SP2

• Archiving of different payloads, such as MDNs, decrypted messages, error messages and wired messages is now supported.
• Handling of AS2 messages with identical file names. While processing an inbound AS2 message, the adapter checks for identical file names preserved on the PI server. If the message is found to have an identical file name, the adapter dispatches an error or warning MDN to the message sender.
• Supports the preservation of the file name of an AS2 document on a PI server. The sender channel of the AS2 adapter checks for the file name tagged to an inbound AS2 message. If the adapter receives an AS2 message without a file name, it dispatches a negative MDN to the trading partner
• Support for creating new XI messages for received synchronous MDN messages. I already stated this in a poll: http://scn.sap.com/polls/2005
• Optional feature: dispatch a negative MDN to the message sender if the incoming AS2 message file name is not present in the message receiver’s database.

EDI Separator Adapter

6 enhancements were introduced with SP2

• The sender EDI separator adapter now supports the handling of the following message types: EANCOM, Tradacom, Plain, XML (Routing and Splitting) and Default.
• Configure parameters in EDIFACT by enabling the free text option.
• The receiver EDI separator adapter supports the handling of plain, XML, Tradacom and default message types. The adapter identifies the type of a message and redirects it to the channel that is configured to process such messages.
• The receiver EDI separator adapter has been enhanced to receive documents in different EDI formats (such as EANCOM, Tradacom, Plain, XML and Default) simultaneously on a single communication channel.
• ANSI ASC X12 997 & EDIFACT CONTRL Support. This optional feature has been introduced in the adapter to detect the request for functional acknowledgment by reading the ISA/UNB segment in an EDI document, and dispatches the acknowledgment if the request is positive.
• The X.12 sender channel is configured to handle sender and receiver ID qualifier code.

EDI Content Manager
The EDI Content manager now supports:

• Message comparison
• Where used list to display related information
• To edit the message from the same context
• To copy message types to create a new message version

Trading Partner Management
This is a console for defining, maintaining, and viewing trading partner profiles and agreements.
The trading partner application contains these major components, which can be accessed from the B2B integration cockpit:

• Partner profile management
• Partner agreement management
• Functional profile management (support for defining EDI specific and custom parameters).
• Automatic certificate rollover
• Administrative configuration

EANCOM Support

• SAP defined EANCOM content
• EANCOM convert module has been introduced for converting EANCOM messages to XML and the other way round
• The EDI separator adapter now supports EANCOM message types
• The EDI content manager has been enhanced to handle EANCOM messages. The same features are available as for EDI messages

Converter Modules
3 new features were introduced with SP2

• EDI Search Parameter Module. This new adapter module is configured on the receiver EDI Separator adapter and automatically assigns correlation ID and dynamic header parameters on detecting any format of EDI messages. You use this module parameter only when no other adapter specific converter module parameters are configured.
• Human Readable Error. This parameter generates a technical report that contains details related to 997 and CONTRL Functional Acknowledgements. The generated report that contains the human readable description is attached to an XI message and can be viewed in a browser.
• EDI Attachment Parameter. The edi.copy parameter adds the source message as an attachment before conversion to ensure persistence at the receiver’s side.

Archiving
The format of the “%TS” parameter used while archiving a file has been changed from YYYY.MM.DD_HH-MM-SS.MSSS to YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.MSSS.

Monitoring EDI Messages
This monitoring feature has been enhanced and extended to facilitate the monitoring capability of EDI messages flows.  It contains

• B2B Acknowledgements. This tab page provides information about acknowledgements that are exchanged between the trading partners. It contains different columns such as type of functional or technical acknowledgements, status indicator, status code, correlation ID and so on.
• Related Messages. Helps to identify different XI messages such as batch messages, split messages and acknowledgements associated to the respective EDI message.
• EDI Message Search. You can now search for EDI messages using the message Correlation ID. The correlation ID identifies and tracks, outgoing and incoming EDI transmissions.