Integration Flow Extension Using ProcessDirect Adapter

The ProcessDirect adapter offered by SAP Cloud Integration enables you to communicate with other integration flows deployed in your tenant without passing through the load balancer. For detailed information on ProcessDirect adapter, capabilities see ProcesDirect Adapter blog on SAP Community.

In this blog, let us look at a specific use case where we use the ProcessDirect adapter to extend an integration flow using another integration flow. Please note that both these integration flows should be deployed on the same tenant management node.

Let us consider a scenario where you have to standardize a message according to a particular format. We will use a message mapping step for achieving this. The standardization process itself will be executed in another integration flow. Let’s create these two integration flows, Main Integration Flow, and Extended Integration Flow.

Here’s an overview of the main integration flow.

The message is fetched from the sender via SFTP Adapter and modified using the Content Modifier. It is then sent to the Standardization integration flow through ProcessDirect adapter using a Local Integration Process. In the main integration process, the Process Call step invokes the Local Integration Process. Using a Request Reply step, the message is sent to the Extended Integration Flow using ProcessDirect adapter.

Here’s an overview of the Extended Integration Flow:

The input message for this integration flow comes from the Main Integration Flow. The message is then sent to a mapping step where it is standardized by mapping it to a standard message structure. After this, the message is sent back to the Local Integration Process because Request Reply step is used in the Local Integration Process of the Main Integration Flow.

The usage of ProcessDirect adapter ensures that the message transmission between integration flows does not suffer from any latency issues as the message will not go through the load balancer. Please ensure that the Address field of the ProcessDirect receiver in Main Integration Flow and ProcesDirect sender in Extended Integration Flow are configured with the same value.

Summary

You can extend an integration flow to another integration flow deployed on the same tenant by using a Local Integration Process with Request-Reply and ProcessDirect adapter.

Usage of ProcessDirect adapter ensures that there are no latency issues.