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Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande

SAP Cloud Integration – Step towards Building API Based Integrations

Update

The below described API artifacts availability depends on your tenant licensing model, more information at https://help.sap.com/viewer/368c481cd6954bdfa5d0435479fd4eaf/Cloud/en-US/997501da152d419d96c92f7bfbd7b6f3.html

Update
Due to unavoidable reasons, the release of below mentioned feature is postponed to next release cycle. Hence, the below mentioned feature will be available with  SAP Cloud Integration version 3.34.*/5.18.*/6.10.* . Updated the blog post’s introduction part accordingly. Initially it was planned to release as part of version 3.33.*/5.17.*/6.9.*.

Only renamed type OData API from OData Service will reflect in 3.33.*/5.17.*/6.9.*.

Introduction

SAP Cloud Integration, one of the capabilities of SAP Integration Suite, brings a new feature from version 3.34.*/ 5.18.*/ 6.10.* which takes a step towards strengthening design of API based integration scenarios. In this blog post, information about this new feature will be provided.

REST API, SOAP API and OData API

Users can now create a new integration artifacts of type REST API, SOAP API and OData APIs. OData APIs are the rename of previous OData Services artifacts. These artifacts generate a default integration template which can be further extended to meet API based integration needs.

API%20Artifacts%20Menu

API Artifacts Menu

 

Note: We are fixing the sorting of these menu entries 🙂

 

Once you select the menu entry, creation dialog will popup

REST API

Select REST API to create an REST API based integration scenario.

Create%20REST%20API%20Artifact

Create REST API Artifact

 

Once you create REST API integration scenario gets created

 

 

Clicking on the artifact, integration with basic template is displayed. For REST API, HTTPs sender adapter is added in the template.

REST%20API%20Integration%20Template

REST API Integration Template

 

Add the required endpoint address name fo the HTTP sender adapter. The template can be further extended to fit your API integration scenario

REST%20API%20with%20HTTP%20Sender%20Adapter

REST API with HTTP Sender Adapter

 

SOAP API

Select SOAP API to create an SOAP API based integration scenario.

Create%20SOAP%20API%20Artifact

Create SOAP API Artifact

Once you create, SOAP API integration scenario gets created

 

Clicking on the artifact, integration with basic template is displayed. For SOAP API, SOAP 1.x sender adapter is added in the template.

SOAP%20API%20Integration%20Template

SOAP API Integration Template

 

SOAP%20API%20with%20SOAP%20Sender%20Adapter

SOAP API with SOAP Sender Adapter

OData API

Note: OData API is the renamed type of previous OData Service

Select OData API to create an OData API based integration scenario.

Create%20OData%20API%20Artifact

Create OData API Artifact

 

Once you create, OData API integration scenario gets created

 

Clicking on the artifact, integration with basic template is displayed. For OData API, OData V2 sender adapter is added in the template.

 

 

For OData API artifact, a default method and a sample EDMX file is generated in the template

 

 

Monitoring

Once you extend the API templates and complete the integration scenario, you can save and deploy them.

Deployment View

To view the deployed artifacts, as of now, monitoring doesn’t provide a default tile to view the deployed artifacts, you need to create a tile to view them.

Add a tile under Manage Integration Content

Add%20new%20tile%20in%20Manage%20Integration%20Content%20section

Add new tile in Manage Integration Content section

 

Select%20API%20type%20for%20tile

Select API type for tile

 

 

Clicking%20on%20the%20tile%20displays%20the%20details

Clicking on the tile displays the details

 

Message Processing view

To view the message processing status for APIs, you need to add the tile under Monitor Message Processing section

New%20tile%20under%20Monitoring%20Message%20Processing%20section

New tile under Monitoring Message Processing section

 

 

 

If user invokes API endpoint, e.g., a REST endpoint from POSTMAN application, then message processing status will appear in this new tile

 

Invoke%20REST%20API%20endpoint

Invoke REST API endpoint

 

 

Details%20of%20the%20message%20processing%20details

Details of the message processing details

 

Note:

  1. If you have already deployed the previous OData Service artifacts and created a tile for it, then such previously created tile will be appear as OData APIs.
  2. You can repeat the same process to get a tile for SOAP API artifacts by choosing SOAP API type for new tile

 

Next Steps

As mentioned, this feature is a step towards building API based integration scenarios. And there are more supporting enhancements coming.

Considering API Definition

As of now, you might have noticed, in REST API and SOAP API based integration scenarios doesn’t take API definition (e.g., Open API Spec/Swagger JSON for REST API) as source. In the next upcoming increment, implementing an integration considering API definition file shall be supported.

Enhancing the templates

For API based artifacts, the sender adapter selection and validation will be enhanced to match the type of artifact, e.g., only HTTPs adapter as sender for REST API artifact.

 

Summary

This is an initial step towards strengthening SAP Cloud Integration capability to support building API based integration scenarios. As of now, they are integration artifacts with basic templates, but going forwards, more and more API related capabilities shall be added.

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      24 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Aurélien GARDE
      Aurélien GARDE

      Thanks for your blog,

       

      But I don't see the value added of creating an artefact type "API" instead of creating an Iflow starting with a sender "API" (rest,soap...) ?

      Because the predefined template of this flow is not really a value added. it's only few click to get the same result starting from Iflow artifact...

       

      Is it a way to better onboard the API management APIs for the future ?

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Aurelien,

      Thanks for the feedback. As I have mentioned, these are the initial steps for us in SAP Cloud Platform Integration to create a technical baseline on the API based integration.

      And yes, in upcoming releases, we have the plans to bring SAP API Management closer to SAP Cloud Platform Integration.

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo Anil Yakkali
      Anil Yakkali

      Hi Deepak,

      These are not any new capabilities right? Except the options to create templates for Rest, SOAP and additional tiles in monitoring, these still creates integration flows even though the type changed.

      Swagger documentation based API generation is cool but this is already a feature available in API Management and generating APIs based on that code. When clients asked for a Rest API, we use HTTP sender adapter and create an iFlow.

      Further more enhancements like supporting multiple HTTP operations similar to OData service under a single API would be helpful. Thanks for the effort on writing this blog.

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Anil,

      Thanks for the feedback. As I have mentioned, these are the initial steps for us in SAP Cloud Platform Integration to create a technical baseline on the API based integration.

      And yes, going forward, supporting multiple HTTP operations as similar to OData API (the renamed OData Service artifact) under a single API is in our plan and once available, I will share the updates via blog.

       

      Thanks

      Deepak.

      Author's profile photo Maximiliano Colman
      Maximiliano Colman

      It's a good starting point, looking forward to seeing how it evolves 🙂

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Maximiliano,

      Thanks for the inputs. Yes, it is the starting point and more support and enhancements for 'API based integration scenario development' will be provided going forward.

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo Maximiliano Colman
      Maximiliano Colman

      Hi Deepak,

      Is there any plan to add a capability to import the API specifications from SAP API Management and keek it in sync?.

       

      Kind Regards.

      Max.

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Max,

      Yes, it is in our plans.

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo Souvik Sinha
      Souvik Sinha

      Thanks for sharing the new features in advance.

      Is this baseline features releasing soon or it will release later with more capabilities?

       

      Regards,

      Souvik

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Souvik,

      Yes, this baseline feature will be released first and then in subsequent releases, enhancements shall be added.

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo M. Verhoef
      M. Verhoef

      Hi,

      I see that once you have defined a type of e.g. Integration Flow you cannot change into REST API anymore.  I have approx. 20 Integration Flow I want to redefine as REST APIs.

      Best regards,

      Marco Verhoef

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Marco,

      As of now, there is no option to convert Integration Flow to REST APIs, but this is something that we are working on to enable to support.

      Once such a feature is enabled, you will be notified via release notes, documentation and I will update/create a relevant blog.

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo Jeswani Jitendra
      Jeswani Jitendra

      I don´t fully get the idea. At the end it looks like an overlapping feature with SAP API Mgmt. service.

      Why would I create APIs in CPI, when API mgmt. service can do that for me easily, meaning exposing backend services or CPI iFlows as API end points. could you please shed some light here?

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Jitendra,

      In API Management, you don't 'implement' the API, but you only 'manage' them. So, this is the first step from CPI side to come up with REST/SOAP API Artifacts, such that, you can implement an API.

      As of now, with this first step and via Integration Flow, e.g. with HTTP sender, you will define the integration scenario which can be equated to the API implementation, but with the "API definition" file.

      Going forward, our next step is, we will allow you upload/create API definition file/Swagger file in SAP Cloud Integration REST API artifact, and you would then be able to use that definition file to implement the scenario with supported back-end services

      I hope this clarifies

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo Tom Franckaert
      Tom Franckaert

      Hello Deepak,

      Currently we are implementing IBP with Ci-DS (2111). From the available options, when we choose REST web service it expects a WADL path. Our provider only supports RAML or Swagger. How can we proceed from here?

      Tom

      Author's profile photo Pranil Shinde
      Pranil Shinde

      Nice blog. good step towards making CPI more user friendly.

      Author's profile photo Y Z
      Y Z

      Hi,

      can this API be then deployed on PO Cloud Integration Content( CPI Runtime), like rest of the IFLOWS can ?
      ifnyes then can it be independently hosted from PO runtime as full fledged API ?

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi,

      No, these API artifacts cannot be deployed/consumed in PO.

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo Lucy Meng
      Lucy Meng

      Hello Deepak,

       

      Why I can't see the "REST API" and "SOAP API" in our tenant integration, we only have the OData API, is it the old release of integration? how to upgrade to the latest version?

      Thanks for your sharing!

       

       

      Author's profile photo Dalius Masiliunas
      Dalius Masiliunas

      Hi

      you need CPI license standard or premium edition to have REST API and SOAP API

      Author's profile photo Lucy Meng
      Lucy Meng

      Thanks Dalius~ Found the related notes.

      Author's profile photo Deepak G Deshpande
      Deepak G Deshpande
      Blog Post Author

      Hi,

      As mentioned by Dalius in his comment, you need to have relevant license type, for more information, please check out the documentation at https://help.sap.com/viewer/368c481cd6954bdfa5d0435479fd4eaf/Cloud/en-US/997501da152d419d96c92f7bfbd7b6f3.html

       

      Thanks

      Deepak

      Author's profile photo Lucy Meng
      Lucy Meng

      Thanks Deepak~It's helpful information

      Author's profile photo Chetan Risbud
      Chetan Risbud

      Hi Deepak,

      How to setup and share authentication for this type of flow.

      eg. I wanted to expose REST API for third party which will query order details from S4.

       

      Regards,

      Chetan Risbud