Already three months have passed since our last updates on SAP Process Orchestration and you can be ensured we have used this time wisely to provide some exiting new stuff.
This blog describes all the new features and enhancements in SAP Process Orchestration 7.31 SP12/ 7.4 SP07. After reading this blog you for sure want to upgrade to this latest SPs to leverage all new enhancements.
General Information
Besides the feature enhancements, we want to focus at the beginning on some further stuff we have produced in the course of the last weeks to support you working with SAP Process Orchestration.
Process Orchestration Sizing Guidelines
Ever asked yourself how to do correct sizing for your SAP Process Orchestration implementation? Now we have the right answer for you, summarized in the first official sizing guide highlighting combined sizing for integration-centric (message-based) and human-centric (task based) scenarios including influencing factors, database sizing and also sizing for SAP HANA. Get the guidelines here (select SAP Process Orchestration from the list).
Process Orchestration Video Tutorials on YouTube
Not only guides will make your work with SAP Process Orchestration much easier, we also have put together a series of video tutorials. Showing how to deal with integration patterns, reliable connectivity, conditional starts and much more. Lightweight to consume but with powerful content, check this out on YouTube.
Process Integration Features
Now it’s time for the technical features, where we traditionally start with the Process Integration part.
Customer Connect Requirements
Listening to the requirements of you, our customers, is absolutely essential for us. We have listened carefully and constantly worked on the connect requirements. Let’ take a look at two of them and the enhancements we have done.
Export of Mapping Documentation
One of the requirements has been to store mapping logic for documentation purposes. Now in the NWDS (ESR perspective) you have the possibility to export message mappings into an MS Excel spreadsheet, including all the details, e.g. field mappings, user defined functions, function libraries or parameters.
Configuration of scenario specific archiving retention periods
Introducing some rules to define scenario-specific retention period for message archiving, the system can now keep messages shorter or longer in the message store than the global default time. Release Note
Message Flow Monitor in SAP Solution Manager
With SAP Solution Manager 7.1 SP10 and the latest SAP Process Orchestration release we have introduced the handling of events from BPM processes. Furthermore, the automatic discovery of message flows has been enhanced to support so called generic receiver determinations, e.g., receiver determinations that use wildcards.
Send Test Message on Adapter Engine
To verify whether the scenario runs correctly there is a new UI available to send test message on Adapter Engine, also supporting the Integration Engine. The header fields will even be filled automatically based on the sender agreement or the integrated configuration. For sure the created/ used templates can also be saved while having a context-sensitive navigation to the message monitor. All in all this is a helpful renewal improving developers’ productivity. Release Note
Support logging of audit log of synchronous messages
Before the audit log of synchronous messages have just been in the cache – now you can store the audit log of successful synchronous messages in the database. Release Note
Consuming Web Services secured by Security Token Service (STS)
First increment has been shipped in SP10 and now we take the next iteration with a new UI to configure Process Integration as STS client, where you define the destination of STS, choose the token type, do a proof of possession and get predefined and ready-to-use configuration content to handle the AGIV security protocol. For configuration details, please also see the SAP note: 1980095
IDoc Adapter packaging and re-packaging
Now also the re-packaging on the sender side is supported to split incoming IDoc document list in one XI message containing the specified numbers of IDocs. So far on the receiver side only global packaging configuration parameters have been supported, but now the scenario-specific packaging parameters in the receiver channel can be defined (package size, timeout, memory size). Release Note
Process Integration Connectivity Add-On
For the SuccessFactors adapter we support now the related OData API with operations like query, read, create, update, merge & delete. Also adhoc queries where you specify the maximum time the adapter should wait for the query results are possible.
The new generic OData adapter includes the integration with OData service providers (i.e. consumption of OData services) and supports operations like query, read, create, update, merge & delete.
Impressed? Let’s take a look at the new BPM features.
Business Process Management Features
BPM-to-BPM Monitoring
Enhancing the NWA for BPM Monitoring is one of the first topics we want to take a look at. Now you can see the related processes for a selected process instance and monitor these interconnected processes (one process calling another one via an automated activity). So imagine you have process A calling process B and this one calling process C. If you now show the related processes for B you will get process A and C (selecting all), process C (selecting receiver) or process A (selecting sender). Release Note
Enhancements in Process Visualization
Though there is already a lot of information provided to the end user via the process visualization, it’s still not enough. Therefore we have added the possibility to navigate from sub-processes to the parent process, in case of errors a link to the error log of the process, name of potential owners of a task (what about security here!? - don’t be scared, needs specific enablement beforehand) and showing the Reporting Data Source (RDS) content (see screenshot). Nice J Okay, as this also security relevant you also need to enable this via the UME action SAP_BPM_RDS_Query… Release Note
Enhancements in Manage Processes
Wouldn’t it be cool to identify the process instance based on the context data? Absolutely, that’s why it is already available and has been enhanced now. So you can configure the maximum number of results, specify field name for RDS search or just search by the latest RDS entry only. Release Note
Enhancements in BPM Inbox
Also the very elegant BPM inbox (based on UI5 library) provides some enhancements. Based on your feedback we have changed the default behavior while opening a task: the tasks are now opened in a new window instead of overlay (can of course be changed). Also to make the list more readable at a glance, the end user can show or hide all task details (e.g. comments, attachments, custom attributes …). Release Note & Release Note
Unified Inbox in Gateway 2.0 SP09
The unified inbox in Gateway (shipped with 2.0 SP09) contains an enormous list of improvements, take a breath and take a look:
- Performance improvements (tasks details are being loaded asynchronously)
- View, download, add and delete task attachments
- View and add comments to a task
- View HTML task descriptions for SAP Business Workflow tasks
- Create and manage substitution rules
- Support for substitution profiles (SAP Business Workflow only)
- Forward one more tasks to another user
- Add comment while performing custom actions
- Support for task UI configuration for BWF tasks (SWFVISU)
- Support for user photos (requires custom BADI)
- Configuration of Unified Inbox
- Theme
- Header visibility
- Task Execution UI Navigation (new window or in-place)
You are done? Okay, let’s move on as we have some more stuff.
Mobile BPM Inbox
Mobile inbox is here! With all the features you would expect on your mobile device, e.g. responsive design. Therefore we use the SAPUI5 mobile library (Fiori-like). Currently only for the local BPM inbox, so for federation/ multi-provider scenarios (on Gateway), please use the Fiori Approve Request app. Release Note
Copy & Paste Process Models
Coming now to the enhancements in the design time environment. Creating a process variant from a template process or creating a new version (copy) of a process due to incompatible interface changes is possible now. Within the context menu in the project explorer you will find the functionality to copy & paste the process model and this not only within one development component (DC) but also across DCs. Be aware that only the process model is copied, but the used elements (task, service reference, rules) are just referenced (called “shallow copy” – for the next release we plan to provide a “deep copy” including the elements). The DC dependency to the original DC is automatically added. Release Note
BPM OData Services
With SP12 there is a new service to enable custom inboxes, before we already shipped Task Execution UI and lately the application to start a process. Release Note
An example of a custom inbox (details view) you will see below; by completing this task immediately the next task will be opened.
The custom task list includes access to a filtered and ordered collection of tasks, access to metadata and custom attributes as well as supporting release, forward and custom actions. In a later version support for substitutions and filters based on substitutions is planned.
Hope you have enjoyed the information of these new features – so upgrade, make use of them and gain the benefits right now.
Additional information
More about Process Orchestration and an archive of “What is new” overview blogs can be found in this library:
Introduction to SAP NetWeaver Process Orchestration
For a complete overview and further information of the enhancements with SP12, please see these release notes.
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