SAP Application Interface Framework, popularly known as AIF, is a solution that enables you to create, deploy, monitor and manage all your application interfaces in one place. You have a message monitor that will provide you an overview of all the relevant interfaces and the messages that are being processed in your responsible areas. One of the biggest advantages you have as a business user is that you can correct errors, for example as a business user, improving the efficiency of error handling. You can separate the technical and business aspects of monitoring interfaces, saving a lot of time for business users in areas where they can react and ensure that business is not interrupted. This results in financial savings for the business as well.
For a detailed look into the capabilities offered by SAP AIF, you can check out the page here in the official documentation on help.sap.com.
In this blog, let us take an in-depth look into specifically the on-premise version of SAP Application Interface Framework.
One of the biggest advantages of the SAP AIF on-premise is that it is already available as a part of S/4 HANA stack. You do not have to worry about additional components that you need to install and how to integrate. This simplifies the effort required from your end to monitor any interface in the business suite since you do not need any additional integration.
You need an additional license, AIFGEN, to use the AIF component to monitor the custom interfaces that you have created. If you use SAP specific interfaces, you do not need an additional license. You can find all the information required for this license in this blog on licensing and here in the official documentation on help.sap.com.
In case you are using any other business suite apart from SAP S/4 HANA, you can still use SAP Application Interface Framework as your monitoring tool by installing the add-on component of SAP AIF. You will need the AIFGEN license to use the add-on as your monitoring tool. The implementation sequence for this very simple:
For detailed information on the steps that you need to perform to install and customize the AIF installation for your own use, see Overall Implementation Sequence on help.sap.com.
The on premise version of AIF offers you the flexibility to use a variety of user interfaces depending on your preference. You have the option of working with the SAP GUI, with its customizable properties, and a ready to use web interface based on SAP WebDynpro technology.
There are three user personas that are relevant for SAP Application Interface Framework on premise:
Business User: As a business user, the biggest advantage that you have with SAP AIF is a feature rich monitoring and error handling tool that needs very little setup time and offers a very capable framework that monitors all your interfaces. In addition, you also have the feature of fixing messages without the need to involve the IT specialists. This saves a lot of time in the end to end processing of messages and will significantly improve the overall efficiency of error handling capabilities of your implementation. You can also maintain specific hints for errors, customer functions, data links, which will give you an easy to use point of reference in case you encounter the same error in subsequent error handling scenarios. You can also create value mappings for interfaces.
Administrator: As an administrator, SAP AIF offers you a tailored application (transaction) to assign recipients to users. This application helps you to assign recipients to users with minimal efforts.
Developer: As a developer, SAP AIF reduces the overall time spent in implementing new interfaces by providing customizations for easy interface implementation. These customizations eliminate the need to extensive coding by providing automated and step-by-step guidelines that enable you to implement and reuse interface components across systems. Components like mappings, actions and checks can be reused across interfaces, improving the efficiency of developing and deploying interfaces.
With the set of features mentioned above, you can be assured that your monitoring needs are sufficiently satisfied with the feature set offered by the SAP AIF message monitor. The monitor also doubles up as an error handling tool, improving the efficiency of your error handling process. Interface implementation using guided wizards, interface component reuse and central user recipient assignment handling completes the AIF package, a feature rich monitoring and error handling tool that you can get started with minimum effort.
For a more detailed information on the future enhancements and innovations planned for AIF, see the product roadmap blog.
If you want to learn more about AIF, please check out my overview blog on AIF and also how AIF is available in S/4 HANA Cloud.
For a detailed look into the capabilities offered by SAP AIF, you can check out the page here in the official documentation on help.sap.com.
In this blog, let us take an in-depth look into specifically the on-premise version of SAP Application Interface Framework.
Value Proposition and Availability
One of the biggest advantages of the SAP AIF on-premise is that it is already available as a part of S/4 HANA stack. You do not have to worry about additional components that you need to install and how to integrate. This simplifies the effort required from your end to monitor any interface in the business suite since you do not need any additional integration.
You need an additional license, AIFGEN, to use the AIF component to monitor the custom interfaces that you have created. If you use SAP specific interfaces, you do not need an additional license. You can find all the information required for this license in this blog on licensing and here in the official documentation on help.sap.com.
What about AIF as Add-On?
In case you are using any other business suite apart from SAP S/4 HANA, you can still use SAP Application Interface Framework as your monitoring tool by installing the add-on component of SAP AIF. You will need the AIFGEN license to use the add-on as your monitoring tool. The implementation sequence for this very simple:
For detailed information on the steps that you need to perform to install and customize the AIF installation for your own use, see Overall Implementation Sequence on help.sap.com.
Feature Scope Description
The on premise version of AIF offers you the flexibility to use a variety of user interfaces depending on your preference. You have the option of working with the SAP GUI, with its customizable properties, and a ready to use web interface based on SAP WebDynpro technology.
There are three user personas that are relevant for SAP Application Interface Framework on premise:
- Business user
- Administrator
- Developer
Business User: As a business user, the biggest advantage that you have with SAP AIF is a feature rich monitoring and error handling tool that needs very little setup time and offers a very capable framework that monitors all your interfaces. In addition, you also have the feature of fixing messages without the need to involve the IT specialists. This saves a lot of time in the end to end processing of messages and will significantly improve the overall efficiency of error handling capabilities of your implementation. You can also maintain specific hints for errors, customer functions, data links, which will give you an easy to use point of reference in case you encounter the same error in subsequent error handling scenarios. You can also create value mappings for interfaces.
Administrator: As an administrator, SAP AIF offers you a tailored application (transaction) to assign recipients to users. This application helps you to assign recipients to users with minimal efforts.
Developer: As a developer, SAP AIF reduces the overall time spent in implementing new interfaces by providing customizations for easy interface implementation. These customizations eliminate the need to extensive coding by providing automated and step-by-step guidelines that enable you to implement and reuse interface components across systems. Components like mappings, actions and checks can be reused across interfaces, improving the efficiency of developing and deploying interfaces.
Simplify Monitoring & Error Handling with AIF
With the set of features mentioned above, you can be assured that your monitoring needs are sufficiently satisfied with the feature set offered by the SAP AIF message monitor. The monitor also doubles up as an error handling tool, improving the efficiency of your error handling process. Interface implementation using guided wizards, interface component reuse and central user recipient assignment handling completes the AIF package, a feature rich monitoring and error handling tool that you can get started with minimum effort.
For a more detailed information on the future enhancements and innovations planned for AIF, see the product roadmap blog.
If you want to learn more about AIF, please check out my overview blog on AIF and also how AIF is available in S/4 HANA Cloud.
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