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SAP XI supports EDIFACT e
Béla Suranyi
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Company: TeamWork Management Permali
Posted on Jun. 08, 2006 08:34 AM in SAP Process Integration (PI), Standards nk

In order to process an EDIFACT message inside XI, we have to convert the incoming EDI stream to an XML
document.

Introduction

Until recently it was complex to handle industry formats such as EDIFACT within SAP XI.

The main challenges were:

- the definition of XML structure in SAP XI that reflected EDIFACT metadata
- the conversion of native EDIFACT messages into XML messages

SAP XI includes from SP15 an optional component called SAP Conversion Agent aimed at simplifying the
processing of EDIFACT messages. This weblog describes how to use SAP Conversion Agent for
EDIFACT/XML conversions.

A standard EDIFACT process within SAP XI can be decomposed as follows:

1. Receive the native EDIFACT message via FTP or via a proprietary Value Added Network (VAN) protocol
2. Convert the native EDIFACT message into XML EDIFACT
3. Map/Transform the XML EDIFACT message into an XML Idoc message
4. Post the XML Idoc to a SAP application (SAP R/3)

The process is illustrated in the diagram below:

EDIFACT and SAP Conversion Agent

The SAP XI Conversion Agent provides:

- a library of XML EDIFACT metadata required for the conversion and the mappings (step number 2 and 3)
- a tool to develop and deploy the conversion of native Edifact message into XML EDIFACT (step number 2)
At this point of the weblog we assume that the installation of SAP Conversion Agent is completed. If it is
not the case please refer to the weblog How to get started using Conversion Agent from Itemfield written
by William Li.

For additional background information on SAP XI / SAP Conversion Agent integration you can also read the
weblog of Alexander Bundschuh : Integrate SAP Conversion Agent by Itemfield with SAP XI

The implementation consists of the following tasks:

- Create a Content Master Studio Project
- Deploy the Content Master Project to the XI Server
- Import the EDIFACT schema to the XI repository
- Create XI Repository Objects
- Create XI Directory Objects

How to create a Content Master Studio Project

Create a CM Library Project:

Enter ORDERS96_Parser as project name:

Select the corresponding ORDERS 96a parser template:

The following project structure is created:

In order to test the conversion with our local EDI file example we have to modify the example_source
value to LocalFile and enter the file name with its full path in the corresponding parameter:

We can test the parsing locally :

We can check the generated output file and the event log:
How to Deploy a Content Master Project to the XI Server

Execute the Content Master Configuration Utility in order to set the CM repository:

We have to point our CM Repositry configuration to the XI Content Server directory:

We can deploy the service directly from Content Master Studio:

The service name entered at this stage will be used later in the Adapter Module configuration to invoke
the EDIFACT to XML conversion.

How to create the EDIFACT to IDOC mapping

We have to import into the XI repository the XSD provided with the EDIFACT library:
Once imported,the EDIFACT XML message structure is available as an external definition. It will be used as
a source document in the mapping.

How to execute the conversion inside XI

Once the conversion agent service is deployed, we can call it from within any adapter that runs on the SAP
XI Adapter Framework by using the EJB module : localejbs/sap.com/com.sap.nw.cm.xi/CMTransformBean

In the module tab we have to configure the module name and set the parameter TransformationName to
the service that we deployed before.
This weblog was co-authored by Béla Suranyi and Lionel Biennier.
Béla Suranyi is a SAP Certified XI Consultant and works with TeamWork Management based in Geneva.

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Comment on this weblog

Showing messages 1 through 7 of 7.

Titles Only Main Topics Oldest First
• external definition
2008-06-12 06:55:33 mithun parthiban Business Card [Reply]

hi,
i have tried it and it has come successfully til importing my xsd from the conversion agent.
Now, when i import the xsd into my message mapping,i see that only one segment can be
imported. but your weblog shows that the entire structure can be brought into the message
mapping...?
what should i do?

• Good One
2006-07-24 06:08:25 Piyush Srivastava Business Card [Reply]

Hi Bela and Ajay.

Thanks for the Blog, but as Ajay also said Seeburger Adapter is not at all replaced by this content manager
tool because of following reasons

1) seeburger Adapter(AS2) Provides a way of handling various delimeters needed for X12 and EDIFACT
data.

2) Seeburger Adapter is usefull in handling many verions of mapping with one entry in Seeburger Work
bench, example if tradepartner XYZ want to use 850 of various versions(4010,4030,4060) with one vendor
he can do that with AUTO mapping and the coresponding mapping will be picked up from the deployed
SDA automaticaly.

3) The only benefit that i see of this is that Seeburger Mapping Designer tool does not work directly on .edi
files so we have to get the equivalent xml files from Seeburger which is time consuming and structures
are not correct some times but the content manager tool works directly on .edi files which is good.

I hope this could give some comparison between these two.

Regards

Piyush

• SAP XI for EDIFACT

2006-07-03 07:11:10 Ajay Kumar Pasuvula Business Card [Reply]

This is very usefull blog. Only question i have is do we need to go for seeburger adapter for
converting EDIFACT message into IDoc.

o SAP XI for EDIFACT

2006-07-03 08:49:55 Béla Suranyi Business Card [Reply]

Dear Ajay,

You have to analyze more accurately your requirements in order to be able to decide which is the best
option for you.

The output of the conversion agent can be mapped to IDOC using standard XI mapping functionality.

Best regards,
Bela
Bela

 SAP XI for EDIFACT

2006-08-03 15:48:36 Karma Ghale Business Card [Reply]

Hi Bela,
We have implemented Seeburger's EDI solution at a client, and our another client
wants to an EDI solution for them.
I cam across this weblog, and it is very interesting. I have some questions.
1. Does Converstion Agent support the converstion of all versions of native EDI
X12 and EDIFACT to the corresponding XML verions, and vice versa.
2. What are the differences between Seeburger's and XI Conversion Agent's EDI
soultions?
Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot.
Karma

 SAP XI for EDIFACT

 2007-06-12 03:58:33 Chirag Gohil Business Card [Reply]

Hi Karma,

I was just reading ur reply to bela.

I suppose you had implemented the seeburger at you client place.I wanted you suggestions and help with
the seeburger implementation.

We wanted to do the seeburger implementation for one of our client.We wanted to convert the EDIFACT to
XML struture using the seeburger adpater.

Do you have any helpful documents which helps us implementing the same.

Can you please forward the same to chirag.gohil@gmail.com

It will be great if you can send me ASAP.

Thanks in advance
Chirag Gohil

 SAP XI for EDIFACT

2007-04-11 15:08:11 NARASIMHA BHAMIDIPATI Business Card [Reply]

Hi,
We are going to implement EDI-2-SAP R3 intigration using Seeburger
Adapter. I have couple of doubts reg. this.

1)How to configure the Seeburger Adapter on the outbound side to intigrate with XI?

2)Is there any tool available to convert the native EDIFACT to EDI-XML format, other than Conversion
agent procedure?

would be very much thankful to you, if you would send me along with screen shots of any existing
scinerio.

If you have any suggestion or comments, I will be very grateful.

my mail is: murthybn99@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you very much :)

Showing messages 1 through 7 of 7.