Overview of ALE / EDI / IDOCs
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
EDI
What is EDI? Type of EDI process
Outbound EDI Process Inbound EDI Process
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
What is EDI?
EDI is electronic exchange of business documents between the computer systems of business partner using a standard format over a communication network EDI is also called a paperless exchange.
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
Typical EDI/IDOC Scenario
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
Outbound Process
With Message Control Directly -With out Message Control
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
Inbound Process
With Function Module
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
EDI Configuration
How to Set Up an RFC Destination in SAP The Port Definitions Configure Partner Profile Configure Message Control
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
Complete EDI/ ALE scenario
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
ALE
What is ALE? Components of ALE. Anatomy of an IDoc. ALE Processing Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs. Questions
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
ALE Terminology
ALE - Application Linking & Enabling IDoc - Intermediate Document EDI - Electronic Data Interchange
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ALE Objective
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ALE!! What is it ??
It is a set of
Tools, programs and data definitions
Provides distribution model and technology that enables SAP Customer to interconnect programs across various platforms and systems.
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Features ALE / IDocs
Distributed System yet integrated with SAP R/3
Based on Application-to-Application integration using Message Architecture
Reliable communication Data is exchanged using IDocs Support both R/2, R/3 and External system If network problem, message is buffered
ALE
ALE
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support backward compatibility
ensure that , data is transferred only once
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ALE Scenario
Document
SAP System R/3
IDoc
IDoc
SAP System R/3
IDoc
EDI Subsystem
EDI Subsystem
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
Topics to cover
What is ALE ? Components of ALE. Anatomy of an IDoc. ALE Processing Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs. Trouble Shooting Questions
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Components of ALE
Services:
Application Services Distribution Services Communication Services
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Application Services
Services: Application Services Distribution Services Communication Services
This is where the SAP applications ( SD, FI, MM etc. ) generate their data and documents
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Distribution Services
Services: Application Services Distribution Services Communication Services
Recipients Formats and Filters the data Creates IDocs ( Intermediate Documents
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Communication Services
Services: Application Services Distribution Services Communication Services
TCP/IP RFC
tRFC
etc
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In a Nut Shell
Application Layer
Master IDOC
Distribution/ ALE Layer
Communication Layer
Application
Determine Receipients
Filter/Convert Data, Create IDOC
Comm. IDOC
Carrier
Application Data
Application Functions
Filter/Convert Data
Comm. IDOC
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Topics to cover
What is ALE ? Components of ALE. Anatomy of an IDoc. ALE Processing Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs. Trouble Shooting Questions
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IDoc Concept
System 1
SAP Document
System 2 IDoc
R/3 System
EDI subsystem R/3 System R/2 System 3rd party software
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Overview of ALE/IDOCs
IDoc Structure
Control Record
IDoc-ID Sender-ID Receiver-ID IDoc type and logical message External structure
Data Record
IDoc-ID Sequence/Hierarchy Format definition for Segment
header data item data
Status Record
IDoc-ID Status information
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Control record Data Record Status Record
IDOC Intermediate Document
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Control Record
The very first record of an IDoc package is always a control record. The structure of this control record of the structure EDIDC and describes the contents of the data contained in the package. The control record goes to table EDIDC
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Message Type
Message Type indicates How to Know what the data Means Data Exchanged by IDOC and EDI is known as Messages Message of same kind belong to the same message type. Message types are stored in table EDMSG
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Data Record
All records in the IDoc, which come after the control record, are the IDoc data. They are all structured alike, with a segment information part and a data part, which is 1000 character in length, filling the rest of the line. Data & Segment info is stored in EDID4 for release 4.x and EDID3 for release 2.x and 3.x.
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Status Record
Information about the IDoc status like: IDoc identification number Status number - table verified IDoc type Direction Data and time stamp; Structure: EDIDS
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Status of IDOC
A two-digit status is assigned to an IDoc to allow the processing to be monitored. The statuses for outbound IDocs are between '01' and '49', while the statuses for inbound IDocs begin with '50'.
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Idoc Segments
TCODE: WE31
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Idoc Types
TCODE: WE30
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How to Attach Segments
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Message Types
WE81
WE82
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IDOC Type/ Message Type/ Processing Function Module
Valid combination of Message type and IDOC type are stored in table EDIMSG Combination of message type and IDOC type determine the processing algorithm. This is usually a function module and is set up in table EDIFCT.
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Topics to cover
What is ALE ? Components of ALE. Anatomy of an IDoc. ALE Processing.
i.Outbound Processing ii.Inbound Processing
Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs. Trouble Shooting Questions
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Outbound Processing
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Outbound processing: direct
Application posting
Need to create IDOC?
ALE layer Customer Distribution Model
Comm. layer
Create master IDOC
Receiver determination Segment filter Field value conversion
asynch. RFC or EDI
System call FM ( INBOUND_ IDOC_ PROCESS ) On destination
Application document posted simultaneously with IDOCs Database
Version change Dispatch control
Links
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Dispatch control
Application posting
Need to create IDOC?
ALE layer Customer Distribution Model
Comm. layer
Create master IDOC
Receiver determination
-
Segment filter
-
asynch. RFC or EDI RFC asynch. Technical comms parameters are or defined EDI EDI or aRFC (asynch. remote
function call) Send immediately or cumulate and send via batch job If batch, packet size is determined
Field value conversion Application document posted simultaneously with IDocs Database
-
Version change Dispatch control
Links
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Scenario analysis
How does the IDOC look like ?
How is data being sent ? How is the data being received ?
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Outbound program development
Program logic How is the IDOC being created ?
Triggering How is the IDOC creation kicked off ?
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Program logic
IDOC program
Select data from application tables Fill data into IDOC Pass IDOC to ALE layer (Call function MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE) Commit Work
MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE Receiver determination Segment filtering Version Control Dispatch Control ALE layer
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MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE
Call function MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE
Exporting
master_idoc_control:
IDOC control record
Tables
communication_idoc_control:
master_idoc_data:
returned information about the distribution
IDOC data segments
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Filling an EDIDD structure
EDIDD
Header (55bytes) . SEGNAM . SDATA (1000bytes)
Z1SEG
Field1 10
Field2 ABC
Field3
Field4
MOVE Z1SEG to EDIDD-SEGNAM MOVE 10 to Z1SEG-FIELD1 MOVE ABC to Z1SEG-FIELD2 MOVE Z1SEG to EDIDD-SDATA
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General Programming rules
Design Guidelines for creating IDOC data records:
Left-justified filing of IDOC Fields
Replacing SAP codes with ISO codes
currency keys
country keys unit of measure shipping instructions
Converting Currency Amounts
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Left-justified Filling
All fields must be left-justified
Character fields:
automatic
Non-character fields:
Condense statement must be used Check IDOC documentation to find out which fields require a condense All types unequal to char, cuky, clnt, accp, numc, dats, tims or unit require a condense
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Code Conversions
Replacing SAP codes with ISO codes
Currency keys: currency_code_sap_to_iso Country keys: country_code_sap_to_iso Units of measure: unit_of_measure_sap_to_iso Shipping instructions: sap_iso_package_type_code
Conversion of currency amounts
currency_amount_sap_to_iso
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Basic Configuration Elements
Define RFC Destinations Define Ports Maintain Customer Model Create Partner Profiles
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Maintaining RFC Destinations
TCODE:
SM59
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Displaying and Maintaining Ports
TCODE: WE21
A port is a logical representation of a communication channel in SAP with the data communicated being IDocs.
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Partner Profiles
TCODE: WE20
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Partner Profiles-Inbound
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Partner Profiles-Outbound
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ALE For Transactional data ---- Output Determination
NACE
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Output Determination -- Output Types
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Output Types -- Details
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Inbound Processing
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Inbound Processing.
Comm. layer C
Version change
ALE layer
Application posting
asynch. RFC or EDI
Segment filter Field value conversion Input control
A
Process IDOC
Serialization
Simultaneously update IDOC's status
Database
Post application document
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Input Control
Comm. layer C
Version change For each message type and sender one can define Segment filter when to process asynch. RFC (immediate/batch) or whether to call application Field value conversion EDI directly or start customer workflow Input who should get work items in control case of error Incoming IDOC packets are passed to A application Serialization
-
ALE layer
Application posting
A
Process IDOC
Simultaneously update IDOC's status
Database
Post application document
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Application Input
Comm. layer C
Version change
ALE layer
Application posting
asynch. RFC or EDI
-
Segment filter Field value conversion Input Inbound IDOCs are passed to control the application via a standardized function A Serialization interface
A
Process IDOC
Simultaneously update IDOC's status
Database
Post application document
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Serialization
Comm. layer C
Version change Segment filter asynch. RFC inbound IDOC, the or application can call an ALE Field value conversion EDI(function module) to API check that the IDOC has not been overtaken If change No. 1 arrives after change No. 2, the IDOC containing it has been overtaken (by the IDOC containing the later change) Input control
-
ALE layer
Application posting
When processing the
A
Process IDOC
Serialization
Simultaneously update IDOC's status
Database
Post application document
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FM Assignment to Message Type and IDoc type
TCODE: WE57
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Process Codes
WE41
WE42
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Process Codes in Inbound and Outbound
TCODE: WE64
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FM For Inbound EDI
TCODE: BD67
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Inbound Program Development
INBOUND_IDOC_PROCESS IDOC ALE configuration
Partner Profiles Process Code Function module attribute Function module registry
Version change Segment filter Field conversion
Call function
IDOC_INPUT_<MSGTYPE> Return Variables
Read IDOC data Post Application data Send Success info back to ALE layer
If ERROR, trigger Workflow Task ALE layer
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Basic Scenario
Direct Method Call Transaction Method
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Advanced Scenario
Mass processing Serialization Advanced Workflow
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Flow Of Program
Read IDOC-Lock IDOC-Call Inbound ProgramWrite Status-Commit Work-Unlock IDOC
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Interface of Inbound FM
Importing Parameter -Input Method -Mass_processing
EXPORT parameter . -Workflow_result -Application_variable -In_Update_task -Call_transaction_done Tables parameter :
IDOC_Control IDOC_DATA IDOC_STATUS Return_variable
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Topics to cover
What is ALE ? Components of ALE. Anatomy of an IDoc. ALE Processing Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs. Questions
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Monitoring IDocs
The IDoc interface offers 2 different approaches for tracking of data
load and data flow: Reports for monitoring
Workflow for notifications
Both approaches are based on the concept of status transitions, i.e.
an IDoc changes its status from a given value to another value.
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List Of All IDocs Created. (Default, Additional, EDI)-WE02/ WE05
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Selection Program For Issuing Output -WE15
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Test Tool For Idoc Processing (WE19)
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Idoc Search For Business Contents (Database). WE09
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Questions
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