Customize an IDoc Interface with Runtime and Monitoring

1. Open your system. Go to Configuration of RFC Connections (transaction code SM59) and choose Create.

2. Enter a destination name following the naming convention <SID>CLNT<client>, with <SID> being your system ID and <client> the client number of your system. As Connection Type, choose 3 RFC connection to ABAP system. Choose Continue. The settings for your newly created destination open.

3. Switch to the Logon & Security tab. Maintain Language and Client and set the Current User flag.

   

4. Save your changes.

1. Go to Ports in IDoc processing (transaction code WE21), select the Transactional RFC node and choose Create to create a new port.

2. In the upcoming dialog, choose Generate port name and then Continue.

3. Maintain a description and in the field RFC destination, enter the destination you created in the previous step.

   

4. Save your changes.

To process an IDoc message via SAP Application Interface Framework, one of the SAP Application Interface Framework function modules need to be assigned to the combination of IDoc message type and IDoc basic type.

1. Go to IDoc Assignment of FM to Log. Message and IDoc Type (transaction code WE57). Confirm the upcoming dialog warning you that the table is cross-client.

2. Choose New Entries and enter the following data:

<!-- border -->![Create port](function-module-idoc-type-assignment.png)

1. Save your changes.

1. Go to Inbound process code (transaction code WE42).

2. Choose New Entries and enter the following data:

1. Maintain a description, select the Process with ALE service flag and the Processing by function module flag.

   

2. Save your changes.

1. Go to Partner profiles (transaction WE20) and choose Create.

2. Enter a Partner no., following the naming convention <SID>CLNT<client>, <SID> being your system ID and <client> being the client number of your system. As Type, choose LS (Logical System).

3. In tab Post Processing: Valid Processors, enter Ty. (agent type) US (User). As Agent, enter your user name.

   

4. In the Inbound table, choose Create inbound parameter. In the upcoming screen, choose or enter Message Type FLIGHTBOOKING_CREATEFROMDAT and the beforehand created Process Code ZDEMO_FLBOOK. Lastly, for Processing by Function Module, choose Trigger immediately.

   

5. Navigate back to the partner profile and Save your changes.

Create a package that serves as the destination for your newly created objects.

1. Go to the Object Navigator (transaction code SE80).

2. From the drop-down menu, select Package, enter the name ZDEMO, and press Enter or choose Display or Create Object. If you have run through other SAP Application Interface Framework tutorials before, the package may exist. In this case, it will be displayed. Otherwise create it. Confirm the dialogue window, enter a meaningful short description for your new package, and choose Confirm. If prompted, enter a workbench request and confirm again.

   

3. Additionally, create a new function group by selecting Function Group from the drop-down menu and enter the name ZDEMO.

   

You have successfully created a new package named ZDEMO and a new function group named ZDEMO.

The IDoc Structure Generator is a report that generates most of the required customizing settings for SAP Application Interface Framework. To be able to use it correctly, you require a namespace.

1. Open your system. Go to Customizing for SAP Application Interface Framework (transaction code /AIF/CUST) and navigate to Interface Development > Define Namespace.

2. Choose New Entries and enter the following name and description for your new namespace:

<!-- border -->![Define Namespace](define-namespace-new-entries.png)

1. Press Enter to confirm your entry.

Internally, SAP Application Interface Framework works with ABAP Dictionary structures, but IDoc Basic Types are not available as ABAP Dictionary structures. However, the IDoc Structure Generator can create the required ABAP Dictionary structure for a specific basic type and extension combination.

1. Open the IDoc Structure Generator (transaction code /AIF/IDOC_GEN) and enter the following general information about the IDoc you want to monitor:

1. Once you check the boxes for Create or Update Structure and Create Interface, two additional sections are displayed: Structure Details and Interface Definition. In section Structure Details, leave the boxes unchecked and enter the following details:

1. In section Interface Definition, enter the following details:

<!-- border -->![IDoc Structure Generator - Interface Definition](idoc-struc-gen-details.png)

1. When you’ve entered all the details, press F8 or choose Execute. The IDoc Structure Generator will start to create the required ABAP Dictionary objects and the interface. Once the report is finished, a summary of what was created is displayed.

   

2. Choose Continue.

1. Go to Customizing for SAP Application Interface Framework (transaction code /AIF/CUST) and navigate to Interface Development > Define Interfaces. In the upcoming dialog, enter your previously created namespace DEMO_1, and continue.

2. Enable Change mode. Double-click the newly generated interface FLBOOK to open it. Because we like to maintain checks and field mappings, deselect the Move Corresponding Structures flag here. We will set it in the structure mapping.

   

3. Save your changes.

1. While in Customizing (transaction code /AIF/CUST), navigate to Interface Development > Define Structure Mappings.

2. In the upcoming dialog, enter your previously created namespace DEMO_1, interface name FLBOOK, and interface version 1. Choose Continue.

3. Choose New Entries and enter the root node of your interface structure, here ZDEMO_1_FLIGHTBOOKING_CREATE.

   

4. Select the new entry and double-click Assign Destination Structure in the menu on the left.

5. Choose New Entries and enter the Number of Structure Mapping 10. As Destination Structure, enter the same root node of your interface structure, ZDEMO_1_FLIGHTBOOKING_CREATE. Finally, select the Move Corresponding Fields flag. Unless you define a mapping for a particular field, this ensures that the fields are mapped one to one.

   

6. Save your changes.

In the following, we like to enrich the incoming flight booking data, that is, the field pass name should be filled based on the customer ID. For this, we implement a table lookup to fetch the pass name.

1. While in Define Structure Mappings, double-click the node Define Field Mappings. Create a new entry and define the field mapping as follows:

   Field	Value
   Field in Destination Structure	E1SBO_CRE-E1BPSBONEW-PASSNAME
   Field Name 1	E1SBO_CRE-E1BPSBONEW-CUSTOMERID
   Namespace	DEMO_1
   Value Mapping	VM_CUSTOMER

   

   Since the value mapping doesn’t exist yet, you are asked to create it. Confirm the dialog.

2. Navigate to the reusable value mapping by double-clicking VM_CUSTOMER and define it with the following information:

   Field	Value
   Value Mapping Description	Fetch customer name from table SCUSTOM
   Table Name	SCUSTOM
   Field Name	NAME
   Where Condition for Select Statement	ID = '$1'

   

3. Save the value mapping and navigate back to Define Field Mappings.

Next, create an action with a function to book the flights in your test scenario.

1. In Define Structure Mappings, double-click the node Assign Actions.

   Create a new entry and enter the following details:

   Field	Value
   Action Number	10
   Namespace	DEMO_1
   Action	FLIGHT_CREATE

   

2. Since the action doesn’t exist yet, you’re asked to create it. Confirm the upcoming dialog with Yes.

3. Navigate to the new action by double-clicking FLIGHT_CREATE.

   In Define Actions, you can maintain multiple functions for each application. In this tutorial, you only need one function calling the IDoc runtime to create new flight bookings.

   Enter an action description and set the Commit Mode to COMMIT WORK and the Commit Level to After Each Function.

   

4. Double-click the Define Functions node. Create a new function with Function Number 10 and Function Module Name ZFLIGHT_CREATE_IDOC.

   

   Since the function module doesn’t exist yet, you’re asked to create it. Confirm the upcoming dialog with Yes.

5. In the next dialog, enter your function group ZDEMO and choose Copy. A new function module is created as copy of the /AIF/FILE_TEMPL_PROCESS template.

   Open the function module, switch to the Source code tab and enter the following source code:

   ABAP

   Copy

   
   FUNCTION ZFLIGHT_CREATE_IDOC .
   *"----------------------------------------------------------------------
   *"*"Local Interface:
   *"  IMPORTING
   *"     REFERENCE(TESTRUN) TYPE  C
   *"     REFERENCE(SENDING_SYSTEM) TYPE  /AIF/AIF_BUSINESS_SYSTEM_KEY
   *"       OPTIONAL
   *"  TABLES
   *"      RETURN_TAB STRUCTURE  BAPIRET2
   *"  CHANGING
   *"     REFERENCE(DATA)
   *"     REFERENCE(CURR_LINE)
   *"     REFERENCE(SUCCESS) TYPE  /AIF/SUCCESSFLAG
   *"     REFERENCE(OLD_MESSAGES) TYPE  /AIF/BAL_T_MSG
   *"----------------------------------------------------------------------
   
     CALL FUNCTION '/AIF/IDOC_ACTION_FUNCTION'
       EXPORTING
         iv_idoc_function  = 'IDOC_INPUT_FLIGHTBOOKING_CREAT'
       TABLES
         return = return_tab
       CHANGING
         data = data.
   
   ENDFUNCTION.
   

6. Save and activate your function module.

7. Navigate back to the action and save your changes.

8. Navigate back to Define Structure Mappings and save your changes.

It’s recommended to implement an interface-specific single index table to ensure full flexibility, especially if you expect a high load of messages or if you plan to define key fields for your interface (now or later).

You can also switch the single index table later, but when you do, all processed messages stored in the old single index table will no longer be visible in the Interface Monitor. The information for the newly incoming messages is stored in the new single index table of the interface.

1. Create a table via transaction SE11. You can use table /AIF/STD_IDX_TBL as a template by entering /AIF/STD_IDX_TBL in the field Database table, right-clicking it and choosing Copy…. Enter the name ZIDOC_RT_IDX for the new table and choose Continue. When prompted, enter the package name you created earlier.

   

2. After creating the single index table, activate it by choosing Display and then Activate.

   

3. Go to Customizing (transaction /AIF/CUST) and navigate to SAP Application Interface Framework > Error Handling > Define Namespace-Specific Features. Enter your namespace DEMO_1 and choose Continue.

4. Choose New Entries to create a new entry in Define Interface-Specific Features. Enter your interface name FLBOOK and version 1 and enter the name of the newly created single index table ZIDOC_RT_IDX in the field Message Index Table.

   

5. Save your changes.

If you want to monitor the newly created interface in the Interface Monitor of the Message Dashboard app, a recipient for the interface is required.

1. Go to Customizing (transaction /AIF/CUST) and navigate to SAP Application Interface Framework > Error Handling > Define Namespace-Specific Features. Enter or select your namespace DEMO_1 and choose Continue.

2. In the menu on the left, navigate to Define Recipients by double-clicking it. Choose New Entries, enter a meaningful name for your new recipient and add a description.

   

3. Save your changes.

To be able to see any data in the Interface Monitor or the Message Dashboard, a recipient must be assigned to the interface you want to monitor.

1. Go to Customizing (transaction /AIF/CUST) and navigate to SAP Application Interface Framework > Error Handling > Define Interface-Specific Features. Enter or select your namespace DEMO_1, as well as your interface name FLBOOK and interface version 1. Choose Continue.

   

2. In the menu on the left, double-click Assign Recipients Without Key Fields and create a new entry. Enter or select the namespace and the recipient you created before.

   

3. Save your changes.

Now the users in charge of monitoring the IDoc must be assigned to the recipient.

1. Go to transaction code /AIF/RECIPIENTS and select or enter your user name and any additional user names you want to assign to the recipient.

   

2. Create a new entry and select the namespace and recipient you created in the steps before. Enter a user number and check the boxes for Include on Overview Screen and Technical User.

   

3. Save the new entry.

Before you can create flight bookings, you need to generate test data.

1. To do so, run transaction code BC_DATA_GEN, select the standard data record, and execute the report.

   

2. Open the Data Browser (transaction code SE16), select the table SFLIGHTS, and choose Execute. The generated flight data entries are displayed.

If you run the requests in step 18, select existing flights from this table. Ensure that the flight date is in the future, otherwise your requests will fail.

<!-- border -->![Generated Flight Data Entries](sample-flight-data-table.png)

After the setup is complete, test your settings and verify that the IDoc monitoring is working as planned.

1. Send in new test IDocs, for example using the Test Tool for IDoc Processing (transaction code WE19).

2. In the test tool, maintain basic type FLIGHTBOOKING_CREATEFROMDAT01.

3. Maintain the control record fields corresponding to your partner profile and the port created beforehand as follows:

   Field name	Value
   Receiver Port	SAP<SID> (<SID> being your system ID)
   Receiver Partner Number	The partner number as specified in the partner profile
   Receiver Type	LS
   Sender Port	The port as specified before
   Sender Partner Number	The partner number as specified in the partner profile
   Sender Type	LS
   Message Type	FLIGHTBOOKING_CREATEFROMDAT

   

4. Maintain existing flight data from table SFLIGHTS, see above. Maintain a customer ID, e.g., 42 and an agency number, e.g., 109. As flight class, choose either Y, C or F.

   

5. Then, choose Standard Inbound. A dialog pops up informing you that the IDoc was passed to the application.

6. Check the results of your test in the Interface Monitor (transaction code /AIF/IFMON). You’ll only be able to see the new interface if you correctly assigned your user to the recipient.

   

7. When you select the summary line for your interface, you’re forwarded to Monitoring and Error Handling, where you can see your selected test message(s).

   

8. In the log message, the internal reference to the flight booking is displayed. It’s a combination of the airline ID and the booking ID. Note down the ID. You need it for the next step.

9. Let’s now check if the lookup value mapping functioned properly. Open the Data Browser (transaction SE16), and enter table name SBOOK. Then choose icon Table Contents.

10. On the next screen, enter CARRID and BOOKID of the successful created booking. You derive the values from the log message, see above. Then choose Execute.

    

    As you can see for the chosen table entry, the pass name has been successfully mapped.

    

Congratulations! You’ve created, customized and tested an IDoc interface for processing and monitoring in SAP Application Interface Framework.