How to hook up Ariba and SAP Business Suite in less than "an hour" using SAP adapter without middleware

Hello all,

I wanted to share my experience on using SAP adapter to connect SAP ECC to SAP Ariba network as a buyer without using a middleware.

Prerequisites:

• Install Ariba adapter for SAP Business Suite 1.0.
• Register and obtain Ariba Network ID (ANID) from Ariba (Seller test accounts are free)
• SOA Manager is configured, certificate is installed using STRUST and bgRFC has been setup by basis (1-2 Hour activity)

Note:  Ariba Network Integration 1.0 for SAP Business Suite consists of 3 components. Download these components and install them on your SAP ERP system. The components are:

• ARBFNDI1
• ARBERPI1
• ARBFNDI2; This component is only required if your SAP ERP system is on EhP4 or higher

Also download all Attribute Change Packages (ACPs) for this product.

Configuration:

Lets get started on configuration of the system. The config nodes for the SAP Ariba adapter can be found in...SPRO>>Integration with Other SAP Components>>SAP Business Suite Integration component for Ariba""The configuration of the Ariba Adapter has 2 components.

1. "Framework Setting"; which is used to connect SAP to Ariba
2. "Application specific setting"; which is used to configure what is sent to Ariba from SAP.

Framework Setting:

This configuration is used to Setup the connection framework between the two systems.

1. Define Credentials and End Points for Ariba Network
   1. Enter your Ariba Network ID (ANID)
   2. Share Secret which you will need to use in Ariba Network during enablement
   3. Test Account Flag (Only if you are connecting to test ANID which ends with XXXXX-T)
   4. Enable End Points - "End points not enable"; Note: If you are using multiple test system, you need to enable here.*
2. Define Basic Message Settings
   1. Choose New Entries
   2. Add cXML type for Purchase order (ORDR) with direction outbound mapping version V003 and cXML version 1.2.029*
   3. Add cXML type for Order confirmation (CONF) with direction inbound mapping version V002 and cXML vverion 1.2.029 and Send cXML statusUpdateRequest Message ticked.*
3. Direct Connectivity Settings: Please refere the prequisites.
   1. Define Settings for Polling Agent; add as per screenshot below.
4. Map Unit of Measure Codes for cXML Messages
   1. Enter All ISO UOM that need to be converted to UNUOM standards and the other way around.

Application-Specific Settings

This configuration is used to setup the configuration of sending documents between SAP and Ariba.

1. Assign Ariba Network ID to Company Code

2. Define Message Output Control

3.  Define Document-Specific Message Customizing

4.  Map Texts of SAP ERP and Ariba Network (Map inbound and Outbound per your requirement   

5. Integration for Buyers

• Enable Vendors for Ariba Network (Activates New seller ANID if it couldn't find a vendor under the Name in Ariba network and post document

The Configuration required for transmitting a Purchase order (PO) and receiving a Purchase order Acknowledgement/Confirmation (POA) is complete.

Testing the configuration:

• Create a purchase order in SAP and validate the output generated a XML output.

• Validate SXI_MONITOR transaction to validate the the output has been sent successfully.

Conclusion

     Who would have through that you can connect SAP to Ariba so quickly. Good Luck prototyping in any of your test environment. Ariba provides test seller accounts for free.

What's Next

     Over the next few weeks I would will add the following blogs that are related to the SAP Ariba Adapter.

1. Capabilities and limitation is functionalities of using SAP Ariba Adapter
2. Gotya's to look out on the SAP Ariba Adapter
3. How to generate identify what is mapped and extend the XML mapping when using SAP Ariba Adapter
4. How to handle error using forward error handling when using SAP Ariba Adapter
5. Various lessons learnt during the SAP Ariba implementation using adapter.

• * Will cover on future blogs where I can explain the enhancements required in detail.