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1 Create RFC in SAP for webservice
10:37

1 Create RFC in SAP for webservice

Zafar Karnalkar

4 chapters7 takeaways16 key terms6 questions

Overview

This video explains how to create and consume SOAP-based web services in SAP, also known as RFC-based web services. It covers two main scenarios: exposing SAP functionality (like fetching purchase order data for a vendor) as a web service for external systems to consume, and consuming external web services from within SAP. The process involves creating function groups and modules, marking them as remote-enabled, using SAP's wizards to generate web services, configuring them in SOAMANAGER, and then either sharing the WSDL file or importing it to create client proxies. The video demonstrates the initial steps of creating a function group and a remote-enabled function module to retrieve purchase order headers based on a vendor ID.

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Chapters

  • SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a standard for exchanging data between systems over the internet using XML.
  • In SAP, SOAP services facilitate B2B and system-to-system communication.
  • SAP's SOAP services can either expose SAP logic/data as a web service (SAP as provider) or consume external web services (SAP as consumer).
  • Use cases include integrating with third-party apps, e-commerce portals, vendor portals, and financial systems.
Understanding web services in SAP is crucial for enabling seamless integration between SAP and external systems, which is a common requirement in modern business landscapes.
Exposing SAP's live stock data as a web service for an e-commerce portal to check material availability.
  • The process starts with creating a function group (optional, can use existing).
  • Create a function module and mark it as 'remote-enabled' in its attributes.
  • Use SAP's wizard to generate the web service from the function module.
  • Configure the service in SOAMANAGER: create bindings, define authentication (e.g., user/password), and activate the service.
  • Download the WSDL file from SOAMANAGER to share with external systems.
This allows external applications to leverage SAP's business logic and data, extending SAP's capabilities beyond its own interface.
Creating a web service to retrieve purchase order header data for a specific vendor ID.
  • Obtain the WSDL file from the external system providing the web service.
  • Use transaction 'SO80' (Enterprise Services Repository) to create a 'consumer proxy' (client proxy) based on the WSDL.
  • Configure a 'logical port' in SOAMANAGER for the consumer proxy, setting the endpoint URL and authentication details.
  • Write an ABAP program to call the generated proxy class to interact with the external web service.
This enables SAP to integrate with external services, such as payment gateways or shipping providers, to enhance its functionalities.
Integrating SAP with a GST government portal or a payment gateway.
  • Create a function group (e.g., 'Z_SOAP') using transaction SE80.
  • Create a function module (e.g., 'Z_GET_PO_DETAIL_SRV') within the function group.
  • In the function module's attributes, select 'Remote-Enabled Module'.
  • Define import parameters (e.g., 'IP_LIFNR' for vendor ID) and table parameters (e.g., 'ET_EKKO' for PO header data).
  • Implement the logic to fetch data (e.g., using SELECT on EKKO table) and use 'CONVERSION_EXIT_ALPHA_INPUT' for input parameters.
This hands-on demonstration shows the foundational steps required to prepare SAP logic for exposure as a web service.
Creating a function module that takes a vendor ID and returns all purchase order header details for that vendor from the EKKO table.

Key takeaways

  1. 1SOAP web services are essential for integrating SAP with external systems.
  2. 2SAP can act as both a web service provider and a consumer.
  3. 3The process of exposing SAP logic involves creating remote-enabled function modules and configuring them via SOAMANAGER.
  4. 4Consuming external services requires creating client proxies from WSDLs and configuring logical ports.
  5. 5Proper handling of input/output parameters, especially using conversion exits like ALPHA, is critical for data consistency.
  6. 6SOAMANAGER is the central tool for configuring and managing web services in SAP.
  7. 7WSDL files are the contracts that describe how to interact with a web service.

Key terms

SOAPWeb ServiceRFC (Remote Function Call)B2B CommunicationSystem-to-System CommunicationXMLWSDL (Web Services Description Language)Function GroupFunction ModuleRemote-Enabled ModuleSOAMANAGERBindingAuthenticationConsumer ProxyLogical PortCONVERSION_EXIT_ALPHA_INPUT

Test your understanding

  1. 1What is the primary purpose of SOAP web services in SAP?
  2. 2How does SAP differentiate between acting as a web service provider versus a consumer?
  3. 3What are the essential steps to expose an SAP function module as a web service?
  4. 4Why is it important to mark a function module as 'Remote-Enabled Module'?
  5. 5What role does the WSDL file play in web service communication?
  6. 6How would you configure an external web service to be called from within SAP?

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