SAP Integration

Dariusz SzybowskiDirector of TechnologyAspediens

Agenda• SAP Integration Overview• Functional requirements• Technical aspects• Implementation approach• Examples• Q/A session

Aspediens• European Partner of ServiceNow since 2007• 100% dedicated to ServiceNow implementation• Offices in Paris, Geneva, Zurich• 25+ ITIL certified professionals dedicated to ServiceNow• 30+ customers, including international companies• 60+ implementations to date• Top EMEA Partner 2011 award• Authorized Training Partner

Aspediens – our services

Training Academy Out-Tasking

Delegation PartnerEducation Partner

Consulting

• Solution Design

• Configuration and Scripting

• 3rd party tool integration

• Business Process Automation

Implementation Partner

• Standard Admin (exam)

• Advanced Scripting Training

• Service Request Catalog

• A la carte

• Virtual administrator

• Release management

• Managed services

SAP Integration Overview• SAP – ERP system covering all aspects of

business• SSM – SAP Solution Manager

– Support Messages created directly from SAP UI– Link with SAP Support System– SAP Development/Customizations management

• Existing Service Desk WebService API– Exhaustive and complex but Incidents oriented

Agenda• SAP Integration Overview• Functional requirements• Technical aspects• Implementation approach• Examples• Q/A session

Functional requirementsIncidents - unidirectional

• SNC – main ITSM company system• SAP Support Message via SAP GUI +

attachments• ServiceNow Incident creation + attachments• Incident lifecycle in ServiceNow

Functional requirementsChange/Change Tasks - bidirectional

• Change for SAP Business Service• Workflow driven• Change Task business rule creates SAP Support

Message • Attachments• SAP updates the status field in SN Change• Closure

Functional requirementsProblems - bidirectional

• Problem on SAP Business Service• Manual action of CS L2 to pass it to CS L3

(SAP) • Update from SAP to SN with resolution only.

Functional requirementsSAP HCM System - user provisioning

• User data provisioning from two different sources: AD and SAP HCM

• AD via LDAP(S) protocol• HCM as the web service call

Agenda• SAP SSM Integration Overview• Functional requirements• Technical aspects• Implementation approach• Examples• Q/A session

Technical Constrains• Connectivity

– Peer-to-peer vs ESB– Accesibility by SN Instance

• SOAP Message Format– complexType (nested structures)– Imposed tag names– SN attachment default handling

• Data Treacability (import sets)• Error Handling (all types)

Technology

Only answer - SOAP Web Services

• SAP Systems Side– ABAP Proxy – Java Proxy – SAP PI or Peer-to-Peer

• ServiceNow side– All Web Service related plugins for pluglishing– Web Service Consumer plugin

• SOAP Envelop and SOAPMessage objects

Interface design best practice• Data flow Tracking• Asynchronous exchange• Object ID exchanged and stored in two systems• Type Transactions (INSERT, INSACK, ERR, …)• Use Transaction GUID for the message exchange• Use the process state matrix if possible• Error Handling

– Communication, data, process

Diagram – implementation example

Agenda• SAP SSM Integration Overview• Functional requirements• Technical aspects• Implementation approach• Examples• Q/A session

Implementation

• High technical complexity• 3rd parties involvement: you, customer and

SAP specialist (often external)• Complex integration testing

Challenges

Implementation

• Separated project inside the main ServiceNow roll-out

• Careful planning - external systems and teams availability

Approach

• Functional design agreed with 3 parties(Data exchanged, Data

mapping ,Transformation, Triggers)

• Assess the SAP specialist skills– SAP BC specialist is not necessary SAP

Integration specialist

• Agreed Technical Architecture

Implementation

Prerequisites

• Prerequisites• Strong customer ownership to bring all parties

together• Anticipate connectivity setup• Estimate data volumes (SOAP Messages)• Multiple Integration Testing runs• Use built-in platforn feature but with optimized

scripting.

ImplementationSuccess factors

Agenda• SAP SSM Integration Overview• Functional examples • Technical aspects• Implementation approach• Examples• Q/A session

Example 1• ServiceNow remains the main ITSM application• Integration on SN Change, with approvals and

validations• Workflow driven• SAP SSM used for SAP systems to manage

development and transport• Asynchronous message exchange• Set of transactions• Matrix of possible transactions

Example 1 Workflow implemented

Example 1 Transactions matrix

Example 1

Implementation

• Based on System Web Services plug-in• Attachment sent as a separated WS call • Process state validation table/function• Automatically triggered by business rules• The most advanced on SAP side, the easiest to

implement on ServiceNow side

Example 1 - Diagram

Example 2

Requirements

• Create the SAP Support Messages directly from SAP GUI Interface

• Trigger the SAP systems customization• Follow the SAP implementation process

Example 2

Implementation details

• Based on Scripted Web Services• Up to 5 attachments together with the

main SOAP message• Automatically triggered by business rules• Use of sys_import_set_row GlideRecord• Use of Attachment Object• Double Transformation Maps

Example 2 - Diagram

Example 3

Requirements

• Create a Support Request in SAP SSM from a problem

• Handle the resolution process related in SAP environment (updates)

• Allow the SSM users to close an existing Support Request in SSM related to the ServiceNow Problem

Example 3

Technical Constraints

• Predefined Generic SOAP XML message structure

• Imposed tag names• ComplexType structure• Possibility to extend the interface beyond

problems

Example 3

Implementation

• UI Action to trigger the interface• Based on Static WSDL Web Services• Global Business Rule to parse SOAP

message• Use of sys_import_set_row GlideRecord

Example 3 - Diagram

Agenda• SAP SSM Integration Overview• Functional examples • Technical aspects• Implementation approach• Examples• Q/A Session

Questions?

Thank You

Director of Technology

Dariusz SzybowskiAspediens SA

dariusz.szybowski@aspediens.com

BACKUP SLIDES

Aspediens• European Partner of ServiceNow since 2007• 100% dedicated to ServiceNow implementation• Offices in Paris, Geneva, Zurich• 25+ ITIL certified professionals dedicated to Service-

now.com• 30+ customers, including international companies• 60+ implementations to date• Top EMEA Partner 2011 award• Authorized Training Partner

Aspediens – our services

Training Academy Out-Tasking

Delegation PartnerEducation Partner

Consulting

• Solution Design

• Configuration and Scripting

• 3rd party tool integration

• Business Process Automation

Implementation Partner

• Standard Admin (exam)

• Advanced Scripting Training

• Service Request Catalog

• A la carte

• Virtual administrator

• Release management

• Managed services

About the speaker

• 25 years in IT• 7 years in Oracle Technical Consulting• Used to be Sap BW certified• Automated Testing• Software Development on various technologies

(Uniface, Oracle Developer 2000, ServiceNow)

SAP Integration Overview

• SSM Support Message management – can be replaced by Servicenow, including the creation of

SAP Support Messages directly SAP UI

• Link to SAP Support System – can’t be replaced in this context

• SAP Development/Customizations management– can’t be replaced for SAP development management– can be integrated into ServiceNow Change

management processes

Technical Constrains

SOAP Message formats

• “complexType” and nested structures of SAP SOAP Message with changing number of occurrence

• Imposed XML tag names and named spaces • SAP Difficulties to match ServiceNow naming

conventions • Attachments are sent in the main message (often) • Difficulty to support Default ServiceNow Web Service

Response

Technical ConstrainsData Traceability

• Use of default ServiceNow Data Import built-in features

• Possibility to handle the data related errors• Possibility to apply to the data the complex

validation and transformation treatments

Technical Constrains

Error handling

• Connectivity errors• Inbound data errors• Third System treatment errors (Transaction

errors)

Technology

SOAP Web Services

• ServiceNow – inbound messages– System Web Services plug-in (1 implementation)– Scripted Web Services plug-in (1 implementation)– Static WSDL Web Service ( 1 implementation)

• ServiceNow - outbound messages– Web Service Consumer

• SOAPEnvelope and SOAPRequest• SOAPMessage

Technical Implementation

Interface Types

• Synchronous (Peer-to-peer)– Only default Response Message

• Asynchronous (Peer-to-peer and ESB) – Response Message for connectivity check– Response Message for WS consumption (successful or

not)– Separated Acknowledge message sent after successful

transaction

Error handling

• Communication errors – Sending via ecc_queue – Use of ECC Queue Retry Policy plugin

• Missing acknowledgment errors– Schedule job with event creation

• Inbound ERR message– Included in main script with the event creation

• Import Data errors– Event created based on status in sys_import_set_row

Event based

Inbound message

• Format of exchanged SOAP Messages • Transaction types • Interface architecture (sync, async)• ServiceNow Web Service plugins• Import set table extending sys_import_set_row table (usually via

creation of System WS)• Specific fields in a destination table for sync and status• Transform maps and transform scripts

Step by step 1/2

Inbound message

• Script – transform/parse inbound message into the “flat” structure. – generate appropriate Response Message– Insertion of the GlideRecord sys_import_set_row into the

import set table.– Synchronous data transformation. – Insertion of the GlideRecord into ecc_queue with the

attachment. This can be replaced by user of Attachment object.

– SOAPClient Business Rule

• Unit test with SOAP UI or equivalent tool

Step by step 2/2

Outbound message

• Logical conditions to – trigger the SAP Interface first call– Generate acknowledge message (in script or Business Rule)

• System properties with Endpoints, users/password to consume the SAP Web Services

• Consume the SAP WS via SOAP Message object• Scripting using SOAPEnvelope and SOAPRequest the

outbound complex SOAP messages• Use asynchronous sending via ecc_queue

Step by step

Example 1

Technical details

• Asynchronous message exchange• Messages with Transaction Code • Matrix with possible status changes• In Change (SN) dedicated field for “SAP

Implementation Status”, read-only for UI• Interface modifies the value of this field• Three workflows: Minor, Major, Emergency• Two workflow activities: “Set Value To” & “Wait for”

Example 1 Workflow design

Example 1Transactions - Messages

Example 2

Create Incident Interface

1. SAP Support Message is created in SAP SSM

2. The created message is immediately transferred to SNC as a new Incident with the attachments if any – inbound 1.

3. The SNC Incident number is sent back as the acknowledgment of creation – outbound 1.

4. The SNC number is put into “External Reference” and the SAP Support Message is setup as “confirmed” (closed)

Example 2

Change Request Interface

1. SAP Support Message is created in SAP SSM

2. The created message is immediately transferred to SNC as a new Incident with the attachments if any – inbound 1.

3. The SNC Incident number is sent back as the acknowledgment of creation – outbound 1.

4. The SNC number is put into “External Reference” and the SAP Support Message is setup as “confirmed” (closed)

Example 3

Technical Details

• 3 Types of transactions:– CreateSupportRequest – UpdateSupportRequest – CloseSupportRequest

• Can work with the different types of documents (Incident, Problem, Change, Support Request) in different system (ServiceNow or SSM)

Example 3

CreateSupportRequest - Outbound1. Call of the interface is triggered manually from the existing

ServiceNow Problem form.

2. SOAP Message is posted to ECC Queue for asynchronous sending (not blocking).

3. SOAPClient processor reads any pending message in the queue and attempt to post them to SSM.

4. Request is processed in SSM and a standard response containing the new document reference is placed back in the ECC Queue.

5. SNC Problem is set to state “Waiting” for “Change result”. The Problem becomes read-only as the update and closure are now handled in SSM.

Example 3

UpdateSupportRequest - Inbound

1. Problem update request is generated in SSM from an existing Support Request

2. Call of ServiceNow Web Service for processing.

3. Related Problem is updated with incoming information

4. The Web Service prepares and sends the appropriate response to the caller .

Example 3

CloseSupportRequest - Inbound1. Problem closure request is generated in SSM from an existing

Support Request

2. Call of ServiceNow Web Service for processing.

3. Related Problem is updated, state set to “Closed/Resolved” and Solution is populated.

4. The Web Service prepares and sends the appropriate response to the caller .