Redefinition Scenarios

When generating service by using redefinition, the Data Model Definition phase and Service Implementation phase are performed in a single step.

 

This is possible (in a similar way to the mapping process for CDS views and the Search Help) because the data sources offer methods that are already very similar to the methods of an OData service.

 

 

There are two options with redefinition. They are as follows:

1. Redefine a data source service.
2. Redefine (or extend) an SAP Gateway service

When redefining a data source, an OData service is generated based on an existing object such as a GENIL object, a service provider interface, or an SAP BW query.

 

Another option for creating an SAP Gateway Service is to include an existing Gateway Service into a new Gateway service. This can be compared to mashup.

 

Redefinition Support

For the following frameworks, redefinition scenarios are supported:

• Service Provider Interface (SPI) is the name of an internal framework used in the Web-Dynpro-based version of SAP PLM or SAP EAM and several other modules
• The GENIL/BOL Layer is frequently used in SAP CRM
• Easy Query and MDX Queries are typically used in SAP BW

 

 

Service Generation for Analytical Scenarios

In addition to the redefinition scenarios based on Easy Query and MDX, it is also possible to leverage CDS views based on SAP HANA to generate OData services for analytical scenarios.

 

 

Redefinition of SPI Scenarios

The SPI handles huge amounts of data at high performance levels. No additional buffering is experienced while being minimally invasive to the underlying implementation (arbitrary data repositories can easily be connected).

 

Every application that is using the SPI can – out of the box – either run the UI and the back end on the same system or run the UI on a system in the DMZ and the back end on a second system behind the firewall, which is needed in an internet collaboration scenario.

 

Furthermore the SPI offers a central enhancement spot, which can be used by customers or partners to enhance the application back end modification-free.

 

It is important to highlight that the SPI framework allows implementation of DMZ scenarios where, for example, an “empty” Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system is placed in the DMZ, which communicates with the productive PLM system in the intranet.

 

With Gateway for all SPI objects, OData services can be generated.

 

Service Implementation — Mapping Development Flow

The development flow for a redefinition scenario based on an easy query is shown in the figure.