SAP CPI (Cloud Platform Integration) in SAP Integration Landscape
In today’s interconnected enterprise environments, seamless data and process integration between cloud and on-premise applications is critical. SAP Cloud Platform Integration (SAP CPI)—now part of SAP Integration Suite—is a powerful cloud-based middleware solution designed to enable smooth and secure integration across diverse systems and applications.
One of the foundational concepts in SAP CPI is understanding integration scenarios, which define how different systems communicate and exchange data. This article dives into the essentials of integration scenarios, their types, and how they fit within the SAP CPI landscape.
An integration scenario represents a predefined or custom use case that outlines the flow of information between sender and receiver systems. It defines:
Integration scenarios help enterprises automate business processes that span multiple systems, ensuring data consistency and operational efficiency.
SAP CPI supports a broad range of integration scenarios, broadly categorized as:
A2A scenarios connect internal enterprise applications, such as SAP S/4HANA to SAP SuccessFactors or SAP Ariba. Typical use cases include:
B2B scenarios connect your enterprise to external business partners, suppliers, or customers. SAP CPI supports industry-standard protocols like EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), AS2, and others, enabling:
Hybrid scenarios where cloud applications (e.g., SAP SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba) integrate with on-premise SAP ERP or legacy systems. Secure tunnels such as SAP Cloud Connector enable these integrations while protecting internal networks.
SAP CPI can process event-driven data flows and expose or consume APIs. This allows real-time integration scenarios such as:
An integration scenario in SAP CPI generally includes the following key elements:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Sender System | Originates the message or data (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, third-party CRM) |
| Receiver System | Destination of the message or data |
| Integration Flow (iFlow) | The graphical representation in CPI defining routing, mapping, and processing steps |
| Adapters | Connectors enabling communication protocols (HTTP, IDoc, SOAP, OData, SFTP, etc.) |
| Message Mapping | Transforming message formats between sender and receiver systems |
| Security Artifacts | Certificates, credentials, and tokens securing data exchange |
Understanding your business requirements is the first step:
SAP provides a rich repository of prebuilt integration packages for common scenarios—these accelerate deployment and reduce customization effort.
SAP CPI offers monitoring dashboards to track message processing, errors, and system performance. Proactive monitoring helps:
Integration scenarios are the blueprint of how data flows between your enterprise applications and external partners. Mastering these scenarios within SAP CPI empowers businesses to automate processes, reduce manual effort, and create a connected intelligent enterprise.
By carefully designing and implementing integration scenarios using SAP CPI’s robust toolkit—adapters, mappings, secure connections, and monitoring capabilities—organizations can ensure reliable and efficient integration that supports digital transformation goals.