In the modern enterprise landscape, seamless integration between diverse systems is crucial for efficient business operations. SAP Cloud Platform Integration (CPI), now often referred to as SAP Integration Suite, provides a powerful, cloud-based platform to connect applications, data, and processes across on-premise and cloud environments. At the core of CPI’s functionality are Integration Flows—the essential building blocks that enable smooth, automated data exchange and process orchestration.
An Integration Flow (or iFlow) in SAP CPI is a graphical representation of a business process or data integration scenario. It defines the pathway and transformation logic for messages traveling between different systems. Essentially, an integration flow acts as a pipeline that connects sender systems with receiver systems, handling data transformation, routing, error handling, and protocol conversion along the way.
In today’s complex IT environments, enterprises use a variety of cloud and on-premise applications — ERP, CRM, HR systems, third-party services, and more. These systems often use different data formats and communication protocols. Integration Flows are designed to:
An Integration Flow typically consists of the following components:
The entry point of the integration flow where messages are received from a source system. SAP CPI supports a wide range of adapters, including HTTP, SOAP, IDoc, SFTP, OData, and more.
These steps include content-based routing, message transformation (e.g., XML to JSON), mapping, enrichment, and splitting or aggregation of messages.
This is the sequence of steps in the flow that defines how messages are processed and routed.
The endpoint that delivers the processed message to the target system.
Integration Flows can include error handling mechanisms to manage failures, retries, and notifications.
SAP CPI provides a user-friendly web-based design environment called the Integration Designer, where developers can build Integration Flows using drag-and-drop graphical tools. Key features include:
Integration Flows are fundamental to SAP CPI’s ability to connect diverse applications and automate business processes across heterogeneous landscapes. By providing a visual, flexible, and powerful way to design integrations, they empower enterprises to accelerate digital transformation and realize the benefits of a connected Intelligent Enterprise.
Whether you are a developer, architect, or business analyst working with SAP CPI, understanding Integration Flows is essential for building effective, reliable, and scalable integrations.