In modern enterprise landscapes, integration scenarios often require connecting diverse applications, data formats, and communication protocols. SAP Cloud Platform Integration (CPI) addresses this challenge with a flexible and extensible integration framework. At the heart of this framework are CPI Adapters, which play a crucial role in enabling seamless connectivity between SAP and non-SAP systems across cloud and on-premise environments.
CPI Adapters are specialized software components within SAP Cloud Platform Integration that facilitate communication between different systems by supporting various protocols, data formats, and interface standards. They act as connectors or bridges that enable the sender and receiver endpoints in an integration flow (iFlow) to communicate smoothly.
In essence, adapters abstract the underlying technical details, allowing integration developers to focus on business logic rather than low-level connectivity issues.
SAP CPI offers a broad range of adapters, broadly categorized into two groups:
These adapters cover common enterprise protocols and formats, including:
These adapters are designed to connect with specific SAP or third-party cloud services:
In an integration flow, the Sender Adapter receives messages from a source system and translates them into a format understandable by CPI. The message then passes through various processing steps such as mapping or routing. Finally, the Receiver Adapter delivers the transformed message to the target system in its required format and protocol.
Adapters manage connection details, authentication, encryption, and error handling internally, simplifying integration design.
Protocol Bridging: Adapters allow integration flows to communicate between systems using incompatible protocols seamlessly.
Data Format Handling: They handle data serialization and deserialization, supporting formats like XML, JSON, CSV, and IDoc structures.
Security: Many adapters include built-in security features like SSL/TLS encryption, client certificates, and OAuth authentication.
Reusability and Standardization: Using standard adapters promotes best practices and reduces custom coding.
Extensibility: Developers can configure adapters extensively to meet specific business or technical requirements.
When designing an integration flow, adapters are configured through the CPI Web UI:
CPI Adapters are foundational components of SAP Cloud Platform Integration, enabling connectivity across a heterogeneous IT environment. By abstracting protocol complexities and providing secure, reliable connectivity, adapters empower integration developers to build efficient, scalable integration solutions rapidly. Understanding and effectively utilizing CPI adapters is essential for any professional working with SAP integration projects.