¶ Configuring Sender and Receiver Agreements in SAP PI/PO
In SAP Process Integration (PI) and Process Orchestration (PO), seamless communication between systems depends heavily on well-configured sender and receiver agreements. These agreements define the parameters and protocols used during message exchange, ensuring that messages are securely and correctly transmitted between communicating parties.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of sender and receiver agreements, their importance, and a step-by-step guide on how to configure them effectively in SAP PI/PO.
¶ Understanding Sender and Receiver Agreements
¶ What Are Sender and Receiver Agreements?
- Sender Agreement: Defines the communication setup from the sending system’s perspective. It specifies how messages are accepted by the SAP PI/PO system.
- Receiver Agreement: Defines how SAP PI/PO delivers messages to the receiving system, including protocol, quality of service, and security settings.
Both agreements are essential configuration objects in the Integration Directory, binding communication channels with sender and receiver components.
- They standardize communication parameters for sender and receiver interfaces.
- Ensure security and authentication during message exchange.
- Define quality of service and message protocol details.
- Simplify administration by centralizing configurations for multiple interfaces.
Before configuring sender and receiver agreements, ensure:
- Communication channels are created and configured for both sender and receiver.
- Sender and receiver communication components (business systems or logical systems) exist in the Integration Directory.
- Interface objects and mappings are defined in the Enterprise Services Repository (ESR).
- Log in to SAP PI/PO and navigate to the Integration Directory.
- Go to Sender Agreements.
- Click Create and enter a meaningful name for the sender agreement.
¶ Step 3: Assign Sender Communication Component and Interface
- Select the Sender Communication Component (e.g., the business system acting as the sender).
- Choose the Service Interface (e.g., the specific interface for this communication).
- Select the relevant Namespace and Interface Name.
- Link the Sender Communication Channel that was pre-configured.
- This channel defines the adapter and protocol details for the sender side.
- Set the Quality of Service (QoS) (e.g., Best Effort, Exactly Once).
- Enable Encryption or Signature if required.
- Configure Processing Modes like synchronous or asynchronous processing.
¶ Step 6: Save and Activate
- Save the configuration.
- Activate the sender agreement.
- In the Integration Directory, open Receiver Agreements.
- Click Create and provide a name for the receiver agreement.
¶ Step 3: Assign Receiver Communication Component and Interface
- Select the Receiver Communication Component (the system receiving the message).
- Choose the appropriate Service Interface.
- Link the Receiver Communication Channel, which specifies how messages are sent to the receiver (adapter type, protocol, security).
- Define the QoS settings.
- Set up encryption, authentication, or signature parameters as needed.
- Specify namespace and interface version if applicable.
¶ Step 6: Save and Activate
- Save and activate the receiver agreement.
¶ Tips and Best Practices
- Use consistent naming conventions for agreements to improve manageability.
- Always activate agreements after creation or modification.
- Regularly monitor agreements and communication channels for errors using SAP PI Monitoring tools.
- Test sender and receiver agreements thoroughly in development environments before production deployment.
- Align agreements with business process requirements and security policies.
- Activation errors: Check for missing mandatory fields or invalid configurations.
- Message failures: Verify that agreements correctly reference the appropriate communication components and channels.
- Security mismatches: Ensure encryption and authentication settings match between sender and receiver.
- Version conflicts: Confirm the interface versions are compatible.
Sender and receiver agreements are fundamental building blocks in SAP PI/PO integration scenarios. They encapsulate the technical details required for successful message transmission and reception, ensuring communication integrity and compliance with business requirements. Proper configuration and management of these agreements lead to robust, secure, and efficient integration across SAP and non-SAP systems.
Mastering sender and receiver agreements empowers SAP integration consultants and administrators to design scalable and maintainable enterprise integration solutions.