¶ Exploring SOAP and HTTP Adapters in SAP PI/PO
SAP Process Integration (PI) and Process Orchestration (PO) platforms play a crucial role in enabling seamless communication between heterogeneous systems. Among the wide variety of adapters available, SOAP and HTTP adapters are widely used to facilitate web service and web-based integrations.
This article explores the features, configuration, and best practices of SOAP and HTTP adapters within SAP PI/PO, helping integration specialists design robust, efficient, and secure integration scenarios.
¶ Understanding SOAP and HTTP Adapters
The SOAP adapter is designed to send and receive messages using the SOAP protocol, a protocol based on XML that enables communication over HTTP or HTTPS for web services. It supports both synchronous and asynchronous messaging and is typically used when integrating with web services that follow the SOAP standard.
Key Characteristics:
- Supports SOAP 1.1 and SOAP 1.2.
- Handles SOAP headers and attachments.
- Supports WS-Security for message-level security (encryption, signature).
- Can be configured as sender or receiver.
- Supports asynchronous messaging via WS-ReliableMessaging and other standards.
The HTTP adapter is a more generic adapter used to send and receive plain HTTP or HTTPS messages. It works with various payload formats, including XML, JSON, or plain text, making it suitable for RESTful services or lightweight web service calls.
Key Characteristics:
- Supports synchronous and asynchronous communication.
- Supports various HTTP methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.
- Can handle HTTP headers and query parameters.
- Used often for REST-based integration scenarios.
- Less complex compared to SOAP adapter, no SOAP envelope processing.
¶ Use Cases for SOAP and HTTP Adapters
| Adapter Type |
Typical Use Cases |
| SOAP Adapter |
Enterprise web services, SOAP-based backend systems, B2B scenarios requiring WS-Security |
| HTTP Adapter |
REST APIs, lightweight web services, HTTP-based callbacks, third-party web service integration |
¶ Configuring SOAP and HTTP Adapters in SAP PI/PO
- In Integration Directory, create a communication channel.
- Select the adapter type: SOAP or HTTP.
- Specify the direction: Sender or Receiver.
- Connection Parameters: Enter the URL of the endpoint (WSDL URL for SOAP).
- HTTP Method: For HTTP adapter, choose GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.
- Authentication: Configure Basic, OAuth, or Client Certificate authentication as required.
- Timeouts: Set connection and response timeouts to avoid hanging connections.
-
For SOAP Adapter:
- Enable WS-Security settings if required (signature, encryption).
- Configure SOAP action header if necessary.
- Define attachments handling (MTOM/XOP).
-
For HTTP Adapter:
- Configure HTTP headers.
- Enable URL parameter passing.
- Choose payload format (XML, JSON, plain text).
- Enable message tracing for debugging.
- Configure proxy settings if SAP PI/PO connects via a proxy.
- Handle redirects and error handling strategies.
- Use SOAP Adapter for SOAP-compliant web services: Leverage built-in WS-Security and SOAP header handling.
- Use HTTP Adapter for RESTful services: For lightweight, stateless, resource-based APIs, HTTP adapter is more efficient.
- Secure Communication: Always use HTTPS and configure proper authentication.
- Test Connectivity: Use external tools like SOAP UI or Postman before configuring channels.
- Optimize Payload: Use MTOM for large binary attachments in SOAP.
- Monitor Performance: Enable logging and monitor message processing times.
- Check communication channel logs in SAP NetWeaver Administrator for connectivity issues.
- Enable trace in communication channels for detailed error information.
- Verify endpoint URLs and credentials.
- Validate message formats and namespaces especially for SOAP.
- Monitor message monitoring for status and error details.
SOAP and HTTP adapters in SAP PI/PO are essential for integrating a wide variety of web services and HTTP-based applications. Understanding their capabilities and configuration options allows integration experts to design flexible and secure communication channels that meet diverse business needs. Whether implementing complex enterprise SOAP services or lightweight REST APIs, SAP PI/PO adapters offer the necessary tools for reliable and efficient integration.