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SAP Pack BAPI Stage vs Cloud Pak for Data (CP4D) SAP BAPI Connector

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Abstract

This technote describes the feature comparison & migration scenarios of SAP Pack BAPI stage versus CP4D SAP BAPI connector.

Content

Disclaimer 

CP4D SAP BAPI connector is a new connector dedicated to Cloud Pak for Data platform. It should not be positioned as the next version/next generation of the existing Information Server SAP Pack connectors. There is 1:1 feature parity with the legacy SAP Pack connectors with some limitations, there is an automatic migration process from the legacy SAP Pack connectors to the new Cloud Pak for Data SAP connectors. For the time being, the Cloud Pak for Data SAP Bulk Extract connector is applicable for DataStage only. 

This connector supports both migrated jobs as well as designing of new flows in CPD. 

New Cloud Pak for Data SAP BAPI connector features and limitations 

  • Cloud Pak for Data connector uses ‘Cloud Pak for Data Connections UI’ to manage (create/modify/delete) SAP connection objects (no dedicated Admin UI available) 
  • Cloud Pak for Data BAPI connector only supports Active job migration. Passive job migration is not supported. 
  • Cloud Pak for Data SAP BAPI connector doesn’t support any user defined environment variables.  
  • Both sequential and parallel execution modes are supported 
  • New flow creation is not supported in CPD5.0. Only migration from legacy datastage is supported.
  • For migration scenario, the status of any BAPI parameters(Import/Export/Table) in the SAP BAPI connector must not be modified.

Migration Applicability Scenarios 

  • Only Active job designs are applicable for migration. 
  • Automated migration process has been created to migrate the BAPI stage jobs to BAPI operator. Users need to create the isx of older job design and import the same in Cloud Pak for Data environment along with input files. 

Feature comparison 

Feature/Properties BAPI Stage Support  BAPI Operator Support  Feature Migration feasibility 
Job Design 

Two options supported: 

  1. Active – BAPI stage has both input and output link. (for example, RowGen->BAPI->Peek) 
  2. Passive – BAPI stage either has input or output. (for example, BAPI->Peek). 
 Active Job design  Migration for Active job design is supported 
BAPI Explorer 

Ability to provide the list of all BAPIs present in the selected SAP system. Following options are supported: 

  1. Specify Filter Criteria for BAPIs: Filter the BAPIs with name. 
  2. View all BAPIs or releases BAPIs. 
 List of all BAPIs is supported from CPD 5.0.1 onwards  Its an UI feature and migrated job will only have the selected BAPI name. 
BAPI Parameters (Import/Export/Table) 

This functionality provides user a way to activate/deactivate the BAPI parameters. 

  1. The green icon besides the parameter name indicates that the parameter is active and is used to pass actual values in the BAPI calls at run time. 
  2. Red icon indicates that parameter is inactive and is not used in BAPI calls at run time. 
  3. An I or E next to the green icon indicates whether the parameters are activated for import or export. 

Table parameters can be activated for input, output, or both 

All three parameters (Import/Export/Table) are supported. 

However, instead of icons text “Active”, “Inactive”, “Active for both Input and Output” has been used due to some limitations of creating the icons in Asset browser. 
Migration is supported for all three Import/Export/Table. 
Modification in the status of any BAPI parameters
(Import/Export/Table) is not allowed after migration.
BAPI SeqNo 

This column contains a token that indicates rows on the links that belong to a particular BAPI call. 

  1. Both the input link and output link contain the column BAPISeqNo (type VARCHAR (60)) 
  2. This column contains a token that indicates rows on the links that belong to a particular BAPI call. User must provide this value in the input. The BAPI stage copies the value to the respective output rows. 
  3. All input rows for a single BAPI call have the same sequence number "BAPISeqNo".  
 Supported. BAPI operator also use the concept of BAPI SeqNo to indicate rows which belongs to a same BAPI call.  Supported. Migrated job will have BAPISeqNo (type VARCHAR (60)) in column metadata. 
BAPI Transaction Package Size 

BAPI transaction package size defines a number of BAPI calls to be committed in a single BAPI transaction using BAPI_TRANSACTION_COMMIT call.  

Size of BAPI transaction package will be provided to BAPI stage runtime as an input parameter using BAPI stage property. 

 Supported.   Supported. Migrated job contains the property value set in legacy BAPI stage. 
Read Logs 

Allows user to specify the location for log files and input file for import parameters. 

It contains following two options. 

  1. Location for log files – location for containing log files. 
  2. Input file for import parameters - Location for Input file for import parameters 
 Not supported. This option is only applicable for passive job design. BAPI operator only supports Active job designs.  Not supported. This option is only applicable for passive job design. Migration is only supported for Active jobs. 
Partitioning 

Allows user to select the algorithm to be used to partition the data if needed.  Make sure that the input data is partitioned in such a way that all data rows belonging to the same BAPI call are sent to the same node. 

Applicable only for configuring partitioning on the input link. 

 Not supported. CPD has own partitioning options.  Not supported. CPD has own partitioning options. 

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Document Information

Modified date:
24 October 2024

UID

ibm17157084

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