The SAP Exchange Infrastructure (XI) is an integration platform

1. For SAP and non-SAP applications
2. For A2A and B2B communication (XI is business connector’s replacement)
3. For Business Process Management (BPM)
4. Based on industry and web service standards

 

The benefits of having XI as an EAI solution include:

·         XI is scalable and durable

·         XI is SAP’s strategic enterprise application integration (EAI) solution

·         The EAI “hub”, being XI, allows you to manage your integration activities across your enterprise systems from design to operational monitoring. An interface to several systems can be implemented once to the XI hub for each system. Subsequent changes may not affect all systems but are limited to the one to or from XI

·         Reporting and monitoring of these integration points takes place on, and has visibility through XI

·         Enterprise wide Business Process Modeling is enabled through XI. By definition this includes businesses processes spanning 2 or more systems. If these systems are web service enabled then integration can be very tightly enabled

·         Allows easy and non-disruptive addition of new services and processes

·         Allows easy and non-disruptive changes to existing services and processes

·         Pre-packaged integration content already delivered for all SAP products

·         Openness through the use of industry standards

·         XI is part of the NetWeaver suite and is SAP’s strategic direction for integration needs. XI is seen as being the “glue” for the NetWeaver components. By using XI you align yourself with SAP’s direction and “future proof” your integration implementations

Key Principles of XI

Shared integration knowledge

Pre-packed integration content delivered with SAP solutions

For a common understanding of how collaborative processes work

Openness

Integration of SAP and non-SAP applications via adapters

Strict usage of standards

Loose coupling via XML messaging

Asynchronous communication as far as possible

Synchronous communication where required

Flexibility

Adoption of scenarios by configuration – no coding required – low implementation overhead

Allows easy and non-disruptive addition of new services and processes

Allows easy and non-disruptive changes to existing services and processes

Lower TCO

Centralized design, configuration, execution and monitoring

XI comes as integral part of SAP NetWeaver

SAP Exchange Infrastructure separates integration-related knowledge from underlying application code. So it enables a reliable, scalable IT infrastructure that integrates both SAP and non-SAP components.

SAP Applications using XI

The following applications now use XI:

• xApps
• MDM
• SRM
• SCM
• BI for global spend reporting
• R/3 for industry standard support
• CRM for extended order management
• SBO (SAP Business One)