SAP Gateway, an essential component within SAP NetWeaver, facilitates the seamless connection of devices, environments, and platforms with SAP systems. Functioning as a Representational State Transfer (REST) interface employing the Open Data Protocol (OData), it accommodates various programming languages and models for connectivity to both SAP and non-SAP applications. For SAP S/4HANA, SAP Gateway, coupled with OData services, serves as a channel for presenting business data through engaging SAP Fiori applications.
This framework empowers the development of inventive, user-centric solutions, introducing the capabilities of SAP business software into novel experiences such as social and collaborative platforms, mobile and tablet devices, and feature-rich internet applications. The Gateway, comprising ABAP add-ons to the existing SAP ERP system reduces the data consumption barrier, eliminating the need for prior knowledge of the internal workings of an SAP system.
- Reduced Data Consumption Barrier: SAP NetWeaver Gateway employs REST to minimize the data consumption barrier, enabling users to access SAP business data and functionality without requiring specialized knowledge of the SAP system.
- Simplified Interface: The Gateway conceals the technical complexities of the SAP system landscape behind a user-friendly, non-proprietary interface. This single interface streamlines accessibility.
- Universal Access: Facilitates access to SAP business data and functionality from any external device or system that can communicate using the HTTPS protocol and understand OData messages.
- Service Provisioning Tools: Offers tools for efficient service provisioning, allowing the swift integration of existing ABAP functionality into REST-enabled services.
- Integration with IDEs: Provides plugins compatible with popular Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like Eclipse, Visual Studio 2010, and XCode, enhancing the development experience.
While initially introduced as a standalone solution for SAP backend access, SAP Gateway has evolved. Many SAP solutions can now be integrated with Gateway, utilizing REST and OData to connect with SAP backends. Gemini Consulting & Services can help leverage the integration capabilities facilitated by SAP Gateway to empower organizations and enhance their SAP landscapes. Contact us to know how your enterprise can streamline business processes by integrating other SAP solutions with Gateway.
Let’s explore eight such solutions that can be integrated with SAP Gateway. The solutions highlighted in this discussion underscore the significance of connecting with SAP Gateway to achieve seamless connectivity, real-time data exchange, and a cohesive user experience.
SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP)
SAP BTP is a cloud-based platform that seamlessly brings together data and analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), application development, automation, and integration. It equips users with tools and services for the creation and management of applications, along with capabilities for extending and integrating these applications with diverse systems. Within SAP BTP, integration with SAP Gateway services is a notable feature. Developers can expose SAP business processes and data in the form of OData, enabling SAP BTP applications to utilize these services. In other words, SAP BTP offers the necessary tools for application development and operation, while SAP Gateway facilitates application integration and access to both SAP and third-party systems.
SAP Integration Suite
SAP Integration Suite serves as the integration platform for SAP BTP, and it seamlessly complements SAP Gateway. This suite offers a variety of capabilities for connecting different systems and applications, creating an efficient environment to streamline integration processes and maintain data consistency. The comprehensive features of SAP Integration Suite include message-based integration, API management, and process integration. When combined with SAP Gateway, it results in a streamlined IT landscape. For instance, SAP Gateway can expose SAP data as OData APIs, consumable by SAP Integration Suite. This integration simplifies the connection with diverse applications and services, while the unified solution ensures scalability to handle large volumes of data and transaction loads.
SAP Process Orchestration
Organizations leverage SAP Process Orchestration to automate business processes through the seamless integration, orchestration, and monitoring of operations across both SAP and third-party systems. The synergy between SAP Process Orchestration and SAP Gateway establishes a robust and adaptable integration architecture, spanning business processes within the SAP landscape and extending to external systems. In specific scenarios, it is practical to implement SAP Process Orchestration as the central hub for SAP Gateway. Notably, SAP Process Orchestration is available only on-premise, and its maintenance is scheduled to conclude in 2027.
SAP HANA
SAP HANA, an in-memory database, empowers advanced analytics and high-speed transactions on real-time data. SAP Gateway becomes a valuable tool for exposing SAP HANA data and services, facilitating application development. The combination of SAP Gateway with SAP HANA introduces an additional layer of abstraction and security to enhance the overall functionality.
SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) and SAP BW/4HANA
SAP BW, along with its SAP HANA-based evolution, SAP BW/4HANA, serves as SAP’s data warehouse solutions, capable of analyzing extensive data and presenting it in an intuitive format. Leveraging real-time data and analytics in SAP BW/4HANA, coupled with SAP Gateway, enables users to expose data for lightweight consumption using OData. Additionally, the integration offers benefits such as multichannel support, enhanced security, and simplified content creation without coding, contributing to a reduced total cost of development.
SAP BTP, ABAP Environment
Built on SAP HANA, SAP BTP, ABAP Environment provides a runtime environment for developing and running ABAP-based applications in the cloud. This environment supports the extension of SAP applications, expedites cloud transformation, and ensures the cleanliness of the core system. Developers can utilize SAP BTP, ABAP Environment to construct and expose ABAP-based services, including OData services, representing business logic, data, or processes within the ABAP environment. Configuring SAP Gateway to consume OData services from SAP BTP, ABAP Environment enables external applications, regardless of their platforms or technologies, to interact with and consume data and services from the ABAP environment.
SAP Fiori
SAP Fiori, SAP’s user experience framework, employs contemporary design principles to simplify intricate business processes. It features a collection of prebuilt, role-based applications designed for easy and intuitive access to SAP business content, ensuring user-friendliness across various devices. For SAP Fiori apps to function, OData services, configured and activated through SAP Gateway, are essential. These services facilitate the retrieval of data from SAP systems in a structured and standardized manner. SAP Gateway further supports updates and transactions, enabling bidirectional communication between the frontend SAP Fiori apps and the backend SAP systems.
SAP API Management
Under the SAP Integration Suite umbrella, SAP API Management offers a comprehensive solution, encompassing API design, development, documentation, security, monitoring, and analytics. Leveraging SAP API Management, users can design, and model APIs based on the OData services exposed by SAP Gateway. API proxies can connect to SAP Gateway OData services, involving the specification of OData service endpoints and the definition of policies for authentication, authorization, and traffic management. Introducing an SAP API Management layer adds an extra level of security, including measures like API key authentication and threat protection, ensuring a secure communication channel between external clients and SAP Gateway.
