04/22/08 Overview of ALE/IDOCs 1
Overview of ALE /
EDI / IDOCs

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EDI
 What is EDI?
 Type of EDI process
• Outbound EDI Process
• Inbound EDI Process

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What is EDI?
 EDI is electronic exchange of business documents
between the computer systems of business partner using
a standard format over a communication network EDI is
also called a paperless exchange.

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Typical EDI/IDOC Scenario

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Outbound Process
 With Message Control
 Directly -With out Message Control

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Inbound Process
 With Function Module

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EDI Configuration
 How to Set Up an RFC Destination in SAP
 The Port Definitions
 Configure Partner Profile
 Configure Message Control

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Complete EDI/ ALE scenario

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ALE
ALE
 What is ALE?
 Components of ALE.
 Anatomy of an IDoc.
 ALE Processing
 Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs.
 Questions

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ALE Terminology
ALE Terminology
•ALE - Application Linking & Enabling
•IDoc - Intermediate Document
•EDI - Electronic Data Interchange

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ALE Objective
ALE Objective

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ALE!! What is it ??
It is a set of
It is a set of
 Tools,
 programs and
 data definitions
Provides distribution model and technology
that enables SAP Customer to interconnect
programs across various platforms and
systems.
.

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Features –ALE / IDocs
Features –ALE / IDocs
◆Distributed System yet integrated with SAP R/3
◆Based on ‘Application-to-Application integration using ‘Message
Architecture’
◆Reliable communication
◆Data is exchanged using “IDocs”
◆Support both R/2, R/3 and External system
◆If network problem, message is buffered
◆ALE support backward compatibility
◆ALE ensure that , data is transferred only once

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ALE Scenario
ALE Scenario
Document
SAP System R/3 SAP System R/3
IDoc
EDI Subsystem
EDI Subsystem
IDoc
IDoc

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 What is ALE ?
 Components of ALE.
 Anatomy of an IDoc.
 ALE Processing
 Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs.
 Trouble Shooting
 Questions
Topics to cover
Topics to cover

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Components of ALE
Components of ALE
Services:
Services:
Application Services
Application Services
Distribution Services
Distribution Services
Communication Services
Communication Services

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Application Services
Application Services
Services:
Services:
Application Services
Application Services
Distribution Services
Distribution Services
Communication Services
Communication Services
This is where the SAP
applications ( SD, FI,
MM etc. ) generate
their data and
documents

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Distribution Services
Distribution Services
Services:
Services:
Application Services
Application Services
Distribution Services
Distribution Services
Communication Services
Communication Services
 Recipients
 Formats and
Filters the data
 Creates IDocs
( Intermediate
Documents

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Communication Services
Communication Services
Services:
Services:
Application Services
Application Services
Distribution Services
Distribution Services
Communication Services
Communication Services •TCP/IP
•RFC
•tRFC
• etc

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Application
Data
Master
IDOC Determine
Receipients
Filter/Convert
Data, Create IDOC
Comm.
IDOC
Application
Functions
Filter/Convert
Data
Comm.
IDOC
Carrier
Application
Layer
Distribution/ ALE
Layer
Communication
Layer
Application
In a Nut Shell
In a Nut Shell

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Topics to cover
Topics to cover
 What is ALE ?
 Components of ALE.
 Anatomy of an IDoc.
 ALE Processing
 Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs.
 Trouble Shooting
 Questions

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IDoc Concept
IDoc Concept
 R/3 System
System 1
SAP
Document
 EDI subsystem
 R/3 System
 R/2 System
 3rd party software
System 2
IDoc

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IDoc Structure
IDoc Structure
Status Record IDoc-ID
Status information
Data Record IDoc-ID
Sequence/Hierarchy
Segment Format definition for
• header data
• item data
Control Record IDoc-ID
Sender-ID
Receiver-ID
IDoc type and logical message
External structure

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Control record
Data Record
Status Record
IDOC
“Intermediate
Document”

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The very first record of an IDoc package is always
a control record. The
structure of this control record of the structure
EDIDC and describes the contents of the data
contained in the package. The control record goes to
table EDIDC
Control Record
Control Record

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Message Type
Message Type
Message Type indicates How to Know what the data Means
Data Exchanged by IDOC and EDI is known as Messages
Message of same kind belong to the same message type.
Message types are stored in table EDMSG

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All records in the IDoc, which come after the
control record, are the IDoc data. They are all
structured alike, with a segment information part
and a data part, which is 1000 character in
length, filling the rest of the line. Data &
Segment info is stored in EDID4 for release 4.x
and EDID3 for release 2.x and 3.x.
Data Record
Data Record

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Status Record
Status Record Information about the IDoc status like:
IDoc identification number
Status number - table verified
IDoc type
Direction
Data and time stamp; Structure: EDIDS

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Status of IDOC
Status of IDOC
 A two-digit status is assigned to an IDoc to allow the processing to
be monitored.
 The statuses for outbound IDocs are between '01' and '49', while the
statuses for inbound IDocs begin with '50'.

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Idoc Segments
Idoc Segments
TCODE:
WE31

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Idoc Types
Idoc Types
TCODE:
WE30

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How to Attach Segments
How to Attach Segments

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Message Types
Message Types
WE81
WE82

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IDOC Type/ Message Type/ Processing Function
IDOC Type/ Message Type/ Processing Function
Module
Module
Valid combination of Message type and IDOC type are stored in table
EDIMSG
Combination of message type and IDOC type determine the
processing algorithm. This is usually a function module and is set up in
table EDIFCT.

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Topics to cover
Topics to cover
 What is ALE ?
 Components of ALE.
 Anatomy of an IDoc.
 ALE Processing.
i.Outbound Processing
ii.Inbound Processing
 Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs.
 Trouble Shooting
 Questions

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Outbound Processing

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Outbound processing: direct
Outbound processing: direct
Application
posting
Need to
create IDOC?
Create master
IDOC
Customer
Distribution Model
Receiver determination
Segment filter
Field value conversion
Version change
ALE layer
Dispatch
control
Database
M
Application document
posted simultaneously
with IDOCs
Comm. layer
asynch. RFC
or
EDI
System call FM
( INBOUND_
IDOC_
PROCESS )
On destination
C
Links
C
Comm. layer

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Dispatch control
Dispatch control
Application
posting
Need to
create IDOC?
Create master
IDOC
Customer
Distribution Model
Receiver determination
Segment filter
Field value conversion
Version change
ALE layer
Dispatch
control
Database
M
Application document
posted simultaneously
with IDocs
C
asynch. RFC
or
EDI
Links
C
asynch. RFC
or
EDI
C
Comm. layer
●
Technical comms parameters are
Technical comms parameters are
defined
defined
●
EDI or aRFC (asynch. remote
EDI or aRFC (asynch. remote
function call)
function call)
●
Send immediately or cumulate
Send immediately or cumulate
and send via batch job
and send via batch job
●
If batch, packet size is
If batch, packet size is
determined
determined

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Scenario analysis
Scenario analysis
• How does the IDOC look like ?
• How is data being sent ?
• How is the data being received ?

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Outbound program development
• Program logic
– “How is the IDOC being created ?”
• Triggering
– “How is the IDOC creation kicked off ?”

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Program logic
Program logic
• Select data from application tables
• Fill data into IDOC
• Pass IDOC to ALE layer
(Call function MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE)
• Commit Work
• Receiver determination
• Segment filtering
• Version Control
• Dispatch Control
IDOC program
ALE layer
MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE

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MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE
MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE
Call function ‘MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE’
 Exporting
 master_idoc_control: IDOC control record
 Tables
 communication_idoc_control: returned information
about the distribution
 master_idoc_data: IDOC data segments

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Filling an EDIDD structure
Filling an EDIDD structure
Header (55bytes) SDATA (1000bytes)
…. SEGNAM ….
EDIDD
Z1SEG
Field1 Field2 Field3 Field4
“10” “ABC”
MOVE “Z1SEG” to EDIDD-SEGNAM
MOVE “10” to Z1SEG-FIELD1
MOVE “ABC” to Z1SEG-FIELD2
MOVE Z1SEG to EDIDD-SDATA

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General Programming rules
General Programming rules
 Design Guidelines for creating IDOC data records:
● Left-justified filing of IDOC Fields
• Replacing SAP codes with ISO codes
 currency keys
 country keys
 unit of measure
 shipping instructions
● Converting Currency Amounts

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Left-justified Filling
Left-justified Filling
 All fields must be left-justified
 Character fields:
 automatic
 Non-character fields:
 ‘Condense’ statement must be used
 Check IDOC documentation to find out which fields
require a ‘condense’
 All types unequal to ‘char’, ‘cuky’, ‘clnt’, ‘accp’, ‘numc’,
‘dats’, ‘tims’ or ‘unit’ require a condense

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Code Conversions
Code Conversions
 Replacing SAP codes with ISO codes
– Currency keys: ‘currency_code_sap_to_iso’
– Country keys: ‘country_code_sap_to_iso’
– Units of measure: ‘unit_of_measure_sap_to_iso’
– Shipping instructions: sap_iso_package_type_code’
• Conversion of currency amounts
– ‘currency_amount_sap_to_iso’

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Basic Configuration Elements
Basic Configuration Elements
 Define RFC Destinations
 Define Ports
 Maintain Customer Model
 Create Partner Profiles

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Maintaining RFC Destinations
Maintaining RFC Destinations
TCODE:
SM59

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Displaying and Maintaining Ports
Displaying and Maintaining Ports
A port is a logical representation of a
A port is a logical representation of a
communication channel in SAP with
communication channel in SAP with
the data communicated being IDocs
the data communicated being IDocs.
TCODE:
WE21

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Partner Profiles
Partner Profiles
TCODE:
WE20

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Partner Profiles-Inbound
Partner Profiles-Inbound

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Partner Profiles-Outbound
Partner Profiles-Outbound

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ALE For Transactional data ---- Output
ALE For Transactional data ---- Output
Determination
Determination
NACE

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Output Determination -- Output Types
Output Determination -- Output Types

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Output Types -- Details
Output Types -- Details

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Inbound Processing

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Inbound Processing.
Inbound Processing.
Application
posting
Field value conversion
ALE layer
Input
control
Database
A
Simultaneously update
IDOC's status
Comm. layer
asynch. RFC
or
EDI
Version change
Segment filter
C
A
Post application
document
Process IDOC
Serialization

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Input Control
Input Control
Application
posting
Field value conversion
ALE layer
Input
control
Database
A
Simultaneously update
IDOC's status
Comm. layer
asynch. RFC
or
EDI
Version change
Segment filter
C
A
Post application
document
Process IDOC
Serialization
●
For each message type and sender
For each message type and sender
one can define
one can define
●
when to process
when to process
(immediate/batch)
(immediate/batch)
●
whether to call application
whether to call application
directly or start customer
directly or start customer
workflow
workflow
●
who should get work items in
who should get work items in
case of error
case of error
●
Incoming IDOC packets are passed to
Incoming IDOC packets are passed to
application
application

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Application Input
Application Input
Application
posting
Field value conversion
ALE layer
Input
control
Database
A
Simultaneously update
IDOC's status
Comm. layer
asynch. RFC
or
EDI
Version change
Segment filter
C
A
Post application
document
Process IDOC
Serialization
●
Inbound IDOCs are passed to
Inbound IDOCs are passed to
the application via a
the application via a
standardized function
standardized function
interface
interface

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Serialization
Serialization
Application
posting
Field value conversion
ALE layer
Input
control
Database
A
Simultaneously update
IDOC's status
Comm. layer
asynch. RFC
or
EDI
Version change
Segment filter
C
A
Post application
document
Process IDOC
Serialization
●
When processing the
When processing the
inbound IDOC, the
inbound IDOC, the
application can call an ALE
application can call an ALE
API (function module) to
API (function module) to
check that the IDOC has not
check that the IDOC has not
been overtaken
been overtaken
●
If change No. 1 arrives
If change No. 1 arrives
after change No. 2, the
after change No. 2, the
IDOC containing it has
IDOC containing it has
been overtaken (by the
been overtaken (by the
IDOC containing the
IDOC containing the
later change)
later change)

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FM Assignment to Message Type and
FM Assignment to Message Type and
IDoc type
IDoc type
TCODE:
WE57

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Process Codes
Process Codes
WE41
WE42

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Process Codes in Inbound and Outbound
Process Codes in Inbound and Outbound
TCODE:
WE64

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FM For Inbound EDI
FM For Inbound EDI
TCODE:
BD67

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Inbound Program Development
Inbound Program Development
INBOUND_IDOC_PROCESS
IDOC
ALE layer
IDOC_INPUT_<MSGTYPE>
• Read IDOC data
• Post Application data
• Send Success info back to ALE layer
ALE configuration
• Partner Profiles
• Process Code
• Function module attribute
• Function module registry
Workflow Task
Call function
Return Variables
If ERROR, trigger
• Version change
• Segment filter
• Field conversion

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Basic Scenario
 Direct Method
 Call Transaction Method

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Advanced Scenario
 Mass processing
 Serialization
 Advanced Workflow

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Flow Of Program
 Read IDOC-Lock IDOC-Call Inbound Program-
Write Status-Commit Work-Unlock IDOC

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Interface of Inbound FM
 Importing Parameter
-Input Method
-Mass_processing
EXPORT parameter .
-Workflow_result
-Application_variable
-In_Update_task
-Call_transaction_done
Tables parameter :
IDOC_Control
IDOC_DATA
IDOC_STATUS
Return_variable

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Topics to cover
Topics to cover
 What is ALE ?
 Components of ALE.
 Anatomy of an IDoc.
 ALE Processing
 Transactions For Monitoring and Processing IDocs.
 Questions

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Monitoring IDocs
Monitoring IDocs
• The IDoc interface offers 2 different approaches for tracking of data
load and data flow:
Reports for monitoring
Workflow for notifications
• Both approaches are based on the concept of status transitions, i.e.
an IDoc changes its status from a given value to another value.

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List Of All IDocs Created. (Default, Additional, EDI)-- WE02/
List Of All IDocs Created. (Default, Additional, EDI)-- WE02/
WE05
WE05

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Selection Program For Issuing Output --
Selection Program For Issuing Output --
WE15
WE15

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Test Tool For Idoc Processing (WE19)
Test Tool For Idoc Processing (WE19)

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Idoc Search For Business Contents
Idoc Search For Business Contents
(Database). WE09
(Database). WE09

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Questions
Questions