SAP PI Interview Questions and Answers

Q1. What is SAP PI/XI?

Ans: Process Integration is an Integral part of SAP Net weaver.The aim of PI is to integrate different versions of both SAP and non-SAP systems implemented on different flat forms (Java, ABAP, and so on). PI enables you to implement cross-system business processes.PI is based on an open architecture, makes use of open standards and offers services that are essential in a heterogeneous and complex system landscape: namely a runtime infrastructure for message exchange, configuration options for managing business processes and message flow, and options for transforming message contents between the sender and receiver systems.

The application-specific contents are transferred from the sender to the receiver in a freely defined XML schema (XML: extended Markup Language) using the Integration Engine. The structure of a message is therefore determined by the interface data structures used.

The central concept is that, during the design phase, all interfaces required are initially developed independently of a platform and made available in the form of a WSDL description (WSDL: Web Service Description Language). Using this description you can, for example, define mappings between interfaces without this having an effect on an existing system landscape. All design phase data is saved in the Integration Repository to be implemented later in a particular system landscape. In this second phase, the configuration phase, you can select components, interfaces, and mappings saved in the Integration Repository that are appropriate for your system landscape and business processes, and assign them to each other in logical routing. The data resulting from this configuration process is saved in the Integration Directory and you can call and evaluate it from the runtime of the PI.

Or

SAP Process Integration is part of SAP NetWeaver platform and in NetWeaver 7.0 ehp2 and older versions it is called SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure XI. SAP NetWeaver Process Integration is part of NetWeaver software component and is used for exchange of information in company’s internal system or with external parties.

SAP PI/XI enables you to set up cross system communication and integration and allows you to connect SAP and on-SAP systems based on different programming language like Java and SAP ABAP. It provides an open source environment that are necessary in complex system landscape for integration of systems and for communication.

SAP Process Integration is a middleware to allow seamless integration between SAP and non-SAP application in a company or with systems outside the company.

Q2. Explain PI– Process Integration?

Ans: Process Integration can be used as a Middleware Engine to communicate in a distributed environment. The heart of XI is Integration Engine that is used for integrating different technologies using Standard Messaging techniques e.g XML. Different mapping tools are avilable for mapping the distributed system which can be mapped without having any expertice of Technical Details. As a real world example, XI can be helpful in integrating different banks with SAP R/3. XI Engine also support previous releases of SAP R/3 like 4.6C and have many more adapters to communicate with legacy systems.

• SAP and Non-SAP systems.
• A2A and B2B scenarios,
• Synchronous and Asynchronous communication,
• Cross component Business Process management and it include built-in engine for designing and executing   integration process (Business process).
• The goal of SAP XI is to provide single point of integration of all systems inside and outside the corporate boundary across technologies and organizational boundaries.
• The important feature of XI is openness, flexible and transparency to the integration process. It is based on ESA and SOA.
• The overall key concept of SAP XI is to drive integrated business process across heterogeneous and highly dynamic landscapes in a more manageable cost effective way.
• The basic idea is to provide runtime infrastructure which allows heterogeneous systems to be tied together with fewer connections and at the same time, in order to connect those applications and let messages flow from one application to other, have a centralized storage of integration knowledge

Q3. What are the features if SAP PI?

Ans: Features:

PI enables you to do the following:- Develop cross-system applications. You can exchange multiple system messages using the runtime infrastructure and synchronous or asynchronous communication. You can either develop new and platform-independent interfaces, or connect to existing interfaces at runtime, using adapters. Adjust message values and structures for the receiver, using mappings. – Centrally maintain the message flow between logical systems in the system landscape, using. - Connect the logical receiver to a technical system, using Services; this system can easily be switched using this abstraction level (technical routing). Describe your system landscape as the basis for the description of your cross-system business process.

Q4. What are the activities for SAP NetWeaver XI integration, implementation, post go-live?

Ans: SAP NetWeaver XI integration where the Involvement of charing the information between SAP and Non SAP System comes into Picture.

• Implementation where the SAP involvement into the business coming into Picture.
• Go Alive After Developing the interface after come acrossing various stages like testing the Interface is made alive or used to the real time scenario is said to be GO ALIVE

Q5. What are the integrations in net weaver?

Ans: People integration, information integration, process integration and application platform.

Q6.What are the components in net weaver? 

Ans: Mobile infrastructure, enterprise portals, biw and MDM, sap xi (integration broker and bpm) WEB AS.

Q7. What is the message flow in SAP XI?

Ans: Inbound handling, receiver determination, interface determination, channel determination, mapping, outbound handling.

Q8. What are routing rules?

Ans: Receiver determination rules and interface determination rules (includes mapping assign).

Q9. What are the quality of services, which comes under asynchronous process?

Ans: Exactly once and exactly once in order.

Q10. What are service users?

Ans: They have sapmuser roles on the abap part of the SAP web as that is available on the J2ee part as groups

Q11. What the central administration transaction to manage the alerting? 

Ans: ALRTCATDEF.

Q12. What are the tools used by runtime to monitor?

Ans: ccms (computer center management system), pmi (process monitoring infrastructure)   and alert frame work.

Q13. When will we go for BPM?

Ans:

• Error Handling
• Splitting of messages
• Combining of messages
• Message Persistency.

Q14. Why integration engine?

Ans: Processing messages, mapping, routing, guaranteeing quality of service.

Q15. What is Multi Cast?

Ans: You have an option of sending a message to multiple receivers and waiting for a response from the each of the receivers. This procedure of sending a message to multiple receivers and waiting for a response message is also known as ‘multi cast’.

Q16. What are the Disadvantages of XSLTMapping?

Ans: You cannot use Java APIs and Classes in it. There might be cases in your mapping when you will have to perform something like a properties file look up or a DB lookup, such scenarios are not possible in XSLT.

Q17. What 2 Data Types are automatically created when the Namespace is saved in the Integration Repository?

Ans: Exchange Fault data and Exchange log data.

Q18. Which Development Object in SAP XI forms the “ROOT NODE” of an XML document when an XI message is generated?

Ans: MESSAGE TYPE

Q19. What is the relationship between Product, Product Version, Software Component and Software Component Version? Give an example.

Ans: PRODUCT: Represents a collection of all versions of a product. In SAP environment, a product corresponds to an SAP technical Component, e.g. 4.6c, 4.6d, and 4.7 COMPONENT: Represents a collection of all versions of a software components Examples of Software components are SAP_APPL, SAP_ABA, SAP_HR Software

Q20. JMS adapter can talk with what type of systems? Give some examples…

Ans: Messaging systems to the integration engine

Q21. What format can JDBC adapter communicate in? Should you use native SQL?

Ans:JDBC adapter converts data base content to XML messages and the other way around.

Q22. If communications with JDBC using XML format, what are 4 actions you could do?

Ans: SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE.

Q23:Can JDBC adapter query DB tables? Can it insert?

Ans:Yes

Q24. Can RFC adapter be used for asynchronous processing?

Ans:YES, RFC adapter can be used for asynchronous processing.

Q25. CIs it necessary to create the partner profiles in case of file to idoc scenario?

Ans: NO, it is not always necessary to create the partner profiles in case of file to idoc scenario if you are doing it for testing purposes otherwise you have to configure partner profile to assure XI for receiver client.

Q26. What is difference between the party and the business service and in which cases they are used with details?

Ans: A Communication party represent a layer unit which is involved in cross-system process (eg. a company). and Business service represent an abstract, addressable unit. business services are used in cross-company process. for eg if the parties involved have only published there interfaces and not there system landscape or it is partly known. normally we use business services to communicate with different systems in same company.

Q27. What are the usual project scenarios on the job (Legacy systems or ERP)?

Ans: It depends on the client requirement but you shold know about the R3-MDM integration.most of the requirement it would be use. Related scenarios as I mentioned are MDM-BIW integration, SRM-MDM Catalog, MDM-XI-R3 integration, RPCM,enrichment adaptor etc….

Q28. How long are usually the projects?

Ans: It depends on the client requirement

Q29. Give an example of using SAP PI system?

Ans: An application run on different systems that are part of different business units in a company or implemented in a distributed environment between different companies that has a business relationship with each other. In this environment, there is a need for seamless integration and transfer of information between different systems. SAP PI provides a middleware platform that doesn’t deal with how application components are implemented with a business logic and focuses more on data exchange between the different components.

Q30. What is Global container in SAP XI ?

Ans:Container object—> can be only used in the function it is defined in.

Global container > it can be used and remain visible across the different function.
Global container – in the old days it was used to store objects in mappings now we can use global variables instead.
Container Object: This object enables you to cache the values that you want to read again when you next call the same user-defined function.
From SP14 and above avoid Global Container. Use Java Section of Message Mapping to define Global Variables and to use them in your UDF’s.

Q31. Is it possible to trasfer the data with out using IR(repository) ?

Ans: Yes, it is possible.

Q32. What is the use of IDX2 ?

Ans: Maintain the Idoc Metadata. This is needed only by XI, and not by other SAP systems. IDX2 is needed because XI needs to construct IDoc-XML from the IDoc. No other SAP system needs to do that.

Q33. Which adapter should you use while integrating with any SAP system? Explain why?

• IDoc Adapter
• RFC Adapter
• Proxy

Explanation: If you take a close look at the adapters specified here, the one thing that strikes right away is the usage of proxies. We know that proxy generation is possible only if your WAS is >= 6.20. So, that is one parameter that comes up straight away for the usage of proxies.
Hence Use Proxies only if the WAS version is >= 6.20. And the biggest advantage of the proxy is that it always by passes the Adapter Engine and will directly interact with the application system and Integration engine – so it will and should give us a better performance.

Q34.What are the activities for SAP NetWeaver XI integration, implementation, post go-live ?

Ans:

• SAP NetWeaver XI integration where the Involvement of charing the information between SAP and Non SAP System comes into Picture.
• Implementation where the SAP involvement into the business coming into Picture.
• Go Alive After Developing the interface after come acrossing various stages like testing the Interface is made alive or used to the real time scenario is said to be GO ALIVE.

Q35. What is CCMS button in RWB ?

Ans: It is an alert or monitoring for the error messages. To monitor SAP components . CCMS is SAP Computing Center Management System. RWB is smoothly integrated with CCMS and CCMS alerts can be viewed thro’ the Runtime Work Bench. It provides alert monitoring for SAP Exchange Infrastructure Which is used for monitoring any system errors and administration errors. Enables monitor entire system centrally.

Q36. What systems used in your XI/PI Implementation ?

Ans:Usually we will use Development System, Testing System(QA), Production System. But some times we will use Pre-Prod (Pre Production System) also. Before you moving all interfaces to Production will use Pre-Prod to test all interfaces with huge volumes. So totally will use following systems for an implementation:

Q37. Experience with Requirements Gathering ?

Ans: If you have been interacting with the client for gathering the req need to explain them on what basis the req were gathered.These are the things you can ask the client to get the requirements:

Q38.What is the relationship between Product, Product Version, Software Component and Software Component Version? Give an example.

Ans:

• PRODUCT: Represents a collection of all versions of a product. In SAP environment, a product corresponds to an SAP technical Component, e.g. 4.6c, 4.6d, and 4.7
• COMPONENT: Represents a collection of all versions of a software components Examples of Software components are SAP_APPL, SAP_ABA, SAP_HR Software

Q39. What is the Mapping Trace?

Ans: This object enables to transfer message to the mapping trace if the trace level set correspondingly then the trace is visible to message monitoring.

Q40. What is SAP Netweaver?

Ans: SAP Net Weaver provides an open integration and application platform and permits theintegration of the Enterprise Services Architecture. Exchange Infrastructure (XI) is an Integral part of SAPNet weaver. Position of XI is in the process integration layer of Net weaver stack.

Q41. Why do we need SAP PI system? What are the key capabilities provided by PI system?

Ans: In an organization, SAP ERP doesn’t contain a single system but consists of number of integrated systems like SAP CRM, FICO, EWM, etc. SAP PI provides a platform as single point of integration for all systems without touching complex legacy system for all data and information exchange.

These are the key capabilities that are provided by SAP Process Integration −

• Connectivity −

Using SAP PI, you can connect different applications and systems that has different technical way of communication. It provides you with variety of adapters that allows you to connect applications based on different protocols like HTTPS or Remote Function call RFC.

• Routing −

Routing define the rules for flow of messages between different systems at run time.

• Mapping −

As SAP PI is used to connect different applications or systems in a distributed environment that can be set up between different companies so there is a possibility that structure of data exchange between two components differs from each other.

Q42. What are the different installation options available for SAP PI system?

Ans: When you run a scenario in SAP PI, the communication and processing capabilities depends on runtime engines that are installed with installation of SAP PI. You can install one or more run time engines on a host system. SAP PI provides following two installation options

Type 1 Dual Usage Type −

This installation is based on ABAP and Java and provide tools for designing and configuring integration content and also these run time engines −

• Integration Engine
• Business Process Engine
• Advanced Adapter Engine

Type 2 Advance Adapter Engine Extended AEX −

This installation is based on Java and provide tools for designing and configuring integration content and contain Advance adapter engine as run time engine.

Q43. Explain the architecture and different components in PI system?

Ans: SAP PI architecture consists of multiple components which are used at design time, configuration time and run time. In SAP PI, sender system is known as source and receiver is called as target system and architecture is known as Hub and Spoke structure. The Spoke is used to connect with external systems and hub is used to exchange messages.

SAP PI system is divided into following components −

• Integration Server
• Integration Builder
• System Landscape Directory SLD
• Configuration and Monitoring

Q44. What is the use of Runtime workbench in PI system?

Ans: This is a tool used to provide central monitoring of PI components and messages.

Q45. What is a Global Container?

Ans: This object enables you to cache the value that you want to read again when you next call anyuser-defined function that is in the same message mapping.

Q46. What is a Container?

Ans: This object enables you to cache the value, which you want to read again when you next callthe same user-defined function.

Q47.What is Multi Cast?

Ans: You have an option of sending a message to multiple receivers and waiting for a response from the each of the receivers. This procedure of sending a message to multiple receivers and waiting for a response message is also known as ‘multi cast’.

Q48.What are the Types of Node Functions?

Ans:

• Remove Contexts: – remove all higher level contents of the source level message in order to map with the target message field. So you can get the node contexts removal.
• Split by value: – Insert Context change for an element split by value is some as counter part of remove context. Here instead of delivering the context you can insert a context change in the source value queue.
• Collapse contexts: – Copies first values of the all contexts to one context empty context are replaced by empty string.
• Copy Value: – How many ever times I occur I am copied just once”. This is not a node function but I am explaining it as it is used very frequently in real-time. Let us take an instance of material group, which can occur as many times as the item node. But since we are mapping it to the header in the target nodeI just want to copy the first occurrence of material group and map it to the header node. Copy Value exactly does that.
• Create if: – It will create a target node or element based on some condition.
• Exists: – Function to determine whether a particular source field exists in instance to be processed. If it does it gives true or else false.
• Use one as many.
• Replace value: – Replace the value I with the value that you desired in the dialogue for function properties.
• Sort: – Sorts all values of the multiply occurring inbound field within the existing or set context.

Q49. What are the three objects used at user defined functions?

Ans:

• Container
• Global Container
• Mapping Trace

Q50. What is the use of Integration server? What are the components in Integration server?

Ans: This is one of the key components of SAP PI system and is used for processing of messages. It consists of three engines −

1. Business Process Engine
2. Integration Engine
3. Central Advanced Adapter Engine AAE

Q51. What is synchronous and asynchronous message in SAP PI system?

Ans: Synchronous message is defined as message contains both the request-response part.

Asynchronous message is defined as message contains either request or the response part only.

Q52. What is the use of Adapter engine AAE in PI system?

Ans: As Integration engine handles messages in XML and SOAP protocol so if business system doesn’t contain data in specific format, Adapters are used to convert the messages specific protocol and message format required by integration engine.

Q53. In dual stack system, what are the ABAP and Java stack adapters?

Java Stack Adapters −

Ans: RFC adapter, SAP Business Connector adapter, file/FTP adapter, JDBC adapter, JMS adapter, SOAP adapter, Marketplace Adapter, Mail adapter, RNIF adapter, CIDX adapter

ABAP Stack Adapters −

IDOC and HTTP adapter

Q54. What do you understand by single stack system?

Ans: In latest releases when SAP PI moved to single stack system, these two ABAP adapters are also moved to Java stack adapters and new engine is known as Advanced Adapter Engine AAE.

Q55. What is the use of Enterprise Service Repository?

Ans: This is used to store design time repository objects like mapping, interfaces and process definitions in PI system.

Q56. What is the use of System Landscape directory SLD?

Ans: This directory contains the information about landscape and software component versions. A SAP system can be configured to register under SLD.

Q57. Which SAP PI user interface tools you have used?

Ans: You can use different SAP PI user interface tools to access different components of SAP PI system architecture. Most common UI tools are −

• ES Builder

This tool provides Java user interface for working in Enterprise Service Repository ESR.

• SAP NW Developer Studio 

This is Java Eclipsed based tool to view and edit some object types in Enterprise Service Repository.

• Integration Builder 

This tool provides Java based user interface to work in Integration directory.

Q58. In SAP PI system, it contains interface objects like service interface, data type and message type. What is cardinality between these objects?

Ans: Interface Objects − Service Interface, Data type and message type

Mapping Objects − Mapping of messages as per sender and receiver data structure