SAP Business ByDesign

SAP Business ByDesign is a cloud-based on-demand business management solution designed for small or midsize businesses. SAP Business ByDesign is a full-featured cloud ERP software solution that allows customers to enjoy the power of large-scale business applications without the need for IT infrastructure.

SAP Business ByDesign can also by used by subsidiaries of larger companies to take advantage of head office resources, while keeping their flexibility. In this case an integration with on-premise solutions is almost always necessary.

Integration Scenario

For SAP Business ByDesign the following integration scenarios are possible: 

 

 

The different scenarios contain the following exceptions and point-to-point connections:

  1. Integrating ABAP backend with the SAP Business ByDesign mediated via SAP Integration Suite - Cloud Integration: 1, 3, 4
  2. Integrating ABAP backend with the SAP Business ByDesign mediated via SAP Process Integration: 1, 2, 4 
 

 
Scenario ComponentMonitored ContentInterface Channel TypeSince SP
1 Systems: ABAP on-premise system Web Service errors and performance Web Service: Web Service ABAP (STAD) or Web Service ABAP (SOAP)7.1 SP05*
2 Systems: SAP PI on-premise system PI Messages and ChannelsProcess Integration7.1 SP12
3 Cloud Services: SAP Integration Suite - Cloud IntegrationExceptions in integration flows (IFlow) in SAP Integration Suite - Cloud IntegrationCloud: Cloud (SAP Cloud Integration)7.1 SP12* 
4 Cloud Services: SAP Business ByDesign Exceptions in SAP Business ByDesign Cloud: Cloud (SAP Business ByD) 7.2 SP03 

*) Monitoring content was extended with later support packages (see monitoring template page for details)

Depending on the document type sent from and to the SAP Business ByDesign system more on-premise channels could be relevant, e.g. IDocs.  

When you set up the exception collection and monitoring you first need to know or identify which Web Service end-points and PI or IFlow messages flows are relevant for your scenario. You can find this information here:

Technical Prerequisites

The following technical prerequisites have to be met in order to monitor this scenario:

  • Requires at least SAP Solution Manager 7.2 SP03

Available Monitoring Content

SAP Business ByDesign offers an API Solution Manager that can be used to collect errors happening in the ByD system.

Monitoring Template: Cloud (SAP Business ByD) 

 

Metric Name Description MAI Category Since SP
Number of Errors in SAP Business ByDesign (Last 24h) Number of Errors in SAP Business ByDesign in the last 24h.

The exceptions are retrieved via the central Exception Management in Solution Manager.

 Exceptions 7.2 SP03
Number of Errors in SAP Business ByDesign (Delta) Number of Errors in SAP Business ByDesign since the last data collection.

The exceptions are retrieved via the central Exception Management in Solution Manager.

 Exceptions 7.2 SP03

Connect Cloud Service

Preparations in SAP Business ByDesign

Create Communication Agreement

The user that will be maintained in the HTTP endpoint, must be a user declared in the relevant Communication Arrangement defined in SAP Cloud for Customer for enabling the API used by Solution Manager. To arrange a communications agreement and allow SAP Solution Manager access please proceed as following:

  1. Navigate to the 'Administrator' view in you SAP C4C UI
  2. Select 'Communication Systems' under Integration
  3. Create a new communication system
    • Host Name: Enter the host of SAP Solution Manager
    • System Access Type: Select 'Internet'
  4. Maintain System Instances
    • Choose '5 - Web Service' as preferred application protocol
  5. Set the communication system to active via 'Actions' → 'Set to Active'
  6. Navigate back to the 'Administrator' view and select Integration → 'Communication Arrangements'
  7. Create a new Communication Arrangement
  8. Scenario: Select 'Query Webservice Message for Monitoring'
  9. Define Business Data: Select the SAP Solution Manager communication system
  10. Define Technical Data:
    • Communication Method: Direct Connection
    • Application Protocol: Web Service
    • Authentication Method: SSL Client Certificate
    • User ID: Click 'Edit Credentials' to either maintain user and password or to download the certificate
  11. Review and Confirm. 
 

Connect Cloud Service to SAP Solution Manager

The Cloud Services configuration is now accessible from the SAP Solution Manager Configuration (SOLMAN_SETUP) → Managed Systems Configuration → Tab 'Cloud Services'.

Create Cloud Service:

  1. Select 'Cloud Service Operations' → Create Cloud Service
  2. Select Service Type: 'SAP Business ByDesign' from the drop-down list.
  3. Define Service:
    • Tenant: The SAP Business ByDesign tenant ID
  4. Define Root URL: Root URL  ( e.g. https://myhost.sapbydesign.com )
    • You can also adjust the extended service ID (The ID used as SID in LMDB) here.
  5. Confirmation: Check your input values and click 'Finish'

The second step is to create the end-point for the cloud service.

Create the End-Point:

  1. Select your SAP ByD cloud service from the list and click 'Configure Cloud Service' 
  2. Configure Endpoints: Click the 'Add' button on the 'HTTP Endpoints' tab.
  3. Enter the following information:
    • Description: A meaningful description
    • User: Communication user created before
    • Password: Password for the user
    • If necessary add proxy information to connect to SAP ByD 

 

 

Monitoring Configuration

Step 1: Configure Exception Management

After the basic configuration you now have to configure Exception Management, as the exceptions collected via Exception Management and stored in the central exception store are the basis for the Integration Monitoring data collection.

Configuration for ByDesign Documents

To access the Exception Management setup please go to transaction SOLMAN_SETUP → Application Operations → Exception Management 

  1. In the step 'Define Scope' select the tab 'Cloud Services' and your SAP ByD system. If you didn't configure the system before make sure to select 'All Cloud Services' in the view drop-down. Click on 'Configure' or click 'Next' two times. You will enter the step 'Exception Configuration'.
  2. Click 'Add / Configure Log Store'. Select 'ByDesign Documents in error'.
  3. Select the fields for filtering for your log store. The following filter fields are available:
    • Adapter Type: Adapter type (HTTP, SOAP, RNIF, XI, IDoc ...). Use the input help to select the correct value.
    • Document ID: Business Document UUID
    • Document message ID: Message UI (GUID)
    • Local party ID: Local party internal ID
    • Remote party ID: Remote Party Internal ID
    • Message Direction: The direction of the document flow. Incoming (into ByD) or Outgoing (from ByD)
  4. Maintain the filter values for the fields in the Filter Definition panel under the log stores table. You can also add, remove or change filter fields and values later on in the area. You can use different operators for your filter value. You can add more than one filter filed combination per log store. To add an additional filter field combination click on the button 'Add Filter' in the 'Configured Log Stores' panel.
  5. You should not set up the monitoring for the exceptions in the Exception Management. If you activate the monitoring here, you will receive an alert (and if set up this way an email) for every single exception in the application log. Instead we will use Interface and Connection Monitoring to monitor the central exceptions store for exceptions. 
 

Step 2: Configure Interface and Connection Monitoring

The last step is the configuration of Interface and Connection Monitoring. The Interface and Connection Monitoring setup can be accessed via SAP Solution Manager Configuration (SOLMAN_SETUP). 

Configuration for Monitoring Template: Cloud (SAP Business ByD)

To access the Integration Monitoring setup please go to SAP Solution Manager Configuration (SOLMAN_SETUP) → Application Operations → Integration Monitoring → Interface and Connections. 

Navigate to the step 'Define Scope'. You can create a new scenario for the SAP ByD monitoring or use an existing one. Make sure the on premise system for the SAP ByD scenario and the Cloud Service created for SAP ByD is part of the Interface and Connection Monitoring scenario. 

Create the Interface Channel:

  1. Select the scenario and click 'Next'
  2. In step 'Preparation' perform all relevant manual activities and run all automatic activities.
  3. In step 'Configuration' click the 'Add' button.
    • Channel Name: Enter a meaning full name (max. 30 characters)
    • Type: Select 'Cloud'
    • Monitoring Template: Select 'Cloud (SAP Business ByD)'
    • Description: Enter a description for the channel
  4. Click Next.
  5. Source type:
    • If the source system is the on premise system, please select 'Technical System'
    • If the source system is the SAP ByD system please select 'External Service'
  6. Source: Select the on premise system resp. the SAP ByD Cloud Service from the drop-down list
  7. Target Type:
    • If the target system is the on premise system, please select 'Technical System'
    • If the target system is the SAP ByD system please select 'External Service'
  8. Target: Select the on premise system resp. the SAP ByD Cloud Service from the drop-down list
  9. The measuring point is selected automatically
  10. If more than one client are connected for the on premise system please select the correct client for the monitoring
  11. Click Next.
  12. Click Finish.

Maintain the Interface:

  1. Select the interface channel you created
  2. On the 'Interfaces' tab click the 'Add' button.
  3. Provide the following information:
    • Adapter Type: Adapter type (HTTP, SOAP, RNIF ...)
    • Document ID: Business Document UUID
    • Document message ID: Message UI (GUID)
    • Local party ID: Local party internal ID
    • Remote party ID: Remote Party Internal ID

    • Message Direction (expert field): The direction of the message, this is usually set automatically depending if the ByD service is the source or the target system in the interface

Select Metrics:

  1. On the tab 'Metrics' select the metrics you want to monitor
  2. Save your interface channel by clicking on the 'Save' button. 
 

Filter Values in Interface and Connection Monitoring

Since the data collection is based on the content of the global exceptions store, you can always check the collected exceptions in Exception Management. All filter parameters are part of the collection context of the exceptions. The filters applied in Interface and Connection Monitoring allow you to filter the exceptions collected by the Exception Management further. However if the filters in Exception Management do not collect an exception, it is not available in the central exception store and you will not be able to find it in Interface and Connection Monitoring!  

 

You can maintain attributes as described in the Interface and Connection Monitoring Setup on the tab 'Attributes'.

Thresholds and the collection schedule are maintained in the next step of the guided procedure. Once you have maintained all your channels, click 'Next' in the main guided procedure to move to the step 'Activation'.

Maintain Thresholds and Schedule:

  1. Select the Alert for the interface channel (the alert is the line with the red flash icon next to it)
    • On alert level you can maintain notification and incident message creation
    • Do not remove the flag for 'Do not Group Individual Occurrences' as this flag ensures that an alert each time new exceptions are found during a data collection interval
  2. Select the Metrics
    • Do not change the data collector type or data collector name on the tab 'Data Collection' as the monitor will not work anymore if this is changed.
    • Do not change the threshold if it is set to 'Already Rated'.
  3. Click 'Apply and Activate' → <Choose one option> to activate the monitoring

If not active you can also activate the reporting for the channels by checking the box in the column 'Reporting'. This way you can see a history of the number of exceptions that happened and also place the metric on the OCC Dashboard in Focused Insights.