SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (SAP PI) is SAP

SAP AG

SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...

's enterprise application integration

Enterprise application integration

Enterprise Application Integration is defined as the use of software and computer systems architectural principles to integrate a set of enterprise computer applications.- Overview :...

 (EAI) software, a component of the NetWeaver

NetWeaver

SAP NetWeaver is SAP's integrated technology computing platform and is the technical foundation for many SAP applications since the SAP Business Suite. SAP NetWeaver is marketed as a service-oriented application and integration platform...

 product group used to facilitate the exchange of information among a company's internal software and systems and those of external parties. Before the current version, SAP PI was called SAP Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI). Like other NetWeaver components, SAP PI is compatible with software products of other companies.

SAP calls PI an integration broker

Middleware

Middleware is computer software that connects software components or people and their applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact...

 because it mediates between entities with varying requirements in terms of connectivity, format, and protocols. According to SAP, PI reduces the TCO

Total cost of ownership

Total cost of ownership is a financial estimate whose purpose is to help consumers and enterprise managers determine direct and indirect costs of a product or system...

 by providing a common repository for interfaces. The central component of SAP PI is the SAP Integration Server, which facilitates interaction between diverse operating systems and applications across internal and external networked computer systems.

PI is built upon the SAP Web Application Server

SAP Web Application Server

SAP NetWeaver Application Server is a component of the NetWeaver solution which works as a web application server to SAP solutions. From the SAP point of view the Web AS is the foundation on which most of their product range runs....

.

First release of SAP Exchange Infrastructure was XI 2.0. Later on, releases 3.0, 7.0, 7.1, 7.1EHP1 and 7.3 followed. From release 7.0 onwards, SAP Exchange Infrastructure has been renamed as SAP Process Integration (SAP PI).

Single Sign-On

SAP NetWeaver PI allows for Single Sign-On

Single sign-on

Single sign-on is a property of access control of multiple related, but independent software systems. With this property a user logs in once and gains access to all systems without being prompted to log in again at each of them...

 through SAP Logon Ticket

SAP Logon Ticket

SAP Logon Tickets represent user credentials in SAP systems. When enabled, users can access multiple SAP applications and services through SAPgui and web browsers without further username and password inputs from the user...

s and x.509

X.509

In cryptography, X.509 is an ITU-T standard for a public key infrastructure and Privilege Management Infrastructure . X.509 specifies, amongst other things, standard formats for public key certificates, certificate revocation lists, attribute certificates, and a certification path validation...

 certificates. Certificates allow for the usage of Secure Network Communications

Secure Network Communications

Secure Network Communications is a software layer in the SAP system architecture that enables the use of stronger authentication, encryption and single sign-on mechanism. SAP provides SNC for server to server communications only...

 (SNC) and Secure Socket Layer (SSL).

See also

• Comparison of business integration software
  Comparison of business integration software
  This article is a comparison of business integration and business process automation software.-Scope:Scope of this comparison:* Service-oriented architecture implementations;* Message-oriented middleware and message brokers;...
  
  
• Single Sign-On
  Single sign-on
  Single sign-on is a property of access control of multiple related, but independent software systems. With this property a user logs in once and gains access to all systems without being prompted to log in again at each of them...
  
  
• Secure Socket Layer
• Secure Network Communications
  Secure Network Communications
  Secure Network Communications is a software layer in the SAP system architecture that enables the use of stronger authentication, encryption and single sign-on mechanism. SAP provides SNC for server to server communications only...
  
  
• SAP Logon Ticket
  SAP Logon Ticket
  SAP Logon Tickets represent user credentials in SAP systems. When enabled, users can access multiple SAP applications and services through SAPgui and web browsers without further username and password inputs from the user...
  
  

External links

• SAP NetWeaver Process Integration 7.1 on SAP Developer Network (SDN)
  SAP Developer Network
  SAP Developer Network is an online community for SAP developers. It is a resource and collaboration channel for SAP developers, architects, consultants and integrators. SDN Hosts forums, expert blogs, a technical library, downloads, a code gallery, Elearning catalog , a Wiki and more...
  
  
• SAP NetWeaver Process Integration Overview Page
• SAP Library - SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure
• SAP XI/PI FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)