Integration Between Clarity and SAP Kernels Using
SAP Process Orchestration
Pramod M R
Student, Department of CS&E
Dr.Ambedakar Institute of Technology
Bengaluru, India
Sundari David
Platfrom Specialist
Philips Innovation Campus
Bengaluru, India
Dr. Nandini N
Asst.Professor, Department of CS&E
Dr.Ambedakar Institute of Technology
Bengaluru, India
Abstract— SAP PO is an integration Platform used to
integrate between frontend and backend of the projects logically
and used to monitor the data flow between the source and
destination. Clarity PPM is a platform used to plan and analyze
projects or products in a structured manner, which enables all
the types of businesses to handle their schedules, production,
and more, and clarity PPM is a frontend, which is a source. With
the help of clarity PPM tool project report can be generated
according to the needs of the business and the progress of the
project can easily be reviewed. SAP is an RDBMS (Relational
database management system) which stores the data and acts as
a destination and kernels play an important role in SAP, which
contains executable data or file that run on the host that
establish a connection between another system and run the
programs. Clarity PPM contains different interfaces used for
different purposes of the project to achieve the goal effectively.
Project and Task are created in Clarity and the information of
project and Task transfer to SAP kernel using SAP PO for
further business process. Hours interface used to calculate the
hours spent by individual resources on a particular project.
Billing of the individual resource initiated Based on the hours
spent by each individual on a particular project.
Keywords— CA PPM (Clarity Project and Portfolio
Management), SAP PO (Systems Applications and Products
Process Orchestration), ESB (Enterprise Service Bus), OS(Operating system).
I. INTRODUCTION
SAP Process orchestration is an integration platform that enables the data synchronization between two different systems and is used to track the data flow between the different systems. It also supports synchronous and asynchronous data transmission. PO helps to design and build an integration between the SAP system and non-SAP system.CA PPM, which acts as front end and sends data to the backend (SAP) Data sent from the clarity is in the format of XML or the different format. The SAP will store or send data only in Idoc structure. SAP PO plays the role of middleware translate the data from one format of data to another format and sends the data from Clarity to SAP and vice versa. First, the project created in the CA project interface and as a subsidiary, the task created in task interface, and hours interface is used to send the times on which each resource person worked. The resources work on the different tasks available in the project, the information of hours on which task or project, resource has spent should be filled in the timesheet available in Clarity after resource fill respective timesheet data from the clarity transfer to the SAP from the project and network interface. Once the data is reached to SAP, the SAP system should send an acknowledgment back to clarity as a response in the feedback interface.
II. CLARITY PPM,SAP PROCESS ORCHESTRATION AND SAP KERNELS
A. Clarity PPM
CA PPM helps the organization to track and monitor or prioritize the business according to the requirement of the business and clients.CA allows centralized monitoring of the entire project, provides data consistency and accuracy in generating the report of the projects. Auto schedules are used to update the schedule of the project and allow view changes before publishing. The entire project's lifecycle was obtained as a project blueprinting with the help of clarity. Project blueprinting is feature partitioning that gives specific-team pages, populated with the custom fields each team requires. CA PPM provides the agile roadmap for the projects by allowing the project teams to plan and communicate the outcome of the business continuously.
B. SAP Process Orchestration
SAP PO acts as a middleware, which connects SAP and
non-SAP system. PO ensures the synchronous data flow
between the two different systems. The integration
solution gives all the components of the organization to
quickly optimize and automate the process of business
and takes the XML or different format of data available
from the clarity as an input and converts the data to Idoc
format that the SAP system able to store and vice versa.
SAP PO allows continuous monitoring of data flow from
SAP and CA and the same as CA to SAP. Different type
of communication channels available in SAP PO helps to
the efficient flow of data between different systems. A
communication channel is a place in which a particular
adapter is configured based on the data flow
C. SAP Kernels
SAP kernels are a key component of the SAP system
contains an executable file that runs on the server to
establish a connection to the system and helps to execute
the program of SAP. Physically SAP kernel is represented
as a process running on an operating system. Before
starting up of SAP system kernel is loaded as a kernel and
provides all services which are essential to application
components of SAP. Each kernel of SAP build according
to the OS version, compiler, and respective database.
There are different kinds of Kernels available in SAP with
different naming conventions. Kernels should be updated
according to the latest version to ensure the efficient flow
of data between SAP and non-SAP system. The update of
the individual kernel is taken care of by the respective
SAP basis team..
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III. METHODOLOGY
The methodology involves the method involved in the project to achieve the final goal. The goal of the SAP PO is to integrate data between the SAP kernels and clarity PPM. To integrate data of the different interfaces available in clarity or SAP, PO uses SAP NetWeaver as a tool. The XML data of the project, network, and feedback sent by the clarity (source) is converted to the Idoc format with the help of the SAP PO and the converted data is sent to SAP kernels (Target) and data of the respective interface is store in SAP. Z-tables are created according to the interface and the data in the Idoc is stored in z-table accordingly.
A. Overall Architecture
SAP Process orchestration is a connecting Tool used to
interface data between the Clarity PPM and SAP kernels.
QlikView is the end reporting too, it gives the overall analysis
of data shown in Figure 1. The details required to create a
project is sent from planisware to clarity. After the project is
created in clarity the corresponding task and resources are
allocated to the task which comes under the project. The
resource details are provided to clarity through the workday
and PDS (Public Distribution System). The project, task, and
feedback are integrated from clarity to SAP kernel with help
of SOAP adapter available in the PO and vice versa. The data
from the Clarity is received from SAP PO, converts the data
into the Idoc file format, and sent to SAP kernels.
Figure 1: Overall Architecture (Source: SharePoint Philips)
The project, task, and feedback are created at the SAP system,
the SAP system calculates the cost and sends back to Clarity
through the cost interface.
B. Introduction to Interface
There are namely three interfaces used to project, task, and
feedback. The project interface is the parent interface under
which other interfaces are created such as tasks, hours, cost,
and feedback interface. Once the project is created in clarity
then the task and feedback interface is created. Clarity is a
source and SAP kernels are the destination and vice versa.
Integration between clarity (Source) and SAP (Destination)
is done as shown in figure 2. The data transfer is done
between the source and destination done by the
communication channel available in the SAP PO and SAP PO
contains the capability of transferring the data from Non SAP
format to SAP format. For the project and task interface,
Clarity is a source and SAP is the destination. For the
feedback interface, SAP is a source clarity is a destination.
Figure 2: Interface Between Clarity and SAP (Source: SharePoint Philips)
The SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) communication
channel available in the SAP PO used to transform the data
between Clarity and SAP. OnePO picks up the project and
task file from Clarity, converts the data into Idoc, and sends
the file to SAP kernels. In a feedback interface, if the Idoc is
received successfully in the SAP system, the SAP system
sends an Idoc delivered to date and time as acknowledgment
back to Clarity in the feedback interface through the SAP PO.
C. Dataflow of Project, Network and Feedback Interface
The flow in the project starts from clarity once the project is
created in clarity the details such as Project ID, Name,
Manager, etc., of the project should be stored in the SAP is
as shown in figure 3. To send data from clarity to the SAP
system there is a certain requirement such as the project
should be open for time entry, Company code of the
corresponding project must be loaded in the SAP kernels.
Figure 3: Dataflow of Project Interfaced from clarity to SAP Kernels
The data flows from clarity to SAP system through SAP PO
as a middleware the project data is sent to SAP PO in the
XML or WSDL data format. PO receives the data from
clarity, converts data into Idoc format, and sends the file to
SAP to store data in the SAP. The resource is the core element
of the project. Once the project is created, the task, which is
under the project, is also created under the respective project
after the creation of a project in clarity resources allocated
under those projects. Work done or time spent by each
resource allocated to the project is tracked by using the
timesheet. The data of all this information of the project flow
to SAP from clarity through the SAP PO and the
communication available in the SAP PO and the adapters
used to integrate between Clarity and SAP.
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Figure 4: Dataflow in Network /Task Interface from Clarity to SAP kernels
After the project is created in clarity, the task which comes
under the respective project, is also created in clarity.
Resources are assigned based on the task available in the
project and as shown in figure 4. Data flow in the task
interface is done as same as the project interface. After the
task is created, the data of the task must be sent to SAP to
store data of the task. Each resource is monitored and tracked
based on the timesheet filled by the individual resource. To
fil, the timesheet the task should be open for entries. The time
or hours entries of each resource are recorded at the task level
based on the duration of time spent by the resource on the
respective task of the project.
Figure 5: Dataflow in a feedback interface from the SAP system to clarity
The data of Idoc delivered to date and time is flows through
the feedback interface. Feedback data flows from the SAP
system to Clarity. After the Idoc received in SAP from clarity,
the SAP system sends Idoc received to date and time as an
acknowledgment back to clarity in the feedback interface.
Data from SAP to Non SAP system is integrated through the
adapters available in SAP PO. The SAP PO receives the data
from SAP, converts the data into clarity format, and sends
data back to clarity as an acknowledgment in the feedback
interface.
IV. RESULTS
A. Project Interface
The project interface is developed in the SAP PO after the
project is created in clarity. Development of project interface
or any of the required interface is developed in the Enterprise
service repository (ESR) available in the SAP NetWeaver
tool of SAP PO. The project, task data flows from the Clarity
to SAP. The Mapping development between the clarity to
SAP kernels to ensure the correct flow of data, different fields
created in the mapping of SAP PO helps the proper flow of
data to the corresponding fields of SAP kernels. After the
integration between the clarity to the SAP kernel data flow is
monitored by the configuration and monitoring of the SAP
NetWeaver tool. As shown in figure 6 Successful data flow
payload of the project and network interface is populated
under the successful column, error, and scheduled payloads
are populated under the error and scheduled columns. The
integration is successful only when the data reached to SAP
system from clarity without any errors.
Figure6: Project, Network Interface Successful Messages
Figure7: Successful Payload of Project Interface
Figure 7 shows the successfully delivered payload from
clarity to SAP kernels which contains the basic details such
as project ID, project name, business owner, manager,
company code, and cost center of the project. The delivered
payloads are found based on the date and time on which the
data triggered it also shows the delivered date and time. To
store data from the Clarity the SAP system uses the ABAP
development to build the z-table. To avoid the conflict-
naming standard for each table in the SAP system is
maintained the same as in the clarity and separate tables are
created for the individual interfaces z-table contains the fields
corresponding to the data of Idoc received from SAP PO.
Once the data is stored in the z-tables of SAP, the data can
easily be fetched in the SAP system with the available z-table.
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B. Task Interface
Task interface is also called a network interface after the
project is created there should be a task under the project
which are required to complete the project created. The task
is created in clarity only if the respective project is created or
exists in the clarity. There are two different types of tasks
exist labor and non-labor task and allocation of the resource
are made based on the category of a task for which the
resource belongs to and successful data delivery to Clarity to
SAP or SAP to clarity is as shown in figure 6.
Figure 8: Successful Payload of Network Interface
Once the resource is assigned to any particular task under the
project, the resource should fill the timesheet based on the
task for which they have assigned the amount of time spent
on the task per each day to accomplish the task of the
respective project. The cost is calculated for the individual
resource is done based on the approved task timesheet filled
by the resource.
C. Feedback Interface
The feedback interface carries the Idoc received date and time
from the SAP and data in the feedback interface flows from
SAP kernels to clarity. After the project and task are created
in the clarity, data of the project, the task is flows to SAP after
the data reached successfully to SAP the SAP system should
send a response back to clarity. For any flow of data between
the SAP and Non SAP system, the interface should be
developed in the SAP PO middleware. So the same way the
feedback interface is developed in the PO for the flow of
feedback data. As shown in figure 9. The data is transferred
from SAP format to Non-SAP format with the help of SAP
PO and reached clarity.
Figure 9: Feedback Interface Successful Messages
Feedback data plays the role of acknowledgment for the
proper flow of data and to ensure the integration between the
SAP system to clarity system.
Figure 10: Successful Payload of Feedback Interface
The feedback is received at clarity to ensure the integration
between clarity and SAP, after ensuring the integration
between clarity to SAP kernel the data flow is automated.
D. Timesheet
Figure 11 shows the timesheet data flows from clarity. After
the resource is assigned to task under the project, the resource
who is responsible for the respective task should fill the
timesheet, which contains the details of the hours spent by the
resource on the task or project within a week. Single
resources are assigned many tasks of the project then in the
timesheet, the resource has to fill the timesheet for all the
assigned tasks the sum of the total time spent by the resource
within a day for all the tasks assigned should 8 hours..
Figure 11: Timesheet of the resource assigned to more than one Task
The resource has to fill the timesheet for each week of the
month. After the timesheet is filled the respective manager of
the project or resource should approve the timesheet. Once
the timesheet got approved the cost is calculated for the
resource based on the approved timesheet. The entire data
flow in clarity should be synchronous with the SAP storage.
TABLE I. INTERFACE DETAILS
Interfaces Source System Middleware Destination
System
Project Clarity SAP PO SAP Kernel
Task Clarity SAP PO SAP Kernel
Feedback SAP Kernel SAP PO Clarity
V. CONCLUSIONS
Integration between the clarity PPM and SAP kernels is
successful with the help of SAP PO as middleware and SAP
NetWeaver as a PO integration tool. Based on successful
integration in the PO data transmission is done from clarity
to SAP kernels based on the project, task, and feedback data
transmission is done based on Idoc received and data flows
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from SAP kernel to Clarity. Once the integration is completed
the flow of data between SAP kernels and clarity is
automated.
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