API Management for SAP
SAP has recently partnered with Apigee to provide an API management layer to SAP’s back end assets including customers using SAP Gateway. As the majority of enterprises evolve to enable mobile, cloud, Saas – SAP needs to façade BAPI and other web services exposed via PI and PO into easily consumable APIs as well as manage them – security, rate-limiting, transformation, customization, versioning, etc.
On premise API Management: SAP API Management which is an on-premise solution, is now generally available. Currently, it is a rebadging of Apigee Edge.
Cloud based API Management : SAP is working with customers currently to co-define that solution, which will be based on Apigee’s run time but built in the SAP cloud, on the HANA Cloud Platform.
SAP API Management can be seen to be a blanket layer between the consumption layer, and the generation layer, mediating communication between these two layers. An API Proxy is created for each service, containing embedded control and security policies in the API Proxy. These proxies can be consumed directly, or combined in to a Product, and exposed via the “Developer Portal” section of the API Management platform, to be consumed by whatever final App is desired. This then allows the SAP API Management layer to:
— Monitor all traffic bi-bidirectionally between Apps and Services, generating useful near real-time analytics to maintain a clear picture of system status and needs.
— Grant the ability to monetize services through fine-grain access controls such as quota policies, and specific API Keys assigned to the developer/customer/user.
— Browse the Service Catalog from “Concept Gateway” to quickly determine what is available and generate Apps desired from any existing service.
— Allow for on-the-fly governance over system access. Policy control is updated in real-time directly from the API Proxy, without disturbing the back end services.
This complements the SAP Gateway and Integration Gateways functionality of exposing back-end data. But it does not require businesses to acquire SAP Gateway or Integration gateway if they already have existing SOAP or REST services created.
What does this mean to SAP customers already using Netweaver Gateway
SAP Gateway comes with something called a service catalog SAP API Management will have out-of-the-box integration with that catalog. You will define an APi proxy, browse the catalog, and call up the relevant service. That means any investment that customers have made into Odata with Gateway, or SOAP with SAP Process Orchestration, or even ESR (Enterprise Services Repository) – these assets can be leveraged, and you will be able to create APIs around them.
What does this mean to existing SAP on premise customers migrating to Hana or using SAP Cloud based solutions like SuccessFactors, Ariba, and hybris
The Hana Cloud Platform is an important ingredient to cloud management – this is also an opportunity to add API management functionality to the SuccessFactors, Ariba, and hybris extension sets as they are built on the HANA Cloud Platform.The bottom line is: SAP intends to have a stronger focus on API management for the cloud applications and extensions running on the HANA Cloud Platform.
What does this mean to SAP customers already using PI/PO/BOM
Allow reuse of integration logic and services already developed on SAP Process Integration including full development cycle for RESTful services for SAP and non SAP developers. For example engaging mobile developers non familiar with SAP.
