Hello Lars,
The focus with SAP NetWeaver Gateway is on enabling easy access and consumption of SAP applications in the client or device our customers choose.
SAP NetWeaver Gateway is designed for user-facing applications that are u201Cstatelessu201D, and requires selected data sets of the entire business object definition. Through simple to use standard market protocols such as REST and OData/ATOM, it provides extremely simple access to SAP applications for developers without prior SAP knowledge.
In that sense, SAP NetWeaver Gateway builds on the openness of SAP Enterprise Services for the types of solutions described above. For solutions that go beyond this scope, SAP Enterprise Services will continue to be the recommended way to connect to SAP systems.
SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (SAP NetWeaver PI) is a comprehensive SOA middleware platform focused on A2A and B2B integration. It provides SAP customers a SOA foundation to manage their SOA landscape and SOA development and deployment lifecycle
Please let me know if you need further information.
Thanks and regards,
Shiri
Hello Shiri,
and thanks for your response.
SAP NetWeaver Gateway is designed for user-facing applications that are u201Cstatelessu201D, and requires selected data sets of the entire business object definition. Through simple to use standard market protocols such as REST and OData/ATOM, it provides extremely simple access to SAP applications for developers without prior SAP knowledge.
However this could also be achieved using SAP-PI, couldn't it? You can encapsulate any RFC or BAPI and create an corresponding service with PI which can be consumed by any application (including user front-ends).
The effort to achieve this might be smaller when using Gateway instead of PI but still my question remains: Why use NetWeaver Gateway (and install yet another piece software with the need for maintenance, licensing, build-up of know how etc.) when you already have PI in place and running? Is there any functionality or any advantage not yet discussed which is not covered by PI?
Regards,
lars
Hi Lars,
SAP NetWeaver Gateway and SAP NetWeaver PI are complementary products. SAP NetWeaver Gateway is used for creating REST-based services while SAP NetWeaver PI is a comprehensive SOA middleware platform focused on A2A and B2B integration. It provides SAP customers a SOA foundation to manage their SOA landscape and SOA development and deployment lifecycle.
For user facing scenarios such as social media, RIA, on-line mobile applications which leverages Sybase SUP and more, REST may be a simpler approach that can help reducing the overall Total Cost of Development and TCO of the solution. SAP Enterprise Services will continue to be the recommended way to connect to SAP systems via SOA.
Thanks and best regards,
Shiri
Hi Lars,
Please take a look at the blog: http://scn.sap.com/community/pi-and-soa-middleware/blog/2012/03/21/rest-services-with-gateway-and-pi-what-do-we-need-to-know
It may provide some of the information you are asking.
Regards,
Bill
