Structuring of Services in the Registry

Use

A productive registry can store a huge number of entities. You need a system with which you can structure these datasets. Categorization provides one such option for structuring data.

For example, consider that you have registered several different services in a registry. They all serve the same function but are available in different languages. The distinguishing feature in this case would be the language. Other categories, in relation to the SAP environment, can be the deployment unit, process component, business object, and so on.

You can also combine categories and implement them as categorization groups. This option is used in the Services Registry. In this way, you can speed up the search for services and simplify it through the combination of different categories.

SAP uses the value set concept to technically implement categories. Value sets are part of the UDDI standard and are used to model categories, categorization groups, and their relationships.

Classification Service

To support classification and browsing in the user interfaces, the Services Registry requires an additional classification service which is not part of the UDDI standard. This service provides the UI with metadata on different classification systems, and the content of each classification system. Where applicable, this includes the possible values, descriptive text, and hierarchical structural information. The classification service supports the dynamic addition of values to a classification system.

The classification service recognizes the following classification system types:

  • A flat classification system is simply a flat list of codes. If you select a flat classification system in the SR, you receive a result list with all valid values. If you select a value, you receive a list of all matching services.

  • A hierarchy classification system is a tree. If you choose a hierarchy classification system, you receive a list of all child classifications as well. You can continue navigating from this list.

  • A group classification system is a way of combining values from other flat or hierarchy classification systems.

Classifications systems delivered by SAP are available in the Services Registry after installation. For more information, see Predefined Classification Systems .

Defining a Central Services Registry

We recommend that you define one Services Registry in your landscape as the central Services Registry. All providing and consuming applications using the Services Registry are to be connected to this central Services Registry. Classifications can be added to services in providing and consuming applications. For classification they access the central Services Registry to retrieve the classification systems. You can, for example, classify service interfaces in the ES Repository. The ES Repository uses classifications of the central Services Registry which the ES Repository is connected to.

Classification Service APIs

The classification service APIs are part of the Services Registry APIs. You can use calls to these APIs when you want to:

  • Retrieve the list of supported classification systems and their related metadata.

  • Retrieve the entire content of a classification system.

  • Publish classification systems and classification system values.

  • Delete classification systems and classification system values.

More information: APIs