Defining Identifiable Business Contexts (IBCs)

Use

To enable an application to access its IBCs without the need of mapping, they are uniquely identified by a composite key consisting of name and type. This name and type is defined by the application and should ideally match the represented real entity's name and type.

IBCs should usually be created via your own application (for example, to automatically create IBCs to act as proxies for new factories created in your SAP system, where the factories need to communicate via web services with other entities, either inside or outside of your SAP landscape) rather than manually. The manual procedure is described here. An API exists to create IBCs in custom applications. See Public API for Creating, Editing, and Deleting IBCs.

Prerequisites

Irrespective of whether you create an IBC manually or automatically via an application, you need a class for the IBC. For more information, see Implementing a Class for IBC Usage.

Properties of the IBC

  • Type

    The IBC type can be specified by the application. It is a description of the type of business application entity that is represented.

  • Name

  • GUID

  • Validity

    You can define an optional validity. For example, if a business application entity, for which an IBC is created, is scheduled to cease to exist, you can specify a validity for the IBC. By default, the IBC is valid indefinitely from the day it is created.

  • You can create descriptions, contact details, and notes.

  • XML description: Each IBC can be exported in an XML file

Creating and Editing IBCs

  1. In SOA Manager (transaction code SOAMANAGER), choose Identifiable Business Context on the Service Administration tab.

  2. Choose Create.

  3. Select the IBC application class from the list of implementing classes of IBCs that have been defined in the application.

    The IBC types and names that have been defined within this class are displayed in the drop-down lists.

  4. Select the IBC type.

  5. Select the IBC name.

  6. Choose Create.

    The IBC is created and opened for editing and you can carry out the following activities:

    • You can add, edit, or delete descriptions, contact details, and notes.

    • You can export an XML description of the IBC.

    • You can find the URL of the XML description of the IBC here.

    • If a local IBC reference has been created in the system, you can display it using the menu bar.

    • If you want to configure local communication, you can create the required IBC reference for the IBC you just created by choosing the corresponding option in the menu bar.

Related Information