Definition of Search Connectors

You can use this function to define a new search connector from scratch for Product-Centric View (PCV). You use search connectors to establish the connection between the data source provider and PCV, providing search access to a specific data source at a specific destination (logical system) or list of destinations.

Prerequisites

You can define a new search connector only if the following applies:

You have the necessary authorizations, which are granted to you in one of the following ways:
- In the Role Maintenance (PFCG) transaction, you are assigned to the PLM PCV Administrator (SAP_PLMWUI_PCV_ADMIN) role.
- On the SAP NetWeaver Portal, you are assigned to the PCV Administrator role.
You have defined meanings or use ones predefined by SAP. Fore more information, see Definition of Meanings.

Depending on which data source provider you want to use, one of the followings must also apply:

In SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence, you have selected the Allow External Access to this Query checkbox under BEx Query Designer Query Properties Advanced .
You have implemented and activated the /PLMPCV/IIF_SIN_SEARCH_BAPI interface.
In Embedded Search, you have activated the Search Object Connector.
For SAP NetWeaver Search Engine Service, you have made the settings in Customizing under SAP NetWeaver Application Server System Administration Search Engine Service .

Features

Definition of a Data Source Provider

A data source provider is a framework for accessing data sources. The data source provider can be configurable, for example, Embedded Search or Business Intelligence. To define the data source provider, you have to select one of the following search connector types:

BI search connectors use SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (BI).
BAPI search connectors use Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI)
ES search connectors use Embedded Search (ES)
SES search connectors use SAP NetWeaver Search Engine Service (SES)

Note Note

The system documentation (including messages, field helps, Customizing documentation, and so on) uses the term SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Search or Enterprise Search to mean Embedded Search.

End of the note.

You have to define the ID, and the description of the search connector. The system automatically defines the time of creation and the user who created the search connector as well as who made the last change

Definition of Data Sources

A data source is the provider of the data processed in PCV. It can be a configuration (if the data source is Embedded Search: Connector with Template) or a set of tables (if the data source is Business Intelligence: InfoCube).

You have to select one of the data sources provided by the data source provider:

BI: InfoCube, BEx query, and logical system
BAPI: a class (which is an implementation of the BAPI adapter interface /PLMPCV/IIF_SIN_SEARCH_BAPI of the Search Integration)
ES: template, ES search connector, and search request
SES: business object, business object type, and logical system

Search Integration retrieves the list of the data sources from the data source provider in the reference system or from the local system in case of ES. In case of BAPIs (where their call is locally implemented), Search Integration retrieves this list from the local BAPI data source provider implementation.

Definition of Additional Systems

If the data source provider can call another system (for example, through RFC-enabled function modules), you can specify one or several systems for these calls. You have to define the connections in the transaction Configuration of RFC Connections (SM59). The type of the connections (for example, RFC) depends on the capabilities of the data source provider. If you have defined several systems, Search Integration has to call any of these systems. You have to specify one of these systems as a reference system. You have to ensure that the configuration of the listed systems is consistent with the configuration of the central reference system. If you do not specify a reference system or any additional systems, Search Integration uses the local system. Currently, only BI, BAPI and SES can call another system.

Definition of Input Attribute Details

The system automatically determines the input attributes and displays them as a list of attributes with as much detailed information as possible. You cannot enhance or reduce the list of attributes. You can define details that are not available, such as attribute data type, and meaning.

Attribute data type (including length and decimals): This type is necessary to check at runtime the values of the attributes used for the selection of the data. The defined types can be, for example, string, date, or integer.
Meaning: The meaning is necessary to describe the usage and the content of the value.

Definition of Output Attribute Details

The system automatically determines the output attributes and displays them as a list of attributes with as much detailed information as possible. You cannot enhance or reduce the list of attributes. When you define a query, you can decide if you want to use the attributes. You can define details that are not available, such as attribute data type, meaning, and reference field.

Attribute data type (including length and decimals): This type is necessary to generate runtime correct columns in the result table and to enable the higher levels to execute arithmetic calculations. The defined types can be, for example, string, date, or integer.
Meaning: The meaning is necessary to describe the usage and content of the value.
Reference field: The reference field contains the value of the unit of measure or the currency. The relation type defines whether the reference field contains the value of the unit of measure, the currency unit, or the description.

Standard Settings

PCV comes delivered with the following predefined search connectors:

Search Connector	Data Source Provider	Data Source	Number of Input Attributes	Number of Output Attributes	Description
1MAT01	ES	Template: SAP_APPL~STANDARD~MATERIAL~	220	48	Material Search via Enterprise Search
1MAT02	SES	Business Object: BUS1001006	20	20	Material Search via Search Engine Service (SES)
1MATCOST01	BI	InfoCube: 0PC_C01 BI Query: 0PC_C01_Q0001	5	30	Material Cost Analysis Search via BI
1QN01	BAPI	Class: /PLMPCV/CL_SIN_BAPI_QN	5	27	Quality Notification Search via BAPI
1SALESORDER01	BAPI	Class: /PLMPCV/CL_SIN_BAPI_SO	4	20	Sales Order Search via BAPI
1STOCK01	BI	InfoCube: 0IC_C03 BI Query: 0IC_C03_Q0012	2	20	Stock Overview Search via BI

For more information, see SAP Business Content for the Analysis of Materials.

Activities

You can define a search connector in the following ways:

To define a search connector in Customizing, choose Logistics - General Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) PLM Web User Interface Product-Centric View Search Integration Define Search Connectors .
To define a search connector on the SAP Easy Access screen, choose PCV Administration Define Search Connectors .
To define a search connector on the Web user interface, choose PCV Administration Define Search Connectors .

Recommendation

For more information about the setting of individual fields, see the field helps and input helps.

End of the recommendation.

More Information

For more information about BI, see Business Intelligence.

For more information about BAPI, see Business Application Programming Interface (BAPI).

For more information about ES, see Embedded Search for SAP Business Suite Applications.

For more information about SES, see Search Engine Service.