Creating and Publishing an Outbound API

Your organization must provide an outbound API that sends data from guided buying to your client application. Use this procedure to create or purchase this API for your particular client application.

Context

The outbound API might be available from the software vendor that provided your client application. You can create this API yourself or use one from a third-party, but it must pass the fields supplied by guided buying.

The outbound API must use the REST protocol and it must be in swagger format.

For an example, see Example Outbound API.

After your organization obtains the outbound API, an API administrator publishes it to the SAP Ariba Developer Portal.

Procedure

  1. Sign in to the Portal.
  2. Click Manage in the left pane and click the My APIs tab.
  3. Publish the API, either by clicking Get Started for your first API or by clicking the plus sign (near the Search bar on the left) for subsequent APIs.

    Use the following parameters in the portal:

    Parameter Description Recommendation

    API name

    The name used when the portal displays lists of APIs; for example, ACME Externally Managed Form Outbound API.

    You'll use the same name for the value of the guided buying parameter EXTERNALLY_MANAGED_OSG_RULE_NAME, so that guided buying knows which outbound API and client to use.

    Target URL

    The URL that guided buying uses for the POST endpoint.

    This URL is your external system's gateway for API access. It must begin with https://.

    Description

    The text that displays in the portal for your API.

    You can enter any description.

    Allowed tenants

    The list of SAP Ariba realms that can use your API.

    Select the guided buying realm.

    Tags

    Optional tags that help you organize APIs.

    You can use these tags to filter APIs in lists.

    Header parameters

    Static parameters and values to use in the HTTP header for each call.

    Use any parameters required by your client application.

    URL query parameters

    Static parameters and values to use in the URL query parameters table.

    Use any parameters required by your client application.

    Authentication type

    Method that the server uses to authenticate each call.

    Use OAuth 2.0.

    For more information about these parameters, see SAP Ariba Developer Portal Guide for Administrators.

  4. In the Detailed Documentation section, click Browse file..., select your swagger API file, and click Open.
  5. Click Publish.
  6. Configure guided buying to use the new outbound API:
    1. Sign in to guided buying and click Admin on the home page.
    2. In the Parameters section, click Manage parameters.
    3. Enter the same value you entered for API name for the guided buying parameter named EXTERNALLY_MANAGED_OSG_RULE_NAME.