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Background documentationService Extension Maintenance

 

You use this activity to change the configuration of existing service API extensions and to create new extension configurations (see Service Extension).

This activity also allows you to do the following:

  • Retrieve extended service methods to see which functional areas have been customized

  • View the input or output of a service API extension method

For information about SAP ME API modules, services, and methods, see SAP ME Javadoc at Start of the navigation path http://service.sap.com/instguidesInformation published on SAP site Next navigation step SAP Business Suite Applications Next navigation step SAP Manufacturing Next navigation step SAP Manufacturing Execution End of the navigation path.

See also: Example: Writing, Configuring, and Executing a Service API Extension.

Fields

The following tables describe fields requiring explanation:

Search Panel

Field

Description

Module

Filters service methods by SAP ME API module name

Service

Filters service methods by a service name

Method

Filters service methods by a service method name

Extended Only

If selected, only extended service methods appear in the search results
New Extension

Field

Description

Execution Point

The execution location of a service API extension relative to a service method

PRE: Executes this service extension before the service method is executed.

POST: Executes this service extension after the service method is executed.

EXCEPTION: Executes this service extension in response to errors originating from the service method or from another service extension executed at the PRE or POST execution points.

Note Note

You cannot change the execution point after the extension is created.

End of the note.

Extension Name

The name of the service API extension

Note Note

This value must be unique among all extensions attached to this service method.

End of the note.

Extension Activity

The activity of the Service type that extends this service method (see Activity Types).
Main Tab

Field

Description

Asynchronous

If selected, this service extension is executed asynchronously.

Note Note

This checkbox is disabled if this service extension does not support asynchronous execution.

End of the note.

Enabled

If selected, this service extension can be executed

Sequence

The execution order of this service extension relative to other service extensions associated with the same execution point

Note Note

If two or more service extensions have the same sequence, they are executed in any order within the sequence.

End of the note.

Procedure

Searching for Service Methods

  1. Enter search criteria to retrieve a service method.

    Note Note

    You can use the following wildcard characters:

    • * (asterisk): matches any number of characters

    • ? (question mark): matches a single character.

    End of the note.

  2. If needed, select the Extended Only checkbox to limit the search results to only those service methods that are extended.

  3. Choose Search.

Creating a New Service Extension Configuration

Service extension configuration can be created in one of the following ways:

  • Defined by the developer and loaded through initial data load in Site Maintenance

  • Using the New Extension function

In many cases, extension developers have the most complete understanding of the customization requirements, and so the developer must provide activity and extension configuration through initial data load definitions.

You can create a new extension configuration using extension activities that are designed for general use. For example, a developer can create an extension activity that writes service method input to the server log for debugging purposes.

To create a new extension configuration, proceed as follows:

  1. Retrieve the service method that you want to extend.

  2. Select the service method from the search results table.

  3. Choose New Extension.

  4. Select a service method execution point from the Execution Point dropdown list.

    Note Note

    You cannot change the execution point after the extension is created.

    End of the note.

  5. Enter a name for the new extension in the Extension Name field.

  6. Enter a name of the service extension activity in the Extension Activity field.

  7. Save your entries.

    The new service extension configuration is displayed for further modification in the lower panel.

    Note Note

    The service extension is created in the current site only.

    End of the note.

  8. Configure service extension options and filters.

Configuring Service Extension Options

While configuration settings displayed on the Main and Filter tab pages are shared among all service extensions, some extensions can support additional settings that are specific to its purpose. For example, the HTTP_TRANSPORTER activity supports an option called HTTP_DESTINATION_NAME which specifies the name of the HTTP destination used to communicate with an external system (see HTTP Transporter).

Service API extension activities provided with core SAP ME include the application help that describes the purpose of option fields. You use the application help to determine how to configure each option field.

Note Note

The application help is not provided for third party service extension activities. Contact the extension vendor to understand how to configure option fields.

End of the note.

You can also set option values in the service extension activity definition using activity rules in Activity Maintenance. This is convenient when you want to define the same option setting for more than one service extension configuration (otherwise you would need to repeat the setting in each service extension configuration).

To configure an extension option using an activity rule you specify the name of the option for the activity rule. If no value is set for the extension option then the activity rule setting is used. If the option is configured both as an activity rule and extension option, then the extension option value overrides the activity rule setting.

Note Note

Extension option types such as checkboxes and dropdown lists do not inherit activity rule settings since they have always a value defined in the extension option.

End of the note.
Configuring Service Extension Filters

In many customization scenarios, it is necessary to restrict the execution of a service extension based on the values provided to the service method. Filters allow you to control when the extension is executed by matching service method input values with filter criteria.

For example, when a service extension is attached to the service method sfcStart, it is executed regardless of the method input values such as user, SFC number, operation, routing step, or material.

Filters are evaluated according to the following rules:

  • If a filter criteria field is left empty then it is not included in the evaluation.

  • If each non-empty filter criteria value matches the field value supplied to the service method, then the filter evaluates to true (evaluation is logical AND).

  • If more than one filter is defined then only one filter must evaluate to true for execution to proceed (evaluation of all filters is logical OR).

Note Note

You can use multiple filters to force logical OR evaluation of the same input field.

End of the note.

To configure one or more filters, proceed as follows:

  1. On the Filters tab page, choose New Filter.

  2. Enter a name of the filter and save your entries.

  3. Choose New Filter Fields.

    All available filter fields for the selected execution point appear.

  4. Provide values for filter criteria you want to include in the filter evaluation.

  5. Save your entries.

Viewing Service Method Input/Output

To view the full input and output of the service method formatted as XML, proceed as follows:

  1. Retrieve the service method.

  2. Select the service method in the search results table.

  3. Choose View Input/Output.