Working with Service Groups

When you use automated activities in your process, you have to assign service interfaces to the automated activities. You include the service interfaces you use in a Service Group. You use a Service Group to configure all services included in the group when you deploy your process. Then you use the SAP NetWeaver Administrator tool to configure the Service Group. For more information about configuring Service Groups in the SAP NetWeaver Administrator, see Configuring Groups of Web Service Clients.

You have the following ways to create a Service Group:

Create a Service Group automatically.
When you import a service interface definition (WSDL file) from the Enterprise Service Repository or from the Services Registry, a Service Group referencing the service interface definition can be created automatically from the import wizard. For more information about importing WSDL files, see Importing Service Interface Definitions.
Create a Service Group manually.
You need to create a Service Group manually in the following cases:
- When you import Remote Function Call (RFC) modules from the ABAP back-end system. For more information, see Importing RFC Modules.
- When you drag and drop services from the Search Console view in the SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio. For more information about the search capabilities you can use in the Search Console view, see Browsing Services in Search Console
- When you create service interface definitions from scratch. For more information about creating service interface definitions, see Creating Service Interface Definitions
You choose between Classified and Non-Classified Service Group types. You create a Classified Service Group when the service interface definitions included in the Service Group are imported from the Services Registry. You create a Non-Classified Service Group when the service interface definitions included in the Service Group are created from scratch.

After creating the Service Group, you include service interface definitions in the Service Group, that is to say you create service references. A service interface definition can be referenced by different Service Groups.

You have the option of creating a reference to a Service Group during import of a WSDL file. If you do that, the service reference is selected automatically when you assign the interface to an automated activity. If you import RFCs or import services from the Search Console view, a reference to a Service Group is not created during the import. You have to create it manually when you assign the service to an automated activity.

You can edit a Service Group at any time and change the service interfaces in the Service Group.

Prerequisites

You have opened the Process Development perspective in the SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio and have expanded your project in Project Explorer view.
You have created an automated activity in your process and have assigned a service interface and operation to the automated activity. For more information, see Modeling Automated Activities.

Procedure

Creating a Service Group Manually

In the context menu of Connectivity in your project, choose New Service Group.
Select a project in which to create the Service Group from the Project dropdown menu.
Specify a name for the Service Group in the Name field and optionally a description in the Description field.
Select a Service Group type from the Type dropdown menu.

Note
If you choose Classified type and then the Next pushbutton, you are prompted to log in to the Services Registry. Enter your credentials and complete the dialog.

End of the note.
Choose the Finish pushbutton.
Your Service Group is created.

Note Note

Alternatively, you can create a Service Group manually when you assign a service interface definition to an automated activity in your process. The Service Group is created together with a service reference to the service interface you assign to the automated activity. Choose Interface in the Properties view of an automated activity and select New... from the Service Reference dropdown menu. In the wizard for creating a service reference, select the Create new radio button to create a new Service Group together with the service reference.

End of the note.

Creating Service References

In the modeling surface, select an automated activity.
Open the Interface tab page in the Properties view.
Select New... from the Service Reference dropdown menu.
Choose one of the following options for creating a service reference:
- Choose existing:
  You choose this option if you want to create a service reference in an existing Service Group.
  1. Select a Service Group from the dropdown menu.
  2. Choose the Finish pushbutton.
- Create new
  You choose this option if you want to first create a Service Group from scratch and create a service reference together with the Service Group.
  1. Specify the necessary information for creating the Service Group.
  2. Choose the Finish pushbutton.
You have created a service reference. In the Service Reference field, the service reference is represented by the name of the service interface and the name of the Service Group, separated by a colon (:).

(Optional) Checking Service References

You can check which service interfaces are referenced by a Service Group.

In your project, expand Connectivity.
In the context menu of Service References, choose Open.
A list of service references opens.
Expand a Service Group to see all service interfaces referenced by the group.

(Optional) Editing Service References

In your project, expand Connectivity.
In the context menu of Service References, choose Open.
A list of service references opens.
Expand a Service Group and select a service interface that is referenced by the Service Group.
Open the Reference Details tab page in the Properties view of the service interface.
Choose the Browse... pushbutton in the Service Group field and select another Service Group from the list.