Defining Data Objects and Distribution for Mobile Applications 

The first step required for developing applications for mobile devices is to create and define the data objects you want to use in the mobile application. SAP provides the Data Orchestration Engine Workbench for defining data objects that are used to build mobile client applications.

The Data Orchestration Engine (DOE) is message-oriented middleware (MOM) that enables communication between the back-end systems and various receivers (such as mobile devices). In a mobile scenario, the system landscape primarily consists of the back-end system, a server on which the DOE is installed, and mobile devices such as a laptop, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), or other handheld devices. DOE enables data synchronization between the receiver and the back-end system and ensures that the data in the receiver is consistent with the data in the back-end system. The Data Orchestration Engine Workbench is the tool provided for defining data objects that are used to build the mobile client applications.

Implementation Considerations

A mobile application platform allows customers to mobilize their business processes. As a result, customers can perform business tasks outside their offices by using mobile devices. To perform their business related activities, the customers require that the devices store business data either from the back-end system or from other mobile devices. Moreover, the data that the mobile user records on the device using mobile applications must be synchronized with the back-end system. DOE supports data exchange between the back-end system and the mobile device.

Integration

The back-end system must be an SAP R/3 system (SAP ERP). Customers can have a single back-end system or multiple back-end systems. DOE integrates directly with SAP back-end systems using native back-end adapters. This improves the performance of DOE, particularly in instances when the data originates from a single back-end system, for example, the Sales Order business object type.

Features

Mobile Synchronization

This comprises the following:

Data Staging

In a mobile scenario, there are thousands of mobile devices that need to exchange data with the back-end system(s). If the DOE triggers the data exchange for each of the mobile devices, the performance can be affected severely. Therefore, the DOE consolidates data from various sources, such as the back-end system(s) and mobile devices. This process of consolidating data from different sources is called data staging.

Data Distribution

SAP NetWeaver Application Server distributes the consolidated data to receivers based on the distribution model or specific requests from any of the devices.

Data Replication and Realignment

Since receivers are personal devices, DOE provides an effective data filtering mechanism to ensure that only relevant data is distributed to respective mobile application users. This process is called replication. To meet changing business requirements, you can modify the data filtering rules. As a result, the data distribution model also changes. This process is called realignment.

Mobile Application Development

The DOE needs to stage data and distribute data to mobile devices. Therefore, you must define a data model and distribution model for mobile-application relevant data. The data and distribution models constitute the metadata of the DOE. To define this metadata, the DOE provides an environment that constitutes the design time component of mobile data objects. Mobile application development is the process of defining this metadata. The metadata definition governs the processing of data within the DOE completely.