Conversion Agent 

Purpose

SAP Conversion Agent by Informatica is a data conversion system that enables you to create interfaces between any data formats and XML-based systems. The Conversion Agent can convert unstructured, semi-structured, and structured formats to XML, and the other way around.

The Conversion Agent comprises the Conversion Agent Studio and the Conversion Agent Engine. In the Conversion Agent Studio you can develop and configure data conversions. The Conversion Agent Engine executes the data conversions.

Conversion Agent in Process Integration

In Process Integration you can call the Conversion Agent by using an adapter module. For this purpose, you must integrate this module in the module processor of your adapter. Only use Conversion Agent with the SAP adapters of the Adapter-Engine.

The module in the sender adapter uses a data conversion statement to call the Conversion Agent Engine and it then receives the converted XML document. In a receiver adapter the source format is XML.

For current information and FAQs for the Conversion Agent, see SAP Note 894815.

Features

For information about installing the Conversion Agent, see: Deploying and Using Conversion Agent and First Steps with Conversion Agent

If you want to use data transformations in Process Integration, you must perform the following steps once you have installed the Conversion Agent:

...

       1.      Define your data transformation in the Conversion Agent Studio.

More information: Getting Started with Conversion Agent.

       2.      Configure a communication channel within your integration scenario.

More information: Defining Communication Channel

       3.      In the adapter configuration under Modules, integrate the adapter module CMTransformModule in the adapter type for your communication channel.

○       Under Parameter Name in the Module Configuration, enter the name TransformationName, and under Parameter Value, enter the name of the data transformation you defined.

○       The document to be converted must be in the main payload of the message.

○       If the document to be converted is in an attachment, you can use the PayloadSwapBean module to exchange the payloads.

More information: Adding PayloadSwapBean in the Module Processor

○       The adapter module can be integrated in all adapters that can be enhanced with additional modules (for example, the SOAP adapter or mail adapter).

More information:

To integrate an adapter module: Deploying and Using Conversion Agent

To integrate modules in an adapter: Inserting Modules into Module Processor

To enhance the module processor: Extending the Module Chain for SAP Adapters in the Module Processor

Getting Started with the Conversion Agent

To quickly get up to speed with the SAP NetWeaver Conversion Agent, read the following documentation:

Document Name	Contents
Deploying and Using Conversion Agent	Contains detailed information about how you can use the Conversion Agent in SAP NetWeaver. It also includes a description of how to deploy the adapter module for calling the Conversion Agent Engine.
Getting Started with Conversion Agent	Uses exercises to introduce you to Conversion Agent Studio. Also contains short installation instructions.

Conversion Agent Guides

The following guides are available:

Document Name	Contents
Conversion Agent Administrator’s Guide	Contains information on the following topics: ●      Installing the Conversion Agent Studio ●      Updating Conversion Agent projects ●      Configuration Editor ●      Administration and Deployment - Guidelines, Security, Troubleshooting This editor enables you to configure the parameters of an existing Conversion Agent installation.
Conversion Agent Studio User’s Guide	Contains a description of all functions of the Conversion Agent Studio.
Conversion Agent Engine Developer’s Guide	Contains information about how you enable transformations defined in the Conversion Agent Studio to be executed by the Conversion Agent Engine.

More Information

Document Name	Contents
Conversion Agent Libraries	Contains information about the libraries shipped by the industry standards AL3 (insurance sector), EDI (Electronic Data Interchange), HIPAA (United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), HL7 (Health Level 7), and SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).
Conversion Agent Studio for Eclipse	Contains information about using the Conversion Agent in the Eclipse environment.
Conversion Agent COM API Reference	Contains information about how you can execute a Conversion Agent service by using a Conversion Agent COM API.
Processing COBOL Data in Conversion Agent	Contains information about converting COBOL data to XML and the other way around.
What’s New in Conversion Agent
Release Notes	Release information for Conversion Agent