Show TOC

Background documentationStructuring of Services in the Registry Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

A productive registry can store a huge number of entities. You need a system with which you can structure these datasets. Categorization provides one such option for structuring data.

For example, consider that you have registered several different services in a registry. They all serve the same function but are available in different languages. The distinguishing feature in this case would be the language. Other categories, in relation to the SAP environment, can be the deployment unit, process component, business object, and so on.

You can also combine categories and implement them as categorization groups. This option is used in the Services Registry. In this way, you can speed up the search for services and simplify it through the combination of different categories.

SAP uses the value set concept to technically implement categories. Value sets are part of the UDDI standard and are used to model categories, categorization groups, and their relationships.

Classification Service

To support classification and browsing in the user interfaces, the Services Registry requires an additional classification service, which is not part of the UDDI standard. This service provides the UI with metadata on different classification systems, and the content of each classification system. Where applicable, this includes the possible values, descriptive text, and hierarchical structural information. The classification service supports the dynamic addition of values to a classification system.

The classification service recognizes the following classification systems types:

  • A flat classification system is simply a flat list of codes. If you select a flat classification system in the SR, you receive a result list with all valid values. If you select a value, you receive a list of all matching services.

  • A hierarchy classification system is a tree. If you choose a hierarchy classification system, you receive a list of all child classifications as well. You can continue navigating from this list.

  • A group classification system is a way to combine values from other flat or hierarchy classification systems.

Classification Systems Delivered by SAP

Classifications systems delivered by SAP are available in the Services Registry after installation. We recommend that you define one Services Registry in your landscape as the central Services Registry. All providing and consuming applications using the Services Registry are to be connected to this central Services Registry. Classifications can be added to services in providing and consuming applications. For classification they access the central Services Registry to retrieve the classification systems. You can, for example, classify service interfaces in the ES Repository. The ES Repository uses classifications of the central Services Registry, which the ES Repository is connected to.

SAP Classification Systems

  • Browse by Application

    Groups deployment unit, process components, and business objects

    • Deployment Unit

      A group of decoupled process components that can be operated separately. Deployment units were formerly known as “logical systems”.

      An example for a deployment unit is SP_HR.

    • Process Component

      Process components implement business processes and allow their functions to be used as services. A process component contains one or more related business objects. A business object belongs to exactly one process component. Process components describe a part of the value chain. That part is typically executed by one department (in large companies). Process components can be used in different integration scenarios, for example, HR Compensation Management.

    • Business Object

      A set of entities with common characteristics and common behavior representing well-defined business semantics. For example, HR Salary Adjustment

  • Software Components

    Groups software components and applications in the same way as in the SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure.

    • Software Component

      Name of the software component as it is stored in the System Landscape Directory.

    • Application Name

      Name of the technical application an entity is shipped with.

    You can assign each service definition to exactly one Software Component or Application Name classification system.

  • Lifecycle Status

    Gives information about the development status of objects.

    The following values are available: deprecated, not released, released, released with restrictions, revoked, and undefined.

    You can assign each service definition to exactly one Lifecycle Status classification system.

  • Relevant for Industry and Extended by Industry

    This classification system identifies the SAP industry solutions to which a service belongs. There are many available values, like Automotive, Banking, Insurance, Telecommunications, Utilities, and so on.

    You can assign each service definition to exactly one Relevant for Industry or Extended by Industry classification system.

  • Service Operation

    Service operations are part of the service—oriented architecture metamodel. Operations are sets of messages related to a single service action.

    An operation belongs to exactly one business object. A business object has multiple operations.

  • Service Interface

    Group of operations in the Enterprise Services Repository. A service interface specifies functions that are either provided (inbound service interface) or used (outbound service interface).

  • Software Component Version

    Smallest shipment unit for design objects in the Enterprise Services Repository and for development objects in the relevant application system. Software components (or versions) are part of the software catalog in the System Landscape Directory.

The following classifications are only relevant for technical configuration. Do not use them for classifying your services:

  • Business Application

    Bundles services with implementation where PortType Qname of each service is always unique. An application must not have several implementations of the same interface.

  • BusinessApplicationId

    Global identifier used to identify the business application in a business system. If the same application is deployed in multiple business systems, the identifiers differ.

  • WSProfile

    Describes certain configuration properties, which apply to a set of Web services to create runtime configurations.

  • Organization Name

    Can be a group or a region responsible for providing the business applications. It is not required by the SOAP configuration framework, but provides helpful information for administrators, who maintain bigger system landscapes.

  • Business System

    Identical to the System Landscape Directory (SLD) Business System. If the SLD is not available, business system can be manually maintained in the provider system.

  • Authentication Type

    Can be assigned to service references of service groups.

Classification Service APIs

The classification service APIs are part of the Services Registry APIs. You can use calls to these APIs when you want to:

  • Retrieve the list of supported classification systems, and their related metadata.

  • Retrieve the entire content of a classification system.

  • Publish classification systems and classification system values.

  • Delete classification systems and classification system values.

More information: APIs