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Background documentationCommunication Party Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

A communication party (party for short) represents a larger unit, which is involved in a collaborative process. Using a communication party, you generally address a company within a business-to-business process.

More information: Configuring B2B Processes

You can assign a communication party one or more communication components to address it as the sender or receiver of messages.

More information: Defining Communication Components

Alternative Identifiers

When you create the communication party you give it an arbitrary name. This name uniquely identifies the communication party in the Integration Directory (internally).

Note Note

During message processing, the party name in the message header is used to find and analyze the configuration objects relevant for the message. The relevant configuration objects contain the party name in the key.

End of the note.

However, to uniquely identify communication parties in cross-company processes, you specify alternative identifiers. Alternative identifiers use globally-valid IDs to ensure the unique identification of companies.

More information: Identifiers

Input Fields for Alternative Identifiers

Field Name

Meaning

Agency

Specifies the abbreviation for the issuing agency.

You can select from the following standard agencies in the dropdown list box:

  • 016 - for Dun & Bradstreet Corporation

  • 009 - for EAN - International Article Numbering Association

  • 166 - for NMFTA - National Motor Freight Traffic Association

Scheme

Specifies the identification scheme.

If you select one of the standard agencies from the input help, then this field will already contain a predefined value.

Name

This is a unique identifier for the communication party within the specified scheme.

You can enter the name manually.

Alternative identifiers are used as follows at runtime:

  • Inbound Processing:

    If a message from an external party contains an identifier for a company in the message header, the identifier is mapped to the name of the internal party (normalization). Only then can the relevant configuration objects required for the message to be processed further be found and analyzed in the Integration Directory.

  • Outbound Processing:

    The internal party name of an outbound message is mapped to the identifiers to be used (in accordance with the configuration settings). The external receiver then receives a message that contains the externally-valid identifier in the message header (denormalization).

You can specify which alternative identifier is to be used in a specific communication step in the collaboration agreement (on the Identifiers tab page for the communication channel.

More information: Defining Communication Channels

Alternative Identifiers for Communication Using the IDoc Adapter

If the IDoc adapter is used for the communication between a business system and the Integration Server, IDoc partners that are not of type LS (logical system) must be mapped to the communication party.

Example Example

This applies, for example, to IDoc partners of type LI (supplier).

End of the example.

To do this, you must define special alternative identifiers according to the following schema:

  • The name of the business system component determines the issuing agency, for example, BUS_100.

  • Partner type and (optionally) partner role determine the identification scheme, for example ALE#LI.

  • The partner number of the IDoc determines the name, for example 0000023345.

    Note Note

    For communication using an IDoc partner of type LS (logical system) you do not need to assign an IDoc partner to an XI party. Such IDoc partners are addressed at communication component level.

    End of the note.

Communication partners, for which alternative identifiers were defined with a business system as agencies, are displayed in the IDoc Partner tab page for the relevant business system (see Business System (Communication Component)).

Assigning Communication Components and Communication Channels

You can assign communication components and communication channels to the communication party.

Note that these objects are created explicitly for this party in this case.