SAP Document Management System Integration with Content Servers

SAP Document
Management
System Inte g ration
with Content
Ser ver s
Session- ULM211

Agenda

John Walls
Sr. Consultant, Verbella CMG, LLC

Breck Whitten
Lead Application Analyst, Halliburton

© SAP AG 2006, SAP TechEd ’06 / Session ID / ULM211

Overview of the SAP Content Server
Overview of the SAP DMS
Overview of the Knowledge Provider
Integration of the Content Server and DMS
Basic Customizing
Customer Case Study
Wrap up & Questions

Learning Objectives

As a result of this workshop, you will be able to:
 Understanding of the SAP Content Server and how it fits into
the SAP Architecture.

 Basic DMS background, and how it can be used within the SAP
system

 Understanding of the Knowledge Provider (KPro) in SAP and
DMS

 How this systems can be integrated to handle your document
imaging needs


SAP Content Server – Typical Configuration

SAP R/3

Archive Server
OnBase, IXOS
IBM, FileNet, etc

CAS Storage
Centera
Jukebox

Server
Clients

Scanner
Retrieval of documents done from the
Scan Client SAP GUI


SAP Content Server – Typical Configuration

SAP R/3

SAP Content Server
File system or data base
HTTP SAP Cache
(No optical Media support) HTTP Server

HTTP

HTTP

No Scanner Interface for
SAP Content Server
Third party document
capture vendors like Kofax
would have to be used.
Retrieval of documents done from the
SAP GUI using the ECL Viewer


SAP Content Server – What is It?

 Software for storing structured data (ADK files) and
unstructured documents in repositories.
 Product of SAP Web Application Server
 Administration from within SAP, CSADMIN, CCMS-
RZ20, & OACO
 Communication through the ArchiveLink HTTP
protocol.
 Multi-OS support including
– Windows
– Various Unix systems (New as of 6.30)
 Does not support optical Media no direct scanning
interface


SAP Content Server – Background & Integration

Background
 “The SAP Content Server is the server at the core of
SAP’s document storage and management concept. It
provides the technical infrastructure for all document-
centric applications and business scenarios that do
not require long-term document archiving”

SAP Integration points
 SAP applications-SAP Business Workplace,
ArchiveLink, SAP Document Management system
(DMS), and SAP Knowledge Warehouse.


SAP Content Server – Features

 Ability to create file system and database repositories.
 Support for security certificates (secure key).
 Ability to lock down the files on the content
repositories.
 Images can be displayed using the ECL viewer or
desktop applications via Internet Explore.
 Database is limited to 64 Terabytes, Then additional
Database has to be installed.


SAP Content Server – Availability

 Product of SAP AG.
 Current version is 6.40 is now available (since May 1,
2006.)
 With all the features of 6.30 the new version now
supports additional UNIX platforms. This version can
now be installed with Apache 2.0 on UNIX.*
 License is included in mySAP license.
 Supports open source web-server (Apache) and
database (MaxDB) server platforms.
 Installed using graphical user interface of SAPInst
(requires Java Runtime Environment).
 Integration tested with leading applications running
on SAP NetWeaver.
*Please refer http://service.sap.com/pam for platform availability of the new version.


SAP Content Server – Administration

The Content Server can be administrated directly from the SAP
system. Special tools have been developed for monitoring and
administrating the SAP DB underlying the SAP Content Server.

Use transaction
CSADMIN to go to SAP.ContentServer.com

the Content Server
and Cache Server
Administration
screen.


SAP Content Server - Summary

Advantages of the SAP Content Server

The SAP Content Server provides a flexible and scalable architecture. You
can enhance the capacity and performance of the SAP Content Server even
further by using a number of servers and by decoupling the database server
from the HTTP server.

The database is much better suited than a file system to the administration
of large amounts of data. Internally at SAP, the SAP Content Server has
been used for several release cycles to administrate all documentation and
training content.

The SAP DB version is independent of the SAP release. SAP DB version 7.2
is included in the SAP release 4.6C package. This version of the SAP DB
has a capacity of 64 terabytes (maximum). In the unlikely event of this
space being used up, another database can be installed.

Easy-to-use and stable SAP DB administration tools are shipped with the
SAP Content Server. These can be used to make automatic backups, for
example.


SAP Content Server – Summary Continued

Knowledge Provider is a component of SAP Web Application Server
and provides the general infrastructure for storing and
administrating documents in the SAP Content Server.

Both the SAP database, which serves as a Content Server, and the
Content Server itself are provided with every SAP system
installation. This provides the required technical infrastructure for
all document-oriented applications and business scenarios that do
not require long-term archiving.

SAP Content Server is integrated via the HTTP interface, the actual
storage medium used is transparent to the SAP applications.

The Content Server and the Cache Server are server components
that interact with the Knowledge Provider.


SAP DMS - Document Info Record (DIR)

DIR is a term used to describe the document Master
Record. The DIR stores both the actual document and
contains all the Meta data about the document.

Structure of the DIR contains
 Data that is descriptive in character
 Data with a control function such as the document status
 Original application file data
 Data that the system automatically copies

DIR consists of four 4 key fields
 Document number
 Document type
 Document part
 Document version


SAP DMS – Document Info Record Example

DMS Record CV02N


SAP DMS – Document Info Record Example

DMS Info Record-
Contains
Information about
the record such as
Document status


SAP DMS – DIR Functions

DMS- DIR Document Info Record

Functions for the document info record
 Number assignment
 Version management
 Classification
 Document hierarchy
 Content versions for original application files
 Find document (Also via Internet / Intranet)
 Document distribution


SAP DMS – Internal Interfaces

Interfaces to internal systems
 Link to other R/3 objects, such as:
– Materials
– Equipment
– Customer
– WBS Element
– Batch
– Layout area
– Functional location
 Engineering change management with integrated workflow
 SAP Business Workflow
 Document Structures
 Internet application functions


SAP DMS – Internal Interfaces Example


SAP DMS – Internal Interfaces Example

 To archive the DIR using CV_DVS
all of the Object Links need to be
removed and the DIR needs to be
flagged for deletion.


SAP DMS – External Interfaces

Interfaces to external systems

Any workstation application
 CAD systems via SAP-CAD interface
 Archiving using R/3 ArchiveLink or Knowledge Provider


SAP DMS – Document Number

The Document Number is the
main part of the Document Key

Alphanumeric field up to 25
characters in Length

Supports both Internal and Mix
Number Assignment

The following three special
characters are not supported:
"&", "*" and ",".

Documents Document Type Document part Version
DOC-01-AA DRW 0 1
DOC-01-AA DRW 0 2
DOC-02-AA DRW 0 1
DOC-01-AA L01 0 1
DOC-01-AA L01 0 2


SAP DMS – Document Type

Document Type is used to categorize documents
according to their distinguishing features

It’s a 3 Character field, such as DRW, L01 or DRM

Internal Document Types include EBR, D01, Q01, Q02
 These Can not be changed, since they are used internally with in
SAP Applications.

Document Types Control
 Type of number assignment and number range
 Version increment
 Field selection
 Additional fields
 Status processing
 Storage using Knowledge Provider


SAP DMS – Document Part

The Document Part is used to further sub-divide the document

Common uses

To differentiate between different types of drawings- for
example electrical and the mechanical drawing or a drawing in
English vs a drawing in Spanish

It’s a three character alphanumeric field

These three special characters are not supported: "&", "*" and ",".


SAP DMS – Document Versions

Document versions are used to represent the different change or
delivery statuses of a document.

The Document version is an alphanumeric field in which you can
enter up to two characters.

The default value is ’00’ and is Assigned Automatically or Manually

Engineering change management can be integrated into the
document management functions to give the document version a
reference to time, or assign it an effective period. The version can
also be linked to a particular change that may also affect other R/3
objects


SAP Knowledge Provider – Overview (KPro)

SAP Knowledge Provider (KPro) is the central service in SAP Basis
for administrating and storing any kind of documents and
document-like objects.

As a document infrastructure, KPro rarely appears on the SAP
system interface, with the exception of a small number of key
administration and Customizing transactions.

Application-independence is a central characteristic of KPro.
Because KPro is application-independent, it can provide a wide
range of different, and in some cases optional, services that can be
used by different R/3 applications.


SAP Knowledge Provider – Service Layers

The Knowledge Provider consists of 3 major
parts:

DMS Document Management Service

CMS Content Management Service

IMS Index Management Service

Each part has special tasks and its own view
onto documents


SAP Knowledge Provider – Components

KPro Clients
Knowledge
Warehouse DMS BDS Others

KPro Services
Document Content Index
Management Document
Management Management
Service Retrieval
Service Service

KPro Server Integration
Content Cache Index Web
Server Server Server Server



Provider has two layers: Document Management Service and
Content Management Service

Document Management Service (DMS)

DMS is the KPro service that is the closest to the application level.
The goal of the DMS is to provide an application programming
interface (API) that allows the application to efficiently administrate
documents without having to concern itself with the specific details
of the physical repository.
 The DMS also provides what is known as a “document model”. The DMS
ensures that the rules set down in the document model are adhered to.
The Document Modeling Service is part of the DMS, and allows the user
to create application-specific document models.

It lies on top on the KPro Content Management Service.



Content Management Service (CMS)

The CMS layer handles the technical details of the repository and
administration functions. These details include creating document
versions, document retrieval, and administrating the server
containing the repositories.

An Application can run directly on the CMS and leave out the DMS
services altogether


SAP Knowledge Provider – General Information (KPro)

More general information....

The release level of the KPRO Components are not depending on
the R/3 system release level
 e.g. 4.6D KPro Components will work with a 4.6b R/3 System since the
HTTP Interface is the same (HTTP 4.6 Protocol)
 Note: The R/3 KPro service is available since 4.6b!


SAP Knowledge Provider – KPro verses ArchiveLink

ArchiveLink KPro
Is supported by all R/3 versions Is supported only by 4.6C and higher

With one DIR you can handle KPro has no limitation!
2 originals
99 Additional files

Caching is not possible! Caching is possible!
Not possible Possibility to use a searching engine, e.g.
T-Rex.

Fulltext search is done by CMS (Content
Management Service).

Supported formats in the SAP-Standard:
DOC, EXL, PPT, PDF, plain html, plain text

ArchiveLink is using the Link tables TOA0x Is not using Link tables TOA0X.

Can use RFC protocol or HTTP Protocol Only uses HTTP Protocol


Integration of the SAP CS and DMS – Overview

SAP Knowledge Provider Services and Clients

Development

Management
Warehouse
Knowledge

Workplace
Document

Workflow
Business

Business
Archive

Others
Kit
SAP Knowledge Provider clients: SAP solutions and components

DMWB Document Management Service

Content Management Service

SAP Knowledge Provider services

Index server Cache server Content server KPro web server

SAP Knowledge Provider server integration


Integration of the SAP CS and DMS – Overview 4.6C

DMS CRM DMWB Knowledge
(DVS) (BDN) Warehouse

BDS KW Framework

KPRO Model Layer
Archive Link
DMS KPRO

CMS IMS
R
H
H R
SAP Content Server & Search-
Third-Party Repositories engine

SAP Basic Customizing DMS – Document Types


SAP Basic Customizing DMS – Linking DIR to R/3 Objects

Document type
controls which SAP
objects the DIR can
be linked to

Maintenance of the
Object link can be
done from either
the document or
the Object


SAP Basic Customizing DMS – Data Carrier Types


SAP Basic Customizing DMS – Define Server paths

This is where you define the temporary storage of
file attachments.


SAP Basic Customizing Storage – Content Repository

OAC0- Creation of the SAP
Content Repository
ArchiveLink 45
HTTP Content Server

2 repositories were created one
with a Document Area of Archive
Link and another with a document
area of DMS.

SRM will use the Content
Repository with the DMS
document area.


SAP Basic Customizing Storage – Storage Categories

The storage category links the
storage category with a
content repository.

SRM will reference the storage
category and from this
configuration determine the
storage location as a content
repository.


SAP Basic Customizing Define workstation applications

This is where you define the specifics about the applications
associated with the DMS document types. The applications are
linked to the Data carrier type and provide the necessary
configuration to allow DMS to launch the application to display the
linked object.


Halliburton Case Study

 KBR division went live on R/3 Enterprise 4.7
 Also implemented SRM

 The Imaging Requirements
 KBR needed to bring attachments from SRM and link these attachments
to the purchase order created in R/3.
 The process needed to bring the SRM attachments and create the DMS
Info Record and archive the attachments with the DIR into a third party
content repository.
 KBR also wanted to store PO versions in the form of a PDF file to show
the progression of changes to the PO.


PO linked to DMS Info Record

When you display the purchase
order you can see the attachment
to the DMS Info Record by clicking
on the attachment button.

When you double click on the
linked document it will display the
DMS info record.


SRM Attachment linked to DMS Info Record

This shows a linked excel
spreadsheet and its
association with the
purchase order line Item.
If you double click on the
excel document it will
display it from the archive.


PO Versioning example


Summary

 DMS can use either ArchiveLink or KPro to store documents on
the Content Server or other third party content servers.

 A single DMS record can be assigned to multiple SAP objects

 DMS projects can be complex, since DMS is a whole module

 Content Server is a viable solution in many cases.


Further Information

 Public Web:
www.sap.com
www.sdn.sap.com

 Americas’ SAP Users’ Group (ASUG)
www.asug.com

 Related Workshops/Lectures at SAP TechEd ’06


THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION !

QUESTIONS – SUGGESTIONS – DISCUSSION


Feedback
Please complete your session evaluation.

Be courteous — deposit your trash,
and do not take the handouts for the following session.

Thank You !
John Walls Breck Whitten
John.Walls@VerbellaCMG Breck.Whitten@Halliburton.com
484-888-2199

SAP Document Management System Integration with Content Servers

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