(DTERP-2008) Introduction

Owned by SNP
Aug 03, 2020
3 min read

Datavard Outboard DataTiering ERP is a content repository solution which runs on SAP system and is accessed via SAP HTTP service. HTTP Service of Outboard DataTiering ERP is built on SAP Internet Communication Framework [ICF]. Implementation of Outboard DataTiering with Storage Management interface fulfills BC AL 7.40 communication protocol. All implementation related to our Outboard DataTiering ERP is SAP ABAP based.

Prerequisites

  • SAP release: NetWeaver 7.01 SP-level 018
  • HTTP enabled
  • System Service User with all required authorizations listed in Security

System ICM parameters

Part of prerequisites which should be pre-configured before deployment of Outboard DataTiering ERP are system ICM parameters which enable communication via HTTP request with the target storage.

Parameter nameDescriptionUnitRecommended valueSAP default value
icm/HTTP/max_request_size_KBmax. size of file to be processedkilobytes<should be defined by customer>102400
icm/server_port_<xx> - PROCTIMEOUTmax. processing time of one HTTP requestseconds180060
icm/keep_alive_timeoutmax. waiting time of HTTP request which was already successfully processedseconds180060
icm/conn_timeout

timeout for opening a connection

milliseconds600005000
mpi/buffer_size

buffer size in bytes for memory pipes

bytes13107265536

More information can be found in the link below:

https://help.sap.com/doc/saphelp_nw73ehp1/7.31.19/en-US/48/88b52977323cb8e10000000a42189d/content.htm?no_cache=true

Landscape Integration

Datavard Outboard DataTiering ERP supports two scenarios of the integration in customer landscape.

  1. Centralized – Outboard DataTiering ERP runs on a different SAP system than those which are subjects of archiving.
    • Pros: One system – one Outboard configuration
    • Cons: Potential of performance decrease at high loads (bottleneck effect)
  2. Decentralized – Outboard DataTiering ERP runs on the very same SAP system which is subject of archiving.
    • Pros: No need to dedicate separate SAP system to host the Outboard service, Mitigation of a potential bottleneck effect
    • Cons: Separate maintenance on each SAP instance with Outboard

The decentralized deployment is recommended option based on our best practices from implementation projects.

Content Management

Main responsibility of a content management is to manage SAP data and unstructured documents. Content management stores information about a source client and target storage for each stored data and document.

Following functions are provided by a content management:

  • register source client with a storage assignment
  • create read, update, delete document components (units)
  • manage document information and metadata
  • manage component information and metadata
  • The content management uses binary storage of the storage management solution for storing of document components (units) and is responsible for creating and assigning of stored packages

Storage Management

The Datavard Storage Management works as a middleware between the Outboard DataTiering and an external storage using the set of connectors for supported storage types.

The Outboard DataTiering ERP uses exclusively binary storages as the data that is a subject of standard SAP archiving is stored as flat files (ADK archive files & document attachments).

More detailed information regarding Storage Management and supported storage types is available here.