XI/PI: Understanding the RFC Adapter

SAP XI provides different ways for SAP systems to communicate via SAP XI. You
have three options namely IDoc Adapters, RFC Adapters and Proxies. In one of the
earlier posts that spoke about your first XI scenario, we learned configuring the IDoc
receiver adapter. And in the coming articles, I shall throw light on different adapters.
This article specifically deals with understanding basics of RFC adapter on sender
and the receiver side.
SAP XI provides different ways for SAP systems to communicate via SAP XI. You
have three options namely IDoc Adapters, RFC Adapters and Proxies. In one of the
earlier posts that spoke about your first XI scenario, we learned configuring the IDoc
receiver adapter. And in the coming articles, I shall throw light on different adapters.
This article specifically deals with understanding basics of RFC adapter on sender
and the receiver side.
RFC Adapter converts the incoming RFC calls to XML and XML messages to outgoing
RFC calls. We can have both synchronous (sRFC) and asynchronous (tRFC)
communication with SAP systems. The former works with Best Effort QoS (Quality of
Service) while the later by Exactly Once
(EO).
Unlike IDoc adapter, RFC Adapter is
installed on the J2EE Adapter Engine and
can be monitored via Adapter Monitoring
and Communication Channel Monitoring in
the Runtime Workbench.
Now let us understand the configuration
needed to set up RFC communication.
RFC Sender Adapter
In this case, Sender SAP system requests
XI Integration Engine to process RFC calls.
This could either be synchronous or
asynchronous.
On the source SAP system, go to
transaction SM59 and create a new RFC
connection of type T (TCP/IP Connection).
On the Technical Settings tab, select
Registered Server Program radio button
and specify an arbitrary Program ID. Note
that the same program ID must be
specified in the configuration of the sender
adapter communication channel. Also note
that this program ID is case-sensitive.

When using the RFC call in your ABAP program you should specify the RFC
destination created above. For example,
CALL FUNCTION <NAME_OF_THE_RFC_FUNCTION_MODULE>
DESTINATION <RFC_DESTINATION_NAME>.
Also, in case you are setting up asynchronous interface, the RFC should be called in
the background. For example,
CALL FUNCTION <NAME_OF_THE_RFC_FUNCTION_MODULE>
IN BACKGROUND TASK
DESTINATION <RFC_DESTINATION_NAME>.
Now, create the relevant communication channel in the XI Integration Directory.
Select the Adapter Type as RFC Sender (Please see the figure above). Specify the
Application server and Gateway service of the sender SAP system. Specify the
program ID. Specify exactly the same program ID that you provided while
creating the RFC destination in SAP system. Note that this program ID is
case-sensitive. Provide Application server details and logon credentials in the RFC
metadata repository parameter. Save and activate the channel. Note that the RFC
definition that you import in the Integration Repository is used only at design time.
At runtime, XI loads the metadata from the sender SAP system by using the
credentials provided here.
RFC Receiver Adapter
In this case, XI sends the data in the RFC
format (after conversion from XML format
by the receiver adapter) to the target
system where the RFC is executed.
Configuring the receiver adapter is even
simpler. Create a communication channel
in ID of type RFC Receiver (Please see the
figure above on the left). Specify the RFC
Client parameters like the Application
server details, logon credentials etc and
activate the channel.
Testing the Connectivity
Sometimes, especially when new SAP
environments are setup, you may want to
test their RFC connectivity to SAP XI before
you create your actual RFC based
interfaces/scenarios. There is a quick and
easy way to accomplish this.
Create a RFC destination of type T in the
SAP system as described previously. Then, go to XI Integration Repository and

import the RFC Function Module STFC_CONNECTION from the SAP system. Activate
your change list.
Configure sender and receiver communication
channels in ID by specifying the relevant
parameters of the SAP system as discussed
previously. Remember that the Program ID in
sender communication channel and RFC
destination in SAP system must match (casesensitive).
Accordingly, complete the remaining ID
configuration objects like Sender Agreement,
Receiver Determination, Interface Determination and Receiver Agreement. No
Interface mapping is necessary. Activate your change
list.
Now, go back to the SAP system and execute the
function module STFC_CONNECTION using transaction
SE37. Specify the above RFC destination in RFC target
sys input box. You can specify any arbitrary input as
REQUTEXT. If everything works fine, you should receive
the same text as a response. You can also see two
corresponding messages in SXMB_MONI transaction in
SAP XI. This verifies the connection between SAP
system and SAP XI.