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The Sign-Off Table

Lesson 5 of 5

Integration methodology

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Without a method, integration decisions are made one interface at a time by whoever builds it. The result is a landscape where the same problem is solved five different ways. An integration methodology gives an organization shared rules: which technology to use for which case, who decides, and how decisions are recorded. SAP's answer is the SAP Integration Solution Advisory Methodology (ISA-M), supported in SAP Integration Suite by the Integration Assessment capability.

How ISA-M works

SAP Learning describes ISA-M in two phases. First, describe integration requirements without naming technology: integration domains (where integration happens, for example cloud to on-premise), integration styles (process, data, user and thing integration) and use case patterns (such as B2B or master data integration). Second, map those requirements to the technologies that fit your landscape and record the result as your integration guidelines.

  1. DomainsWhere does integration happen? On-premise to on-premise, cloud to cloud, cloud to on-premise, and so on
  2. StylesWhat kind of integration? Process, data, user or thing integration
  3. Use case patternsWhich recurring case? A2A, B2B, B2G, master data, analytics and more
  4. Technology mappingWhich SAP or approved technology serves each combination in this company
  5. GuidelinesA published decision table every project follows, with exceptions approved
From technology-agnostic requirements to company integration guidelines.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-101

The Integration Assessment capability turns this into a workflow. A project submits an interface request by answering questionnaires about the business need and technical characteristics. The capability proposes a technology based on the company's guidelines, and an integration architect approves it. Over time the company builds a record of every interface decision and the reason for it.

Integration Assessment turns each interface request into a recorded decision: questionnaires in, proposed technology out, architect approval in between.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-101

What a good integration decision records

  • Business purpose: which process step needs the interface and what happens if it is down for an hour or a day.
  • Style and direction: synchronous or asynchronous, inbound or outbound, real-time or batch.
  • Volume and timing: messages per hour at peak, size, cut-off times such as month-end.
  • Technology and platform: chosen against the guidelines, with any exception justified.
  • Error handling and ownership: who is alerted, who reprocesses, how duplicates are prevented.
  • Test approach: test data, partner availability, evidence needed for sign-off.
  1. Does the caller need an answer before it can continue?Yes → synchronous API (OData or SOAP) · No → next question
  2. Is it a business document that must not be lost?Yes → asynchronous message with guaranteed delivery (IDoc or async SOAP via the platform) · No → next question
  3. Do several systems need to react to the same change?Yes → publish an event; subscribers fetch details by API · No → next question
  4. Is it a large periodic batch with no real-time need?Yes → file transfer with counts and totals · No → review with the integration architect
A simplified technology decision path in the spirit of ISA-M. Your company's guidelines decide the actual answers.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-101

Methodology and testing

A methodology is also a gift to testers. When every interface record states its style, volume, error handling and owner, the integration test plan nearly writes itself: one test per business path, plus negative tests for the documented error handling, plus a volume test for the ones with peak loads. When the records are missing, testers spend the first week of every cycle reverse-engineering the interfaces.

A complete interface record feeds three kinds of tests, and their evidence feeds integration test sign-off.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-101

What would you do?

Contoso's portal team wants to build a new interface to the bank for real-time payment status, using a technology no other Contoso interface uses. Theo's guidelines say bank interfaces use files through the platform. What should happen?

Key points
  • An integration methodology gives shared rules for choosing technology and recording decisions.
  • ISA-M moves from technology-agnostic domains, styles and use case patterns to a company technology mapping.
  • Integration Assessment in SAP Integration Suite supports interface requests, questionnaires and approvals.
  • Good interface records make integration testing faster and sign-off evidence clearer.

Check your understanding · not graded

Lesson check

  1. 1. What is the first phase of ISA-M about?

  2. 2. In the Integration Assessment capability, what starts the process for a new interface?

  3. 3. Why does a methodology help integration testing?