Master your SAP CPI interview with these top 25 questions and expertly crafted answers to give you a competitive edge.
SAP Cloud Platform Integration (CPI) is an integration service within the SAP Cloud Platform. It enables seamless integration between SAP and non-SAP applications in the cloud and on-premises environments.
Understanding the core components, architecture, and functionalities of SAP CPI is crucial for anyone preparing for an interview. This includes knowing about integration flows, adapters, mappings, and monitoring capabilities.
SAP CPI stands for SAP Cloud Platform Integration. It is a cloud-based integration service that allows seamless connectivity between various SAP and non-SAP applications.
SAP CPI is a cloud-based solution, while SAP PI/PO is an on-premise solution. CPI offers better scalability and lower maintenance costs compared to PI/PO.
The key components of SAP CPI include Integration Flow Designer for building integration scenarios, and Adapters for connecting various systems (HTTP, REST, OData, etc.). It offers Message Transformation & Mapping to convert data formats, along with Monitoring & Logging for tracking message flows. Security features include encryption, authentication, and SAP Cloud Connector for secure on-premise access. Pre-packaged content from SAP API Business Hub speeds up development. Integration Advisor uses AI to simplify mappings.
Integration Flows are design-time artifacts that define how data moves from one system to another within SAP CPI.
Adapters in SAP CPI facilitate connectivity with different protocols and systems, such as HTTP, SFTP, and IDoc.
An iFlow (Integration Flow) is a design artifact in SAP CPI used to model end-to-end integration scenarios. It defines how data flows between systems, including routing, transformations, and processing steps. iFlows can be configured using a graphical editor or scripts.
Monitoring can be done through the SAP CPI web interface, where you can track message processing, logs, and alerts.
A Tenant is an isolated environment within SAP CPI where integration scenarios are deployed and executed.
Message Mapping involves transforming data from one format to another, ensuring compatibility between different systems.
Security Artifacts in SAP CPI ensure secure communication between integrated systems. They include credentials, certificates, keystores, and authorization keys used for authentication and encryption. These artifacts protect data during transmission and control access to integration flows. Proper configuration of security artifacts is essential for compliance and data integrity.
Value Mappings translate data values between different systems to ensure data consistency and compatibility.
Errors can be handled using Exception Subprocesses within iFlows to capture and manage exceptions effectively.
Data Store Operation allows temporary storage of messages for further processing or debugging purposes.
The Script Step in iFlows allows developers to write custom logic using Groovy or JavaScript to handle complex data transformations, validations, or processing that cannot be achieved through standard mapping tools. It provides flexibility to manipulate message content, headers, properties, and attachments during integration processing.
By using Script Steps, developers can implement dynamic routing, data enrichment, conditional logic, or call external services. This enhances the adaptability of integration flows to meet specific business or technical requirements in SAP CPI.
Integration Patterns include Point-to-Point, Publish-Subscribe, and Message Routing.
The Content Modifier is used to modify message headers, properties, and body content within an iFlow.
Data in transit in SAP CPI is secured using TLS/SSL encryption to protect data during communication between systems. Secure protocols like HTTPS, SFTP, and AS2 are used for data exchange. Security Artifacts such as certificates and keystores manage authentication and encryption keys. Additionally, OAuth2 and basic authentication ensure authorized access to endpoints.
The Connectivity Test tool helps verify the connectivity between SAP CPI and external systems before deploying integration scenarios.
The OData Adapter allows integration with OData services, enabling CRUD operations on OData resources.
In SAP CPI (not Adobe CPI), a Message Type defines the structure and format of the data being exchanged between systems. It specifies the type of message (like XML, JSON, or IDoc) used in integration flows. Message Types help CPI process, map, and validate data accurately. They ensure both sender and receiver systems understand the message structure.
Load balancing can be achieved through the use of multiple nodes and distributing the load across them.
The Process Direct Adapter enables direct communication between different iFlows within the same tenant.
Version management is done through the Web UI, where different versions of integration artifacts can be maintained and activated.
The Timer in iFlows is used to schedule and trigger integration flows at specific times or intervals. It enables automated execution without manual intervention. Timers support various scheduling options like one-time, recurring, or periodic triggers. This is useful for batch processing, periodic data sync, or scheduled integrations.
Integration Advisor is an AI-powered tool in SAP CPI that simplifies the creation of message mappings and integration content. It leverages machine learning and industry-specific knowledge to suggest data structures, mapping proposals, and best practices, reducing manual effort and errors.
By analyzing industry standards and past integration patterns, Integration Advisor accelerates the development of complex integrations. This helps businesses achieve faster deployments, maintain consistency, and lower the skill barrier for creating accurate mappings and interfaces.
To excel in SAP CPI, adhering to best practices is crucial. Always use standard adapters and integration patterns to ensure maintainability and scalability. Regularly update security artifacts and monitor the health of your integration scenarios.
Common challenges include handling complex data transformations and ensuring secure communication. Address these by leveraging the full capabilities of SAP CPI, such as advanced mapping techniques and robust security configurations.