In this blog, I would like to share the following aspects of PLMSI and some quick tips about PLMSI 3.0.
- Integration Between Siemens Teamcenter and SAP S/4HANA
- PLM System Integration Solution Architecture and Supported Business Processes
- Data Model/Meta Domain Model - Core Concept
- Data Federation
- Installation Flow for PLM System Integration for SAP S/4HANA
- Logging and Monitoring
- Error Handling and Troubleshooting
- Important SAP notes related to PLM system integration 3.0 include information about limitations, restrictions, and behavior.
- Authorization Concept Overview
Note:
1. PLM system integration is designed to support 1:1 system integration between one SAP system and one external PLM system.
2. PLM system integration 3.0 is delivered as add-on to SAP S/4HANA on-premises and SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition.
3. This is a quick guide to assist consultant in expediting the installation and implementation process. If you wish to dig deeper into this topic, please refer to the application help of PLMSI 3.0.
1. Integration Between Siemens Teamcenter and SAP S/4HANA
An integration between Siemens Teamcenter and SAP S/4HANA helps you to streamline your product development processes in a diverse system landscape. It helps to integrate your existing Siemens Teamcenter data management systems flexibly and brings design data into the SAP Product Lifecycle Management application early on.
The integration enables the smooth exchange of product-relevant data as part of bi-directional process integration. An aligned Meta Domain Model provides standardized interfaces to simplify the integration. Relevant aspects of the configuration and foundational master data (for example, classification, units of measurement, pick lists, and so on) are exchanged between the Siemens Teamcenter system and the SAP system. SAP master data, like materials and bills of materials, and SAP documents are automatically created and triggered by data transfer from the external PLM system.
Furthermore, the integration enables you to monitor and troubleshoot the data transfer at a technical and business level. It also adapts data mapping without coding.
2. PLM System Integration Solution Architecture and Supported Business Processes
2.1 PLM System Integration Solution Architecture:
This section outlines the overall solution architecture of PLM system integration (PLMSI) for the integration between SAP S/4HANA and an external PLM system.
Note PLM system integration is designed to support 1:1 system integration between one SAP system and one external PLM system.
Overall Solution Architecture - SAP S/4HANA The integration connects the SAP S/4HANA software portfolio with an external PLM system to address the entire product lifecycle from Design-to-Operate ideation until end of life. A joint installation and integration of SAP S/4HANA with an external PLM system supports various scenarios based on customer business requirements. The integration provides a strong foundation for product engineering and manufacturing-centric scenarios. You can transfer configurable or non-configurable plant-specific information (material master, BOM, routing) with or without object dependency to the SAP system. The two systems can communicate through a common Meta Domain Model (see next section) using a REST protocol and JSON for interchange.
2.2 Supported Business Processes
An integration between SAP S/4HANA and an integrated PLM system supports a variety of business processes. The integration supports the end-to-end business processes Make-to-Stock and Configure-to-Order.
The integration supports the end-to-end business processes Make-to-Stock and Configure-to-Order:
- New Product Development & Introduction (NPDI)
- Major Change (Engineering Change Management and Manufacturing Change Management)
- Minor Change (Engineering Change Management and Manufacturing Change Management)
Compared to the Major Change scenario, New Product Development & Introduction (NPDI) supports additional steps in the early development phase (such as developing high-level product structures, requirements, and others), depending on the corresponding roles and authorizations.
3. Data Model
An aligned Meta Domain Model between the SAP system and Siemens Teamcenter is foundational to the integration as an intermediate layer. It’s an abstraction of the data that needs to be exchanged between Siemens Teamcenter and SAP S/4HANA.
The Meta Domain Model sets the foundation for traceability, federation, and linkage across system boundaries, focusing on processes and data transfer from product development to the SAP system. These are its main features:
- Exchange of material masters between the SAP system and Siemens Teamcenter based on business semantics
- • Exchange of material classification information to enable a consistent information flow • Creation of document info records in the SAP system
- Transfer of bill of materials to the SAP system
- • Engineering change triggered in Siemens Teamcenter
- Engineering change triggered in the SAP system
- • Data federation for product version, structure version, change object, and document version data within Siemens Teamcenter
3.1 Meta Domain Model - Core Concept
The Meta Domain Model (DM) is a data model that helps to reduce the level of complexity when integrating an SAP system with an external PLM system. To ensure data consistency and quality for subsequent processes, the integration offers a consistent data logic, enabling you to configure your processes without interrupting them. It translates and standardizes the integration between the two systems and provides a stable and aligned process and data model. This is the foundation to establish a reliable and resilient business process.
3.2 Business Entities Overview: Uni-Directional & Bi-Directional Integration
Integration Direction Overview | ||
Business Entity | Inbound Data Transfer (external PLM system to SAP system) | Outbound Data Transfer (SAP system to external PLM system) |
Change Object | X | X |
Customer Order Item |
| X |
Customer Order Item Product Structure | X | X |
Document Version | X | X |
Factory (incl. Work Area) | Referenced Only | Referenced Only |
Inspection Characteristic | X |
|
Product Version | X | X |
Production Operation List | X |
|
Structure Version | X |
|
Variant Definition | X |
|
Variant Option | X |
|
Variant Option Rule | X |
|
Vendor | X | X |
4. Data Federation
Data federation provides detailed insights into different business entities in the respective application without the need to log on to different applications.
The following data federation options are available for different business entities:
- Product version (bidirectional)
- Customer Order Item (unidirectional – SAP data display in an external PLM system)
- Document version (unidirectional – SAP data display in an external PLM system)
- Document version file (unidirectional – SAP data display in an external PLM system)
- Change object (bidirectional) includes change notice, change request, and problem report for both change master and change record
- Structure Version (bidirectional)
5. Installation Flow for PLM System Integration for SAP S/4HANA
Carry out the steps in the order shown below to ensure proper data flow, authorization setup, and security. SAP recommend that you save your entries frequently.
PLM system integration for S/4HANA | Feature Pack | RTC | Recommended Product Version * | Required/Supported Product Version(s) | Supported System Integration to Siemens Teamcenter |
PLM system integration 3.0 for SAP S/4HANA | FP00 | 25. Mar. 2024 | SAP S/4HANA 2023 | SAP S/4HANA 2020 (SPS02 and newer) SAP S/4HANA 2021 SAP S/4HANA 2022 SAP S/4HANA 2023 | For SAP Inbound messages following versions of Teamcenter Gateway for PLM system integration by SAP (component T4ST) are supported:
For outbound messages and compatible SAP Teamcenter by Siemens versions, see Compatibility Matrix in Siemens Support Center. |
6. Logging and Monitoring
You can use the SAP Application Interface Framework (transaction /AIF/ERR) or the SAP Application Log (transaction /SLG1).
Using the SAP Application Interface Framework
1. The visibility of the error messages depends on the global settings of the SAP Gateway error log in
transaction /IWFND/TRACES. Call up this transaction and set the error log level to FULL.
2. Call up AIF monitoring and logging via the transaction /AIF/ERR.
3. Select the namespace /PLMSI.
4. Browse for the required interface name, to call up data for both sent and received requests. You can use the F4 help to review and select from the available interfaces.
5. If needed, use the selection criteria available for More Specific Selection to further limit your search, for
example, to see messages for a certain Scenario ID.
Result
The system shows all log messages that are relevant for this aspect of the integration with the external PLM
system.
Detailed information about the SAP Application Interface Framework, including Security and Application Help,
is available on the SAP Help Portal.
Using the SAP Application Log
1. Call up the SAP Application Log via the transaction /SLG1.
2. Choose from the available log objects:
/PLMF/EVENTS for all system messages for outbound events, including reference messages to /PLMF/PLMSI_OUT. Outbound read requests to an external system are not logged.
• /PLMF/MIGRATION for all system messages for inbound and outbound requests
• /PLMF/PLMSI_OUT for all system messages for outbound requests
• /PLMF/SERVICE for all system messages for inbound requests
• /PLMF/TOOLS for all system messages for tools
You can use the F4 help to review and select from the available subobjects
Result
The system shows all log messages that are relevant for this aspect of the integration with the external PLM system.
7. Error Handling and Troubleshooting
For error handling and troubleshooting. kindly refer to Application help.
here are some example of error related to PLMSI.
| Status Code 201 | |||
| Information/Error Type | Possible HTTP Status Codes | Possible Cause/Further Information | |
| Application Error | HTTP status code 201: error messages are returned in the section Response with status Error | essage will be persisted for monitoring purposes. You can view it using the AIF monitoring transactions. Object-specific errors will be part of the response section for each Domain Model object, for example, PV type is initial or wrong. | |
| HTTP Status Code 201: error | "response": {"status": "Error","messages": [{"type": "Error","text": "Product version hasn't been created"}]} | ||
| Successful Creation/Update | HTTP status code 201: Created. Information messages are returned in the section Response with status Success | One or more business objects were created/updated successfully: In this case, appropriate information messages are returned, since the message itself could be logically processed. The system persists the message. You can view it using the AIF monitoring transactions | |
| HTTP Status Code 201: success | "response": { "status": "Success", "messages": [ { "type": "Info", "text": "Product version has been created" } ] } | ||
| Techical Errors | |||
| Authentication Failure | HTTP status code 401 | This is the standard response issued by the SAP Web Application Server (ICF). |
8. Important SAP notes related to PLM system integration 3.0 include information about limitations, restrictions, and behavior.
8.1 General limitation for productive use of PLM system integration 3.0 for SAP S/4HANA:
Before productive usage of the add-on product, ensure that the notes relevant for your product have been implemented.
Note | Description |
PLM system integration - CO Update fails while changing the status to completed | |
PLM system integration - Discontinue flag in variant option rule is not evaluated in SAP system | |
PLM system integration - Error when creating BOM with selection condition | |
PLM system integration - Sending Change Object with Product Version results in implementation error |
8.2 Master Data Governance (MDG) can be set up for SAP S/HANA 2020 or higher.
The implementation of SAP note 3271481 is required to ensure the accurate operation of business validation checks in the Master Data Governance (MDG) for the product version local scenario process.
8.3 BC set activation after installation of SAP S/4HANA 2023:
Integration with SAP S/4HANA 2023 or higher requires to additionally activate the BC sets provided via SAP notes listed below. This is required due to new settings which have been added with SAP S/4HANA 2023.
Note | Description |
BC sets for SAP S/4HANA 2023 |
8.4 Change Record integration from PLM system integration 3.0 for SAP S/4HANA does not support flexi workflow:
Process route and workflow are supported.
This limitation is planned to be resolved with next release PLM system integration 3.0 for SAP S/4HANA - FP01, see Release Information Note 3422818.
8.5 Limitation regarding Fiori apps on SAP Fiori Frontend Server for PLM system integration 3.0 for SAP S/4HANA:
Fiori apps delivered as part of PLM system integration 3.0 for SAP S/4HANA in Software Component UIPLMSI, require mandatorily to update the S/4HANA backend component PLMSI to a compatible version. Having incompatible versions of UIPLMSI and PLMSI installed will prevent the Fiori applications from working.
List of compatible versions:
PLMSI version | Compatible UIPLMSI version(s) |
PLMSI 300 SP0 | UIPLMSI 100 SP02 |
9. Authorization Concept Overview
PLM system integration for SAP S/4HANA checks the authorization objects for the Meta Domain Model and relies on the standard SAP authorization concept for the following business entities for read, create, update, and delete actions:
Meta Domain Model Authorization Concept Objects
- Change Object
- Document Version
- File Upload Confirmation
- Inspection Characteristics
- Production Operation List
- Product Version Key Reservation
- Product Version
- Structure Version
- Customer Order Item
- Customer Order Item Product Structure
- Variant Definition
- Variant Option
- Variant Option Rule
- Vendor
Standard SAP Authorization Concept Objects
- Business Partner
- Document Info Record
- Bill of Material
- Classification
- Change Master
- Change Record
- Material Master
- PP Routing
- Variant Configuration
The standard SAP authorization concept is also reused for the following reuse components:
- SAP Application Interface Framework (transaction /AIF/ERR) (for monitoring and logging)
- Application Log (transaction SLG1) (for monitoring)
Feel free to post your comments and I encourage you to post questions about the topic in our SAP Community using this link.
Stay Tuned!
Thanks
Amit Dhar
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