Figaf 2.11 is out, enabling DevOps for SAP PI and CPI

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Now we are able to deliver Figaf IRT 2.11, it will enable automation of SAP Integration never seen before. It contains 150 tasks or bugs and 55k new lines of code. So it is a massive improvement we have worked on. It contains two main areas.

  • Transport and governance system
  • Migration of SAP PI/PO if you are still missing to migrate to 7.5

Transport and governance process

When we have talked with clients of the Figaf tool and our integration with CTS+. It seems like only 50% of the customers were using it. I could configure it on our system without much knowledge in 4 hours. So it should be possible for all SAP users to use it.

My these on why CTS+ it has not been implemented as much is that it is not adding much value, and is just complicating the process. You cannot really see what is in the transports and once you have imported the directory you anyway needed to perform manual steps to configure it.

That is the reason I’m stoked we have created our own transport approach. It is really simple to configure and make it possible to improve the delivery of SAP Integration. This is the way transports are supposed to be handled in the modern world.

The process is as follows, in most cases:

  1. Create a Ticket that links to the business requirement or failure created
  2. Add the objects that you have changed
  3. Figaf will then know what objects need to be tested and can test the flows
  4. You can create transport with all the objects.
  5. You then configure what channels will be like on other systems in the landscape
  6. A user can then approve the transport and allow you to transport in the landscape
  7. You can import the transport in the landscape, and it will then configure the communication channel
  8. You can create an Excel report of the change and upload it to Jira, Service now

You can see how this enables DevOps for SAP PI/PO in this video.

Migration of SAP PI/PO

The new release also enables users to help optimize the migration process. A lot of users still need to perform migration projects. It is quite a labor-intensive process that you need to perform. That is why it would make sense to automate the process. If you are looking for a migration project, recommend to check out the migration option. I have created a video of the process

Roadmap

There are still areas that we would love to improve, depending on what customers see as most important. Like how to perform validations on the QA system. Does it require running the test on that platform, or are there other functions that could make sense. A lot of the configuration on how transport should be imported is now possible it just requires users to figure out what they need to be.

For the migration support of Classical scenarios is also on the which list, but will require we can work with a customer to enable it.

If requested we can incorporate it with CTS+ so it will still run your transports and Figaf would handle configuration and documentation.

Get Started now

You can start using the Figaf tool for free. Just go to Figaf.com/IRT and signup. Then you will get a free license key you can use for the migration.

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Get assistance to help get your SAP PI/PO migration started

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This week we are releasing our SAP PI/PO Migration tool as a service in the Figaf IRT. Quite a number of customers are looking for a way to migrate from their old 7.31-7.4 system to a 7.5. It is quite a labor-intensive process. That is why we think it would make sense for users to automate the full process, making it a lot easier for the customer to perform the migration.

Why is it different from the SAP Migration tool

The Figaf tool will help manage the full migration process. Not just a copy of directory objects like ICO or communication channel. You simply select the ICOs you want to migrate to a Wave or release. For the ICOs selected Figaf will then:

  • Reuse the Test case you ready have for it
  • Migrate the repository and directory content to the new environment. It is possible to set up the mappings of parameters. Password will in most cases be copied
  • Test the migrated objects to ensure everything work as expected.
  • Create a transport for the new environment
  • Run the transport thru the new environment and configure all channel including passwords
  • Manage the process for the ICO

So it is not the same, it is a tool that will help you perform the migration faster and ensure you are able to test the affected interfaces.

Currently, only ICOs are supported, but it can be expanded for Classical scenarios if requested.

Try it out

The migration tool is a part of the Figaf IRT application. So in it, there is the option to perform migrations.

You simply sign up on Figaf.com/IRT, and then can you get started and migrate 10 interfaces your self.

Requirements to get started

To get started you need the following.

  1. Go to Figaf.com/IRT and signup. Then you will get access to download the latest build, get a license key and view installation information
  2. Computer when Figaf can run. It comes with a build-in database so you can just start the application and run it on your laptop. This is the preferred way for Proof of Concepts or tests of it. If you want to deploy Figaf to a bigger group of developers there is a number of different options for it too servers.
  3. On the old SAP PI landscape you need a developer that has to assess to the Directory API, and then normal development configuration. It should be possible to perform file export from the development system
  4. On new SAP PI landscape SAP PI/PO 7.5 a user needs that can import, configure communication channels and use the write API. In most cases, a standard user can handle this.
  5. Access to get user management, so it is possible to adjust to create system users and add roles if possible.
  6. If you want the best test you must be able to deploy an SCA file with a module on all systems, configure it and create a user for it.

Getting started offer

We want to help you get started, so you can start planning your migration and use the Figaf tool. There is on 13 months to end of support of 7.1-7.4.

We offer a free 2-hour getting started session with one of our developers. We will help configure Figaf IRT on your laptop or a server if you have one, so you can see how the migration works in your landscape. We will help you with the first migrations. You will share your screen via Zoom and then we will help you set it up.

Register by sending an email to support@figaf.com, with information about your landscape, timezone, and availability. Then we will try to plan a meeting to help you get started on your migration. Limited sessions are available.

What is the idea with the migration tool

How fast a migration can be performed

In this video you will see the tool in action. It 17 minutes you will get introduced and will be able to see how it is possible to move multiple interfaces.

New License Option

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Licensing is pretty difficult. It is one of the findings over the years as a software vendor. We have to change the model a few times after was have been adding much more functionality into the application. I really do understand why it is something that makes things complicated.

Rule number 1 in licensing: You will never find the optimal model

Rule number 2 in licensing: Customers will always have objections to the license terms and pricing or it is too cheap

The license should match the business case

The main criteria the license should in some way reflect the way the business case is able to find the money. So if the service is able to save 100 EUR pr employee, then the software should be licensed at 50-80 EUR pr employee. That will give some room for making an ROI and will mean the business will save 20-50 EUR pr employee. It is seldom that simple.

We are creating software that makes it a lot easier to run SAP PI/CPI and API mgt. We help automate the change management process so the value you are getting from the Figaf tool is in the following ways.

  • Each time you are doing a new development or a change on interface there is a cost associated with testing, documentation, and transportation. The Figaf tool help save you time here so it makes sense to license this factor
  • The other place where the tool will help is in the areas of upgrades that the Figaf tool will help make it easier to test the SAP PI/PO system after an upgrade
  • Automation of support with the Support tool. The Support tool is a part of the suite, making it easier to set up automatic monitoring of the solution.
  • Git integration enables users to expose CPI or API mgt repository to a Git project making it a lot easier to write and test unit tests in the code.

We have expanded the reach from just testing SAP PI to be able to support the full change management process for PI/PO, CPI and API mgt. We may add SAP Open Connectors if there is a request for it. So it makes sense to consider how we can make a good license model that will enable users to grow with the product.

Earlier we licensed the number of named users, the number of the system you connected and number of test cases. It leed to some strange offers for some clients where it really did not make a lot of sense. We needed to create a license with the specific system users could use the system on.

In the new option, we tried to make it more aligned with the business values we provide and easier to maintain. To enable it we have enabled a license server that record objects are licensed. Then we can use this information to validate the used amount. The information sent is just hash of system, interface, namespace and some statistical information like type of object like ICO/IFlow. That way we will not know what systems customers are using.

  1. The number of scenarios where the Figaf tool is used. This is an ICO, Iflow in CPI and a Proxy in API mgt. We will only license the base version in the development system that way it is only the places where Figaf tool helps that is counted. It also only count the Objects where you are using Figaf to manage, so all the objects that you do not want to use the tool which is not counted. You can also connect all different types of objects under the license. So both PI, CPI or API management can be used, so you can use the tool for all the platforms that matter.
  2. The number of tickets. In Figaf we have a concent called Ticket. A Ticket is a way to collect all the information required for solving a business request, like a Jira, ServiceNow or Solution Manager. The Ticket collects all the objects that are changed as a result of the test, the transports performed for it, the testing involved.

We then have three packages

PackageSupportTestingDevOps
Supportxx
Testingxx
Change Trackingx
Ticketsx
Transportx
Documentationx
Gitx
Base Price EUR/Year€4,000.00€10,000.00€15,000.00

The one that makes most sense and where the Figaf tool is giving the most value is for the DevOps Package.

Both Testing and DevOps come with 100 Objects and DevOps comes with 100 Tickets/Year for that price. It is possible to buy an extra of both. There is a bigger discount for buying many objects.

Trial license

We have previously given a pretty wide scope for the trial license that we have, it was a community license. You could test with 10 ICOs, but it may have been able to give you too much access to use the product. With this online licensing server we also have to option to give 10 Integration Objects and 10 Tickets to trial users. You can get access to a trial license. See the email when you register.

Migration

We have added the option to help perform SAP PI/PO migrations. Here it is leveraging the same license way of licensing. Here we are counting the number of objects that you migrate to the development system in the new landscape. It will be a one time fee pr ICO that is migrated.

Try the Figaf Tool

You can signup and try the tool pretty easy. Just go to Figaf.com/IRT and try it out. It will take you around 30-60 minutes to get started on your laptop.

What is new in 2.11 new Transport for SAP PI/CPI

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Over the last two months, we have written a lot about all the features that are in the coming release, and that it can automate the migration. To be able to auto migration we have added quite a number of new functions, which also makes the platform more useful for everyday usage. The biggest is to make governance much tighter integration with the transports.

Transports

One of the big things we needed to figure out was how to do transports. It is one of the areas where I do not think SAP PI/CPI is lacking modern change management. Sure CTS transports work but they don’t really give good visibility of what is transported.

Figaf can handle full transport no more need for CTS+. A number of our customers are not using CTS+ and therefore have not really been able to leverage a good way to do change management. So now you can just switch a flag on the landscape definition in Figaf Integration Tool and then be able to use Figaf to handle all your transports.

In the transport, we have now added an option to set up approval. So Architects can approve all transports before they can be imported.

Speaking of transports we have added two new options for the transport.

  1. Direct access to transport configuration from one view. So you can configure what hostnames should be in production. Once the transport has been approved it is not possible to change the configuration, otherwise, you will need to create a new transport.
  2. Virtual comparisons of change of what is change when applying the change. This makes it a lot easier to see what really will be changed when applying the patch.
  • Transport overview with approval
  • Simulated import and affected change
  • Landscape configuration to specify non transportble values in QA and production

We are considering how we can improve transport better. That there should be required testing on QA/Test system or secondary approval before transport can be imported to production. Only specific users can approve transports or they are imported at specific times.

Releases

Normally you will just develop single development and fix an interface at the time with a link to the service request. Other times you have a release or wave with some new interfaces that need to be applied on at special time and that contains a number of changes. Which this functionality it is possible to group and manage multiple tickets and interface at the mime.

Demo

See the video about how thise functions work together, making governance possible.

So now we are just waiting on our tests is working satisfying so we can create our release. There is still a number of regressions and flows that we need to optimize. We hope to release a beta of it soon.

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Get to try this release soon

Figaf Automatic Migration Demo

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Over the last 2 months, we have been working on making full automation of the migration tool. It is probably the longest we have worked on a release. I had expected it would be a lot faster but once we got into the different areas we could see there process we could improve.

There are still a large number of customers how are still not on 7.5 for all their integrations. They will need to be using a lot of effort in migrating. We want to be able to save them time.

The migration is handled in waves/releases that each can contain a number of interfaces/ICOs. Once you have assigned an ICO to a migration task then it will guide you through the process. There is two processes and you will get tickets to handle them both in the Figaf Tool.

  1. Migrate the content from old Dev system to new Dev system
  2. Development to move from new Dev system to production.

What is the goal with the tool

The Figaf tool will handle all transports, testing, and configuration from an easy to use approach. Check the video below to see how smooth it works for the process of migrating 3 interfaces at once time.

There are still some gaps that we need to solve for the process to be maximumly automated, but we are moving towards it. It is a great leap compared to what existed earlier. It also gives a much better view of what you have migrated for each process.

Signup now to get access to the first release once we are ready.

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We have a webinar on the October 24 to share and show more of what the tool can do. We hope that you will join us to learn more.

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