This article will help you understand the basics of ALE and IDocs via a simple do-it-yourself

example. We will create a custom IDoc in one SAP system and then post some business data
through it to another SAP system. Business data will be picked up from custom data dictionary
tables.

ALE Application Link Enabling is a mechanism by which SAP systems communicate with
each other and with non-SAP EDI subsystems. Thus it helps integration of distributed systems. It
supports fail-safe delivery which implies that sender system does not have to worry about
message not reaching the source due to unavoidable situations. ALE can be used for migration
and maintenance of master data as well as for exchanging transactional data.

The messages that are exchanged are in the form of IDocs or Intermediate Documents. IDocs act
like a container or envelope for the application data. An IDOC is created as a result of execution
of an Outbound ALE. In an Inbound ALE an IDOC serves as an input to create application
document. In the SAP system IDocs are stored in the database tables. They can be used for SAP
to SAP and SAP to non-SAP process communication as long as the participating processes can
understand the syntax and semantics of the data. Complete documentation on IDOC is obtained
by using transaction WE60.

Every IDoc has exactly one control record along with a number of data records and status
records. Control record has the details of sender/receiver and other control information. Data
records contain the actual business data to be exchanged while the status records are attached to
IDoc throughout the process as the IDoc moves from one step to other.

Now, let us understand the ALE Configuration by means of an example scenario below:

The Scenario

Data from custom tables (created in customer

namespace) is to be formatted into an IDoc and
sent from one SAP R/3 system to another using
ALE service. We need to have two instances of
SAP R/3 systems or we can simulate this on two
clients of the same SAP R/3 system.

Create three tables as shown below.

Creating Custom IDoc type and Message type
All the objects created should be present on both source as well as target system(s).

1. Create segments Transaction WE31

Create a segment ZRZSEG1

Add all fields of table ZCUSTOMERS to it
Save the segment and go back
Release it using the menu path Edit -> Set Release
Similarly create two more segments given below
Seg. ZRZSEG2 to hold all fields of table ZSOHEADERS
Seg. ZRZSEG3 to hold all fields of table ZSOITEMS

2. Create Basic IDoc type Transaction WE30

Create a Basic type ZRZORDER

Add the created segments in the hierarchy shown
 Maintain attributes for each of the segments
Save the object and go back
Release the object using the menu path Edit -> Set Release

3. Create/Assign Message type Transactions WE81/WE82

Go to WE81
Create a new Message type ZRZSO_MT
Save the object
Go to WE82 and create new entry
Assign the message type ZRZSO_MT to the basic type ZRZORDER
Also specify the Release Version
Save the object

Thus we have defined the IDoc structure which will hold the data to be transferred. In the next
part of the article we will understand the outbound settings, i.e. the settings to be done in the
source system.

In the previous part we created an IDoc structure which can carry our data from source system to
target system(s). In this part we will understand how to setup the source system to be able to
generate and send an outbound IDoc.

Outbound Settings

Define Logical Systems and Assign Client to Logical System Transaction SALE

Go to Define Logical System (See

the figure)
Define a new logical system to
identify the local system and save it
Now, go to Assign Client to
Logical System (See the figure)
Add a new entry
Specify the client, previously created logical system and other attributes
Save the entry
Define a new logical system to identify the partner system and save it

Maintain RFC Destinations Transaction SM59

Create a new RFC destination for R/3 type connection

Specify the target host on Technical settings tab
Provide the Logon credentials on the Logon/Security tab
Save the settings
To verify the settings, Click on Test connection or Remote logon

Define Ports Transaction WE21

 We need to define a tRFC port for the partner system
Click on Transactional RFC node
Create a new port
Provide a description
Specify the name of the target RFC destination
Save the object

Maintain Distribution Model Transaction BD64

Click on Change
Create a new model view
Provide a Short text and Technical name to the model view
Add message type
Specify sender and receiver systems
Also, specify the message type that we created previously
Save the Distribution model

Generate/Create Partner Profile Transactions BD82/WE20

To generate Partner profiles automatically you may use BD82 or go to BD64 and use the
menu path Environment -> Generate partner profiles
o Otherwise, you may use transaction WE20 to create a partner profile
On selection screen, specify the model view, target system and execute
The result log will be displayed on the next screen
To verify the partner profile go to WE20
Check the partner profile for the target system
Distribute Model View Transaction BD64

Select the Model View

Go to menu path Edit -> Model View -> Distribute
Result log will be displayed on the next screen

Outbound IDoc Generation Program

Create an executable program ZRZ_ORDER_IDOC in SE38. Below, I have described the

program logic:

Fetch the data from the DDic tables ZCUSTOMERS, ZSOHEADERS and ZSOITEMS
as per the selection criteria
Fill the control record structure of type EDIDC
o Specify message type, Basic IDoc type, tRFC Port, Partner number and Partner
type of the receiver
Fill the data records
o Define structures like the IDoc segments
o Fill the structures with fetched data
o Pass the segment name and the above structure to the appropriate fields of
EDIDD type structure
o Append the EDIDD structure to the EDIDD type internal table
Now, call the function module MASTER_IDOC_DISTRIBUTE and pass the IDoc
control record structure and data record table
Commit work if return code is zero
Function module returns a table of type EDIDC to provide the details about generated
IDoc
Display appropriate log

You can download sample code for the above program here.

Thus we have completed sender side configuration required for ALE. In the next part we will see
how to configure the receiving system to be able to receive and post the inbound IDoc.