VIM - Scanning and Document

Ingestion
February 2015

Michael Feyhl, OpenText Product Management

Objective

Explain some options available around configuration of

OpenText Document pipelines in context of VIM.

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Agenda

Scanning and Archiving using OAWD and Enterprise Scan

Scanning and Archiving using Enterprise Scan (stand
alone)
A closer look at OpenText EXR3 archive pipeline
VIM, ICC and 3rd party Archive
General Overview: Different channels and formats

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Scanning and Archiving using
OAWD and Enterprise Scan
Scanning in OAWD

SAPs standard transaction for ArchiveLink Store Documents

Advantage:
This is SAP Standard (for good or bad)
SAP user logon requiered: proper tracking of scan user
Simple configuration by authorization: User -> Document Type + Archive
Modes
Limitations + Issues:
No indexing during scanning/archiving: only AL Doc Type + Free text note
available
Some clients want stand alone scanning (no SAPGUI involved)
How can it be used in context of non-OT archive

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 Enterprise Scan and OAWD

1. Press scan to
pick up document
from scanner and
turn into TIF
image

2. Press ok button
for one document or
mass archiving
Enterprise Scan for multiple
OAWD documents to
initiate archiving
and start VIM

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 Technical flow (OpenText Archive)
Enterprise Scan Client

2. trigger archiving (OLE

front end communication)
OAWD
4. Return Archive Doc Id
1. scanning

get profile from Archive Server

3. store image in
pipeline input directory 5. Start workflow to
register image in VIM

SAP + Vendor Invoice Management

5. Archive image to
archive server OCR Duplicate
Validation
check
.
IDR

SAP System

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Scanning and Archiving using
Enterprise Scan (stand alone)
Stand Alone Scanning

Scan user uses Enterprise Scan but not SAP screen

Option to use index fields in Enterprise Scan
SAP/VIM trigger through RFC call in background
Requires:
Enterprise Scan scripting
Configuration of EXR3 pipeline (SAP is triggered via RFC)
Option to use index fields to allow user to choose country/document
type or similar
SAP ABAP add for SAP Document Archiving (DocuLink) in the
system
Configuration of function module in table J_6NGTE26
Whitepaper with prototype configuration exits

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 Technical flow (OpenText Archive Suite)
Enterprise Scan Client

Different pipeline (EXR3) is used compared to

scanning with OAWD
2. Press archive
button Only supported for OpenText Archive Suite
1. scanning

3. store image in
pipeline input directory

5. Call SAP (RFC) to

do VIM registration

SAP + Vendor Invoice Management

4. Archive image to OCR Duplicate

Validation
check
.
archive server IDR

SAP System

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A closer look at EXR3 pipeline
Dont be afraid of pipelines..
EXR3 Pipeline: What is it?

Input: image file + attribute file

Result:
Image is stored in Archive Server
Archive Document ID and attributes are handed over to SAP via RFC
Processing option inside SAP:
Insert attributes into table and link entry into ArchiveLink tables (e.g. TOA01)
Call a function module
Use cases:
Bulk Batch Load (e.g. 3rd party scanning)
Stand alone scanning without OAWD
Interface for 3rd party OCR
(archiving into non-OT archives)

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Pipeline components

OS service
Sequence of tools to be applied in defined order
Input directory
Internal directory which holds current state of active documents
in the pipeline
Pipeline monitor
Configuration files
Bespoke pipeline tools (java, perl) and bespoke pipelines are
possible
Pipeline can run on scan host, on archive server, on separate
server

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Pipeline Monitor

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Technical Components: Windows Service

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Technical components: internal directory

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Technical components: Input Directory

Typically one sub directory per document

4 files

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Pipeline Input files
Commands file

Attribute file (can also be XML)

+ Image file, empty LOG file

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SAP function module

Pipeline mode used to identify function module

(example: 8)

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Demo

Show input files

Kickoff pipeline
Remote debugging in SAP (DW3)
Pipeline monitor

Show pipeline directory

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Documentation

VIM Configuration Guide Chapter 8.5. Connecting using

the document pipeline
OpenText Document Pipeline Documentation

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Conclusion

OpenText archive pipelines are a powerful and

proven architecture to store content in the archive
and trigger SAP

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VIM, ICC and 3rd party Archive

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VIM, ICC and Archive

In general we recommend to use OpenText Archive

SAP Content Server is not a real archive (see appendix)
Some features are not available for non-OT Archive (e.g.
Batch Load)

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Differentiators against Competition

What has the competition in common

ArchiveLink standardizes the way archiving solutions connect to SAP
Certifications for the ArchiveLink interface

Arguments for OpenText Archiving & Document Access for SAP Solutions
Mature product, proven solution on the market since nearly 2 decades
High profile customer base over 3000 customers worldwide
Only archiving solution which is sold by SAP
SAP Premium Qualification process ensures highest product standards
UNIQUE feature of SAP Document Access
Business process views & 360 degree views based on virtual folder (Module DocuLink)
Configurable, easy to use, thumbnail selection, module and application spanning, integration of external content
Extending ArchiveLink access to documents (Module ArchiveLink PLUS)
Extensible attributes, compelling attachment list, full text search
Strong Archive Server, highly scalable, ready for enterprise deployment
Support of all leading storage vendors (CAS, NAS, SAN, HSM, Cloud)
Integrated in customers SAP support infrastructure for low TCO
System Landscape Directory, Solution Manager Diagnostics, for monitoring, root cause analysis, end-to-end supportability
SAP certified in all relevant categories
SAP Certified integration with SAP NetWeaver (ArchiveLink (4.5 & 4.7), ArchiveLink Load Text, ILM WebDAV)
SAP Certified powered by SAP NetWeaver
SAP Enterprise Support Integration
Qualified to run on SAP Business Suite on HANA
Provides the platform for enterprise wide Enterprise Content Management
Can be enriched with out-of-the-box business applications by SAP and Open Text

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VIM, ICC + SAP Content Server/3rd party archive

OpenText Enterprise Scan and pipeline framework will be

included into ICC package (not: VIM)
Technical integration
No yet clear if out of the box integration will be delivered as part of
the product
Maybe only cookbook or example coding
Limited scope
Development and testing against SAP Content Server
For low to mid volumes

As of today: Customer specific integration work

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Connect Enterprise Scan and SAP Content Server (3rd
party archive)

Option 1: Scan to file system and manual drag&drop into OAWD

Option 2: Scan to file system shared between scan client and SAP
Server upload with ABAP means and archiving from ABAP memory

Option 3: Use pipeline framework to develop standard ArchiveLink

pipeline
Custom pipeline option in Enterprise Scan to avoid call to admin service
Pipeline tool to do archiving through pure ArchiveLink
Requires ABAP transport for DocuLink function group
OpenText is working on a prototype
Option 4,5,6.

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Example Option 2: (Copy of)* SAP report
OA_UPLOAD_AND_LINK

* Adjust to Enterprise Scan output file structure

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What is your experience?

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Incoming channels - overview

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Overview VIM incoming channels/formats
Channel/Format Tool(s) Comment

Scanning Enterprise Scan OpenText archive only/project solution for 3rd party

Upload OAWD Generic

DesktopLink OpenText archive only
Pipeline OpenText archive only
Email SAP SMTP interface
ExchangeLink, NotesLink OpenText archive only
Import into Enterprise Scan OpenText archive only, limitations (?)
IDOC VIM IDOC mapping

Ariba network Integration into SAP Ariba suite adapter

Ariba PI adapter
GXS network, IDOC
other networks
XML VIM IDH framework Email + pipeline, project extension

XLS Sheet No standard solution (prototype on demo

system)
API API for 3rd party OCR systems

Fax Download + pipeline

Email

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Special topics

Topic Details Comment

ZUGFeRD PDF A/3 with embedded XML VIM + ICC, planned on roadmap

XML + PDF 2 documents, PDF in XML, XML in PDF Planned on roadmap

Document splitting One PDF file several invoices Planned (based on Business Center IDF)

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Q&A

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Appendix: OT Archive versus
SAP Content Server

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SAP about SAP Content Server
on http://help.sap.com

The SAP Content Server is not

intended to replace optical storage
systems and other storage media
for the long-term archiving of
documents.

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SAP about the SAP Content Server

SAP Content Server has no recommendation for high volumes of

documents by SAP
SAP Content Server back-up is more complex
SAP Content Server can use optical media just via 3rd-party
solutions
SAP Content Server has no included scanning functionality
SAP Content Server is not recommended for compliant long-term
Archiving by SAP Archiving group

Statements provided by the SAP Archiving

group on the positioning of the SAP Content
Server as compared to SAP Archiving &
Document Access by OpenText

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SAP about the SAP Content Server -
Background
SAP Content Server has no recommendation for high volumes of documents
by SAP
Document volumes as are typical with SAP Invoice Management of 100.000
documents a year and more are considered high volume
SAP Content Server back-up is more complex
There is no built-in backup for the content store (file system or database), which
can be quite huge.
SAP Content Server can use optical media just via 3rd-party solutions
SAP Content Server stores documents either in the database or the filesystem.
It can use optical media or WORM-like storage just via 3rd-party solutions
SAP Content Server has no included scanning functionality,
Also other important functionality is missing: no batch input, no functionality similar
to DesktopLink, ExchangeLink, NotesLink to integrate desktop documents and
emails
SAP Content Server is not recommended for compliant long-term Archiving
by SAP Archiving group
see SAP Content Server on help.sap.com
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/EN/f6/3e3d54ed0bf340bce735a47209
85ee/content.htm

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 OT Archive Server and Enterprise Library
versus SAP Content Server
OT
Store & retrieve content Timestamps Archive
Server
Caching &
Cache Servers
Encryption SAP
Content
Server
SSL & SecKeys Retention handling

Archive Server assembly ILM WebDAV

& Scalability Backup & Replication
Support

Storage virtualization Single instance

Disaster recovery
archiving

Long-term preservation
High availability High volume filing
& readability

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 Positioning of SAP Content Server
as compared to OpenText Archive Server
OpenText Archive Server is Secure!
It is the best available solution to meet all legal OpenText Archive Server is an
requirements for secure and long-term storage of ECM solution!
documents and meta data.
Security, reliability, and the ability to
run in many different environments
Secure long-term make the Archive Server a enterprise-
storage wide document management
backbone for all business related
SAP Content Server is: documents within a company!

usable in a SAP
environment only. OpenText
not an archiving system and Archive Server
provides a low level of OpenText Archive Server
security and availability. is Versatile!
SAP Content PLM

not suitable for storage of Customers are able to run

Server

documents with a legal Archive Server in a many

relevance. different scenarios and
environments!
Short-term storage
CRM

Groupware

ECM
SD

FI

of dynamic content Solution

DMS
Sharpoint legacy
SAP Exchange
systems
etc.

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Summary

SAP Content Server is not an archiving system. It is missing important

functionality to ensure secure, authentic, unaltered and long-term document storage,
which is required to meet legal rules and regulations e.g for financial documents.
SAP Content Server is storage solution without additional components (like
scan client) required to support complex customer scenarios. In opposite to this,
OpenText is offering a complete product and solution suite. OpenText offering
results in higher license costs, but lower project costs and maintenance efforts as well
as in a much higher system security.
SAP Content Server is suitable to store dynamic content like marketing materials or
knowledge management content. OpenText Archive Server is a high-available and
high-secure solution required by companies for a secure long-term storage of
business critical documents and information.
SAP Content Server is a SAP-only solution. There are no integrations with other
applications available. OpenText Archive Server and Enterprise Library is a ECM
document repository and supports a variety of different leading enterprise
applications.

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