SAP PI and BizTalk can both be used to integrate SAP systems with other non-SAP systems. SAP PI is designed specifically for SAP integration and uses native SAP protocols, while BizTalk is more generalized and can integrate a variety of systems including SAP. An organization can use both products together, with SAP PI handling internal SAP module integration and BizTalk serving as the broader enterprise service bus for system to system integration across the organization.

1. SAP PI Vs BizTalk
Do We need to use one or the other?

2. Microsoft BizTalk Server Vs
Based Integration
SAP netweaver PI Based
Integration
RFC BAPI tRFC IDOC
SAP Interfaces
RFC BAPI tRFC IDOC
SAP PI
Microsoft BizTalk Server/ ESB Microsoft BizTalk Server/ ESB
SAP Interfaces
SAP Modules SAP Modules

3. Product Comparison
SAP PI Microsoft BizTalk Server
ESB product designed and implemented
to integrate SAP systems with non-SAP
Systems
More generalized product, ability to
integrate variety of systems including
SAP and other products
Mostly used only by SAP customers to
enable SOAP based integrations.
Certified by Microsoft and SAP to
Integrate with SAP directly without the
need of any middle layer.
Ability to interface directly using RFCs,
BAPI and IDOC.

4. Introducing SAP PI
 Is same as duplicating the ESB with a different
product
 In addition to SAP skills and SAP PI skills are also
needed to implement and maintain.
 Developers need to learn SAP PI as well as BizTalk
Server
 Cost and Licensing overheads as SAP PI is priced
based on overall message volume processed.
 Additional policies and process overheads

5. Functional Coverage Comparison

6. So, Does these products Co-Exist
within an enterprise?

7. modules
SAP
FI CO PS
NetWeaver PI API
BT
adapter
BizTalk
App /
service
App /
service
App /
service
BT
adapter
BT
adapter
App /
service
App /
service
internal integration
Answer is “Yes”

8. • SAP in constructed in a series of modules aligned around processing function
• SAP internal integration of modules is done primarily module to module as an integral part of the application
• SAP NetWeaver Process Integrator (PI) is a component of the SAP product and
• provides selected internal component integrations for the application
• provides a SOA based means of integrating to the package through an ‘API’. Integration to SAP through PI on a SOA
model (eg using WebServices) abstracts the external application from proprietary changes that SAP may make to
their software
• Is not suitable as a general purpose middleware tool for broad corporate use
• Microsoft BizTalk is a general application integration middleware (ESB) that provides the infrastructure for SOA style
application development and abstracts applications and services from each other through defined WebServices based
integration
• MS BizTalk product provides
• certain pre-packed integrations to major products to make integration to those products easier. These are
referred to as adaptors and MS maintains them with releases of other software
• strong integration to other tools especially Visual Studio to facilitate SOA style application development in a
unified development environment
• Strong integration to systems management tools to monitor performance and reliability
• BizTalk also provides additional services such as:
• queue management, security services, orchestrations, delivery status, data transformations etc.
• Management services such as registration of reusable services that can be called
• Note that the use of BizTalk is not just for integration to the SAP ERP, but for systems to system integration broadly
• It is common practice to have multiple service buses in an organization where a particular bus serve serves a cluster of
applications that integrate and the buses themselves interconnect