Application Interface Framework (AIF) is an important and mandatory component when you are working with SAP Central Finance. The data flow from source system to target system passes a stage where the dashboard of successful and failed messages is visible.

For SAP Central Finance the name space is = /FINCF

To start with the process first the AIF content needs to be extracted

After this system will add the sub interfaces in transaction /AIF/IFMON (like below)

To view this, you need to have access to view AIF messages. Your user needs to be added in AIF RECIPIENT table

Enter the name of the user and create a new entry for the following:

• Namespace: /FINCF
• Recipient for Alert: CFIN_RECIPIENT
• Message Type: Application Error or Technical Error
• Select the Include on Overview Screen checkbox

AIF is very performance heavy application so ensure in your set up the parameters are controlled by you.

AIF is triggered via enablers (/AIF/CL_ENABLER_XML > > TRANSFER_TO_AIF method)

If in this case if 1 message is transferred via AIF then AIF will not wait for 19 messages and it will create a job for 1 message. Job will be created for RUN and RUN creates the child job (PACKAGE). So if you are sending 800 messages one by one then you are asking AIF to create 800*2 =1600 background jobs. This can be huge for system performance. This issue can be avoided by doing this set up correctly and using other options to execute AIF RUN.

Automation in AIF

Once SAP Central Finance goes live AIF is the daily job for the users (depending on how organization is structured) who are monitoring AIF. So its also important to think forward and rather someone manually looking at errors, coordinating with relevant teams like master data, IT, Functional etc so automation can be plugged in to make process simpler/faster as every month you need to have AIF clean as much as possible.

Some examples are below but its more dependent on project/customer.

1. Custom hints

2. Classification of messages by system/Company code/Controlling area

3. Classification of messages by Message type

4. Upload Assignments of AIF Error Message Numbers to Error Categories.

In AIF, users can use recipient setting to define which user is responsible for which data message. AIF has introduced several customizing tables to let users define message categories and message assignments. With the functionality users can define the responsible person with message categories for FI interfaces. If the list with message categories is quite long, it is very cumbersome to maintain the assignments.

With this enhancement, you can now upload the assignments of AIF messages to message categories from a file. Specifically, you can update the AIF message category assignments in batches to save time.

Steps

1. Go to transaction – /AIF/MANAGE_MSGC_ASN

2. Generate Template

3. Prepare Template

4. Upload Template

5. Loaded

Fiori Apps are also available for AIF

Standard Roles available for AIF

There are many tips & tricks for using AIF and minimising performance issues. I will try to compile more on this topic and try to have a subsequent blog.

Hope you enjoy reading this and use it in your projects.