Overview

The Client Fault Tolerance feature allows the Universal Connector client application to be shut down and restarted at a later time.

This functionality helps avoid problems that can result if the Universal Connector application terminates unexpectedly while processing an SAP process chain. In such an instance, the Client Fault Tolerance restart capability allows Universal Connector to reconnect to a running (or completed) process chain while preventing the unintentional start of a new process chain instance.

To achieve Client Fault Tolerance, Universal Connector must be able to associate an SAP process chain instance with a particular unit of work. In this context, a unit of work includes the Universal Connector client and SAP process chain instance.

To associate an SAP process chain instance with a particular unit of work, the user must be able to specify some identifying characteristic that is specific to that unit of work. The SAP system uniquely identifies process chains by a log ID. However, since the process chain log ID is assigned by the SAP system at the time of instantiation, Universal Connector must use an alternative characteristic; the Universal Connector command Identifier.

Universal Connector references a particular unit of work by a chain ID/Command Identifier combination. The Universal Connector command identifier is associated with the SAP process chain by creating a dummy job in the SAP system with a log ID step and a Command ID Step. The log ID step stores the value of the process chain log ID that is generated by the SAP system. The Command ID step stores the value of the Universal Command ID. The dummy job that is created for client fault tolerant process chains is never actually run. It is just used to associate a Universal Connector Command ID with an SAP process chain log ID within the SAP system. After successful processing of the process chain, the dummy job is removed from the system.

Detailed Information

The following pages provide detailed information for Client Fault Tolerance - Universal Connector Process Chains: