The Role of Cloud Connector in CPI

What is Cloud Connector?

Cloud Connector is an application that creates a secure connection with SAP ‘cloud’ in order to ensure that systems in customers' on-premises or private cloud environments communicate securely with SAP Cloud products. It can be installed on Windows, Linux and Mac OS operating systems.

Cloud Connector Features:

• Provides a critical link between SAP BTP applications and on-premise systems.
• It offers a simple installation with a clear and easy configuration of the systems offered to SAP BTP.
• Allows the use of existing on-premise assets without exposing the entire internal infrastructure.
• Works as an on-premise agent within a secure network.
• Acts as a reverse call proxy between the on-premise network and SAP BTP.
• It offers detailed control on the following issues:

  • On-premise systems and resources that can be accessed by cloud applications.

  • Cloud applications using the Cloud Connector. It offers detailed control over the following issues:

• Provides the use of the necessary features for business-critical corporate scenarios.
• Automatically repairs interrupted connections.
• Keeps an audit log of incoming traffic and configuration changes.
• Can be run in a high availability configuration.

Cloud Connector Advantages:

Compared to the approach of opening ports on the firewall and providing access to internal systems using reverse proxies in the DMZ, Cloud Connector offers the following advantages:

• You do not need to configure the on-premises firewall to allow external access to internal systems from SAP BTP. It does not require any changes for authorised outbound connections.
• The Cloud Connector supports various additional protocols besides HTTP. For example, local access to ABAP systems can be provided by calling function modules with the RFC protocol.
• Cloud Connector can be used to connect on-premises databases or BI tools to SAP HANA databases in the cloud.
• Cloud Connector allows you to securely transmit the identities of cloud users to on-premises systems.
• It offers a low total cost of ownership (TCO) with easy installation and configuration processes and is optimised for your cloud scenarios.
• SAP provides standard support service for Cloud Connector

Example Cloud Connector Scenarios:

Connecting Cloud Applications to On-Premise System:

1. Install the Cloud Connector.
2. Establish the connection between the Cloud Connector, the back-end system and your SAP BTP subaccount.
3. Allow your cloud application to access the intranet back-end system.
4. Connect your cloud application to an on-premise system.

Connecting On-Premise Database Tools to SAP HANA Database

1. Install and configure the Cloud Connector.
2. Provide access to HANA databases in SAP BTP.
3. Connect an on-premise database or BI tools to a HANA database in SAP BTP.

The Role of Cloud Connector in CPI:

Purpose: The main purpose of CPI Cloud Connector is to provide data exchange and integration processes by establishing a secure connection between SAP Cloud Platform Integration and on-premises systems.

Providing Secure Communication: Cloud Connector creates a secure tunnel between cloud applications and on-premises systems by bypassing firewalls, so that internal systems can communicate without direct exposure to the Internet.

Protocol Diversity: Cloud Connector supports various protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, RFC, SOAP and OData. In this way, a wide range of systems and applications can be adapted.

Authentication and Authorisation: It provides strong authentication and authorisation mechanisms to ensure that only authorised users and systems can access on-premises resources.

Monitoring and Logging: Cloud Connector provides comprehensive monitoring and logging capabilities to ensure traffic monitoring, troubleshooting, and security of data exchange.

Ease of Configuration: Installation and configuration of Cloud Connector includes processes such as establishing access controls, defining virtual hosts, configuring network settings, and establishing a trust relationship between cloud and on-premises systems.

Scalability and High Availability: Supports scalability and high availability options to respond to increasing integration needs and ensure uninterrupted operation.

SAP CPI Integration: Once installed, Cloud Connector seamlessly integrates with SAP Cloud Platform Integration, providing secure access of integration flows to on-premises systems.

Overall, SAP CPI Cloud Connector plays a critical role in hybrid integration scenarios where organisations need to securely and efficiently integrate their cloud-based applications with their on-premises systems.

SAP PI/PO Consulting