SAP PO Interview Questions

Considering that the world is currently ruled by consistently evolving technology, the IT industry is growing rapidly, bringing countless options and opportunities for those looking forward to sharpening their future. 

Amidst an extensive range of IT career options, the market for Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing (SAP) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is augmenting thoroughly. As the demand for SAP Process Orchestration (PO) is very much in the market, several reputed and well-established companies are hiring for this position.

In case you are ready to create a career in this domain or are trying to switch jobs, MindMajix brings you this effective post. It covers the latest SAP PO interview questions for both beginners and advanced professionals. So, let’s get started and learn more about the questions and answers asked in SAP PO interviews.  

SAP PO Interview Questions - Table of Content

• Basic
• Experienced
• FAQs
• Tips 
• Conclusion

Top 10 Frequently Asked SAP PO Interview Questions

1. What do you mean by SAP PO?
2. What is the need for SAP PO?
3. Briefly explain SAP PI architecture.
4. What types of integrations are available in net weaver?
5. Define routing rules.
6. Mention different components available in a PI system. 
7. Explain the primary capabilities of SAP PO.
8. What are the SAP PI user interface tools?
9. Define Process Integration.
10. What do you know about Xpath?

Now that you have made up your mind and are ready to face an SAP PO interview, jotted down below are some interview questions along with answers for newcomers, experienced and advanced people. Have a look ahead!

SAP PO Interview Questions For Basic 

If you are a fresher in this domain, prepare these SAP PO interview questions for freshers and crack the interview like a pro.

1. What do you mean by SAP PO?

SAP Process Orchestration (PO) is an application or tool that helps optimize and automate business processes developed through SAP. Being an essential component of SAP ERP, it offers seamless integration between SAP and non-SAP apps. This way, it fulfills diverse requirements in an organization. 

This advanced version comes with everything needed for integration. It also helps in synchronizing data across different systems. Having said that, the liability of SAP PO is to collaborate processes through SAP development tools, thus, offering interfaces between non-SAP and SAP systems. 

If you want to enrich your career and become an SAP PO professional, enroll in "SAP PO Training". This course will help you to achieve excellence in this domain.

2. Clearly define the SAP Netweaver functionality.

SAP Netweaver is a programmed technology that caters to enterprises and helps integrate data. It offers application platforms and lets businesses process their tasks with ease from varying sources under a single umbrella of SAP environments. It is a significant base for different SAP application landscapes. 

3. What is the need for SAP PO?

When it comes to a large company, SAP ERP comprises several other systems and not an individual one. This system consists of diverse integrated systems, such as SAP CRM, FICO, EVM, and more. To manage this complicated scenario, SAP has come up with Process Integration, where SAP PO offers one point of the integrated platform across several systems without causing disturbance to the complications of the legacy system. 

This is a substantial introduction of middleware that works with the objective of offering an efficient end-to-end integration across both non-SAP and SAP tools and both externally and internally. 

[Related Article: SAP CRM Interview Questions]

4. What are the benefits of SAP PO?

One of the distinct features of SAP PO is that it allows interconnection and cross-connections between different segments via an integral broker, which is a central location. Thus, unlike any point-to-point or one-to-one connections, you get the benefit of mediating connections through different systems. 

With the introduction of SAP PO, you can now perform compound and complicated processes with ease. SAP PO has Java-based Advanced Adapter Engine (AAE) along with an integrated engine that helps in routing. 

5. What do you know about an adapter engine?

An adapter engine (Java SE) connects integrated services and multiple third-party systems. This is a software component that should be installed to work. Since there are several adapters available in the adapter engine, data based on HTTP and XML can be converted to a certain type and format. 

This adapter further enables the runtime engines of SAP PI to connect with several systems. Also, since the integrated engines are in the format of SOAP and XML if a company’s system is not fitting into the format in a certain protocol, the adapters can be used to convert or transmit the message format as per the integrated engine. 

[Related Article: SAP PI Interview Questions]

6. Briefly explain SAP PI architecture.

SAP PI architecture has several components used during runtime, configuration, and design. This comprises three systems or sources, such as the sender (source), the receiver (target system), and the architect (hub and spoke structure). Spoke is used to connect with any external system, and the hub is used primarily for exchanging messages. 

7. Explain synchronous communication under SAP PI.

Under synchronous communication, it has been derived by the response and request transaction. The output is processed and then delivered instantly after the transaction. In simple language, if a sender is sending a request to the target destination or receiver and is waiting for the reply. If there is an error coming from the receiver’s end, the sender application will be responsible for resending this request. This on-time resending of the message in PI is called the Best Effort (BE). 

8. Explain asynchronous communication under SAP PI.

Adding an intermediate or a middleware system between two different systems is called asynchronous communication. Contrary to the synchronous one, in this scenario, the receiving application is not waiting for the reply when the sender application request has been sent. In case there is an error, the middleware will take responsibility for resending the message. If needed, the receiving system will revert the reply to the sender in a different asynchronous call. 

9. Define global container and what its uses are in SAP XI.

The global container allows you to cache the values you prefer re-reading next time you would like to call on any functions that are user-defined in the same message mapping network. In terms of uses, a global container offers visibility across varying systems. You can also use a global variable with a global container. 

10. What types of integrations are available in net weaver?

In net weaver, we can find people integration, application platform, information integration, and process integration. 

11. Define the components of the net weaver.

Net Weaver has the mobile infrastructure, SAP XI WEB AS, enterprise portals, and bow. 

12. Define the message flow in SAP XI.

It starts with inbound handling and then goes to receiver determination. The next stage is interface determination. Post that, channel determination comes into the picture. And then mapping and outbound handling. 

13. Define routing rules.

The receiver determination rules and interface determination rules comprise mapping assignments.

14. What do you know about service users?

Service users have SAP user roles on the ABAP component of the SAP web considering that can be found on the J2ee part in the form of groups. 

15. What is the central administration transaction to handle the alerting?

To handle the alerting, the central administration that is used is ALRTCATDEF. 

SAP PO Interview Questions For Experienced 

If you are an experienced person with 5+ years in your kitty and are trying to change your job, these experienced SAP PO interview questions and answers will help you get the job seamlessly. 

16. Mention different components available in a PI system. 

The PI system has been classified into these components:

• Integration server
• Monitoring and configuration
• Integration builder
• System Landscape Directory (SLD)

17. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of asynchronous communication under SAP PI.

Here is the list of advantages and disadvantages of asynchronous communication under SAP PI:

Advantages	Disadvantages
The SAP PI system ascertains the message delivery by resending it during times of failures or errors.	It is necessary to correlate the response to the request automatically.
It doesn’t require several configurations to check on duplicate messages.	Response routing and response implementation should be done separately.
It allows the configuration of multiple receivers.	It does not respond immediately.

18. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of synchronous communication under SAP PI.

Here is the list of advantages and disadvantages of synchronous communication under SAP PI:

Advantages	Disadvantages
Configuring response message routing is not required.	The sender should resend the message in case of failure or disruption.
Correlating the response to a specific request is not required.	The receiving system must be configured to check duplicate messages.
Response to a request gets received instantly.	The sender application remains blocked until a response is received or a time-out error comes up.

19. Explain the primary capabilities of SAP PO.

There are three primary capabilities of SAP PO, such as:

• Connectivity: It offers the competence to connect to varying software or applications, regardless of whether they are external or internal. This connectivity structure facilitates several adapters, thus, enabling the connectivity to several applications.

• Mapping: It is capable of interpreting files into several formats, regardless of whether the file is an internal one or a B2B one. 

• Coordinating or Routing: It makes sure there is precise communication happening from the source to the destination. 

[Related Article: What is SAP PO]

20. Differentiate between proxies and adapters. 

The differences between proxies and adapters can be comprehended from the table mentioned below. 

Proxies	Adapters
You can use proxies for equal or higher SAP WAS 6.20.	You can use adapters for lower versions of both non-SAP and SAP systems
It is used by the application or the system to receive connectivity from any external source.	It is used whenever a diversified current application gets incorporated.
The server proxy can be found in the destination, and the client proxy is in the source.	The adapter can be found in the XI box, also known as the middleware.
Proxies can be used to transfer huge files to ECC.	Adapters can be used to transfer small files to ECC.

21. What are the SAP PI user interface tools?

The SAP PI user interface tools can be used to access varying components of the SAP PI system. However, some of the most common ones are:

• ES Builder: It allows the Java user interface to work in Enterprise Service Repository (ESR).

• SAP NW Developer Studio: This one is a Java eclipse-based tool that can be used for editing objects and viewing them in ESR. 

• Integration Builder: It helps Java users work the interface to work on the integration directory. 

22. What are the types of node functions? Give a brief about them.

The different types of node functions include:

• UseOneAsMany: It is a part of the graphical mapping in SAP PI/PO. With this node function, you can replicate a specific value from the primary source to different targeted sections. 

• Createif: Whenever you would want to create a node on the basis of an input value or a condition, the create if the function is used.

• SplitByVAlue: When you change the context with relevance to the modifications in value on the basis of the input’s value, the output gets classified or separated.

• CopyValue(): This function helps you copy a position’s value from the structure of a source and allows the same to a source that is repeatedly occurring.

• CollapseContext: Just as the name suggests, this one gets the first value of each context from the input to the output. 

23. What are the activities in SAP post-go-live knowledge management?

Here is the list of activities in SAP post-go-live knowledge management:

• Process organization within roles
• Evaluating the processes of people and discovering the gap
• Creation and updation of documents
• Updating transmission
• Adaptation to the changes in management and knowledge management
• Identifying user roles according to the module

24. What are the different adapters in the advanced adapter engine and integration engine of the PI system? Mention their uses as well. 

The different adapters used are as follows:

• RFC Adapter: It is used for communicating with other SAP systems.

• JDBC: This one allows database access.

• Mail Adapter: It helps enable the connection between email servers to the integrated engine.

• XI Adapter: It lets you communicate or transact through a proxy. 

• HTTP Adapter / HTTP AAE Adapter: It lets you exchange data with an HTTP connection in a simple format, thus, letting the application system choose to communicate with AAE. 

• WS Adapter: As per the Web Services Reliable Messaging (WS-RM), this adapter simply enables WS consumers and WS providers.

• File Adapter/File: Through the FTP server or the file interface, data exchange happens with external systems.

• IDoc Adapter: This one helps to exchange IDocs. 

25. What are the components you can evaluate under the Configuration and Monitoring options?

Under the configuration and monitoring options, below-mentioned are some components that we can configure and monitor: 

• Component Monitoring: Herein, we can monitor components of SAP PI and ABAP.

• Visibility of Runtime Cache Monitoring: It helps evaluate runtime cache.

• Message Monitoring: With this, you can monitor the status of a message that is processing in the SAP PI component.

• Alert Configuration: It lets you report or log all the errors happening in Java and ABAP. This one is a special Alert Configuration feature that helps define the policy for reporting while evaluating errors to comprehend whether the error should be reported. 

• Performance Monitoring: With this monitoring aspect, you can keep tabs on several performance measures of the SAP PI system and create several reports. 

• Alert Inbox: It lets you view alerts according to the configuration.

• End-to-End Monitoring: It helps monitor the end in the SAP PI system for a specific process.

• Message Index Search: You can perform several searches through this, including adapter-specific searches and index-based searches. 

26. Define Process Integration.

Process integration can be generally used as a Middleware Engine that helps communicate in a distributed environment. The Integration Engine is the heart of XI that helps integrate varying technologies through standard messaging techniques, such as XML. You can find diverse mapping tools available for mapping the distributed system, which can easily be mapped even if you don’t have technical expertise. XI engine further supports previous SAP R/3 releases and has several adapters to communicate with legacy systems. 

27. When will you use Java and ABAP mapping? 

Java uses the J2EE engine to run, and ABAP mapping runs on the ABAP stack. The latter option is more appropriate if your requirement is to perform several RFC classes for RFC lookup, as it can be done seamlessly through ABAP code. On the other hand, the former offers a streamlined method to use the API of Java. It also makes use of a SAX parser that offers better performance, while ABAP mapping makes use of a DOM parser. 

28. Mention some of the transaction codes in XI.

Jotted down below are some transaction codes that can be used in XI. 

Code	Uses
SXMB_IFR	Starting Builder
SXMB_MONI	Integration Engine, Monitoring
SXI_MONITOR	XI Message Monitoring
SLDCHECK	Test SLD Connection
SLDAPICUST	SLD API Customization
SXMB_ADM	Integration Engine, Administration
SXI_CACHE	XI Directory Cache
SXMB_MONI_BPE	Process Engine, Monitoring

29. What do you know about Xpath?

Xpath is a path that leads to an XML tag. This is an expression language that addresses portions of an XML document or computing values, such as boolean values, numbers, or strings, based on the XML document’s content. This path also is a specification of the entire XML family. By using this, you can address nodes in an XML document. 

30. What do you know about DOM and SAX?

DOM is referred to as a Document Object Model, and the DOM parser helps load the XML into memory. On the other hand, SAX is referred to as a Simple API for XML, and the SAX parser, being the memoryless parser, is recommended whenever an XML structure is big in size. 

SAP PO FAQs

1. What is SAP PO used for?

SAP Process Orchestration (PO) is used for optimizing and automating business processes. It offers combined features of SAP Business Rules Management (BRM), SAP Process Integration (PI), and SAP Business Process Management (BPM). 

2. What is the role of SAP PI PO?

Companies use SAP PI/PO to streamline system-to-system communication, like file and data transfer and message transfer between systems, applications, and databases. 

3. What is the PO processing time in SAP?

Processing time is referred to as the time required by the customer to convert a Purchase Requisition (PR) into a Purchase Order (PO). For externally sourced services and products, the processing time gets recorded during the process of scheduling. 

4. Is SAP PI and SAP PO the same?

No, they are not the same. SAP Process Integration (PI) is a part of SAP Process Orchestration (PO). 

Tips to Clear SAP PO Interview

Now that you are well-prepared with the SAP PO interview questions, here are a few tips to clear the SAP PO interview that you should keep in mind:

Tip #1: Know about the company

Before appearing for the interview, make sure you check all the informative content available on the website and social media platforms of the company. Read reviews posted by ex or current employees, articles, and industry publications. This will help you prepare adequate responses and make a positive impression on the interviewer(s). 

Tip #2: Stay updated with the industry

Learn to integrate products in data processing and processes in system applications. Get to know how these processes will be helpful to businesses. Try to get information regarding the competitors of the company and compare them. Find out how things can be improved and pinpoint them during the interview.

Tip #3: Prepare concise, appropriate responses

By having adequate responses to interview questions, you can perform better. Research profoundly and customize answers as per your experience and the company’s needs. 

Tip #4: Practice common questions

Amidst other factors, an interviewer evaluates your suitability for the position by assessing the extent of your technical knowledge and how you convey the same succinctly. If you are self-assured, responsible, and calm, you will be an ideal candidate. To achieve that level, take mock interviews and become adept with responses. Record yourself and understand the areas that can be improved. Practice until you are perfect. 

Tip #5: Get ready with questions to ask

Towards the end of the interview, the interviewer will be asking you whether there are any questions you’d like to ask. Make sure you don’t let go of this opportunity and ask things about the company. Try to know the first-day expectations, job responsibilities, and work culture. Make sure your questions reflect your interest in working with that firm. 

Conclusion

Here are some additional factors to remember as you strive for a successful interview: ensure you are well-prepared for a practical self-introduction. In addition to presenting your credentials, it is crucial to showcase your relevant technical expertise and experience related to the position you are seeking. Emphasizing your involvement in intricate projects and highlighting the various interfaces you have developed can provide a significant edge.

If you are a newbie and would like to sharpen your skills in this domain to grab a high-paying job, enroll yourself in this SAP PO Training course presented by MindMajix. The course helps you learn how to develop a thorough business process via process orchestration. It also helps you manage service interfaces and much more.