What Is a Digital Integration Hub?

A Digital Integration Hub (DIH) is an architecture that aggregates data sources from multiple back-end systems of record into a low-latency, high-performance data store. It supports access to data via an application programming interface (API) services layer. The data store is synchronized with the back-end sources using a combination of event-based, request-based, and batch integration patterns.

What Is a Digital Integration Hub?

A Digital Integration Hub (DIH) is an architecture that aggregates data sources from multiple back-end systems of record into a low-latency, high-performance data store. It supports access to data via an application programming interface (API) services layer. The data store is synchronized with the back-end sources using a combination of event-based, request-based, and batch integration patterns.

A DIH enables the implementation of large-scale, high-throughput, and low-latency front-end API services by:

• Preventing the back-end systems from being overwhelmed with API services-generated workloads
• Avoiding complex integrations to support the API services implementation
• Decoupling the back-end data sources from the front-end API services.

By extending their API platform with a digital integration hub, organizations can add value by enabling analytics and data integration.

What Is an SAP Digital Integration Hub?

SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) can be used as a DIH, explains SAP’s Sven Huberti. The SAP BTP provides tools and frameworks to build or configure multi-experience applications, such as Business Application Studio, SAPUI5, mobile software development kits, and conversational AI.

The front-end API services should be fully managed from a security, performance, and analytical perspective, usually using an API gateway. But the API services may need to be modeled first if you want to implement a new API. This can be done via the SAP BTP API management service, which enables you to:

• Model APIs first — define a contract between the API consumer and the API implementation based on open standards like OpenAPI or OData.
• Secure APIs — mediate internet-oriented security concepts with on-premise security concepts and protect back-end systems from unforeseeable traffic.
• Increase performance of APIs — boost responsiveness through concepts like caching and purpose-oriented refactoring.
• Steer your API platform — monitor your digital strategy so you can define project priorities based on API adoption.

Additional Resources for SAPinsiders

How a Digital Integration Hub Is a Business Game-Changer in the Experience Economy. Every SAP customer is concerned with ways to safeguard and optimize their many different sources of revenue. When rapidly evolving business environments are thrown into the mix, how can these organizations stay informed to know that all the systems contributing to the revenue stream communicate and integrate data properly? Two SAP experts recommend companies consider a DIH to deliver excellence at scale and tangible business value.

SAP’s Integration Solution Advisory Methodology (ISA-M) for the Intelligent Enterprise. A holistic integration approach is a crucial prerequisite for organizations pursuing a digital path for their business. This article introduces SAP’s ISA-M, which helps organizations shape their integration strategy — using predefined integration patterns for processes-, data-, user-, and Internet of Things-centric integration scenarios — and become an Intelligent Enterprise.

Vendors that can help SAP customers with a DIH include: Baton, Boomi, SnapLogic, and Stonebranch.