/Unit1 by rapha Torres

Unit 1 SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy Unit Overview This unit explains SAP’s motivation for developing the SAP NetWeaver integration platform. It clarifies central terms in the context of SAP NetWeaver, such as Enterprise Services Architecture and SAP Collaborative Cross Applications (SAP xApps). Using a business scenario, this unit also introduces the basic elements of SAP NetWeaver, which are presented in more detail during the course. These include the SAP Web Application Server, SAP Exchange Infrastructure, SAP Business Intelligence, SAP Enterprise Portal, and the SAP Mobile Infrastructure. The first lesson in the unit outlines the history of the technological platform of SAP systems and its development up to SAP NetWeaver ’04.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: ·

Describe the development of the technological basis of SAP systems

Describe the components of the SAP Web Application Server

Explain the development activities that were necessary to implement a platform such as SAP NetWeaver

Describe the different SAP NetWeaver components

Recognize the benefits of using these components in different situations

Explain the aims and objectives of SAP NetWeaver

Explain what is meant by Enterprise Services Architecture (ESA)

Explain the principle of composite applications (SAP xApps)

Unit Contents Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver...........2 Exercise 1: Checking the ICM Settings................................... 11 Lesson: SAP NetWeaver Components ....................................... 14 Lesson: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy........................ 25

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver Lesson Overview This lesson provides an overview of the development of the technological basis of SAP systems.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: ·

Describe the development of the technological basis of SAP systems

Describe the components of the SAP Web Application Server

Explain the development activities that were necessary to implement a platform such as SAP NetWeaver

Business Example You are using SAP Basis Release 4.6C and are planning to upgrade to mySAP ERP. You want to learn about the differences between Release 4.6C and SAP Web Application Server 6.40. You have also discovered that the SAP NetWeaver platform is available with mySAP ERP. You want to find out more general information about this platform.

Purpose The SAP Web Application Server is an open, scalable and highly available infrastructure for the development of dynamic and cross-enterprise business applications. It offers the necessary infrastructure to join business applications with Internet. All internet technology to carry out this task is integrated into the Web AS ABAP. SAP Web Application Server supports established standards such as HTTP(S), SMTP, HTML, SOAP, and XML. Without additional web servers, you can implement professional enterprise applications for Internet using the ABAP development environment (ABAP Workbench).

Additional Java support via Web AS Java - completely integrated into the SAP Web Application Server - extends the scope of opportunities for modern Internet applications and the necessary connection to components that do not belong to the world of SAP. In addition, the SAP Web Application Server acts as development platform for Web services. Web services are seen as the future interface technology for integration within an enterprise, as well as for integration between enterprises. They constitute modular functionalities that can be released on the basis of open standards, searched, and made available via the Internet.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver

Evolution of SAP Basis to NetWeaver Web Application Server If you look at the development of the technology platform across the last releases, the trend towards open standards and more flexible system architectures and away from monolithic applications with proprietary protocols and programming languages is clearly discernible. In the days of Basis Release 4.6, the Internet-capability of the platform for user interfaces (HTML) was merely implemented through the Internet Transaction Server (SAP ITS), and for the process interfaces (XML) through the Business Connector (SAP BC).

Figure 1: Basis release 4.6 -> SAP Web AS 6.40

SAP ITS was delivered for the first time in release 3.1G. SAP ITS is a software component that acts as gateway between a Web Server and an SAP System. SAP ITS mediates between the protocols and formats of the Internet (HTTP(S), HTML) and the protocols of the SAP system (DIAG, RFC, and Dynpros). Web applications that were developed especially for the SAP ITS are called Internet Application Components (IAC). They include the Employee Self Services (ESS) or the Online Store. With SAP Web AS 6.40, SAP ITS has become an integral constituent of the Kernel. Still, SAP ITS as own component is necessary for many of the existing “old” Web applications. An exception to this, is, for example, the application SAP GUI for HTML, which can be run independently without own SAP ITS since SAP Web AS 6.40. On SAP Service Marketplace at service.sap.com/sap-its, you can find all further information concerning this topic.

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Based on the highly-scaleable infrastructure, new technologies are implemented as of SAP Web Application Server (SAP Web AS) 6.10 to process HTTP requests (for example, from a browser) from the Internet directly, or to send them as HTTP client requests into the Internet. To achieve this, the SAP kernel has been enhanced to include the Internet Communication Manager (ICM). The ICM makes the classic SAP Application Server to the SAP Web Application Server. Via the ICM, the kernel can “talk http” directly. Thus, the SAP Web AS constitutes the technical platform for new applications at SAP, customers, and partners. A programming model for such applications is the Business Server Pages (BSPs). A Business Server Page application is – similar to a transaction in the classic R/3 sense – an application that is functionally closed in itself. However, this application is not executed in the SAP GUI, but in a Web browser or another mobile device browser, for example WAP cellular phones. The access via network is carried out through the HTTP- resp. HTTPS protocol, whereby other standard products, such as firewalls or proxy servers, can be applied.

Business Server Pages (BSPs) are dynamic HTML pages that contain presentation logic. BSPs define the Web surface and determine the elements of the user interactions. You can create HTML pages or Business Server Pages (BSPs) using server-side scripting in ABAP. You define the application logic in the event handler of a Business Server Page. BSP applications allow direct access to all elements on the application server (for example function modules, database tables, and ABAP objects). You can quickly obtain an overview of which application servers are running with the ICM in the SAP system, using the server overview (transaction SM51). In transaction SMICM, you can find the ICM monitor and the ICM profile parameters by choosing Goto →Parameter). Another important profile parameter to be found there is the port, through which HTTP calls are processed. With SAP Web AS 6.20, Java as a complete programming language, has become an equal partner to ABAP. With Web AS Java, SAP has a complete J2EE-compatible application server in the product portfolio, which offers developers a development and runtime environment for new applications that are based on Java. Examples for software components of SAP that use the J2EE engine are SAP CRM 3.1, SAP Enterprise Portal, as well as SAP Exchange Infrastructure.

Components of the SAP Web Application Server Basically, an SAP system consists of a database and one or more instances. An instance of an SAP system is an administrative unit in which the components of an SAP system, which provide one or more services, are combined.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver

An instance always has exactly one dispatcher. The start of an instance begins with the start of the dispatcher. An instance needs at least two work processes. An instance is also called the application server in the software-oriented view of the client-server model. The following figure shows you the components of the SAP Web Application Server. The components are to be briefly shown with their functions.

Hint: For more information about the ABAP stack, see courses SAPTEC, ADM100, ADM102. Course ADM200 provides detailed information about the Java stack.

Figure 2: Components of the SAP Web Application Server

As was mentioned before, the Internet Communication Manager (ICM) establishes contact to the internet. As early as a request arrives from the internet with a URL that contains the correct server-/port combination for the ICM, the ICM analyzes the URL and calls the corresponding local handler. The ICM decides with the URL, whether the request is to be processed by Web AS ABAP or Web AS Java. If the request is directed to Web AS ABAP, the dispatcher process searches for a free work process and hands over the request for processing. If all ABAP work processes are busy, the requests are stored in the dispatcher queue. The work process processes the request - with access to the database, if necessary - and returns the result to the dispatcher who forwards it to the caller.

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

The SAP Gateway provides the RFC interface between the different SAP instances (within an SAP system and beyond system borders). The message server is used for exchanging messages and for the load balancing between the different instances (application servers) of an SAP system. There is always one message server per system. Web AS Java, features the components Java dispatcher and Java server process, which are roughly equivalent to the ABAP dispatchers and work processes. The Software Deployment Manager distributes the Java applications to the file system or database according to the release level of the Web AS. As of release 6.40, the database of the SAP Web Application Server contains two schemes, one for ABAP- and one for Java files. Thus, the data for Java-, resp. ABAP applications are clearly separated and mutual access almost impossible. To make this sort of access possible, the component Java Connector (JCo) was created to enable access of ABAP applications to Java data and vice versa. SAP Web Application Server 6.40 is the technological basis of SAP NetWeaver. SAP NetWeaver is an open integration and application platform for all SAP solutions and specific SAP partner solutions. It is a Web-based platform that enables the enterprise-wide and technologically-independent integration and coordination of employees, information, and business processes. Thanks to open standards, information and applications from practically any source and based on practically any technology can be integrated. SAP NetWeaver is fully compatible with key technology standards such as Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE), and Microsoft .NET. The platform provides maximum reliability, security, and scalability to ensure that mission-critical business processes run smoothly. In addition to a Web Application Server, SAP NetWeaver comprises functions for business intelligence, enterprise portals, SAP Exchange Infrastructure, SAP Master Data Management, and SAP Mobile Infrastructure. In the figure below, you can see which of these features and functions require an SAP Web AS ABAP or SAP Web AS Java, or both.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver

Figure 3: SAP NetWeaver Components and Stacks on the SAP Web Application Server

A Roadmap for SAP NetWeaver SAP NetWeaver is now available with its individual components. How can you start to use SAP NetWeaver in your company? You can start from SAP R/3 Release 4.6C, or SAP R/3 Enterprise.

Figure 4: SAP R/3 Enterprise

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

How do you become an SAP NetWeaver customer? You can update your SAP R/3 4.6C or SAP R/3 Enterprise system to mySAP ERP or mySAP Business Suite. As of this point, the SAP NetWeaver platform, with its capabilities for integrating employees, customers, and partners, as well as systems and applications, and knowledge, is available in addition to SAP ECC 5.0 (formerly “SAP R/3”). The same applies when you upgrade your mySAP solution to the current version. The latest versions are increasingly using the capabilities of the SAP NetWeaver integration platform. You can, however, also use SAP Collaborative Cross Applications (SAP xApps). SAP xAPPs are packaged composite applications that use SAP NetWeaver for integration with SAP and non-SAP systems. The following figure shows the solutions provided as part of the mySAP Business Suite, including the mySAP ERP components.

Figure 5: mySAP ERP Components

mySAP ERP uses SAP XI, portal technology, Business Intelligence, and Knowledge Management, depending on the scenario. mySAP ERP allows your company to capitalize on existing investments and be open to new flexible and integrative approaches to its business processes.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver

Figure 6: mySAP Business Suite

The mySAP Business Suite is a package of proven solutions that can handle your key business processes, regardless of the size of your company. The advantages of the individual solutions include the fact that they are fully integrated and provide industry-specific functions. They are also fully scalable and Internet-enabled. The complete mySAP Business Suite package is based on SAP NetWeaver. This means that SAP NetWeaver allows you to integrate applications and services from third-party providers. To conclude, the SAP NetWeaver roadmap is shown in the following figure.

Figure 7: SAP NetWeaver Roadmap

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

For information about SAP NetWeaver, see www.service.sap.com/netweaver.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver

Exercise 1: Checking the ICM Settings Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: 路

Ascertain the port through which HTTP calls are processed

路

Ascertain the application server(s) with ICM process

Business Example You call a Business Server Page application from the browser and cannot access it. To analyze the error, you need to know whether the ICM process is running correctly on the system you are addressing. Furthermore, you want to identify the port through which HTTP calls are processed so you can compare it with the port in the URL with which you called the application.

Task: Check the ICM process and its parameters in the training system, client 821.

2005/Q4

How many servers and ICM processes are there in the training environment of course SAPNW?

Determine the port through which requests in the HTTP protocol are processed for the application server you are logged on to.

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Solution 1: Checking the ICM Settings Task: Check the ICM process and its parameters in the training system, client 821. 1.

How many servers and ICM processes are there in the training environment of course SAPNW? a)

Log on to client 821 of the training system with your user SAPNW-##.

Call transaction SM51. The system displays a list of existing servers and the processes running on the servers.

Determine the port through which requests in the HTTP protocol are processed for the application server you are logged on to. a)

Call transaction SMICM , choose Goto →Services, and check the profile parameter icm/server_port_0.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP Web Application Server 6.40 and SAP NetWeaver

Lesson Summary You should now be able to:

2005/Q4

路

Describe the development of the technological basis of SAP systems

路

Describe the components of the SAP Web Application Server

路

Explain the development activities that were necessary to implement a platform such as SAP NetWeaver

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver Components Lesson Overview This lesson provides an overview of SAP NetWeaver components.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: ·

Describe the different SAP NetWeaver components

Recognize the benefits of using these components in different situations

Business Example From an SAP perspective, the company EnergyForAll – a purchasing and sales company for natural gas, with several subsidiaries – can be described as follows:

Uses SAP software for purchasing, sales, material master maintenance, and HR

For historical reasons, its financial software is supplied by a third-party provider

The software used in the individual subsidiaries, which are connected by means of interfaces implemented by the customer, is not identical.

Uses special customer-specific applications programmed in Java

Uses a matching tool to manage duplicates in SAP Master Data Management

Uses around 100 processes, including some cross-system processes, with some 500 point-to-point interfaces

Fast-expanding company that “integrates” new purchasing companies on a frequent basis, and therefore also has to integrate their IT systems

A large number of service and sales employees deployed on site at the customer

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver Components

The customer's wish list is as follows: ·

Reduced costs and simplified interface maintenance

Increased flexibility with implementation of new processes or modification of existing processes

Increased flexibility with the creation of customer-specific applications, which are to be integrated into the SAP system landscape

Increased flexibility using services

Modern Web presence using the services offered, based on meaningful key figures

Global evaluations from SAP and third-party systems (in particular FI) with remote access

Intelligent handling of master data

Central display of local work items from workflow-controlled processes from various systems in one tool

Central portal for sales employees with information about innovations or critical processes, figures, and so on.

Service employees should be informed ad hoc about new, additional orders or changes to their daily work.

Sales employees want to be able to enter customer data remotely or carry this data with them.

System administrators are finding it difficult to manage the many different systems and monitoring tools.

Levels of Integration in SAP NetWeaver SAP NetWeaver replaces the mySAP Technology application platform and provides a basis for Enterprise Services Architecture to meet the requirements for flexibility and integration between systems, interfaces, users, and processes. This is because integration requirements not only pose technological questions but also questions regarding business processes, the integration of employees and partners, and so on. A sound solution must be flexible and take into account the relevant processes, people, information, technical infrastructures, and heterogeneous system landscapes within the company and beyond. The following figure therefore shows the three levels of integration covered by SAP NetWeaver and the relevant application platform.

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Figure 8: SAP NetWeaver - Overview of Components

Integration Level: Employees, Customers, Partners - Using an Enterprise Portal An enterprise portal ensures a central point of access to information, applications, and services in the company. All your SAP and non-SAP systems, your data warehouse, desktop documents, Web contents, and Web services are brought together in a single user interface. With Single Sign-On, you benefit from the simplified process of authentication and communication between different IT systems. Knowledge Management in the portal converts unstructured data into important company information, Collaboration facilitates cooperation between people within the company and beyond, and Personalization adapts the portal structure to suit the requirements of the individual users.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver Components

Figure 9: The SAP EP Central User Interface

Integration Level: Process Integration Process integration comprises the various options for setting up communication between systems and thereby enabling a seamless exchange of information between applications in the company and between the company and its various partners. Rather than programming numerous bidirectional interfaces (between all of the sending and recipient systems), you can use a central, message-based approach with the Integration Broker of the SAP Exchange Infrastructure. ·

SAP Exchange Infrastructure - Integration Broker: Data exchange via messages

Approaches to process control: –

Business Workflow You can use the proven Workflow tool for local, user-oriented control of processes in a system.

–

Cross-Component BPM (cc-BPM) in SAP Exchange Infrastructure 3.0 (XI 3.0) This tool allows you to control business processes that are distributed across several systems or applications. The systems use messages to communicate with each other.

–

Ad Hoc Workflow or Collaborative Tasks The ad hoc workflow runs in the SAP Portal and allows you to set up ad hoc workflows based on a work order within a Business Workflow-controlled process. These are ideally suited to facilitating cooperation between colleagues (making requests, and so on).

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Information Integration Level: Business Intelligence (SAP Business Warehouse, SAP Master Data Management, and Knowledge Management) SAP Business Warehouse (SAP BW) supports you in collecting and evaluating key figures. It allows you to define objectives and monitor their realization. Analyzing processes in your company can help you to make them more efficient, thereby reducing costs and increasing customer satisfaction. SAP BW tools can easily process large quantities of data and, with Web reporting, users receive Web-based reports quickly and conveniently. With NetWeaver '04, you can transfer BW analyses to the portal, where you can execute Knowledge Management functions, such as rating, feedback, notes, subscriptions, and so on.

Figure 10: Capitalizing on the Advantages of SAP BW

Is master data simultaneously stored in various locations and systems in your company? This multiple storage can lead to redundant data and discrepancies, which may interfere with your business process. Master data management (MDM) allows you to create cross-company, unified master data and distribute this across various, dependent systems. MDM uses the technological foundation of the Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI) to distribute the data. However, MDM does not only distribute the data. It also checks new master data to determine whether identical master data objects already exist, and identifies all duplicates, which can be transferred to SAP BW and used in analyses. This reduces the costs of data management and eliminates data errors. As part of SAP ERP, Knowledge Management delivers functions that enable corporate information to be managed in a structured manner. These Knowledge Management functions support you in structuring information (= knowledge) and providing this information to the relevant target groups. These functions

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver Components

include search, classification, and subscription functions. Depending on the technical conditions, you can use these functions for all aspects of the integrated data sources.

Figure 11: Integrated Master Data Management with SAP MDM

Integration Level: SAP Mobile Infrastructure The SAP Mobile Infrastructure (SAP MI) is a technological solution in SAP NetWeaver, which provides a basis for “SAP Solutions for Mobile Business.” As the following figure shows, these usually represent an enhancement of an existing SAP application. For example, an enhancement of SAP Human Resources Management allows you to enter mobile travel data and working times. Service employees can also be informed about new orders directly on their mobile device and they can confirm data directly while they are on-site, rather than taking written notes and entering the details in the back-end system later. Mobile Business increases flexibility and facilitates the provision of information to field employees. For example, sales employees can access customer and order data dynamically, without having to load and store data from the back-end system before the visit to the customer. Moreover, they do not need to take written “notes” on paper and then enter the information in the system after the event. This means that they can do their job quicker and are less likely to make mistakes, since they enter the data ad hoc as soon as they receive it.

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Figure 12: SAP Applications and Mobile Business

You can now also use SAP MI to make non-SAP applications mobile. SAP MI is installed locally on a mobile device and is equipped with a Web server, a database layer, and its own business logic. This means that employees who are working remotely have online access, rather than having to wait for a network connection to complete time-critical business transactions. To ensure data consistency between mobile devices and the back-end system, SAP MI provides tools for synchronization and data replication. SAP MI has a Java Virtual Machine and an open programming module, which developers can use to develop mobile applications. This type of open system architecture allows both mobile devices and networks to be platform-independent, and supports a range of mobile devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), laptops, and Smartphones. A Technological Basis for Integration: SAP Web Application Server The SAP Web Application Server provides the technological basis for the SAP NetWeaver integration platform. It supports J2EE and ABAP in a shared environment. You can create Web services in a development environment that supports all of the key standards, such as Simple Object Access Protocol SOAP, Web Services Description Language (WSDL), and Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI). You can create new applications based on Internet standards, such as HTTP, HTTPS, HTML, XML, and JavaScript. SAP NetWeaver is also fully compatible with Microsoft.NET and IBM WebSphere, which increases the potential reusability of software. With SAP Web AS 6.40, a Web Services Framework is also provided, which allows customers to create and publish Web services and to access applications and enterprise services.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver Components

Figure 13: SAP NetWeaver and Compatibility

For many customers, the integration effort largely consists in connecting SAP solutions with solutions from third-party providers. SAP NetWeaver's high level of compatibility makes integration easier. The previous figure shows an overview of the possible connections. SAP NetWeaver is geared towards compatibility with IBM and Microsoft at all levels (technological basis, integration of processes, information, and people).

Life Cycle Management with SAP NetWeaver Solution Lifecycle Management (SLCM) is one of the key areas of SAP NetWeaver. It provides you with the technology you need to manage your solution's entire life cycle, from its implementation, through production operation, to continuous modifications and upgrades.

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

SLCM contains the following individual functions: ·

Installation and upgrade services

Tools that enable you to manage SAP licenses

Services for monitoring IT landscapes and processes distributed across different systems

Statistics functions that provide you with an overview of the performance of your system(s)

Management functions that enable you to control and configure your systems

Information about network integration

Tools for ensuring high availability of SAP systems

Software distribution and maintenance using Software Change Management

Customizing functions

Test functions

Data archiving

SAP NetWeaver Problem Analysis Guide

SAP Solution Manager

In addition to these functions, the SAP Solution Manager provides central access to tools, methods, and preconfigured content that you can use to evaluate and implement your solutions.

Figure 14: Life Cycle Management with the SAP Solution Manager

During production operation, you can use the SAP Solution Manager systems and business processes to manage and monitor your solution landscape and to set up and operate your own solution support concept.

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver Components

The final section in this unit looks at the business scenario. Would SAP NetWeaver be beneficial to the customer in this scenario? The answer is most definitely "yes." With the SAP Exchange Infrastructure (SAP XI), you can connect all systems in a company and manage the interfaces more conveniently. Integration of new companies and concentration on core competencies by means of “outsourcing” is also facilitated by SAP XI and an ESA-based business platform. The SAP Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW) allows you to execute evaluations from SAP and non-SAP systems and make them immediately available on the central user interface of the SAP Enterprise Portal. SAP Master Data Management (SAP MDM) solves the problem of the same master data being stored in different systems and having to be identified for correct evaluations. SAP MDM is, in turn, connected to SAP BW. SAP MI allows service employees to be connected remotely. Instead of numerous interfaces that can be built in accordance with customer-specific requirements, SAP NetWeaver provides customers with a single unified platform. Which SAP NetWeaver capabilities are of interest to which customers depends on the customer's current situation and the future requirements of its ecosystem. This question must be answered individually by each customer.

2005/Q4

Unit 1: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

SAPNW

Lesson Summary You should now be able to:

Describe the different SAP NetWeaver components

Recognize the benefits of using these components in different situations

2005/Q4

SAPNW

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy

Lesson: SAP NetWeaver – Motivation and Strategy Lesson Overview This lesson provides an overview of the scope and conceptual background of SAP NetWeaver.