How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Applies to:
SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal 7.0 EHP 1 (SPS 6) SAP Business Server Pages (BSP)

Summary
This document pursues two objectives, on the one hand it provides the reader with a kind of cookbook for publishing BSP applications for smartphone devices with usage of SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal infrastructure and on the other hand it demonstrates the importance of being familiar with portal architecture, security concepts, session handling and corporate infrastructure. Author: Florian Georg Furtmller

Company: IDS Scheer Austria GmbH Created on: 22 July 2010

Author Bio
Florian G. Furtmller studied Business Informatics at the Johannes Kepler University of Linz. He earned his diploma degree in 2007 and subsequently, started his work as SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal Consultant at IDS Scheer Austria GmbH. He has more than three years of experience in SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal and NetWeaver Components. He is currently working for IDS Scheer Austria GmbH as Senior Consultant.

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Table of Contents
How to integrate SAP Business Server Page applications into SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for BlackBerry devices ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Preconditions .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Approach - Steps at SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal ................................................................................. 4
Create portal role and application iView ....................................................................................................................... 4 Assign role to user or group ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Create Framework Page (just copy and rename default framework page) .................................................................. 5 Create Portal Desktop (just copy and rename default portal desktop) ......................................................................... 6 Apply Portal Desktop at Master Rule Collection........................................................................................................... 6 Adapt web.xml file ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Testing ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Showcase ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Related Content .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Disclaimer and Liability Notice .......................................................................................................................... 10

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

How to integrate SAP Business Server Page applications into SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for BlackBerry devices
This document pursues two objectives, on the one hand it provides the reader with a kind of cookbook for publishing BSP applications for smartphone devices with usage of SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal infrastructure and on the other hand it demonstrates the importance of being familiar with portal architecture, security concepts, session handling and corporate infrastructure. This paper deals with the foundations for the administrating SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal, this can be seen as precondition and requirement for the reader. BlackBerry devices represent the standard for smart phones in business. They are known for their ability to send & receive e-mail and access data anywhere, wherever they can connect to a mobile network of various mobile phone providers. Thus brings more flexibility and more independence to the end-user and accelerates carrying out daily business tasks which will inevitably lead to increased productivity. As of the reasons above and the wide acceptance of BlackBerry devices, BlackBerry was chosen as appropriate smartphone for this showcase. This opens various opportunities for a company which has equipped its employees with BlackBerry devices the more if the company has corresponding SAP software installed e.g. SAP NetWeaver Portal and SAP Business Suite which makes it relatively easy to achieve several quick-wins in various company divisions. In contrary to launching an interdivisional project, searching for outsourcing partners, procurement of internal resources, coordination according to availability of external resources etc. The enclosed example demonstrates the simplicity how to integrate a custom developed BSP service in the SAP NetWeaver Portal and provide it in a way that BlackBerry is able to process and display the service for the end-user. Preconditions Environment: Blackberry Bold 8900, the value in Browser Configuration of Browser Identification must be set to Internet Explorer [see figure below]

Application: Provide SAP Business Server Pages (BSP) application at some SAP Business Suite back-end (e.g. CRM, APO, BI, ERP, SRM). The developed application should be kept as simple as possible in this case the functionality for viewing data comes to the fore. Due to the constraint regarding the input unit of smartphones data input should be implemented with e.g. form fields. [BspT10]
Note: The application has to be implemented according to BlackBerry screen size (480 x 320 Bold / 480360 Curve).

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Approach - Steps at SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal Create portal role and application iView In order to create the iView for the application, add it to a portal role and assign it to a user for testing the following steps have to be performed: 1. Create a system object for the back-end system in which BSP application is running 2. Navigate to Content Administration and select the folder in which you need to create the iView. 3. Right click on the folder and press New -> iView from template 4. From the wizard select the iView of type SAP BSP iView 5. Provide ID, name and choose from the wizard "Open object for editing" 6. The three important properties are Application, System and Quick Link 7. Provide Application name, System Alias and some Quick Link e.g. com~crm~blackberryapplication 8. Right click on the folder and press New -> Role 9. After role creation, double-click the role to open it 10. Right click on the created iView and select Add to role Create BSP iView

Apply Quick Link (com~crm~blackberryapplication) for BSP application iView

Create portal role & assign iView

Note: Details for role, iView creation as well as for user assignments can be found here [BspA10].

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Assign role to user or group The Identity Management of the portal provides all tasks that are relevant to user management and role assignments e.g. assign a portal role to a user or group. The necessary permissions on the designated role must be assigned to the end-user. User Management

Note: Details for role, iView creation as well as for user assignments can be found here [AsUG10].

Create Framework Page (just copy and rename default framework page) Navigate to Content Administration - Portal Content -> Portal Users -> Standard Portal Users

Remove all iViews, Pages, except Desktop Innerpage. Open Desktop Innerpage, search for Content Area (ID: com.sap.portal.contentarea), select and press Delta Link Tracer.

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Select Content Area and press Locate in Portal Catalog. Navigate back to main page of Modified Mobile Framework Page, also remove Desktop Innerpage. Now, right click on original Content Area iView object, select Add iView to Page and choose Delta Link. Press Save, the created Framework Page should look like the Modified Mobile Framework Page. [CFra10] Create Portal Desktop (just copy and rename default portal desktop) System Administration - Portal Display -> Desktops & Display Rules -> Portal Users -> Standard Portal Users

Right click on Modified Mobile Framework Page, choose Add Framework Page to Portal Desktop, now select the added Framework Page and press Set Default and Save. [CDsk10] Apply Portal Desktop at Master Rule Collection

Note: Details for customizing Portal Master Rule Collection can be found at [Smrc10].

Adapt web.xml file To provide the implemented BSP application in a mobile environment using BlackBerry (e.g. https://<HOST>/irj/portal/mobile/), the following entry in the web.xml file (adding a new segment parameter) of the designated SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal has to be maintained. [UAli10] To avoid JavaScript errors, SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal configuration and deployment information must be enhanced with a special URL alias. This causes the modification of some JavaScript routines that generally require the SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal to run in its own browser window. The alias must be set in the web.xml file, located in the directory C:\usr\sap\<SID>\<NO>\j2ee\cluster\server0\apps\sap.com\irj\ servlet_jsp\irj\root\WEB-INF). In the web.xml, make a copy of the init-param element whose param-name element has the value portal. In the copy, change the param-name value to portal/mobile, and then append nested_window=1 to the value for param-value.

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

//This is just a code sample

<init-param> <param-name> portal/mobile </param-name> <param-value> anonymous=0,proxy=0,low_bandwidth=0,include_in_url=1,include_application_name_ in_url=1,nested_window=1 </param-value> </init-param>

Whenever you enter the portal with the URL http(s)://<host>/irj/portal/mobile, the portal operates in nested mode and changes its internal JavaScript references.
Note: This configuration change requires a restart of the system.

Testing There are two ways to test this service, first if you are in the lucky position to have a BlackBerry device, you can use this as test device, it only has to be ensured that the necessary settings which are described in chapter Preconditions have been made. If there is no BlackBerry device available, the respective emulation software from the BlackBerry website can be downloaded. [Blac10] Direct access via e.g. http(s)://<HOST>/irj/portal/mobile/com~crm~blackberryapplication

Before testing the application at local platform, it is necessary to start the BlackBerry MDS (Mobile Data Service) Simulator and ensure that it is running. To verify that, go to Programs > Research In Motion > BlackBerry Email and MDS Services Simulators > MDS. As a next step start the BlackBerry Smartphone Simulator and in the BlackBerry Smartphone Simulator, open the BlackBerry Browser.
Note: The value in Browser Configuration of Browser Identification must be set to Internet Explorer.

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Then open the menu, navigate with Go To to e.g. http://www.sap.com, if the SAP home page appears, the BlackBerry Mobile Data Service simulator is operating correctly.

Regarding leaving the integrated application service web page of the BSP application, the logout mechanism has to be implemented at the back-end application itself, this is essential because Portal DSM (Distributed Session Manager) will not work within BackBerry framework. Due to memory utilization and security vulnerability it is highly recommended to implement a manual logout mechanism which invalidates the sessions at the back-end. [Sdsm10]

Note: Logout has to be implemented within the BSP application, DSM will not work in BlackBerry environment!

This can be realized for example by displaying a small logout button in the top right corner of the BSP application [as depicted above]. Showcase A possible showcase could be to provide employees a mobile solution, which neither requires a specific device, a particular operating system or a local installation. The developed mobile solution can be seen as an extension to existing standard service functions, which should represent these functions as close to the original as possible. Due to the small screen size in mobile devices, the design of the application should be elaborated very carefully. This requires special attention during the implementation of the individual screens and navigation structure. As a result, such mobile solutions are particularly suitable for field staff that needs to view, create or manipulate data sets at customers site even without laptop. This will provide end-users the ability to retrieve data online and real-time. However, as an example, data which were processed by the mobile service can be directly viewed online by other users after saving - this typically depends on the implementation of the corresponding application. The obtained device independence offers more convenience the outcome of this enables the maximum on possible flexibility for end-users.

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Related Content
The list below shows some references to SDN documents and web pages. [AsUG10] Assigning Roles to Users and Groups [07/09/2010]
[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/helpdata/en/ed/845890b89711d5993900508b6b8b11/frameset.htm]

[Blac10]

BlackBerry Smartphone Simulators [07/09/2010]

[http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/simulators.jsp]

[BspT10]

SAP BSP Technology [07/10/2010]

[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_470/helpdata/en/c8/101c3a1cf1c54be10000000a114084/frameset.htm]

[BspA10]

Creating BSP Application iViews [07/09/2010]

[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/30/1b62799d786445a72ad85acb4fd55b/frameset.htm]

[CDsk10]

Creating & Editing a SAP Portal Desktop [07/19/2010]

[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/6a/f72f1c9539420ebee0b8734110aaac/frameset.htm]

[CFra10]

Creating & Editing a SAP Portal Framework Page [07/19/2010]

[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/1c/0a3bcb9149453aab0132425c6f7cdf/frameset.htm]

[Sdsm10]

Session Management (DSM) [07/22/2010]

[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp2004/helpdata/en/ca/a9a7408f031414e10000000a1550b0/frameset.htm]

[Smrc10]

SAP Master Rule Collection [07/20/2010]

[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/6e/8590f1d6d349c9adc34c6a8085189b/frameset.htm]

[UAli10]

SAP Portal URL Aliases [07/20/2010]

[http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/6e/8590f1d6d349c9adc34c6a8085189b/frameset.htm]

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How to Provide SAP Business Server Page Applications through SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal for Smartphones

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade. SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this document, and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk. SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the content of this document.

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