SAP Web Application Server is the underlying technology for all mySAP.com components (such as mySAP Customer Relationship Management, mySAP Business Intelligence, and the forthcoming SAP R/3 Enter...
Enterprise). It also offers a wide range of services that enable extensive, global e-business solutions, including a development environment, software logistics, security, and connectivity. Building on the scalable and reliable SAP application server, SAP Web Application Server delivers innovative, native Web technologies, a J2EE and ABAP environment for architecting applications, and Web services for business-to-business collaboration.
J2EE and ABAP in a Common Environment
J2EE and Java are generally accepted as the standard Web programming technologies, and there is no shortage of related expertise. Naturally, companies want to tap into this expertise and use it to build their own e-business applications. SAP Web Application Server has both an ABAP and a J2EE personality, supporting both programming environments in a common, integrated infrastructure. That way, you not only protect the investments that you have already made in ABAP applications and expertise, but you can also channel the latest J2EE proficiency into future applications. For users and applications, the integration is completely transparent, delivering a proven e-business environment with native Java support for easy deployment, straightforward installation and administration, coupled with full life-cycle support for Java-based e-business components. All existing business objects and interfaces can be used with both the J2EE and the ABAP environment, and new applications will be built leveraging both environments. Now, the large base of existing Java developers and J2EE software can be exploited easily. Using this approach gives developers a single infrastructure that leverages the advantages of both environments. This not only simplifies your IT infrastructure, it also slices a considerable chunk off your operating costs. It provides companies with the choice and flexibility to extend their solutions according to their available development skills and technical constraints while supporting all existing SAP applications.
Provision of Web Services
The SAP Web Application Server is the underlying infrastructure for applications that offer Web services to users and other applications either directly or through the portal and exchange infrastructure. Web services provided through the SAP Web Application Server adhere to a common set of open technical Internet standards that enable cooperation and interoperability across different technical platforms. A professional programming model with a development and runtime environment for building top notch user-centric Web services ensure intuitive point-and-click and state-of-the-art Web-based user interfaces. User-centric Web services clearly separate layout (HTML) from data (XML), and thus provide automatic support of multiple languages, personalization, and interface customization help to speed up user-interface development. Application-centric Web services fully leverages open standards like HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Web Services Description Language (WSDL), and Universal Discovery, Description, and Integration (UDDI) providing customers with the opportunity to drive innovative, easy to change business processes without the constraints of a proprietary infrastructure.
Conclusion
With the SAP Web Application Server, SAP brings the benefits of their proven infrastructure - reliability, scalability, software logistics, change management, platform independence, and business knowledge - to the J2EE world. That way, you not only protect the investments that you have already made in ABAP applications and expertise, but you can also channel the latest J2EE proficiency into your applications. SAP Web Application Server supports all the operating systems, and databases supported by SAP, freeing customers from technological constraints and giving them the power to build the infrastructure that best fits existing environment and individual needs. SAP Web Application Server 6.20 will be available in the second quarter 2002 and be an integral part of the mySAP.com e-business platform and any upcoming mySAP.com solution.
