SAP WAS (Web Application Server) - Overview

Introduction

Enterprise Resource Management Technology is evolving at a rapid pace with professional business applications increasingly demanding a highly scalable, reliable infrastructure that can support open Internet standards, off the shelf. A Web Application Server serves all these purposes and delivers proven scalability and performance. It also supports Web technologies and open standards, such as HTTP, eXtensible Markup Language (XML), and Java (J2EE). SAP Web Application Server (SAP WAS) is a platform for efficient development and allows you to implement Web applications. SAP Web Application Server is a crucial component of mySAP® Technology platform. It also paves the way for implementing "Web services". WAS supports all releases of mySAP.com components (including ABAP language), any Java 2 Enterprise Edition and .NET platform. This article concentrates on using SAP WAS with Java components.

Overview of Business Server Pages (BSP)

SAP Web Application Server enables new Internet paradigms to be combined with the transactional operations of ERP. SAP supports the development and operation of both Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and ABAP-based Web applications and services.

The custom development of such applications start with the creation of an environment, which provides a set of carefully matched tools to support various applications, known as Web Applications Builder. It is an object-oriented, repository-based development environment using ABAP and/or JavaScript.

It supports the complete development and lifecycle of enterprise applications, and allows a user to develop new kind of enterprise web applications known as BSP applications. The core parts of these applications are the Business Server Pages (acronym BSP) and MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) objects. The concept behind BSP is similar to that of ASP (Active Server Pages) or JSP (Java Server Pages) documents that can contain code and HTML, all of which is compiled by the server upon request. You have the choice whether to use ABAP or JavaScript in your BSP documents.

SAP’s Web application Server assimilates conventional Web technologies with new ones like Web Dynpro for the presentation logic of professional business web applications. In order to implement BSP Applications, it is important to gain an understanding of the SAP Web Application Server.


In this 7 article tutorial we will cover subjects such as:

* Architecture
* Features
* Versions
* Introduction to BSP's (Business Server Pages)
* Creating your own BSP's

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SAP FTP - How to

CALL FUNCTION 'FTP_CONNECT' DESTINATION
RFC_DESTINATION
EXPORTING USER = USER PWD = PASSWORD ACCT =
ACCOUNT HOST = HOST
TRACE = FTP_TRACE GUSER = GATEWAY_USER

GPWD = GATEWAY_PASSWORD GHOST =
GATEWAY_HOST
IMPORTING HANDLE = HANDLE ERROR = CERROR

EXCEPTIONS SYSTEM_FAILURE = 1
COMMUNICATION_FAILURE = 2.

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SAP Mobile Engine Architecture - seven components

Component 1 - Interface

SAP Mobile Engine accepts mobile device user instructions through a standard built-in web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Opera etc.). This web browser can be used to access enterprise portals. It is also known as the front end of the mobile device. The native interfaces are the default user interfaces of a mobile device, which use J2 Micro Edition for connecting to enterprise system.

Component 2 - Mobile Engine Server

It is also known as the local server and contains server components, which form the first layer of back end components. They ensure smooth flow of data exchange between the business logic of the mobile application and user. It includes Servlet Engine, which acts as a processing environment.
Component 3 - Business Logic (Programming Models)

SAP Mobile Engine supports different programming models that provide the business logic of the enterprise to mobile applications. The business logic implemented in the mobile device should be parallel to the enterprise business logic to maintain consistency of the business transactions.

SAP Mobile Engine supports programming models such as MicroITS (a standard Internet Transaction Server flow logic service), JSP (Java Server Pages) and offline browsing. You can also implement a customized model that suits your requirements.
Component 4 - Mobile Engine Public Interface

Public Interface is the final back-end layer in the Mobile Engine architecture in mobile devices. It is responsible for security and synchronization of data. This is the first layer of the mobile device that establishes communication with the SAP system.

In order to deploy a successful mobile solution, the SAP enterprise system should also contain components that are as follows:

Component 5 - Mobile Engine Synchronization Layer

A synchronisation layer is implemented to reduce the redundancy of the data in the SAP database. This layer works in tandem with the synchronization layer of mobile device to maintain data consistency and data integrity.
Component 6 - Mobile Engine Deployment

As a part of implementing Mobile Engine solution, the SAP system also incorporates a deployment console. This console helps in managing various mobile devices, which may work concurrently with the SAP system. Figure 3 shows the SAP system components for a Mobile Engine solution.

Component 7 - Web Gateways

A Web Gateway is the common interface between the mobile device and the SAP system. This gateway acts as a passage for all data exchanged between the SAP system and the mobile device. It establishes communication between the mobile device and enterprise system.

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SAP Mobile Engine Architecture

The objective of a Mobile Engine is to provide mobility to enterprise systems. In a mobile enterprise, the users work remotely, which requires a mediator for establishing communication between the mobile devices and the enterprise system. Hence, Mobile Engine architecture concentrates on providing secure, timely and critical business transactions over a network.

Further to the discussion in section 2.1, Mobile Engine architecture contains basic components, which help in realizing mobile solutions for a SAP system. There are two sets of components, which are differentiated on the basis of their installation. For a successful mobile engine solution, appropriate components should be installed at mobile device and the corresponding SAP system. The mobile device components include:

* Interface
o Browser based
o Native
* Local Web Server
o Servlet Engine
* Business Logic (Programming models)
o Micro ITS
o JSP
o Cached HTML pages (or offline browsing)
o Any other Customized model
* Public Interface Layer
o Synchronization Layer


In the above Figure it displays the way these components are structured to form a Mobile Engine.

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Mobile Engine – What is it?

The concept of mySAP® Mobile Business is based on an open standard-platform, the SAP Mobile Engine. Mobile Engine is implemented on mobile devices as an integral component of MySAP® Technology. The core components of a Mobile Engine environment are:

* Local Web Server (For mobile device)
* Database Layer
* Business Logic
* Data Synchronization and Replication Layers
* Deployment Console

The article will discuss all these components in detail, in the next section, Mobile Engine Architecture. Mobile Engine adopted an open standard platform to support all existing wireless devices such as handheld, Laptops, and PDAs and enable deployment across various types of networks like Bluetooth, WAN, GPRS.

Since SAP Mobile Engine is built on open industry standards, it supports Java technology, which is based on Java Virtual Machine (JVM). JVM provides a development environment for JSP (Java Server Pages) and Java 2 platform. It also complies with the Web Services technology that includes SOAP and XML. Developers can exploit the open source technology to develop network and device independent applications.

It also enables enterprises to implement mobile enterprise applications to internal and external users in both online and offline mode. In online mode, mobile users can access the SAP systems using browser interface while in offline mode mobile users access SAP system using the native interface of the mobile device (See Fig 1).

Mobile Engine facilitates mobile applications for various enterprise scenarios such as Human Resources (HR), Supply Chain Management (SCM), and Business Intelligence etc.

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SAP Mobile Engine - Introduction

Information is the lifeblood of business in today’s increasingly interconnected world. The flow of Information across the physical confines of an enterprise is being driven by technological developments resulting in "true mobility" for its stakeholders. Businesses embracing this idea are reinventing themselves as boundaryless organizations, where access and interaction can be instant.

With MySAP® technology, SAP offers a technical infrastructure for operating mobile business applications in such organizations. This technology makes it possible for organization members to work together while being spatially and temporally apart.

For instance, salespeople can co-locate with their clients even as they access sales databases and communicate with their distant colleagues to accomplish their tasks. Others can isolate themselves in their homes or tele-centers to provide undivided attention to the completion of a task even as they remain connected with their work world through electronic means. Still others can work even as they travel.

With SAP mobile technology, anyone in an enterprise can access any data at any moment of time as per requirements. The range of applications offered by the mySAP mobile business enables an organization to meet its business goals effectively. A mobile device can be connected to various applications of the enterprise systems such as production and warehouse applications, time and attendance management, asset management and sales etc. Empowering employees with access to vital corporate information anytime, anywhere, anyhow, can bring incredible competitive advantages through a better-informed workforce. Employees can make better decisions simply because they are accessing precise data.

To fulfil these requirements, SAP has invented a modern technology. It has been named as mySAP™ Mobile Business. The more common name is Mobile computing or Pervasive computing. The technology facilitates mobile workers by integrating mobile device connectivity with the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems Mobile connectivity increases customer responsiveness through quick and easy access to integrated and up-to-date information.
Mobile Devices For Mobile Applications

There is a broad range of available mobile devices due to recent growth in mobile computing. Analysts predict that the wireless market in 2002 will be comprised of 9.5 million wireless devices.

MySAP™ Mobile Business can be integrated with the Laptops, PDAs, pocket PCs and wireless phones. The Mobile business provides greater integration and supports between these devices in any location.
In this 7 article tutorial we will cover subjects such as:

* Architecture
* Features and Benefits
* Technical Specifications
* New Functionality
* Upgrade Path

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SAP Mobile Engine - Benefits

Benefits of Mobile Technology

Low-cost mobile devices make automation affordable in many situations. Most handheld devices are designed for simplicity, which limit the need for extensive user training.


Mobile technology provides instant access to information, applications, and services anytime and anywhere. This saves a lot of time- a very precious commodity.


Data transaction is accomplished swiftly.


Mobile applications enable mobile order entry and provide fast responses to onsite customer inquiries.


The latest mobile technologies also provide offline functionalities to users of enterprise systems.


Higher levels of responsiveness to customer needs result in long-lasting, profitable customer relationships.


Promotes better decision-making and control of business processes

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