Solution Summary
Capitalizing On Latest Web 2.0 Technologies
Web UI capitalizes on the latest Web 2.0 technologies (such as AJAX) and delivers simplified SAP processes without any changes or development, either in ABAP or JAVA. With the browser acting as a lightweight client, users are able to access simplified, tailored SAP transactions everywhere and at any time, increasing usability, reducing errors, and eliminating IT installations of SAP GUI.
Enterprise Portal in SAP NetWeaver or Standalone
Web UI can be utilized either within Enterprise Portal in SAP NetWeaver or as a standalone. While the standalone version gives users flexibility to view SAP transactions in web look and feel, portal integration of Web UI Suite provides single sign on feature with Log-on ticket or User Mapping options to be used in GuiXT Web UI once it is set in Enterprise Portals. Style sheets can be applied to the rendered SAP screens for an enriched view of SAP transactions in both standalone and portal.
Components
Web UI includes two components:
- Process Engine: The Process Engine takes the role of creating streamlined business processes in SAP ERP and executes them to the highest level of efficiency created in the context of GuiXT WS/64 Web UI data processing.
- GuiXT Fuzion: GuiXT Fuzion renders the SAP screens in Enterprise Portal in the SAP NetWeaver platform through iViews to display customized screens.
Scalability
Error recovery options using dispatcher technology provides a highly scalable environment for GuiXT Web UI:
- If a Fuzion instance fails, dispatcher can relaunch that instance.
- If the machine fails, reboot and relaunch by assuring that none of the programs from the earlier session are still running.
Multiple dispatchers can be configured in different machines to run multiple instances of Fuzion, this enables one of the machines to act as a message server. In extreme cases, the message server supports a load of 25 concurrent users in each instance. In normal cases, it supports 100 users per instance.
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Key Differentiator
Web UI is designed to increase the SAP user experience. This is due to the capabilities of GuiXT WS, which is formed by blending GuiXT technology into 64-bit technology through a web look and feel with the flexibility of using Web 2.0 features either by running standalone or integrated in portal while preserving the familiarity of users to their SAP environment.
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Architecture
GuiXT Web UI sits on three important architectural concepts.
- GuiXT Fuzion Server: GuiXT Fuzion Server acts as a communicator between web server and R/3 database and transfers the information coming from R/3 which is requested by users to web server or vice versa.
- Web Server: Web Server hosts necessary javascript files which stores specific functions that control actions on SAP screen elements, and library files to render SAP screens.
- iViews: iViews are simply application or a service that can be visualized in a web browser. GuiXT application runs through an iView in Enterprise Portal. As each iView does, roles must be defined and assigned to users to execute GuiXT iView.
- Browser: Browser acts as a lightweight client to display the iViews created in a portal environment. Web UI Suite is available in both Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers.
Two EPA files (Enterprise Portal Archive) are provided in the installation of Web UI Suite. One enables to create a single sign on with user mapping. The other enables to create single sign on with logon ticket. Once either of these files is imported in portal, the necessary structure for GuiXT iView is created automatically. Once import is finished, GuiXT Fuzion roles need to be associated to user accounts. With the import of EPA file, the backend system is also defined in System Administration. The backend connection of GuiXT iView is displayed from Content Administration section. The URL in this section points to the main HTML page in GuiXT iView which is hosted in Fuzion Server. In the system that is created, the logon method is selected either as user mapping or logon ticket depending on the EPA file that is imported.
Developers can connect to multiple SAP ERP systems in Web UI Suite. This can be configured through System Administration in Enterprise Portal by specifying the application server and the port in URL of the web application. Once the single sign on configuration is done, user can view GuiXT modifications through GuiXT iView. Modifications are displayed with the help of GuiXT that resides in Fuzion Server which is configured to read GuiXT Scripts that could be stored in below locations.
- Scripts reside on GuiXT Fuzion Server
- Scripts reside on web/ftp server
- Scripts reside on a local drive (Recommended for development)
- Scripts reside on web repository ("Versioning" is recommended to reduce network traffic)
As seen above, GuiXT can run as a standalone. Standalone application acts as a web server that runs on a local host. Dispatcher is a load balancing technology which can be used with Web UI for error recovery. It creates Fuzion instances based on the CPU capacity.
Web UI communicates directly with mySAP ERP application server as seen in the architecture and can only render standard SAP Dynpro screens.
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Features
Complete flexibility of Web 2.0 technology
Web enriched SAP screens using CSS and dynamic HTML
Fast, Easy and Inexpensive Implementation
- No Java or ABAP development
- Import Enterprise Portal Archive file that comes with the installation to create the GuiXT iView in Enterprise Portal and associate roles to users either by grouping or by direct assignment to use this particular iView.
Load Balancing
Run different instances of Fuzion using a dispatcher dependent on the type of CPU. Dispatcher is able to run two instances per CPU.
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