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Implementing NiceWatch
Enterprise Business Connector
in a SAP environment

Technical implementation guide

Version 20090519-01

© 2009 Euro Plus & Niceware International. All rights reserved.

http://www.nicelabel.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... 2

Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3

The 3-step guide to SAP label printing ................................................................................ 4

The printing scenario ................................................................................................... 4
Setup scenario..................................................................................................... 4
Considerations..................................................................................................... 4
SAP configuration ........................................................................................................ 5
Define the data source (XML or csv) structure that will hold the data................. 5
Setup a RFC destination (transaction SM59), connection type G ...................... 5
NiceWatch Enterprise configuration ............................................................................ 7
Establish communication with SAP ..................................................................... 7
Design a label template with variable fields from the data source structure ....... 8
Import or manually define the data source structure ........................................... 8
Returning printing process data to SAP .............................................................. 9

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 11

Appendix ............................................................................................................................... 12
Introduction
This white paper is a basic guide on implementing a rugged and structured label
printing solution in SAP ERP with the help of the NiceLabel Enterprise for SAP
device controller.

As we all know, SAP ERP is a mind-bogglingly powerful platform, Titan among

enterprise software solutions, meaning that any claim to a »basic guide« is
somewhat of a compromise. In order to contextualise this claim, it should be
pointed out that this guide should prove relevant and beneficial to a broad
majority of SAP ERP systems, while a select few will still require some custom
work to adapt the solution to the current infrastructure. As NiceLabel Enterprise
products are not an off-the-shelf item, and are deployed by the best-trained,
certified, and dedicated NiceLabel partners, this guide should be a sufficient first-
contact resource for both SAP users and implementers.

This white paper is a technical look at the process of SAP label printing
integration, see the Printing labels from SAP ERP white paper for additional
business-focused information on the topic.
The 3-step guide to SAP label printing
The printing scenario
The printing scenario is the practical aspect of the SAP label printing integration
project. Once a need for label printing has been identified, and a SAP Certified
device controller has been selected, the questions of What and Why have been
answered. This leaves us with the How.

A most basic workflow could be defined as:

1. Data that needs to be printed
2. Collected in a structured file (XML)
3. The file is sent using RFC to the device controller
4. Device controller puts the data in a label template and sends it to the
printer

In order to facilitate this process, a basic plan should be assembled to define the
above process in terms of actions needed both on the SAP side, as well as on
the device controller side (steps 2 and 3).

Setup scenario
SAP side NiceLabel side
NiceWatch Server NiceLabel Pro
Connectivity Setup RFC Setup RFC trigger
destination
Data Define data source Import or manually Design label
(XML or csv) define the data template with
structure that will source structure variable fields from
hold the data the data source
structure

Considerations
Before implementation, consider:
o How many different label templates are needed
o To which printers will the labels be printed
o How is the printer going to be selected
o Which data is going to be printed
SAP configuration
Define the data source (XML or csv) structure that will hold the data
Refer to SAP documentation

Setup a RFC destination (transaction SM59), connection type G

On the Technical settings tab, make the following entries:

o In the Target host field, enter the IP of the NiceWatch Server.1
o In the Service No.field, enter the port where NiceWatch Server will be
waiting for incoming messages from SAP. You will need to setup the same
port in NiceWatch configuration.

1
If the server where NiceWatch Server is installed has multiple IP addresses,
refer to Appendix.
Under Logon/Security, setup the connection type. The NiceWatch device
controller supports the following:
o No logon
o Basic Authentication

For more information, see SAP Netweaver documentation:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/EN/da/11df3a9b10355ae10000000a
11405a/frameset.htm
NiceWatch Enterprise configuration
Establish communication with SAP
The NiceWatch Enterprise device controller supports several methods for data
collection, therefore a SAP RFC trigger must be created to scan the defined port
for incoming printing data from SAP ERP. This trigger (effectively the data
capture activity) must then be set up to faultlessly interact with SAP ERP.

Set the trigger to receive data from SAP

1. In the Edit menu, select Add trigger and then select SAP RFC (or click
on the SAP RFC trigger icon in the Triggers toolbar.
2. In the Trigger Properties window, make the following configuration:
a. Trigger Name: select the name of your trigger
b. Port: select the port where SAP is going to send the messages.
This port needs to correspond to the Service No. field in the
Technical settings of the RFC destination in SAP (see RFC
destination settings).
c. Press the OK button to save the settings and start the trigger.

Note: If you wish to secure the data exchange with a password, check the Basic
authentication checkbox and enter the username and password. This username
and password must match the one set in SAP RFC destination settings.

To test the communication, go to SAP RFC destination settings and press the
Test connection button. If all settings are configured correctly:
 SAP will display a “Status http response 200”
 NiceWatch will display the “Trigger was executed” message.

SAP and NiceWatch can now exchange data.

Design a label template with variable fields from the data source
structure
To make the process as straightforward as possible, we suggest the following
order:
1. Create a new label and set its size (or stock) and select your printer in the
label creation wizard.
2. Create all variables that will be needed on the label (in the Data menu,
select Variables). To avoid confusion, variable names should be the same
as the ones in the XML file.
3. Place the label objects on the label template and connect them to the
corresponding variables. If you defined the variables already as suggested
in the first step, you can save time by clicking the arrow next to the object
in the toolbar and selecting Use existing variable.
4. Save the label template file.

For more information, see the NiceLabel Pro User Guide.

Import or manually define the data source structure

NiceWatch enables you to send data in various structured types. The most
commonly used formats are .csv and XML. Other types of data sources are also
available, but are not recommended as they require more complex setup.

This guide will focus on the vital basics, for a complete guide and instructions see
the NiceWatch Enterprise User Guide.

If you already have a sample data source (csv or XML file) that will be sent by
SAP, you can very easily import the structure into NiceWatch.

Note: you can send the data from SAP to the NiceWatch RFC destination.
NiceWatch will save the data to your hard disk or network destination if you
select the Save incoming data to the file checkbox on the SAP RFC trigger
properties tab.

1. Save the data source file saved on the file system.

2. When you have access to the data, select the Filter tab in the RFC
Trigger properties window.
3. Check the Use filter checkbox.
4. From the Filter type dropdown, select the type of your data source.

If your data source is a .csv file

o select the Text Database analysis
o Press the Get fields button and point to your sample csv file to import the
structure.
If your data source is an XML file
o Select the XML database analysis
o Press the Get the structure button and point to your sample XML file to
import the structure.

After importing the structure, connect the structure to the variable fields in the
label template. If the variable field names in the .lbl file match with the ones in
your data source, NiceWatch will connect them automatically.

Returning printing process data to SAP

This procedure is primarily used for error reporting, which is achieved by 2 steps:
o Exporting error data from the trigger
o Capturing this data and sending it to SAP

Exporting error data

In order to detect errors, error event logging must be enabled:

o In trigger properties, select the Preferences tab and check the Enable
Error Event checkbox.
o Set the name of the file where trigger data will be dumped in case of
errors.

Note: The dumped data will not include the error message itself, but will provide
the XML data captured by the trigger and data identifying the trigger and time.

The Error Event data can be:

o appended to a file
o overwritten in an existing file
o saved in a new file every time (variable filename value)
o cross-referenced with the trigger log for additional information

Capturing error data and sending it to SAP

As the data arrives in a file format, it can easily be picked up by a NiceWatch file
trigger.

A new File Tigger must be created and set up to gather error event data:
o In the Edit menu, select Add Trigger, then File
o Refer to the File trigger documentation to see how to set up a trigger that
gathers data from newly created files in a certain folder or updated files.
o Add the action “Send XML to SAP” for the trigger
o Define the XML structure to reflect the structure expected by SAP
Note: There are countless ways to receive and parse data to be sent to SAP.
The File Trigger structure allows the user to parse the XML data dump and
include variable data into the return data or even use VBScript to customize the
process. For more information, see the File Trigger section of the NiceWatch
User Guide.

Because the system of sending error data to SAP is based on NiceWatch errors,
it is limited to errors which occur before the data is sent to the printer. This
includes errors in received data or sending errors. It is not possible to report
errors which occur in the spooler or on the printer.

Detailed error diagnostics

In order to receive detailed error diagnostics in SAP, see our NiceWatch

Enterprise Business Connector sending information to SAP checklist.
Conclusion
The above workflow is valid and appropriate for most SAP environments. With
the exception of defining the label information data structure (XML or CSV), the
full installation and setup can be completed in minutes.

The system provides a rugged and basic frame which is implemented quickly and
efficiently into any existing SAP implementation, yet provides numerous valuable
components which can be used to enhance its performance.
Appendix
Additional Resources
Additional documentation is available, detailing individual NiceLabel products and
industry solutions. As any detailed documentation of these processes also
depends on the individual solution, the examples and workflows in specific
documentation are based on NiceLabel products and the NiceLabel methodology
of enterprise-level label printing performance and automation. The documents
are available at http://www.nicelabel.com/Learning-center.

White Papers:  White Paper: Managing the Hidden Costs of

General NiceLabel resources
Enterprise Printing
 White Paper: Understanding the Essentials of
Label Printing Performance
 White Paper: The Concerns and Benefits of
Label Printing Integration
 NiceLabel Web site Learning Center
 NiceLabel Tutorials
 NiceLabel Technical FAQ
 NiceLabel Technical Support site
 NiceLabel forums
Technical Contacts

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