BW 3.

0: BEex Web Reporting Technology Outlook

Related documents 3.0 Preliminary Features List 2.0B Web Reporting with ITS Templates Source: SAPNET/BW Source: SAPNET/BW

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2.1 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.2

Scope BW Web Reporting and ITS

Technology BW Server Templates ITS Templates Functionality comparison: BW Server Templates vs. ITS Templates

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3.1 3.2

BW Web Reporting (3.0) and mySAP Web Application Server

General Features of the mySAP Web Application Server Web Reporting related advantages of the mySAP Web Application Server

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Migration from ITS to mySAP Web Aplication Server

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Scope

This paper describes the existing 2.0B BEx Web Reporting Technology using the ITS environment and gives an outlook on the 3.0 BEx Web Reporting Technology using the mySAP Web Application Server (WAS) environment.

It describes the different approaches and answers questions concerning migration form ITS to WAS

BW Web Reporting and ITS

Up to BW Release 2.0B Web Reporting was possible by using the SAP ITS infrastructure. Hereby BW used the ITS as a HTTP gateway between the Internet and the BW Server by using the WebRFC technology of the ITS. WebRFC works the following way: To display BW content as HTML pages, placeholders for query results are embedded into stored HTML pages called Web Templates. In addition to the usual HTML commands (tags), these special placeholder commands are replaced with HTML (presenting the requested data in the requested UI component) before the HTML pages are sent to the Web Browser. With WebRFC the Web Templates are stored on the BW Server. However, for some specific purposes ITS Flow Logic technology was used instead of WebRFC technology. This was only the case in order to create interactive charts, WAP queries and web maps. For these purposes Web Templates had to be stored on the ITS using Flow Logic technology. (Please refer to the document: 2.0B Web Reporting with ITS Templates, SAPNET/BW)

2.1
2.1.1

Technology
BW Server Templates
The templates are stored on the BW server BW commands resemble HTML tags Access is via URLs in the form http://ITS/scripts/wgate/webrfc/!?_function=.... HTML is created exclusively on the BW server

BW Server Templates

The templates are found exclusively on the BW server. When you choose the corresponding URL, the template is loaded and analyzed line by line. If the BW system finds special BW tags, it replaces them with normal HTML. These BW commands do not describe the data itself, but how the data is stored. The BW command for tables is only a few lines, and contains all the required parameters. The generated result, however, can be several pages long.

2.1.2

ITS Templates
The templates are stored in a special directory on the ITS BW commands are HTML function calls Access is via URLs in the form http://ITS/scripts/wgate/bwwork/!?~initialtemplate=....

ITS Templates

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HTML is created on the ITS

Only recommended for interactive charts, wap queries and web maps: The templates are stored as text files on the ITS. If you choose one of these templates using a URL, a special SAP component, that takes over the analysis of the template, is started on the ITS.

2.2

Functionality comparison: BW Server Templates vs. ITS Templates

BW Server yes yes yes yes yes yes no no no ITS Yes* Yes* Yes* no no no yes Yes (static) yes

Funtionality Table Navigation block F4 Help Context menu Radio buttons, drop downs, labels Any other items after patch 6 Interactive charts Web maps Wap queries

on limited because no Java Script rendering As a rule: It is recommended to work with BW Server-based templates as default setting in the BEx Web Publisher.

BW Web Reporting (3.0) and mySAP Web Application Server

With BW 3.0 (Basis System: 6.10) SAP will provide to use the mySAP Web Application Server as an alternative to web reporting via the ITS In fact the mySAP Web App Server will be the primary Web technology infrastructure in BW 3.0. ITSbased Web Reporting will be supported due to compatibility reasons only.

3.1

General Features of the mySAP Web Application Server

The SAP Web Application Server provides a platform for efficient development and deployment of Web applications. It is the consequent extension of SAP s proven and stable application server technology and infrastructure into the world of Internet applications. The SAP Web Application Server combines reliability, scalability, international language support, remote debugging, and support for correction and transport to mention only a few . In addition, open Internet standards like HTTP(S), SMTP, WebDav, HTML, XML, SOAP and server-side scripting are included.

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As a result of its strong connectivity features, such as HTTP client functionality, DCOM, SOAP and Java connector, the SAP Web Application Server is the perfect integration platform, even in heterogeneous environments. The SAP Web Application Server is an enhancement of SAP Application Server technology. Using the highly scalable infrastructure as a basis, new technologies have been implemented which make it possible to process HTTP requests (or other protocols) directly from the Internet (that is, from a browser), and to send requests to the Internet in the role of a HTTP client.

The SAP Web Application Server can function both as a Web server and as a Web client. In its Web server role, it can accept HTTP requests from any Web client (for example, a browser), process the requests, and send a response back to the client. In its Web client role, the SAP Web Application Server creates HTTP requests in an ABAP program, and sends the requests to a Web server. The client then receives the responses and proceeds on the basis of the responses. In both roles, the SAP Web Application Server can operate in stateful mode (context is kept open) or stateless mode (context is terminated every time).

3.2

Web Reporting related advantages of the mySAP Web Application Server

Enhanced scalability, performance, and robustness Generation of charts and maps in BW server by using of Internet Graphic Server (IGS) Support of background processing (also for maps charts) Generation of mobile reporting types in BW server Generation of interactive charts in BW server Easy administration

Migration from ITS to mySAP Web Application Server

ITS and WAS can be used in parallel, that means existing web reports (both with templates on the BW Server or ITS) can still be run via the ITS. Moreover SAP will provide migration tools for web templates stored on the BW Server. Due to technical reasons there will be no migration support for templates stored on the ITS. As outlined SAP BW Web Functionality developed up to 2.0B will still work in an ITS environment, however functionality developed after 2.0B may only be provided in the WAS environment.

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