Tài liệu SAP NetWeaver Portal Technology: The Complete Reference pptx

Part I Portal Implementation Planning1 Introduction to SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal.. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the concept of Enterprise Portal and discusses why we need

SAP NetWeaver Portal Technology: The Complete Reference

This book contains references to the products of SAP AG, Dietmar-Hopp-Allee 16, 69190 Walldorf, Germany The names of these products are registered and/or unregistered trademarks of SAP AG SAP AG is neither the author nor the publisher of this book and is not responsible for its content.

SAP NetWeaver Portal Technology: The Complete Reference

The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-154853-X.

All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name,

we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps

McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at george_hoare@mcgraw-hill.com or (212) 904-4069

dis-THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS.” McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUD- ING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE McGraw-Hill and its licensors do not war- rant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause,

in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise

DOI: 10.1036/007154853X

We hope you enjoy this McGraw-Hill eBook! If you’d like more information about this book, its author, or related books and websites,

please click here.

Want to learn more?

Following is a small list of persons I would like to acknowledge for their tacit

as well as vocal support while writing this book

To my beautiful wife, Suji, for her love and support while writing this book

She is the inspiration behind all my endeavors

To my dear one-year-old son, Rohan, who was not unduly upset when

his father was steeped into a computer screen

To my dad, who has been a source of inspiration to me and has instilled in

me a sense of optimism and a “can do it” attitude

To my mom, whose sense of love and sacrifice has been a model for me to live by.

To my other family member, who have always stood by me, helped me, and prayed for

me throughout, and for their unmatched love

To my nephews and nieces, who I pray will achieve great achievements and come up with flying colors in their respective vocations

To my parents-in-law, who supported me while writing this book

To my friends and colleagues at work, who helped me learn these new technologies, solve problems, and shared their knowledge and experience

To Renchy Thomas, who provided a number of useful suggestions that

have been incorporated throughout this book.

To Ashok Baskaradu and Surendra, for helping me with the chapter on installation

To the contributors in the SDN community, too numerous to mention, whose documents have been listed in Appendix B and cited while writing this book.

To my editor, Wendy, and acquisitions coordinator, Mandy, for their support and encouragement when writing this book

To the project manager, Aparna Shukla, who was kind enough to accommodate

my last minute changes and the copy editors, Lisa Theobold and Patty Mon,

for doing an excellent job on this book

To my well wishers Alag Arasan, Govi Rao, Jay Stanell, Jess Aiden,

Ramesh Rajagopal, and Sanjay Bodduluri.

Also thanks to Adebowale David Adesokan, Karun Reddy, Raja Jalandaradoss, Sandeep Kumar Jha, Srivatsa Kadambi, and Swapna for their inputs.

To the other members of the McGraw-Hill team who contributed

towards bringing out a great book

And last, but not the least, I want to thank God for giving me the vision to write this book, the commitment to complete the book, and the opportunity to publish the

book with one of the prestigious publishers in McGraw-Hill

Part I Portal Implementation Planning

1 Introduction to SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal 3

2 SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal Building Blocks 11

3 IT Practices, IT Scenarios, and Usage Types for NW Portal 29

4 PAM, Release Strategy, Maintenance Strategy, and Support Strategy 47

5 Using Scenario and Process Component List Application 61

Part II Portal Infrastructure Design 6 J2EE Architecture 73

7 High Availability for Portals 89

8 Sizing and Scalability 109

9 Web Infrastructure Components 123

Part III Portal Installation 10 Preparing for Portal Installation 141

11 Portal Installation 149

12 Post-Installation Steps 179

Part IV Content Administration 13 Developing Content and Assigning Permissions 209

14 Developing iViews and Pages 227

15 Developing Roles and Worksets 247

16 Using Business Packages 263

17 Changing Portal Look and Feel: Branding 275

18 Connecting to SAP and Non-SAP Backend Systems 295

19 Implementing Federated Portals 315

20 Implementing External-Facing Portals 331

Part V System Administration 21 Portal Backup and Restore 345

22 Transporting Portal Content 353

vii

23 Installing Support Packages Using Java Support Package Manager 371

24 Implementing Delegated Content and System Administration 389

25 Implementing Delegated User Administration 407

Part VI Portal Troubleshooting 26 Troubleshooting Portal Using Logs and Traces 419

27 Analyzing and Troubleshooting Portal Performance 439

28 Portal Monitoring 469

29 JVM Garbage Collection Analysis 483

30 JVM Thread Dump Analysis 493

31 HTTP Performance Analysis 505

32 Configuring CCMS Monitoring and GRMG Availability Monitoring 519

33 Tuning Portal Performance 541

Part VII Portal Security 34 Implementing Authorization Using Permissions, Security Zones, and UME Actions 557

35 UME Architecture Components 573

36 Administering Users with User Management Tool 583

37 Configuring UME Datasource 595

38 Configuring Portal Authentication 613

39 Transferring Role Between Portal and SAP 631

40 Implementing Single Sign-On to SAP and Non-SAP Systems 641

41 Implementing SSL on the J2EE Engine 657

42 Implementing Portal Network Security 677

Part VIII Configuring System Landscape Directory 43 System Landscape Directory 689

44 Configuring and Using NetWeaver Administrator 697

Part IX Appendixes A Installing the SAP NetWeaver 7.0 (2004s) - Java Trial Version 713

B References 715

Index 721

Contents

Preface xxix

Part I Portal Implementation Planning 1 Introduction to SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal 3

Why SAP NetWeaver Portal? 3

What Is an Enterprise Portal? 4

Why Do We Need SAP NetWeaver Portal? 4

Increased Productivity 4

Business Packages: A Jumpstart to Implementation 5

Portal Technology: Open Industry Standards 5

Integration with Applications 6

SAP’s NetWeaver Technology Stack 6

SAP’s NetWeaver Product Strategy 7

Single Point of Access 7

Portal Platform: Runtime Environment 7

Collaboration Platform: Enabling Teamwork 8

Knowledge Management: Unifying Unstructured Content 8

Business Information Warehouse: Unifying Structured Content 8

Portal Security 8

Portal User Interface: Branding and Role-Based Personalization 9

Portal Development Environment 10

Conclusion 10

2 SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal Building Blocks 11

Portal Platform 11

Portal Runtime 11

Portal Components 12

Portal Serv ices 13

Portal Content Directory 14

Unification 14

Connector Framework 15

Portal Runtime Storage Resources 16

UME Architecture 16

UME Components 17

Portal User Interface 18

Knowledge Management Architecture 20

Knowledge Management Components 21

KM Application 21

KM Global Services 22

KM Repository Services 23

KM Repository Framework 23

KM Repositories 24

Collaboration Architecture 25

Asynchronous Collaboration Framework 26

Synchronous Collaboration Framework 27

Room Infrastructure 27

Collaboration Launch Pad 27

Third-Party Services 27

J2EE Architecture 27

Summary 27

3 IT Practices, IT Scenarios, and Usage Types for NW Portal 29

Initial Requirements Gathering 29

Gather the Business and Technical Requirements 29

Identify User Population: Size, Nature, and Usage Intensity 29

Identify the Portal Types 30

Identify the Applications to Be Integrated 30

Identify the Content: Business Packages vs Custom 31

Develop the Technical Infrastructure Design 32

Include SAP NetWeaver Landscape Strategy 32

Decide the IT Scenarios, Processes, and Systems 32

Identify the Installable Software Units 32

SAP Documentation: A Must Read 32

Preparing the Checklist 33

Identify IT Practices, IT Scenarios, and Usage Types 34

IT Practices: A Process-Centric Approach 34

IT Scenarios: Step Toward an Incremental Service-Based Architecture 34

IT Scenario Variants: Address a Specific Business Need 35

Usage Types 36

IT Processes 36

Identify Installable Software Units: Systems, Standalone Engines, and Clients 37

Systems 37

Standalone Engines 38

Clients 39

Design NetWeaver System Landscape: Central Systems 39

Solution Manager 39

Solution Manager Diagnostics 40

SAP NWA 40

System Landscape Directory 40

Software Lifecycle Manager 40

Introduction to ASAP Methodology 41

Project Preparation 41

Business Blueprint 41

Realization Phase 42

Final Preparation Phase 42

Go Live and Support 42

Using Solution Maps: A Quick Peek 42

Benefits of Using SAP Solution Map 45

Summary 45

4 PAM, Release Strategy, Maintenance Strategy, and Support Strategy 47

Why Is PAM Important 47

SAP Products or Applications 48

Application Component Releases, Instances, and Software Component Versions 49

Technical Release and Release Planning Information 49

Technical Release Information 50

Release Planning Information 54

Release and Maintenance Strategy 55

Release Shipment Phases 56

Internal Validation Program 56

Ramp Up Program 56

Unrestricted Shipment 56

Maintenance Strategy 56

Support Packages, Support Package Stacks, and Support Release 58

Support Package Strategy 59

SAP Support Strategy 59

List of URLs Referenced in This Chapter 60

Summary 60

5 Using Scenario and Process Component List Application 61

Application Building Blocks 62

Application/Product, Application Component, Software Component, and Cluster 62

Application Capabilities, Processes, and Scenarios 62

Realization Alternatives and Scenario Templates 63

Using the Tool 63

Choosing a Scenario 64

Displaying the Realization Alternatives 64

Viewing Additional Information 65

Viewing Possible Scenarios 66

View Possible Business Scenarios 68

View Required Components 68

View Potential Upgrade Paths 69

Summary 70

Part II Portal Infrastructure Design

6 J2EE Architecture 73

Components of a Portal Infrastructure 73

Web AS Java Architecture 74

Java Instance 75

Minimal Java Installation 76

Larger Java Cluster Installation with Load Balancer 77

NetWeaver AS Java vs Add-In Installation 78

Central Instance 78

Central Services Instance 79

Dialog Instances 80

Java Dispatcher Components 80

Java Server Process 81

Message Server, Message Service, and Cluster Manager 82

SAP Management Console 82

Java Startup and Control Framework 83

RDBMS Database 85

Monitoring Processes 85

TREX: Technical Infrastructure 86

TREX Client 86

Queue Server 87

Preprocessor 87

Index Server 87

Name Server 88

Summary 88

7 High Availability for Portals 89

Portal Infrastructure Design 89

Essentials of Good Portal Infrastructure Design 90

Portal System Landscape Design 91

High Availability for Portal 91

Importance of High Availability 91

Cost of Implementing a High Availability Portal Solution 92

Impact of Downtimes 92

Key Success Factors for High Availability 92

System-Wide Strategy 92

High Availability Requirements Checklist 93

Highly Available SAP NetWeaver Platform 94

Single Points of Failure 95

Identifying SPOFs 95

Securing the SPOF 96

High Availability Solutions 97

Switchover Solutions 97

Active Clustering 97

Passive Clustering 98

Switchover Solution for SAP Web AS ABAP and Java 99

High Availability and Load Balancing Using Software Cluster 100

High Availability for Standalone Enqueue Server 100

High Availability for Databases 103

High Availability for Global Configuration Directory 104

High Availability for ICM 104

High Availability for Server, Access, and Web Server Networks 105

High Availability at the Physical Level 106

High Availability for TREX 106

Summary 107

8 Sizing and Scalability 109

What Is Scalability? 109

Sizing for Performance and Scalability 109

Sizing at Different Project Stages 110

Sizing Techniques 111

Standard Application Benchmarks 112

Using the Quick Sizer 113

Measuring Scalability 116

Implementing Scalability 117

Vertical Scaling 117

Horizontal Scaling 118

Combining Vertical and Horizontal Scalings 118

Minimal Portal Installation: Central Installation 119

Scale-In Options 119

Scale-Out Approach: Distributing Components 120

OSS notes 121

Summary 122

9 Web Infrastructure Components 123

Technical Requirements of Web Infrastructure 123

Session Stickiness 124

Load Balancing 125

Installing the SAP Web Dispatcher 130

OSS Notes 138

Summary 138

Part III Portal Installation 10 Preparing for Portal Installation 141

Planning 141

Master Guide Document: A Must Read 142

Technical Infrastructure Guide 142

Service Marketplace Documentation Download 142

Platform-Specific Guides 143

Service Marketplace Quicklinks 143

Compile a List of OSS Notes 144

Installation Media 145

Platform-Specific Installation Guide 145

Release Restrictions 146

Installation Tips, Tricks, and Pitfalls 146

Required Skill Sets 146

Proper Sizing: Avoid Shared Systems 147

Installation Cookbook: Document Comprehensively 147

SAP’s Patching Strategy 147

Knowledge of Installation and Troubleshooting Tools 148

Check Installation Prerequisites 148

Typical Installation Issues 148

Summary 148

11 Portal Installation 149

Pre-Installation Planning 149

Installation Options 150

Pre-Installation Steps 153

Downloading the Installation DVDs 153

Check the Hardware and Software Requirements of Hosts 154

Running the SAPinst for Prerequisites Check 155

Install and Configure Sun Java SDK 1.4.2_0 157

Reducing the File Cache Size 158

Install and Configure Microsoft SQL Server 159

Install and Configure Microsoft SQL Server 2000 159

Install and Configure Microsoft SQL Server 2005 163

SAPinst 164

Installing Central SAP NetWeaver AS Java System 168

Interrupted Installation 174

Directory Structure After Install 174

SAP System Users Created During Install 176

OSS Notes 176

Summary 177

12 Post-Installation Steps 179

Troubleshooting During Installation 179

SAPinst Troubleshooting 179

Troubleshooting with J2EE Engine Log Files 181

Portal Troubleshooting 182

Post-Installation Activities 183

Post-Installation Steps for Portal 183

Logging on to J2EE and Portal 184

Checking Whether the Installation Is Complete 184

Install the EP License 188

Delete the Portal Log Files 190

Use the Template Installer 191

Configuring the J2EE Engine 194

Configuring the SLD 196

Apply Patches 196

System Backup 199

Uninstalling the SAP J2EE System 200

Using SAPinst to Uninstall the SAP J2EE System 201

Performance Tuning and Content Administration 205

Summary 205

Part IV Content Administration 13 Developing Content and Assigning Permissions 209

Creating Initial Content 209

Types of Initial Content 210

Using the Portal Content Object Model 214

Portal Content Directory Functionality 214

Portal Content Object Types 214

Portal Content Studio: Content Administration Tool 217

Portal Content Catalog 218

Search Filters 218

Page Editor 219

Object Naming Convention 221

Copying Objects 222

Inserting an Object into a Source Object 223

Using Chained Objects 225

Summary 226

14 Developing iViews and Pages 227

Using iViews: The Fundamental Building Blocks 227

Creating a URL iView 228

Creating a Page 233

Assigning Content to the Page 235

Delta Link Tracer 237

Child Object Tools 237

iView / Page Property Categories and Properties 238

Isolation Method Property 241

Fixed and Visible Properties for iViews in a Page 242

How Page Personalization Works 244

Summary 245

15 Developing Roles and Worksets 247

Benefits of Roles 247

Organizing Content Using Worksets 247

Roles 248

Roles, Worksets, and Navigational Structure 248

Role Properties 249

Permissions and ACLs 250

Folder Structure 250

Folders within the Roles 251

Assigning a Role to a User 256

Examples of Assigning Entry Points 256

Content Development Tips 260

Summary 261

16 Using Business Packages 263

Portal Content Portfolio 264

Business Packages for Every User 265

Business Package for Managers 265

Business Packages for Specialists 266

Administering the Business Packages 266

Before Installing the Business Package 266

Download the Business Package 269

Back Up the Business Package 269

Importing the Business Packages 270

Customizing a Business Package 272

Business Package and Backend Configuration 272

Using Delta Links for Creating New Content 272

Pilot Testing 273

Portal Adoption 273

Uninstalling the Business Packages 274

Summary 274

17 Changing Portal Look and Feel: Branding 275

Changing the User Interface 275

Why Use Different Portal Scenarios? 275

Components of the Portal Display 276

Framework Page 276

Portal Theme 277

Portal Desktop 277

Rule Collection 277

Customizing the Portal Desktop 278

Creating the Framework Page 278

Modifying the Portal Theme 281

Exporting and Importing a Theme 283

Adding the Theme to the Portal Desktop 284

Creating a New Portal Desktop 285

Creating the New Rule Collection 287

Working with the Master Rule Collection 289

Using the ITS Generator 291

Using Theme Integrity Tests 292

Useful OSS Notes 294

Summary 294

18 Connecting to SAP and Non-SAP Backend Systems 295

Creating System Objects 295

System Properties 296

System Aliases 296

User Management Category Settings 298

Creating an SAP System 298

Connecting Using a Dedicated Application Server 299

Message Server Connection with Load Balancing 302

Connecting Using a Connection String Template 304

Connecting to an ITS System 304

Connecting to a Web Application Server for CRM and BW Scenarios 306

Configuring a JDBC System 308

Connectors 309

iWay Connectors 309

Testing R/3 Connectivity from an iView 309

Connectivity Testing Tool 309

Support Platform Tests for Connectivity 310

Connectivity Issues 311

Validate Connection Property 312

WAS/ITS Connectivity Issues 312

End User Permission 313

Useful OSS Notes 313

Summary 314

19 Implementing Federated Portals 315

Content Federation 315

Portal Federation 315

Advantages of Federated Portal Network 316

Content Sharing Modes—Reusing Remote Content 316

Usage Scenarios for FPN 317

Configuring a Federated Portal 319

Remote Role Assignment to the User in the Consumer Portal 326

Create a Remote Delta Link to Content on the Producer Portal 327

Creating a Remote Application Integration iView 328

Creating Remote Content from a WSRP Producer 329

Useful OSS Notes 330

Summary 330

20 Implementing External-Facing Portals 331

Features of an External-Facing Portal 331

Implementing an External-Facing Portal 333

Configuring the Navigation Cache 334

Configuring the Short URL 335

Configuring the Light Framework Page 336

Setting Up Quicklinks on the Portal 337

Setting Up Anonymous Content to Anonymous Users 338

Changing the Default Portal URL 341

Changing the Portal Page Title 341

Removing the Options Menu in the iView or Page 342

Useful OSS Notes 342

Summary 342

Part V System Administration 21 Portal Backup and Restore 345

Full-System vs Partial Component Backup 345

Portal Backup Strategy 346

Taking an Inventory of the System Landscape 346

Devise a Backup Strategy 349

Post-Recovery Checks 352

Useful OSS Notes 352

Summary 352

22 Transporting Portal Content 353

Transporting Content 353

Transport Package 353

Transport Process Controls 354

Exporting Transport Packages 354

Export Settings 356

Creating EPA Transport Packages 357

Configuring the PCD for Exports 361

Configuring Report Directory for Exports 362

Configuring Protection from Overwriting System Objects 363

Importing Content 364

Import Options 364

Deployment Using the SDM Tool 368

Importing Using the Package Import Editor 368

Importing EP 5.0 Portal Content 369

Import Reporting 369

Importing to Production 369

Useful OSS Notes 370

Summary 370

23 Installing Support Packages Using Java Support Package Manager 371

Why JSPM Rather than SDM? 371

Installing the Support Packages 372

Installing the Support Package Stack 372

Prerequisites for Installing SP Stacks and Support Packages 372

Starting the JSPM 374

Installing the Latest JSPM Support Package 377

Install SAP Download Manager 379

Additional Deployment Support Packages 382

Viewing Deployed Components 383

Viewing the Log Files 384

JSPM Troubleshooting Issues 385

Issues with Downloaded Files 385

Memory Issues 386

J2EE Engine Administrator Password Issue 386

JSPM Resources 386

Useful OSS Notes 386

Summary 387

24 Implementing Delegated Content and System Administration 389

How Delegated Administration Is Implemented 389

Standard SAP Roles, Permissions, and Catalog Structure 390

ACLs 393

Implementing Delegated Administration Using Custom Folders 396

Logging in as Content_Admin_1 User 397

Logging in as Content_Admin_2 User 400

Implementing Delegated System Administration 402

Creating Custom Roles 402

Summary 406

25 Implementing Delegated User Administration 407

Delegating Administration Activities 407

Setting Up Company Groups 408

Business Scenarios 410

Company Scenarios 410

Assigning Roles 411

UME.Manage_All Action 411

UME.Manage_Roles Action 412

Creating a Delegated User Administrator Role 412

Enabling Self-Registration 413

Creating a Self-Registered User 414

Assigning Content to the Self-Registered User 415

Summary 416

Part VI Portal Troubleshooting 26 Troubleshooting Portal Using Logs and Traces 419

Logging and Tracing 419

SAP Logging API 419

Logging and Categories 420

Tracing and Locations 420

Log Manager 420Enabling Logging and Tracing 421Log Configurator 421Advanced Mode 422Types of Log Formats 422Destinations Tab 423Creating a New Controller 424Automatic Archiving 424Archiving Manually 424Severity Levels 425Log Viewer 425Sorting 431File Status 431Undocking a File 432Registering the Log File 432Customizing Columns 434Searching Logs 436Filtering Logs 436Sorting Log Records 437Merging Log Files 437Displaying Archive Files 438Relevant OSS Notes 438Summary 438

27 Analyzing and Troubleshooting Portal Performance 439

Factors Affecting Performance 439Performance Analysis 440Performing the Analysis 441Performance Monitoring 443Persisting Monitoring Data and Analyzing Java Applications 444Trigger the Collection of Monitoring Data 444Deploy the Perfviewer Web Application 444Run the Performance Reporter Application 447Analysis Using the HTML Report 448Capacity Planning View 448Using the Charts 457Windows-Based System Performance Analysis 460CPU-Based Monitors 463Memory-Based Monitors 463Process-Based Monitors 464Network-Based Monitors 464Disk-Based Monitors 465Using the Task Manager 466Distributed Statistics Records (DSRs) 467Relevant OSS Notes 467Summary 468

28 Portal Monitoring 469

Portal Monitoring Tool 469Workload Monitoring iViews 469Request and Component Analysis 471Request Overview 472Using the Components Overview 474Thread Overview 477Activity Report 478Single Activity Trace 478Activating the SAT Trace 478Interpreting the Log 479Analyzing the SAT Trace 479Analyzing the Client, File System, LDAP,

and Backend Systems Access 481Summary 481

29 JVM Garbage Collection Analysis 483

Garbage Collection Basics 483Importance of GC Analysis 483Activating the GC Trace 484Limitations of Garbage Collection 484Java Heap Structure 484Young Generation Heap 484Old Generation Heap 485Permanent Generation Heap 485Garbage Collection Process 485Minor Garbage Collection 485Major Garbage Collection 486Calculating the JVM Parameters 486

GC Analysis 487Total Memory Available for the Java Application 487Time Spent on Garbage Collection 487Memory Leak 487

GC in a Well-Behaved System 488Memory Usage Under Load Test 488Identifying Causes of Increased Memory Usage 489JDK Used for SAP J2EE Engine 489GC-Related JVM Parameters 489Automatic vs Manual Tuning of the JVM 490How to Configure JVM Settings for the J2EE Engine 490Minimum and Maximum Heap Size for Server 491Increasing the Heap Size vs Adding a Server Node 491Dispatcher Heap Size 491Heap Size for All Server Nodes 492

Server vs Client VM 492Relevant OSS Notes 492Summary 492

30 JVM Thread Dump Analysis 493

JVM Analysis Basics 493Creating the Thread Dumps 494Using the SAP Management Console 494Combining the PsList for Analysis 495Generating Java Thread Dumps Using Threaddump.class 495Tools for Analyzing Java Thread Dumps 496Using the ThreadDumpScan Tool 496Using the Thread Dump Viewer 497Comparing Multiple Thread Dumps 498Analyzing the Thread Dumps 501Example of a Stack Trace 501Thread Types 502Thread States 502Analysis Using the Thread Dump 502Deadlock Issue: Portal Hangs 503Relevant OSS Notes 504Summary 504

31 HTTP Performance Analysis 505

HTTP Request and Response 505Enabling the HTTP Trace 506HTTP Trace Analysis Tools 506Setting up the HTTP Trace Tool 507TCPProxy Tool 507Conducting the Trace 509Enabling the HTTP Trace on the Server 510Activating HTTP Tracing on the ICM 511Activating HTTP Tracing on the J2EE Server 511Activating HTTP Trace on the SAP Web Dispatcher 514Analysis Using the Trace 515Analyzing the HTTP Error Codes 515Analyze the Header Fields 515Analyzing the Response Time 516Analyzing the URLs 516Analyze the Amount of Data Transferred 517Analyze the Number of Network Connections 517Summary 517

32 Configuring CCMS Monitoring and GRMG Availability Monitoring 519

Tools for Monitoring 520SAP NetWeaver Administrator 520CCMS Monitoring Infrastructure 520

Central Monitoring Infrastructure 520Configuring Alerts 520Monitoring System Using Alerts 521Monitoring Objects 521Predefined Data Suppliers 521Monitoring Segment 521CCMS Agent 522Operating System Collector 522Configuring the Central Monitoring System 522Troubleshooting 531How to Use the CCMS Tool 533Display the Monitors 533Display the Alerts 533Analyze the Alerts 533Standard Monitor Templates 533Autoreaction Methods 533Configuring the CCMS for E-Mail Alerts 534Configuring the CCMS for a Specific Transaction 534GRMG Availability 535GRMG Application 535GRMG Scenarios 535Availability Monitoring Using Alerts 536Availability Monitoring Configuration 536SAP J2EE Engine Availability Monitoring 537SAP Portal Availability Monitoring 537Verify the Uploaded Scenario in the Central Monitoring System 538Start the GRMG Scenario and Heartbeat Monitor 539Useful GRMG Transactions for Troubleshooting 539Summary 539

33 Tuning Portal Performance 541

J2EE Engine Performance Tuning 541Optimize the JVM Settings 541Check the Garbage Collection 542Configure the Log Files 542Disable the Distributed Statistics Service 543Network Performance Tuning 544J2EE Setting for HTTP Compression 544Proxy Server Caching 545Configure the HTTP Service 546

IE Settings 546Tuning the Portal Server 547Isolation Method for iViews 547Isolation Method for Pages 548URL iViews: Client-Side vs Server-Side Fetching 549Disabling the Client Caching Globally 550

Guidelines for Page Caching 551PRT Configuration: Turn Off Monitoring 551Good Java Coding Techniques 552Performance Testing 552GoingLive Check 552Summary 553

34 Implementing Authorization Using Permissions, Security Zones, and UME Actions 557

Permission Model 557Administrator-Level Permissions 558End User Permissions 560Security Zones 562Requirements for Accessing a Portal Component or Service 564Defining the Security Zones 565Safety Levels 567Security Zones Example 568AuthRequirement Property 568UME Actions 568Standard UME Actions 569Default UME Actions 569UME and Portal Roles 571Administering Portal Roles, UME Roles, and Groups 571Changing Portal Roles 571Changing UME Roles 571Assigning UME Actions to Portal Roles 571Assigning UME Actions to UME Roles 571Assigning Portal Role to Users and Groups 572Assigning UME Role to Users and Groups 572Summary 572

35 UME Architecture Components 573

UME Architecture 574Persistence Manager 574Persistence Adapters 575Replication Manager 577UME Data Partitioning 577User-Based Data Partitioning 577Attribute-Based Data Partitioning 577Type-Based Data Partitioning 577Datasource Configuration Files 578Tools to Administer Users 578

UM Configuration Tasks 580Datasources 580LDAP Server 580SAP System 580Security Settings 581Notification E-Mails 582User Mapping 582Summary 582

36 Administering Users with User Management Tool 583

User Settings 583Search for Users 584Lock/Unlock Users 584Reset User Passwords 585Export Users into a Batch File for Future Import 585Import Users 586Assign Users to Groups and Roles 586Display User History Information 587Self-Management 589UME Test and Configuration Tools 590Summary 593

37 Configuring UME Datasource 595

LDAP 595Deep and Flat Hierarchies 595Absolute and Relative Names 597SAP Schema Extensions 597Limitations When Using LDAP as a UME Data Store 597Multiple LDAP Directory Servers 598LDAP Configuration 598Using the SAP System as a UME Database 600Customizing the Datasource Configuration File 601

<dataSources> Tag 604

<homeFor> and <notHomeFor> Tags 604

<responsibleFor> and <notResponsibleFor> Tags 607

<attributeMapping> Tag 609

<privateSection> Tag 610Summary 611

38 Configuring Portal Authentication 613

Declarative and Programmatic Security 613Declarative Authentication 613Programmatic Security 614How Authentication Works on the Portal 614Authentication when Accessing Content 614Standard Authentication Methods 615

Authentication Building Blocks 616JAAS Specification 616Security Provider Service 616Login Modules and Stacks 616Policy Configurations 619Managing Policy Configurations 619Modifying the Authentication Template and the Login Modules 621Authentication Scheme 623Authscheme.xml File 623Priority Number 623Summary 629

39 Transferring Role Between Portal and SAP 631

Role Upload from SAP to Portal 631Initial Upload 631Single vs Composite Roles 632Setting the Stage for the Upload 632Prerequisites for Uploading the Role 633Configuring the Role Upload Service 633The Upload Process 635Start Upload 636Setting Up Detailed Navigation Menu 637Role Distribution to SAP System 638Downloading Roles from SAP to Portal 638Prerequisites for Distributing Roles from Portal to SAP 638Distribution Process of Portal Roles to SAP 638Relevant OSS Notes 640Summary 640

40 Implementing Single Sign-On to SAP and Non-SAP Systems 641

SSO to SAP Systems 641Implementing SSO for SAPGUI in Windows and the Web 642Authentication Mechanisms Using SSO 642User ID and Password 642X.509 Certificates 642Integrated Windows Authentication 643Third-Party EAM Software Agents 643Security Assertion Markup Language 643Custom Log-In Modules 643SSO to Non-SAP Applications 643Implementation Options 643Ticket Verification Mechanisms 644Web Server Filter 644Web Server Filter with Delegation to Windows Server 2003 644Java Ticket Verification Library 645

C Ticket Verification Library 645DLL SAPSSOEXT Library 645

Which SSO Option Is Best? 645SAP Logon Ticket Basics 647Prerequisites for SSO 647Configuring for Scenario 1 648Configuring for Scenario 2 651Configuring for Scenario 3 653SSO to an SAP Transaction Using an iView 653Integrating the Web Content 654Using the URL iViews 654Using the AppIntegrator 654Relevant OSS Notes 656Summary 656

41 Implementing SSL on the J2EE Engine 657

Configuring the SSL on the J2EE Engine 657Download the Java Cryptography Extension Policy Files 658Install the Java Cryptography Extension Policy Files 658Download the SAP Java Cryptographic Tool 659Uncar the Downloaded Cryptographic File 659Deploy the SAP Java Cryptographic Tool 660Configure the SSL Provider and the Key Storage

Service for Automatic Startup 660Generate the Key Pair 662Generate the CSR and Import It into the J2EE Engine 664Bind the Key Pair to a Specific SSL Port 667Test the SSL Functionality 667Configuring the Client Certificate Authentication Methods 669Assign the Client Certificate to the User in User Management 671Change the Application’s Login Module Stacks 672Export the Private Key, Import the Certificates, and Test 674Configure the HTTPS Redirect on the J2EE Engine 674Troubleshoot J2EE SSL Issues 675Relevant OSS Notes 675Summary 675

42 Implementing Portal Network Security 677

Organization-Wide Security 677Security Threats and Safeguards 678Security Policies 678Infrastructure Security 678Data and Application Security 679Network Security 679Using SNC and SSL 679Disabling Services 680Intrusion Detection Systems 681Hardware and Software Infrastructure Elements 681

Layered Network Design 681Protocols and Ports Used 682Firewalls and Application Gateways 683Packet Filters 683Application-Level Gateways 683Implementing Security Measures 684Summary 685

43 System Landscape Directory 689

SLD Content Types 690General Component Data 690System Landscape Data 692Namespace Reservation Data 692Accessing the SLD 693SLD User Interface 693SLD User Roles 693SLD Installation 694SLD Data Supplier Bridge and Suppliers 695Summary 696

44 Configuring and Using NetWeaver Administrator 697

NWA Architecture 697NWA Functionality 698System Monitoring 700CCMSPING for System Availability Check 701System Availability 701Central Reports: RZ20 701Java System Reports 702Log Files 704Roles 705NWA-Related Actions 706Configure the NWA 709Preconfigure Connections to Monitored Java

Systems from NWA 710Summary 710

A Installing the SAP NetWeaver 7.0 (2004s) - Java Trial Version 713

B References 715 Index 721

While working on a portal implementation project, I found myself searching for

useful information at various stages of the implementation While a lot of information is available in various forms from different sources, the simple act of tracking resources and identifying the most useful and relevant ones became a huge task It was this need that really motivated me to write this book If this book serves as a single point of information for anything related to the portal installation, configuration, administration, and maintenance, then it has served its purpose

Another influence in writing this book is the very positive feedback that I received from students I have been privileged to coach My students were so impressed with my style of teaching and the quality of content that they encouraged me to put it in the form of a book

I thought this was a great idea because this would help me reach a wider audience than would be otherwise possible

Another reason for writing this book is the passion that I have for this portal technology and the valuable knowledge and skills I have gained over a period of more than 10 years in JAVA, SAP Portal, SAP ERP, and CRM solutions I felt obligated to share this exciting technology especially with those new to SAP who are looking to make an entry into SAP Portal

And last but not least is the lack of a single book on portals that provided a comprehensive treatment of SAP Portal technology, especially with a hands-on approach

Each and every chapter starts with a brief introduction and then gradually takes you into a tour of the most intricate details of that given topic The important highlights of these chapters are the hands-on approach and the detailed treatment of every topic The chapters have been arranged in a logical sequence of how a typical portal implementation project would proceed After reading this book, the reader should be able to handle a portal implementation in a relatively more confident and successful manner

While writing this book, I have relied on my own knowledge and skills gained during the various portal implementations of which I have been a part I have referred to a large number of resources I have extensively referred to the wealth of information available in the SDN while writing this book, and these documents have been listed in Appendix B of this book I have also added references to specific documents at the end of some chapters

I encourage you to continue your study by reading these articles as well as the extensive documentation available at http://help.sap.com SDN is a great website and I recommend that every reader should subscribe to it if they have not done so already SDN was my default resource for any issues that I faced during my project, such as, for example, when challenged with implementing SSO solutions This book deals with almost every aspect of

xxix

Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies Click here for terms of use

the portal implementation, using a very hands-on approach The chapters in the book and

a brief discussion of the contents follow

Part I of this book deals with the topics related to portal implementation planning and

includes six chapters Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the concept of Enterprise Portal

and discusses why we need portals and how it is it different from an ordinary website

Chapter 2 deals with the building blocks of portals from a software architecture standpoint and discusses such topics as portal platform, PCD, UME, KM, and Content Management

Chapter 3 takes a look at the different NetWeaver components from IT scenario, process, and system standpoints This helps identify the different portal components to be installed

during implementation Chapter 4 deals with the PAM, release planning and maintenance

strategy, and support package strategy This helps ensure that products have enough

support from SAP after implementation Chapter 5 takes a look at the Scenario and Process

Component list tools that help to identify the various IT scenarios and the corresponding

NetWeaver Portal components and support packages to be installed Chapter 6 deals with

the various components in the SAP J2EE engine architecture

Part II of the book deals with the portal infrastructure design and contains Chapters 7 to

9 Chapter 7 deals with the SPOF in the portal system and the measures that can be taken to avoid them to ensure high availability Chapter 8 deals with implementing a highly scalable

technical infrastructure and explains how to use Quick Sizer to size your hardware system

Chapter 9 addresses the specific requirements for a web infrastructure and ensures that the conflicting requirements for session stickiness, high availability, and load balancing are met Part III of the book covers aspects related to a portal installation and consists of Chapters

10 to 12 Chapter 10 describes how to go about planning for a portal implementation and

coming up with checklists, pointers to documentation and other resources, OSS Notes, and

so on Chapter 11 walks the user through the various steps involved in the portal installation and helps identify potential trouble spots during the installation Chapter 12 explains how to

go about troubleshooting when faced with issues during installation and addresses some of the post-installation steps involved when implementing the portal

Part IV of the book discusses content administration on the portal and consists of

Chapters 13 to 20 Chapter 13 deals with the initial steps involved in content administration and takes a look at the PCD objects Chapter 14 reviews the details of iViews and pages and explains how to use the editors to create these objects Chapter 15 discusses the details of

roles and worksets and explains how to use the editors to create these objects and assign them to users on the portal It illustrates the use of roles for personalization and navigation

on the portal Chapter 16 explains the advantages of business packages, the types of business packages, and how to implement them Chapter 17 explains how to change the

look and feel of the portal and discusses themes, portal desktops, and display rules

Chapter 18 describes how to configure connectivity with SAP and JDBC databases using

JCO connectors, gateway connector service, user mapping, and so on Chapter 19 explains

the concept of federated portals and describes the steps involved in configuring them in a

global scenario Chapter 20 covers the concept of external facing portals and describes the

steps involved in configuring it in a global scenario

Part V of the book deals with aspects related to system administration on the portal and

consists of Chapters 21 to 25 Chapter 21 describes the backup and recovery strategy, the procedures involved, and the post-verification process Chapter 22 explains how to configure

the portal transport mechanism and how to transport portal content, personalization content,

permissions, and languages Chapter 23 covers the concept of federated portals and the steps

involved in configuring it in a global scenario Chapter 24 deals with how to implement delegated content and system administration in very large-scale implementations Chapter 25

shows you how to implement delegated user administration across regions distributed geographically

Part VI of the book deals with portal troubleshooting and consists of Chapters 26 to 33

Chapter 26 explains how to use the various logging tools available, including how to use

them for debugging and troubleshooting Chapter 27 deals with devising a performance

analysis strategy and using performance analysis tools and monitors to assess the current

performance Chapter 28 discusses how to conduct workload analysis on the portal and assess component, request, and thread analysis Chapter 29 explains how to conduct JVM

GC analysis Chapter 30 describes how to conduct and analyze thread dumps Chapter 31 explains how to conduct client-side analysis using HTTP trace Chapter 32 covers CCMS

monitoring and GRMG availability monitoring, including how to configure and use them

Chapter 33 discusses aspects related to tuning the portal server, the J2EE engine, and other components of the portal, including development components

Part VII of the book deals with portal security and includes Chapters 34 to 42 Chapter 34

discusses the various authorization models available in the portal, such as security zones, UME

actions, and permission models Chapter 35 discusses the elements of UME architecture and discusses UME objects, user replication, central user administration, and so on Chapter 36

describes how to use the UME tool to manage UME objects It helps to configure e-mail notifications, security settings for SAP ABAP, and portal databases as UME repositories

Chapter 37 explains how to configure the LDAP as the UME data source, discusses user data partitioning and attribute base partitioning, and explains how to modify data source config

files Chapter 38 covers the mechanisms involved in implementing authentication, such as

basic form-based authentication, Windows-based authentication, Kerberos, X.509,

header-based authentication, SAML, JAAS login modules, and so on Chapter 39 explains how to implement role transfer between SAP and the portal Chapter 40 deals with different forms and SSO and how to implement it for SAP and non-SAP applications Chapter 41 describes the various steps involved in implementing SSL on the J2EE engine Chapter 42 explains how to

implement portal security, including network and application security

Part VIII of the book deals with NetWeaver system landscape components and consists

of Chapters 43 and 44 Chapter 43 explains the terminologies in SLD and how to administer

it and how to import the software catalog from the SAP marketplace Chapter 44 describes

how to use NWA for system administration and monitoring, and also how to configure with SLD and remote systems

The chapters have been written carefully, offering the reader basic yet thorough explanations of portal implementation While it is not possible to address each and every aspect of the portal technology in one single book, I hope that the reader will be well-equipped to take up a real job and perform it successfully after finishing this book

The book is a complete reference guide for those dealing with portal implementation and a must-read for SAP BASIS administrators and ABAP and Java developers who want to work with the portal technology This information can serve the occasional needs of project managers, IT managers, and others involved in portal implementation It is of particular interest to portal administrators, architects, and developers It deals with the complete life cycle

of a portal implementation—including planning, designing and installing, configuring and administering, monitoring, performance tuning, maintaining content, application and network

security, and user administration The book takes a hands-on approach and is intended to serve

as an on-the-job reference guide both during and after a portal implementation

To administer the portal, you need knowledge of both ABAP and Java systems There is

a gap in such skill sets in the market This book will serve as a hands-on manual for those who know ABAP and BASIS and want to work in Java-based portal technology as well as for those who know only Java (and are new to SAP) and want to get initiated to SAP Portal

If you have been looking for a book that can aid as a single point of resource for everything related to portal technology, this is the book for you Knowing the information presented in this book can give you that extra edge you have been looking for in your portal job and could even help beginners to land a lucrative job working with the SAP Portal

If you have any suggestions or feedback, please feel free to e-mail me at rabijay1@yahoo com I also recommend that you visit the book’s companion website at http://www sapportalguide.com I wish you all the best!

Portal Implementation

Planning

CHAPTER 1Introduction to SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal

CHAPTER 2SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Portal Building Blocks

CHAPTER 3

IT Practices, IT Scenarios, and Usage Types for NW Portal

CHAPTER 4PAM, Release Strategy, Maintainance Strategy, and Support Strategy

CHAPTER 5Using Scenario and Process Component List Application

PART

Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies Click here for terms of use

Introduction to SAP NetWeaver

Enterprise Portal

In this chapter, we address what an enterprise portal is and how it differs from an

ordinary website We then discuss the business benefits involved in implementing

an enterprise portal In the next chapter, as part of the introduction, we deal with the SAP NetWeaver Portal in particular and analyze the various components that constitute the portal

We also look at the SAP NetWeaver technology stack and analyze the role of the SAP NetWeaver Portal in the stack We then address some of the benefits of using the portal, such as navigating intuitively, drag and relate functionality, branding and personalization, integration using iViews, role-based personalization, securing the portal, single sign-on, and ready-made implementation of content using business packages

Another important component of the SAP NetWeaver Portal is the Knowledge

Management (KM) component that is used for integrating unstructured content This is accomplished using two major components—namely, Content Management and TREX Knowledge Management provides functionality such as discussion forums, content workflow, and classification Sitting on top of KM is the collaboration functionality of the portal, which provides functionality such as the collaboration room, the Collaboration Launch Pad, real-time collaboration, and third-party integration

Why SAP NetWeaver Portal?

One of the first few questions that needs to be answered during a portal implementation is how do we stand to benefit by implementing a portal? Is it really important to use a portal,

or is it something that can be avoided? A portal provides a means by which we can improve the business efficiency of a process For example, by implementing a portal, a company can provide the right information to the right person at the right time Based on this information, the person can make a decision that is not only correct, but also quick

NOTE By implementing an enterprise portal, you can provide the right information in the right format to the right person at the right time.

33

CHAPTER

Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies Click here for terms of use

The portal provides the required information in one place Not only does the portal increase the productivity of an employee, it also reduces the turnaround time of a given business process By implementing a portal, a customer service representative can quickly attend to customer complaints, or a sales representative can place an order at a customer site and answer customer inquiries regarding pricing.

What Is an Enterprise Portal?

While some argue that the portal is merely a website, others argue that it is more than that An enterprise portal can be viewed as a means by which an organization tries to web-enable its applications, services, and information to its internal employees as well as its external partners

So, to that extent, enterprise portal software should be able to solve some of the complex challenges that arise out of web-enabling systems To mention just a few examples, the problems could be associated to that of integrating the applications; providing a single sign-on

to the end users so that they do not have to remember passwords for different backend applications; providing only the right information to the right user using authentication and authorization methods; ensuring application and network security; increasing usability by using techniques such as role-based personalization; providing content management features; and using KM functionality to integrate unstructured content such as file systems, database systems, and websites

INFO Good enterprise portal software should solve the challenges arising out of web-enabling systems and applications

As you can see, a portal is a website, no doubt, but it is much more than just that It is the complexity that surrounds the portal that makes it so much more interesting and worth studying SAP NetWeaver Portal is one such technology, an amazing one that aims to solve complex issues and tries to bring together the different SAP Business Suite solutions In a way, it was born out of a need to provide a common user interface for various SAP products and to simplify access to end users using single sign-on The next few chapters will unravel the potential of the SAP NetWeaver Portal to provide you with a greater understanding of what an enterprise portal is and what it can do for your organization

Portals come in different flavors, such as horizontal and vertical portals, employee portals, and manager portals Portals can be classified into different categories based on the functionalities they provide and the user populations they serve

Why Do We Need SAP NetWeaver Portal?

Let us now discuss some of the differentiating features of an enterprise portal and why is it

so important for an organization to implement it

Increased Productivity

The SAP NetWeaver Portal tries to resolve some of the complex issues that an IT organization faces while trying to integrate its existing applications and information sources From a purely business standpoint, the SAP NetWeaver Portal is able to provide tremendous business value

by providing the right information to the right user at the right time

it possible for a sales manager to look at the sales performance of her sales reps or the sales performance for her sales territories Or a marketing manager can look at how well his different campaigns have performed and identify potential sales opportunities or leads In the same way, customer representatives can quickly address customer complaints because all the information is located in one place

INFO SAP NetWeaver Portal increases the productivity of employees and helps improve the efficiency of the different business processes like processing sales orders, responding to customer complaints, and so on.

Business Packages: A Jumpstart to Implementation

One of the distinguishing features of SAP NetWeaver Portal as compared to other portals is

the concept of business packages Business packages are collections of iViews, which are

grouped together into worksets The worksets are based on tasks that are likely to be executed

by a user in his or her day-to-day job The business packages are based on best practices and

address three groups of users: users, managers, and specialists

TIP Business packages come with readymade content and hence provide a jumpstart for implementing applications on the portal.

The business package for users consists of iViews that provide internal and external news, travel information, information on people, and other self services The business package for managers consists of worksets that deal with people management and budget management This is mainly addressed toward team leads, project leads, and department heads Using the people management functionality, team leads can assess the performance

of their teams Using the budget management functionality, managers can make sure that the costs are managed properly Some examples of people management worksets are team overview, compensation planning, recruiting, and so on Examples for budget management are cost center monitors, budget alerts, and queries for training and travel budgets Business packages also provide alert functionality, where the user can receive notifications on the portal whenever a customer’s payments are overdue or when inventory levels go below a certain level

Portal Technology: Open Industry Standards

The technological platform on which the portal is built is based on open industry web service standards such as eXtensible Markup Language (XML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Web Services Description Language (WSDL), Universal Description Discovery and Integration protocol (UDDI), Java Connector Architecture, and Java Authentication and Authorization Service (JAAS) It is a platform-independent solution that can work on most of the database/operating system combinations

The fact that the portal is installed on the Java stack of the web application server helps you tap into all the potential benefits of Java With every new version of the enterprise portal,

it has also become so much easier to install due to the tighter integration of the portal software components as well as the increased sophistication and usability of the SAPinst software used to install SAP solutions

Integration with Applications

One of the other major reasons why companies implement the SAP NetWeaver Portal is because it is very effective in integrating existing legacy and other backend systems

INFO Using SAP's iView technology, you can literally extract data from any backend system

Usually, over a number of years, companies implement IT solutions using various technologies, which, after some time, become a Herculean task to integrate When dealing with IT solutions, complex issues arise due to multiple vendors, numerous point-to-point integration systems, communication protocols, and proprietary industry standards Using SAP’s NetWeaver portal, solutions implemented using Net and IBM WebSphere can be integrated into the SAP NetWeaver portal landscape SAP NetWeaver Portal also provides drag and relate functionality that helps users take a piece of information from one

application and drag and drop it into another iView to retrieve information from another application For example, users can drag the customer number from a sales order iView and drop it into another iView that fetches customer information The sales order iView could be fetching data from an SAP R/3 system, while the customer data could potentially come from an SQL database iView or a Business Information Warehouse (BW)–based iView The ability to integrate with multiple technologies and application components from multiple vendors often becomes a major factor when a company decides to implement a global portal system to enable end-to-end collaborative business processes

TIP SAP NetWeaver Portal results in lower total cost of ownership because you can leverage the existing skill sets as well as the IT infrastructure that supports those solutions

SAP’s NetWeaver Technology Stack

SAP NetWeaver is the building block for almost all SAP applications and is composed of four layers:

• People integration layer

• Information integration layer

• Process integration layer

• Application platformThe portal, along with other building blocks such as multi-channel access and collaboration, form the people integration layer The scope of the people integration layer is to bring together