Navigating through SAP system
User Interfaces in the SAP Environment
Some SAP applications and components, such as SAP NetWeaver Portal, SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (SAP NetWeaver PI), and SAP NetWeaver Composition Environment (SAP NetWeaver CE), are based on SAP NetWeaver AS Java.
Some applications, such as SAP Business One and the SAP StreamWork application, and solutions like SAP Crystal solutions are not based on SAP NetWeaver Application Server (SAP NetWeaver AS) at all.
Different Access Technologies
The following table lists examples of access technologies:
| SAP Product | Typical Access Technology |
|---|---|
| SAP ERP | SAP GUI for Windows or SAP GUI for HTML |
| SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (BI) | Browser-based interface (various browsers possible) |
| SAP Business ByDesign | Browser-based interface (various browsers possible), software as a service (SaaS) |
| SAP Business All-in-One solutions | SAP NetWeaver Business Client |
This list does not cover all SAP products. It does not also cover all possible access technologies. For example, a system using SAP ERP can be accessed through your browser or SAP GUI for Java. SAP NetWeaver BI is also accessible by SAP GUI for Windows.
The presentation interface, SAP GUI, enables a user to interact with SAP systems based on AS ABAP. SAP GUI uses the functions provided by the relevant presentation environment. The SAP GUI is based on the Windows Style Guide and is available to several platforms. It provides the same functions for each platform. There are various types of SAP GUI, which can all operate in the same way, regardless of the underlying platform.
Variants of SAP GUI
The figure shows the types of SAP GUI and their flow of communication with the ABAP dispatcher or the Internet Communication Manager (ICM).
The official terms of the SAP GUI are SAP GUI for the Windows environment, SAP GUI for the Java environment, and SAP GUI for Java. These terms are available only in English. Colloquially, the terms SAP GUI for Windows, SAP GUI for Java or Java GUI, and Web GUI are used synonymously with the official terms. The colloquial terms are used frequently.
The variants of the SAP GUI are suitable only for working with SAP systems based on AS ABAP. SAP GUI for Java does not offer access to SAP systems based on AS Java. The name SAP GUI for Java refers to its implementation technology. This GUI has been implemented in Java and can be used on front ends that do not run a Windows operating system (for example, front ends that run Mac OS X or Linux).
SAP applications based on AS Java are accessed using a browser.
image provided by SAP
SAP GUI
The data flow between the presentation and application layers does not consist of prepared screens, but rather of logical and compact information about control elements and user input (DIAG protocol). The volume of data transferred for each screen change is a few KB, so you can also easily connect presentation servers over WANs.
SAP GUI for the Java Environment (SAP GUI for Java) is written in Java and is the platform-independent implementation of SAP GUI. Like SAP GUI for the Windows environment, this GUI also uses the DIAG protocol. You can install SAP GUI on either the front end or a terminal server. If you install the SAP GUI on a terminal server, you can access it by using terminal clients.
SAP GUI for HTML requires SAP Internet Transaction Server (ITS) that is part of AS ABAP on the server side, and a Web browser on the client side. SAP ITS provides the services needed for creating responses within the SAP system in HTML format. The responses are transferred to the Web server or Web client outside the SAP system, using the ICM of AS ABAP.
The primary advantage of the SAP GUI for HTML is that it is simple to install on the front end. It requires a browser installation.
System Logon
- SAP Logon shows a list of SAP systems. This list is taken from a file on the front end, saplogon.ini, which is centrally preconfigured and provided for end users. Select the system to which you want to log on. During logon, SAP Logon enables logon load distribution by using the resources available to the selected system.
- When logging on to an SAP system, you are prompted to enter a user name and a password, among other things. If you have implemented a Single Sign-On (SSO) environment, you may not need to enter this information. When you log on, you also select a certain client of the SAP system.
You can also select a logon language supported by that system. Standard SAP installation includes German and English, but you can installed other languages. The number of installed languages determines the languages that your system supports. - On the logon screen, you use the New password pushbutton to change your password. You can change your password once per day, at most.
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The Logon Screen for an SAP System
The user data in SAP systems is called the user master record. An SAP client stores the user master record in the system. This means that you can log on to only those clients where your user (master record) exists. If your user exists only for client 100, you can successfully log on to client 100. If you can log on to more than one client, then you have more than one user master record, which can allow various activities depending on the client where you log on. Your system administrator can add text to your logon screen.
Attempts to log on to an SAP system multiple times are logged for both security and licensing reasons. If the same user logs on more than once, then for each subsequent logon, the system displays a warning message.
This message offers the following options to the user:
- Continue with the current logon and end all other existing logons.
- Continue with the current logon without ending any existing logons (this is recorded in the log. SAP reserves the right to view the log).
- Terminate this logon.
The second option can be deactivated centrally and system-wide.
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To Change the Initial Password
Use the initial password assigned to you when you log on to the system for the first time. During the first logon attempt, the system prompts you to change and save your password. For security reasons, it makes sense to occasionally change your password.
Use the following steps to change your password:
Steps
- Enter your new password in the New Password and Repeat Password fields. You can move between these fields by using a mouse click or the Tab key. Note that numerous rules regarding the structure of a password can be set up for your system.
- Choose (Continue) to save your new password.
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To Change the Changed Password Again
User can change their passwords at most once a day on the initial logon screen. In contrast, user administrators with authorization for transaction SU01 can change user passwords as often as they want. Actually, the administrator can only assign new initial passwords. An initial password requires a change during the next logon of the corresponding user.
The following are the steps to change your password again:
- On the logon screen of the SAP system, enter your data and current password.
- Choose the New Password pushbutton.
- Change your password and save your data.
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SAP Easy Access Screen Structure
Once you have logged on successfully, the initial screen of the SAP system (SAP Easy Access screen) appears.
The SAP Easy Access screen is the default initial screen in SAP systems. The left panel of the screen contains a tree hierarchy of the menus available to you in the SAP system.
You can use the right side of the screen to display your company logo. This figure is made available centrally by your system administrator and cannot be customized by individual users.
You can find a detailed description of the steps to configure the figure on the SAP Easy Access screen under Extras→Administration information if you have the correct authorization. Note that the figure is stored in the system and transported to the front end every time a user logs on. Because the transportation takes place in compressed form, the figure must not exceed 20 KB.
You can also prevent the figure from being displayed by either of the following options:
- Choose the setting Low Speed Connection in SAP Logon.
- Choose Extras → Settings on theSAP Easy Access screen.
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Screen Elements in the SAP GUI
A typical screen (with some common elements) appears if you choose the Defaults tab page on System→ User Profile → Own Data. Then, you see the screen shown in the figure with the data for your user.
An SAP user interface can, for example, contain the following simple screen elements:
- Menu bar
- System toolbar
- Command field
- Title bar
- Application toolbar
- Tabs
- Input field checkboxes
- Radio buttons
- Status bar
You can start applications directly by entering their transaction codes in the command field. You can hide and unhide the command field by using the small triangle next to the field. You can find the transaction code for an application in the SAP menu on the SAP Easy Accessscreen, in the status bar, or in the application itself under System → Status.The menu bar is the top line of any dialog in the SAP system. The menus shown here depend on the application being used. The menus may also contain cascading menus.
The pushbuttons in the standard toolbar are shown on every SAP Easy Access screen. If the pushbuttons are not available in an application, they are deactivated. If you place the cursor over a pushbutton for a short time, the system displays a flag with the name or function of the pushbutton. If applicable, the system also displays the corresponding function key setting.
Descriptions of the screen elements are as follows:
- The title bar gives the name of the function that you are currently using.
- The application toolbar shows the pushbuttons available in the application that you are currently using.
- Tabs organize several sub-screens to improve clarity.
- Checkboxes within a field group allow you to select several options at the same time.
- Radio buttons allow you to select only select one option within one field group.
- Input fields and pushbuttons are additional screen elements.
- The status bar displays information about the current system status, such as warnings and errors. You can also change the display variant to show, for example, the transaction code of the current transaction.
Image provided by SAP
To Log Off the System
The steps to log off the system are as follows:
Steps
- On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose System→ Log off.
- The Log Off dialog box appears and tells you that you will lose data that has not been saved when you log off.
- To log off, choose the Yes pushbutton.
You can also enter /NEND in command field and a log off dialog will appear. In the case you want to log off directly without asking you can enter in command filed /NEX.
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SAP NetWeaver Business Client
SAP NetWeaver Business Client provides a unified look and feel when working on SAP systems based on SAP NetWeaver. For example, you can work on systems using SAP NetWeaver Portal, SAP Solution Manager, or SAP ERP by using a similar interface.
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Connection Settings
quick overview of the connection settings provided by NWBC.
| Connection Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The SID of your training system |
| URL | The URL to connect SAP NetWeaver Business Client to an SAP system. For example, http://server.<full qualified name>:<Port of ICM or HTTP(S)>. Note that the string /sap/bc/nwbc depends on the type of system with which you want to connect. |
| Type | For example, ABAP or as needed by the system to which you want to connect |
| Client | The client to which you want to connect |
| Language | Language that SAP NetWeaver Business Client has to use for connecting to the SAP system (for example, EN or DE) |
| SAP GUI Logon description | Usually, you do not need to use this field. Please see the context help for this field for further information. |
| Comment | Description on the SAP NWBC Logon screen |
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Using SAP NetWeaver Business Client
After providing the correct credentials (logon screen not shown), you are able to work in the SAP system by using the special roles assigned to your user.
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