SAP NETWEAVER INTRODUCTION

SAP NetWeaver is an open integration and application platform for all SAP solutions and specific SAP partner solutions. It is a Web-based platform that enables the enterprise-wide and technologically-independent integration and coordination of employees, information, and business processes. SAP NetWeaver Application Server is an open, scalable and highly available infrastructure for developing dynamic cross-company business applications. It provides the structure required to bring together business applications and the Internet. The Internet technology required to implement this task is integrated into NW AS ABAP. SAP NetWeaver Application Server supports established standards such as HTTP(S), SMTP, HTML, SOAP, and XML.

SAP NetWeaver's release is considered as a strategic move by SAP for driving enterprises to run their business on a single, integrated platform that includes both applications and technology. Industry analysts refer to this type of integrated platform offering as an "applistructure" (applications + infrastructure). It is widely held that this approach is driven by industry's need to lower IT costs through an enterprise architecture that is at once

• More flexible
• better integrated with applications
• built on open standards to ensure future interoperability and broad integration
• provided by a vendor that is financially viable for the long term.

SAP is fostering relationships with system integrators and independent software vendors, many of the latter becoming "Powered by SAP NetWeaver".

SAP NetWeaver is part of SAP's plan to transition to a more open, service-oriented architecture and to deliver the technical foundation of its applications on a single, integrated platform and common release cycle.

NetWeaver is essentially the integrated stack of SAP technology products. The SAP Web Application Server (sometimes referred to as WebAS) is the runtime environment for the SAP applications - all of the mySAP Business Suite solutions (SRM, CRM SCM, PLM, ERP) run on SAP WebAS.

SAP NetWeaver provides a basis for Enterprise Services Architecture to meet the requirements for flexibility and integration between systems, interfaces, users, and processes.

SAP Netweaver Interview Questions

   What's the difference between SAP Enterprise Portal and SAP Netweaver Portal ?

Before SAP's strategy turn towards the SAP Netweaver Architecture, what we commonly refer to as "SAP Portal" was called just that or SAP Enterprise Portal. It was just a way to identify this SAP standalone product that was capable (and still is) to connect with all kinds of external systems. These systems could be SAP modules or external systems built on different technologies, such as proprietary client systems or legacy systems. By shifting it's strategy around Netweaver, SAP put the Portal inside the Netweaver platform, arranging its components in order to improve and simplify it's communication with other systems, as well as harmonizing some of its core capabilities and re-utilize those of the Netweaver platform. In a daily basis, we just refer to it as SAP Portal and specify the version (e.g. Portal 6.0, Portal 7.0 or NW Portal).

   How can I check the installed version of ESS/MSS ?

Take note of the following steps in order to find out if indeed you have the ESS and MSS components and in which versions do you have them. Please note that there are alternative ways to check this like, e.g., using the Visual Administrator tool. This is just a way that works for me because most of the times clients won't allow access to the V.A. tool by external consultants.

  What checklist items should I follow to check an ESS Portal installation ?

This must be one of the most asked topics in SDN and there are lots of references in the web. My first recommendation is that you start by reading my post "Employee Self-Services Initial Steps Wiki". This "ESS Initial Steps" wiki intends to provide a hands-on initial contact with the ESS implementation.

   What are the main components of the SAP Netweaver Portal ?

SAP NetWeaver Portal unifies key information and applications to give users a single view that spans IT silos and organizational boundaries. It allows you to take full advantage of all your information resources - and maximize the return on your IT investments. And, its predefined business content accelerates implementation and reduces the cost of integrating your existing systems.

   What's the relation between the Netweaver Portal and the Universal Worklist (UWL) ?

The Universal Work list is for the Netweaver Portal what the SAP Business Workplace is for the ERP system. So if you want to enable any Workflow activities using the Portal, ESS and MSS, you will need to use the Universal Work list so that users receive their tasks and act upon them. The UWL is tied to the backend using a Portal System connector which has to be configured before being able to use it. Many users complain about data refresh issues using the UWL. Even though SAP is aware of this and try to advise some workarounds, like the optimization of the delta pull mechanism, the UWL is still the main functionality to deliver work items and tasks to users in the Portal, coming from SAP Business Workflow or Guided Procedures tasks. The UWL is delivered with a standard configuration but usually SAP consultants customize it to meet the client's and project requirements. See how to configure the UWL for Guided Procedures on Composition Environment.

    What's the difference between a Portal role and an ERP role ?

• This question arises some doubts, mainly in beginners starting to work with Portal. The role assignment function in the portal allows role assignment to users and groups. These roles will reflect the user's or group's function within the company (example: ESS, MSS, HR Administrator, etc.). For a Portal user to run properly, the person responsible for User Management will have to assign both portal roles as well as ERP roles. There are, however, situations for which only an ERP role is assigned.

• Portal roles define how portal content is grouped together and how it is displayed in the portal navigation area. By assigning a portal role to a user or group, you'll define which content is available for a certain user or group.

• ERP roles define a set of authorization objects. By assigning an ERP role to a user or group, you grant the set of authorizations that the role defines to the user or group. In the portal, SAP recommends that you work with portal roles.

   How does the Portal connect to the ERP ?

• The main Portal object which is needed for the Portal to connect to the ERP is what is commonly referred to as a System. Systems are PCD objects, such as folders, pages or iViews. What this means is that Systems must have a unique ID, a prefix (typically com.companyname) and a name. Systems have specific parameters that need to be configured, in order to enable the connection between the portal and the backend (ERP). Ideally, you will have created a customer folder in the PCD and you should create any needed systems in a specific client folder, in a folder name such as 'Systems'.

• Systems can only be maintained using the System Landscape Editor, which is an option which is only available for the under System Administrator role.

• Although systems can be transported through the portal transport mechanism, they don't need to be and, in my opinion, they shouldn't. This is because the systems that are accessed from a development portal are normally different to the systems accessed by QA and production portals - they connect to different backends!

SAP NETWEAVER ONLINE TRAINING

  SAP Netweaver Course Content

   Overview of the SAP Netweaver

• SAP Netweaver Architecture

• Introduction to SAP Netweaver

• SAP Netweaver Release Strategy

• SAP Netweaver Architecture

• Portal Installation

• Post Installation activities

• Starting and stopping of the Portal

• Resolving startup issues.

• Working with Java Support Packages

• Kernel Upgrade using JSPM

• SDM Tool

• Worked on various tools that are required for portal

• Installation of XML Parser 2.0 and Adobe SVG viewer

• License for Enterprise Portal.

• Deployed Best Practices (*.epa) to the SAP Enterprise Portal.

• Introduction to Business Packages.

• Defined Landscape systems and aliases

• Backend systems like ERP,CRM and SRM

• Imported and Exported the portal contents

• Transport packages option

• Real time Collaboration and Knowledge Management

    Enabling the Webgui for displaying the Backend in the Portal

• Single Sign-On (SSO).

• SSO using Logon Tickets

• SSO using User mapping

• Portal Personalization

• Portal Desktop Like Navigation Bar, Mast head etc.

• Portal Favorites and Browser Favorites

    System Landscape Directory

• Technical Systems

• Business Systems

• SLD Administration

• Updating SLD with CIMSAP and CR Delta

     Netweaver Development Infrastructure. (NWDI)

• Netweaver Development Infrastructure. (NWDI)

• Components

• Design time repository (DTR)

• Component Build service (CBS)

• Change Management Service (CMS)

• Software logistics

    User Management in Portal

• Users, Roles and Groups.

• Super Administration, User Administration

• Content Administration

• Creating the Users in the Enterprise Portal

• Portal User administration

• Creating the Roles

• Working with Worksets, layouts, Pages

• Assigning the Users to the Roles

• User Mapping to the Back end users

• Single Sign On

     Enterprise Portal

• Portal Content Studio

• Portal Performance Finetuning

• Response times

• Object relations: Delta Links and copies

• Working with iViews and Pages

• Working with Worksets and Roles

• Introduction to business packages

• Design Changes and Branding

• Knowledge Management & Collaboration

• Themes Management

• Portal Monitoring

• Locking and Unlocking the Portal Objects

• Logon Load Balancing

• Creating and Maintaining the JCO RFC Connections

• Room Administration

• Quick Poll

• News

• Discussions Forums

• Documents

• Common Folders, Public Folders

• Shared Folders and Taxonomy

• Instant Messages