Rapid Activation

One of the prerequisites of task list SAP_FIORI_FOUNDATION_S4 is the execution of task list SAP_GW_FIORI_ERP_ONE_CLNT_SETUP.

Task list SAP_GW_FIORI_ERP_ONE_CLNT_SETUP is for embedded deployments only. You use this task list to configure SAP Gateway and SAP Fiori on the same client where the business logic is located. The task list consists of tasks that are available with the following task lists:

• SAP_GATEWAY_BASIC_CONFIG
• SAP_FIORI_LAUNCHPAD_INIT_SETUP
• /UI5/SCHEDULE_JOB_UPDATE_CACHE
• SAP_GATEWAY_ACTIVATE_ODATA_SERV
• SAP_BASIS_ACTIVATE_ICF_NODES

Some selected tasks of task list SAP_GW_FIORI_ERP_ONE_CLNT_SETUP are explained in more detail in the following sections.

Use this configuration setting to define a URL that points to SAP Web Dispatcher instead of the current server.

This configuration setting is relevant, for example, if you want to start the FLP (transaction /UI2/FLP) or FLPD (transaction /UI2/FLPD_CONF resp. /UI2/FLPD_CUST) using SAP GUI.

You need to be able to define a URL on the front-end server that does not point to the current system but to SAP Web Dispatcher. For this, the system administrator defines the hostname and port of SAP Web Dispatcher to be used in the start URL using transaction HTTPURLLOC (which will enter the maintenance of table HTTPURLLOC).

You may also maintain table HTTPURLLOC using table maintenance (transaction SM30) or data browser (transaction SE16).

Before you can use SAP Gateway functionality, you have to activate it globally in your FES system. You can activate and deactivate SAP Gateway. When you deactivate it, all SAP Gateway services stop running, no consumer servers can communicate with it, and an error message is sent to any system that calls for the services.

You have multiple options to activate SAP Gateway in an SAP system:

• In the Customizing (transaction SPRO), choose ABAP Platform → UI Technologies → SAP Fiori → Initial Setup → Connection Settings (Front-End Server to ABAP Back-End Server) → Activate SAP Gateway.

• Start transaction /IWFND/IWF_ACTIVATE.

• Alternatively, you can use the task list SAP_GATEWAY_BASIC_CONFIG to perform basic SAP Gateway settings, including the activation.

The system alias is the result of the routing for an inbound request on SAP Gateway. It can be a remote or a local system. If that system alias is flagged as a Local GW (Local Gateway) instance, it means that the system that is responsible for processing (managing and storing) the data of an inbound request is the local SAP Gateway instance itself.

You have multiple options to maintain system aliases in an SAP system:

• In the Customizing (transaction SPRO), choose ABAP Platform → UI Technologies → SAP Fiori → Initial Setup → Manual Setup without Task Lists → Connection Settings (Front-End Server to ABAP Back-End Server) → Define SAP System Alias.

• Start transaction /UI2/GW_SYS_ALIAS.

• In the Customizing (transaction SPRO), choose ABAP Platform → SAP Gateway → OData Channel → Configuration → Connection Settings → SAP Gateway to SAP System → Manage SAP System Aliases.

• Enter transaction /IWFND/ROUTING.

• Alternatively, you can use the task list SAP_GATEWAY_ADD_SYSTEM_ALIAS to add a system alias or task list SAP_GATEWAY_ADD_SYSTEM to add a backend system, including the maintenance of a system alias.

Regardless of which tool you choose, system aliases are stored in view /IWFND/V_DFSYAL.

The last section on system alias LOCAL was added to this material for your reference. In an embedded hub scenario with up-to-date task lists, typically the processing mode Co-Deployed is used for SAP Gateway services.

The optimization for service processing in a co-deployed system is realized for a fast data transfer between the SAP Gateway system and the IW_BEP component on the local system. Using this processing mode, the routing configuration is not used and the OData request is directly passed to the IW_BEP component.

These are the relevant SAP Gateway services for the SAP Fiori launchpad resp. the SAP Fiori launchpad designer:

/UI2/PAGE_BUILDER_CONF

Used by the launchpad designer.

/UI2/PAGE_BUILDER_CUST

Used by the launchpad designer.

/UI2/PAGE_BUILDER_PERS

Used by the launchpad.

/UI2/TRANSPORT

Used by the launchpad designer.

/UI2/INTEROP

Used by the launchpad and launchpad designer.

You can use transaction /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE to register (or check the registration status of) SAP Gateway services.

In addition to the SAP Gateway services mentioned above, the launchpad and launchpad designer also need ICF services for the application resources. To activate them, you can use:

• Transaction SICF to activate them separately

• Task list SAP_FIORI_LAUNCHPAD_INIT_SETUP, task Activate HTTP Services for SAP Fiori Launchpad (SICF)

The task with description Activate HTTP Services for SAP Fiori Launchpad (SICF) of task list SAP_FIORI_LAUNCHPAD_INIT_SETUP tries to active those ICF services, which are stored with technical name /UI2/FIORI in table ICFINSTACT:

• /sap/bc/ui2/smi/rest_tunnel

• /sap/bc/ui2/nwbc

• /sap/bc/ui2/start_up

• /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/sap/ar_srvc_launch

• /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/sap/ar_srvc_news

• /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/sap/arsrvc_upb_admn

• /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/ui2/ushell

• /sap/public/bc/ui2

• /sap/public/bc/ui5_ui5

• /sap/bc/ui2/flp

• /sap/bc/ui2/app_index

• /sap/bc/lrep

• /sap/bc/ra

• /sap/bc/ra/flp

• /sap/bc/ra/repo

• /sap/bc/ui2/c2g

• /sap/bc/rest/themes

• /sap/public/bc/ur

• /sap/public/bc/icf/logoff

SAPUI5 needs these ICF services for the application resources:

• /sap/public/bc/ui5_ui5

• /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/ui2

To activate them, you can use:

• Transaction SICF to activate them separately

• Task list SAP_FIORI_LAUNCHPAD_INIT_SETUP, task Activate HTTP Services for UI5 (SICF)

Web browsers store static resources, like JavaScript files, style sheets, and images in the browser cache. When these resources are changed on the server in a software upgrade, you want the browser to load the new resources from the server rather than from the cache, without having to manually clear the browser cache.

Cache buster techniques cause web browsers to load content from the server rather than from the browser cache when new resources are available on the server.

The cache buster for the SAP Fiori launchpad and SAP Fiori apps is based on versioned URLs. Cache buster tokens are added to the URLs of the resources. After a software update, URLs containing new tokens are used, which means that the browser considers these URLs as initial requests and loads the new resources from the server.

The advantage of this approach is that resources in the cache are only reloaded when a new version is available. Rather than simply limiting the time a resource may remain in the browser cache, the system invalidates the cache only when resources are actually updated on the server.

The task Customize Launchpad URL for Cache Buster of task list SAP_GW_FIORI_ERP_ONE_CLNT_SETUP creates an external alias /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/ui2/ushell/shells/abap referring to ICF service /sap/bc/ui2/flp.

To use this indexing and caching mechanism for SAPUI5 applications, components, and libraries, you have to schedule the report /UI5/APP_INDEX_CALCULATE as a background job.

The SAPUI5 application index provides an indexing and caching mechanism for information related to SAPUI5 applications, components, and libraries that are contained in SAPUI5 repositories on the AS ABAP. This makes it possible to retrieve and find this information significantly faster than when carrying out the calculations each time it is requested.

The cached information consists of calculation results related to the back-end support for cache busting on SAPUI5 repository level. The indexing refers specifically to SAPUI5 applications or SAPUI5 components with a SAPUI5 component ID.

You can use the program /UI2/INVALIDATE_CLIENT_CACHES on the front-end server to invalidate resources of SAP Fiori apps in client caches. This is only required if resources that are not included in the application index are updated as part of a patch.

The figure shows a typical three-tier transport landscape with three FES systems and three BES systems. In case of a hub deployment, a general recommendation is to have the same number of stages for the FES systems (for example, development, quality assurance and production) as you provided for the BES systems.

While most objects are being transported with traditional transport requests (Workbench or Customizing), the following sections cover special circumstances and objects with dedicated transport attachments or technologies.

At an earlier point of this training you learned how to use the SAP Fiori Rapid Activation approach. In a typical three-tier transport landscape, you should execute the relevant task lists in the development system first. Keep the task Set transport options for to be activated OData Services selected and ensure that its parameters lead to transportable objects:

• assign a package in the customer namespace (starting with Z)
• create a new or assign an existing workbench request for SAP Gateway and ICF services data
• create a new or assign an existing customizing request for the system alias assignment of SAP Gateway services

When you are done in the development system, release the transport requests which were created by the task list run. Import these transport requests into the subsequent systems (quality assurance and production).

When you execute the relevant task lists for Rapid Activation in your quality assurance and production systems, ensure to deselect the task Set transport options for to be activated OData Services. In this mode (description text is "OData ICF Activation mode only"), no SAP Gateway services are being created in these systems. However, the (previously imported) ICF services corresponding to the SAP Gateway services are being activated.

The task Set transport options for to be activated OData Services is available in the following task lists:

• SAP_GATEWAY_ACTIVATE_ODATA_SERV
• SAP_GW_FIORI_ERP_ONE_CLNT_SETUP
• SAP_FIORI_FOUNDATION_S4
• SAP_FIORI_CONTENT_ACTIVATION
• SAP_FIORI_FCM_CONTENT_ACTIVATION

For more details and an example, see the attachment Activation of OData Services in Prod Systems with task lists.pdf of SAP Note 2886433Fiori Setup: Activation of OData Services in Prod Systems with task lists. Also note the blog SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – SAP Fiori Rapid Activation: Transport from Development to Production systems at https://blogs.sap.com/2020/05/20/sap-fiori-for-sap-s-4hana-sap-fiori-rapid-activation-transport-from-development-to-production-systems.

The SAP Fiori launchpad content manager allows you to make system-wide or client-specific changes.

• Transaction /UI2/FLPCM_CONF allows you to make system-wide changes (configuration scope).

• Transaction /UI2/FLPCM_CUST allows you to make changes for the current client (customizing scope). These changes supersede configuration settings.

When you trigger a change in the client-independent SAP Fiori launchpad content manager (transaction /UI2/FLPCM_CONF), a dialog box is displayed in which you define whether you want to save your changes locally or transport them to other systems. To transport your changes, select a package and a workbench request.

The client-specific SAP Fiori launchpad content manager (transaction /UI2/FLPCM_CUST) takes the settings in transaction SCC4 into account. These settings control whether objects can be changed and whether the changes can be transported. In case changes are recorded (automatic or manually triggered), a Customizing request is required.

For Customizing and configuration of SAP Fiori catalogs and groups, the tool SAP Fiori launchpad designer (FLPD) offers an environment for both layers.

• Transaction /UI2/FLPD_CONF starts the FLPD Configuration

• Transaction /UI2/FLPD_CUST starts the FLPD Customizing

To transport catalogs and/or groups, choose Settings in the upper-right corner of the browser window. The system will prompt you for a workbench request (in case of configuration) respective a customizing request (in case of customizing).

The UI Theme Designer is a browser-based, graphical WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor (Transaction /UI5/THEME_DESIGNER). The built-in preview page not only allows you to see the effect of design changes instantly, it can also emulate different screen sizes and orientations on the fly. The tool can be used for quick simple design changes up to the full implementation of a corporate design.

To transport a theme, you can use transaction /UI5/THEME_TOOL. When you select Transport for a theme, the system will prompt you for a customizing request.