Describing SAP GUI and SAP Logon

The presentation level, the SAP GUI (graphical user interface), enables you to interact with SAP systems that are based on AS ABAP. The SAP GUI implements the graphical user interface using the functions provided by the relevant presentation environment. The SAP GUI is based on the Windows Style Guide and is available for several platforms, providing the same functions for each. There are different variants of the SAP GUI, which can all be operated in the same way, irrespective of the underlying platform.

The following types of SAP GUI are available:

• SAP GUI for the Windows environment

• SAP GUI for the Java environment

• SAP GUI for HTML

SAP GUI for the Windows environment (SAP GUI for Windows) is the implementation of the SAP GUI in a Microsoft Windows environment. SAP GUI for Windows is written in C or C++, runs on Windows-based platforms, and supports all transactions in an SAP system.

The data flow between the presentation layer and the application layer does not consist of prepared screens, but rather of logical, compact information about control elements and user input (DIAG protocol). The volume of data transferred for each screen change is generally a few KB. You can therefore 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 the SAP GUI for the Windows environment, this GUI also uses the DIAG protocol, and so the data volume transferred for every screen change is also generally only a few KB and the presentation server can therefore be easily connected through WANs.

You can either install SAP GUI on the front-end, or you can install it on a terminal server and access it using terminal clients.

The SAP GUI for HTML requires the SAP Internet Transaction Server (ITS) that is part of AS ABAP on the server side and a Web browser on the client side. The SAP ITS provides the services required to generate responses in HTML format (within the SAP system). These responses are transferred to the Web Server or Web Client outside the SAP system using the Internet Communication Manager of the AS ABAP. The primary advantage of the SAP GUI for HTML is the simpler installation on the front end; a browser installation suffices.

Many of the solutions shipped by SAP can be accessed using the SAP GUI (graphical user interface). For the sake of simplicity, further descriptions refer to the SAP GUI for the Microsoft Windows environment.

SAP provides another program for starting the front end: SAP Logon. After you have called SAP Logon, a list of SAP systems displays for which the log on process can be started. This list is taken from a file on the front end: SAPUILandscape.xml. The file is usually preconfigured centrally and provided to the end user.

Start SAP Logon.

When logging on to an SAP system, you are prompted to enter the user and password, among other things. If you have implemented a Single Sign-On (SSO) solution, you may not need to enter this information. When you log on, you specify a certain client of the SAP system. This field is often already filled appropriately.

When logging on, you can select a log on language supported by that SAP system. SAP systems can support many languages, the minimum being English and German. The installed languages determines which languages the system supports.

On the log on screen, you also have the option of using the New password button to change your password, at most once per day.

The SAP system administrator can include additional text on the log on screen.

For more information, see SAP Note 205487: Custom text on the SAP GUI logon screen.

In the course of one log on to an SAP system, you can work in several sessions (processing windows of an SAP GUI) simultaneously. Your SAP system administrator can use a system parameter to define how many sessions are permissible for each logon to the SAP system.

For more information, see SAP Note 12466: Logon restrictions in R/3.

Start your SAP GUI.

The user data in SAP systems is called the user master record. User master records are stored in the SAP system for each client. This means that you can only log on to clients where your user (master record) exists. If you only have a user for client 100, you can successfully log on to client 100. If you can log on to several clients, you have several user master records. These records enable you to execute different activities, depending on which client you are logged on to.

For reasons of security and monitoring, multiple log ons to SAP systems are logged. If the same user logs on more than once, then for each subsequent log on, the system displays a warning message that offers the user the following options:

• Close all existing sessions and log on again.

• Keep existing sessions open, and open an additional session (this is recorded in the log).

• Terminate this log on.

The second option can be centrally deactivated for the entire system.

The first time you log on to the SAP system, you use the initial password assigned to you. During first-time log on, you are asked to save a new password. For security reasons, it makes sense to change the password occasionally.

Once you have logged on successfully, the initial screen of the SAP system appears. This screen is also known as the SAP Easy Access screen.

The SAP Easy Access screen is the default initial screen in SAP systems. The left side 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 graphic is made available centrally by your SAP system administrator and cannot be customized by individual users.

Start SAP GUI and log on to an SAP system.

You can find a detailed description of how to configure the graphic in SAP Easy Access under Extras → Administration Information (if you have the necessary authorization). Please note that the graphic is stored in the SAP system and transported to the front end every time a user logs on. Although it is transported in compressed form, the graphic should not exceed 20 KB. You can prevent the graphic from being displayed by either choosing the Low Speed Connection setting in the SAP Logon program (see SAP Note161053: Using SAP GUI in WAN), or by deactivating the display of the picture on the SAP Easy Access screen under Extras → Settings.

An SAP user interface can contain the following screen elements, for example:

• Command field

• Menu bar, system function bar, title bar, application toolbar, status bar

• Check boxes

• Radio buttons

• Tab pages

You can start applications directly by entering their transaction code in the Command field. You can hide and show the field by choosing the small triangle icon to the right of the command field. You can find the transaction code for an application in the SAP menu on the SAP Easy Access screen, in the status bar (if not hidden), or in the application itself under System → Status....

The menu bar is the top line of any dialog window in the SAP system. The menus shown here depend on which application you are in.

The buttons in the standard toolbar are shown on every SAP screen. If they are not available in an application, buttons that you cannot use on that screen are deactivated. If you place the cursor over a button for a short time, the system displays a flag with the name or function of the button. If appropriate, the corresponding function key setting is also displayed.

The title bar gives the name of the function that you are currently using.

The application toolbar shows the buttons available in the application that you are currently in.

The status bar displays information on 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 transaction you are currently in.

Within a field group, check boxes allow you to select several options at the same time.

In the case of radio buttons, you can only select one option.

Tab pages are used to arrange several sub screens clearly.

Input fields and buttons are additional screen elements.

You should log off from the SAP system when you have finished your work in the SAP system. There are several ways to do this.

In the Command field, enter the command /nEND, and press Enter.