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Andre_Fischer
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert


Updates:

  • added pro's and con's to the deployment options

  • explanation why a SAP Business Suite system using embedded deployment option must NOT be used as a hub (28.06.2013)

  • added a link to the SAP Note 1942072 - SAP NetWeaver Gateway 2.0 Support Package Stack
    Definition
    which describe which SP level on 7.40 is equivalent to which SP level of SAP NetWeaver Gateway 2.0 running on a release prior to 7.31 (18.11.2013)

  • added link to YouTube video that is based on this blog

  • Added HCP OData provisioning (aka Gateway as a Service) as a fourth deployment option (14.04.2016)

  • Added Boxes for SAP Gateway Hub and SAP Gateway Backend Framework, to make it more clear that also the AddOns / software components are needed as well. Especially when talking about the fourth cloud based option for the SAP Gateway Server. (20.04.2016)

  • Added information about the performance improvements when the hub and the backend or in the case of embedded deployment the systems are based on SAP NetWeaver 750 SP4 or later (18.10.2016)


 

In the past I have been frequently asked which deployment option I would recommend for SAP NetWeaver Gateway. The official documentation can be found here in SAP Online Help.

 

A YouTube video that is based on this blog can be found here:

 



 

Root cause for this discussion was that basic Gateway functionalities if running on releases prior to SAP NetWeaver 7.40 are contained in different AddOns that have to be deployed separately.

 

While in releases prior to SAP NetWeaver 7.40 the SAP Gateway server or hub functionalities require that the AddOn's GW_CORE and IW_FND are deployed on the server system, the Gateway backend enablement functionalities required that AddOn IW_BEP had to be deployed on the backend system.

 

As of SAP NetWeaver 7.40 and higher you don’t have to decide where to put the SAP Gateway software components since SAP has taken the decision for you :wink: . This is because the software component SAP_GWFND is installed as part of the SAP NetWeaver 7.40 standard and includes the functional scope of the AddOns IW_BEP, GW_CORE, IW_FND and in addition IW_HDB.

 




















SAP NetWeaver Basis release SAP Gateway Hub Framework** SAP Gateway Backend Framework*
7.31
and earlier
GW_CORE,
IW_FND
IW_BEP
as of 7.40 SAP_GWFND SAP_GWFND

 

*,** For the sake of readability I am using in the rest of the document the following terms:

SAP Gateway Hub Framework for the Add Ons GW_CORE and IW_FND or the software component SAP_GWFND and

SAP Gateway Backend Framework for the Add On IW_BEP and the software component SAP_GWFND

 

 

So instead of discussing where to deploy which AddOn the discussion will be around whether you will go for a hub architecture or whether you will activate the Gateway service on the SAP Business Suite system itself (also called “Embedded Deployment”).

 

Since the Gateway software components will be part of each system running on top of NetWeaver 7.40 in the future you still have basically three options how to run SAP NetWeaver Gateway services in a system landscape.

 

With the advant of SAP Fiori Cloud edition now a fourth option is available where the SAP Gateway Server component runs in SAP HANA Cloud Platform while the service implementation still resides on the on premise SAP Backend System. For more details about SAP Fiori Cloud edition see the following blog  Announcing General Availability (GA) of SAP Fiori Cloud Edition!

 

When deploying systems that reside on SAP NetWeaver 7.40 on the on side (typically the SAP Gateway Server) and SAP NetWeaver 7.31 and earlier on the other side (typically the SAP Business Suite Backend System) the question will come up which SP level on SAP NetWeaver 7.40 is equivalent to which SP level for SAP NetWeaver Gateway 2.0 running on top of 7.31 or earlier.

 

For this please check SAP Note 1942072 - SAP NetWeaver Gateway 2.0 Support Package Stack
Definition


 

Overview - All 4 deployment options


 

As a starting point all four deployment options are shown.

 

Please note that in contrast to the description in the online documentation I am differentiating between two types of hub deployment. One where the services are deployed in the backend and one where the service is deployed on the hub

 



 

.

 

 

Option 1 (hub architecture)


 

In this case the SAP Gateway server functionalities are only used on one dedicated server, the hub system. The service implementation takes place in the backend and the services are registered in the backend systems and are activated (published) on the server. The Gateway service is thus deployed in a SAP Business Suite backend systems where either the AddOn IW_BEP is installed or that is running on top of SAP NetWeaver 7.40 leveraging the software component SAP_GWFND.

 

Please note:

The hub system should be a SAP NetWeaver ABAP server and not a SAP Business Suite system (see last paragraph)

 

Pro's:

+ Routing and composition of multiple systems is supported

+ Single point of access to backend systems

+ Hub System can be based on a newer release (7.40 or 7.50)  that supports additional authentication options (Kerberos, SAML Browser protocol, OAuth)

+ Hub System can be based on a newer release (7.40 or 7.50)  that supports the deployment of SAPUI5 apps or can act as a frontend server for SAP Fiori

If the hub system and your backend system are both based on 750 SP4 or later you can leverage the performance improvements for embedded deloyment also when using hub deployment. For more details see my blog How to take advantage of the performance improvements in SAP Gateway in SAP NetWeaver 7.50 SP04

+ Enhanced security because of no direct access to the backend system

+ Service implementation has direct local access to metadata (DDIC) and business data, meaning easy reuse of data

 

 

 



 


Option 2 (Hub architecture with development on the server)


 

In this case the SAP Gateway server functionalities are also only used on one dedicated server, the hub system.

 

In contrast to option 1 also the service deployment takes place on the hub system. This option is used if either

  • no development must be performed on the backend system or

  • in case SAP backend systems have to be supported that have a SAP basis releases prior to SAP NetWeaver 7.0, so that the AddOn IW_BEP cannot be installed on the backend or

  • if it is not allowed to deploy the AddOn IW_BEP in the backend.


 

In this case the developer is limited to the interfaces that are accessible via RFC in the backend.

 

Please note:

The hub system should be a SAP NetWeaver ABAP server and not a SAP Business Suite system (see last paragraph).

 

Pro's: (in addition to the ones mentioned in option 1):

+ no need to install (and upgrade) SAP Gateway AddOn’s in the backend

+ services developed by partners do not need any deployment on the backend systems

 

Con's (in addition to the ones mentioned in option 1):

- access is limited to remote enabled interfaces (RFC function modules, BAPI’s, BW Easy Queries, SPI Objects)

- remote enabled interfaces might not be optimal suited (e.g. they might not offer appropriate filter options)

- GENIL objects cannot be accessed remotely

- Additional server needed for Gateway

- NO direct local access to metadata (DDIC) and business data in the service implementation. This means that reuse of data is limited to remote access as mentioned above

 



 

 

Option 3 (Embedded architecture)


 

In this case the services are developed, registered as well as published in the SAP Business Suite backend system.

 

Pro's:

+ Less runtime overhead as one remote call is reduced. This is especially true for SAP NetWeaver 750 SP04 or later as I described in my blog How to take advantage of the performance improvements in SAP Gateway in SAP NetWeaver 7.50 SP04

 

Con's:

- If multiple SAP Business Suite systems are used SAP Gateway would have to be configured multiple times

- If SAP Fiori is used you will end up with multiple SAP Fiori Launchpads

- If embedded deployment is chosen the system must not be used as a hub for additional backend systems. As a result Routing and composition cannot be used. An explanation can be found in the following paragraph.

- Upgrade of AddOn’s in a backend system in larger companies is usually only possible once or twice a year

 



 

Option 4 (HCP OData provisioning aka "Gateway as a Service)"


 

Please note: This option is currently only available as part of SAP Fiori Cloud Edition.

 

For more details about SAP Fiori Cloud edition see the following blog  Announcing General Availability (GA) of SAP Fiori Cloud Edition! and more details about SAP HCI OData provisioning can be found in the follwoing document  New version of HCI OData Provisioning service available on SAP HANA Cloud Platform trial landscape.

 

This option is similar to option 1 in a sense that service development takes place in the SAP Business Suite backend system but the SAP Gateway hub components are now running in SAP HANA Cloud Platform using the service HCI OData provisioning. The great advantage for customers is that they do not have to run their own SAP Gateway Hub / SAP Fiori Frontend Server. The OData service as well as the SAP Fiori applications are deployed on SAP HANA Cloud Platform and are securely connected to the SAP Business Suite backends using the SAP Cloud Connector.

 

 

Pro's:

+ Cloud benefits (SAP handles upgrades, scaling, security,…)

+ Composition of multiple systems is supported

+ Single point of access to backend systems + Hub System can be based on SAP HANA Cloud Platform that supports additional authentication options

+ No additional server is needed for the SAP Gateway Hub system / SAP Fiori Frontend server

+ Service implementation has direct local access to metadata (DDIC) and business data, meaning easy reuse of data

 

Con's:

- The following constraints as described in SAP Note 1830712 apply:  http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1830712


 

 

 

Do NOT use a SAP Business Suite System with embedded deployment as a hub system for additional backend systems


 

You should not use a SAP Business Suite System with embedded deployment as a hub system for additional backend system.

 

The reason is that this might lead to a situation where the SAP NetWeaver Gateway release of the hub system is lower than the version of the SAP NetWeaver Gateway backend components of the remote backend system.

 

Such a situation can occur because it might not be possible to upgrade the hub system at the same time as the backend system. Internal policies might dictate that a SAP Business Suite system that is used as a hub must not be upgraded.

 

To avoid such a situation the recommended approach is to choose one of the following options:

 

  1. Use embedded deployment option for your SAP Business Suite systems

  2. If you go for a hub based architecture you should use a dedicated SAP NetWeaver Gateway Hub system that should run on the latest release of SAP NetWeaver Gateway.


 



 

Please have look at SAP Note 1830198 - SAP NW Gateway: Dependencies Between IW_BEP and IW_FND that is mentioning dependencies between IW_FND and IW_BEP.

 

Also there the main understanding is that we do have one IW_FND hub installation and connected SAP Business Suite systems in where IW_BEP is installed.

 

Additional Information in the SAP Documentation



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