Skip to Content
Author's profile photo Kristen Scheffler

Important information for SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence customers – review before Sept. 8

There is an important update that we would like to share with you that, if acted on quickly, will avoid a potential issue for your end users.

**PLEASE NOTE – this does not affect ALL product versions**

Beginning on September 8, 2013, a Java Runtime certificate will expire, causing a warning message to appear on end user screens prior to them being able to run their SAP BusinessObjects Web Intelligence reports. In most cases, users can either click through this warning or change some security settings and run the reports as usual.

In order to understand and address this issue, we have compiled information on the SAP Support Portal here: http://service.sap.com/java-webi-certificate

This document provides you with the information you need and links to patches that may be required. If you do this before the Java certificate expires, you will avoid having the warning message appear for your users.

Here are some resources for additional information on this issue and future product/support updates:

Feel free to post your questions to this blog as well. We want to make sure your concerns are addressed.

Assigned Tags

      22 Comments
      You must be Logged on to comment or reply to a post.
      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks for your article.

      But SAP has communicated very late on this issue. There are a ton of discussion at my client to check what we will do.

      SAP advises to install a patch but we cannot apply it so quickly on our production.

      Why they cannot provide just the WebI Jars signed with a new certificate ? It would be much simpler for their customers.

      Author's profile photo Kristen Scheffler
      Kristen Scheffler
      Blog Post Author

      Hi JeanPierre,

      Thank you for your reply. We are working to post the additional files you mentioned today.  Updates will be added to http://service.sap.com/java-webi-certificate

      I will reply to this post once they have been added.

      We appreciate your comment!

      Thanks,

      Kristen

      Author's profile photo Kristen Scheffler
      Kristen Scheffler
      Blog Post Author

      Hi JeanPierre Matsumoto

      There are applets available for download now in the SAP Support Portal.

      In addition to the fixes and workarounds listed on http://service.sap.com/java-webi-certificate, applets (aka hot fixes) for all currently supported fix pack levels will be made available as follows:

      All FP's on 4.0 SP4, SP5, SP6 and SP7 code lines.

      All FP's on 3.1 SP5 and SP6 code lines.

      The article is being updated as we speak.

      For installation instructions, please see Note 1910039 - BI 4.0 Web
      Intelligence Applet Certificate update
      and Note 1910038 - XI3.1 Web
      Intelligence Applet Certificate update

      Thank you,

      Kristen

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Thanks Kristen for providing the jar files.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Could you please include these patch details in the FWD FIT PLAN as well.

      https://service.sap.com/~sapidb/011000358700000272572011E

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      I assume FWD FIT PLAN of BIP Server patch applies.

      Jean-Pierre

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Kristen

      We are now patching applet on DQ and we will do our PROD very soon. Our tests on sandbox have been successful.

      Thanks for your support !

      Jean-Pierre

      Author's profile photo Vinay jamili
      Vinay jamili

      Hi Jean-Pierre,

      We had installed the BI 4.0 Web Intelligence Applet Certificate update  w.r.t our BI 4.0 patch version without installing latest  patch as per the sap note-1910039..but still i am facing the java warnings in my system..

      Can you help me how you done and get the successful result.

      Thanks in advance

      Regards,

      Naga Vinay Hanuman

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      We have just followed instructions from SAP Note 1910039. Restart of Tomcat is required. There are still a popup after WebI applet patch but:

      Before -  popup with *error* about certificate expired

      After - popup with *notification* about a new certificate to install

      Jean-Pierre

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hm... My customer wondered why nothing happend yesterday - had no problems - but should have had -  according to the informations spread. - And I am also waiting for the dark data Lord to show himself, could not find any problems: Stll on SP7 - without any Patch. Clientjava is 1.7.0. 25 b17. Do we have to keep under cover till the Lord decides to strike? 😉

      Wobi, wondering

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Issue is only when the WebI *Applet* is used to create / modify a report. If you just do views of WebI, you will not noticed the issue.

      The issue depends also of Windows / Java security settings. For us, we have seen different behaviors with more secured hosts.

      Hope this helps

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Still no problems in creating or modifying webi reports with the java applet.... ^^

      Does it look like this? - /wp-content/uploads/2013/09/javaerror_277016.png

      Wobi, still wondering

      Author's profile photo Michael Neville
      Michael Neville

      Hi Wolfgang,

      This is one of the warnings you may see in Bi4.0 when launching the applet, however as you note, you are able to click past the warning and create/modify reports without any problem.

      (Note the warnings and messages seen may be different depending on JRE version used etc.)

      One you install the hotfix or Patch with the updated certificate, this message should no longer appear.

      Mike

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      I assume that some server component has to be restarted to check that the certifikate is outdated. At least I got a java message only after a tomcat restart on my testserver. That may explain why some customers did not experience any problem directly at the out-date 😉 - Since my Server java plugin was not the newest I could  click and work. - so still lucky at my testside..

      Wobi

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      I am using BOBJ Edge BI 4.0 SP2 and do not see a patch. What should i do ?

      Author's profile photo Kristen Scheffler
      Kristen Scheffler
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Hector,

      Edge uses the same patching as BI.

      Thanks,

      Kristen

      Author's profile photo Kristen Scheffler
      Kristen Scheffler
      Blog Post Author

      Additional applet certificates have been added for XI 3.1 SP3 and SP4 code lines.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      We have a production system is still on BOXI R2 - users hitting problems saving Webi documents. Can a new certificate be provided?

      Author's profile photo Michael Neville
      Michael Neville

      Hi John,

      Since XI R2 is no longer supported, no updates to the certificate were made there.

      Note that the certificate issue mentioned here affects launching the Java Report Panel to edit / create reports. If you are at a point where you have the report open, but cannot save them, it may be a different problem altogether.

      Mike

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi Michael,

      I can confirm that saving is the issue here. Using http site allows saving but https does not.

      John

      Author's profile photo Michael Neville
      Michael Neville

      There may be a "certificate expired" issue somewhere (perhaps at the application server level), just not at the Webi Java Report Panel java applet level (that this blog discusses).

      If it is not a certificate expiring issue, there could be some other SSL problem that needs to be looked at.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Modify works, so the only possible workaround I have is to create a blank webI report which users can copy then modify. Can SAP offer support of any kind?