Are we there yet? Installing the Spatial Map Client for SPS09

As related in previous blogs I am reliably hopeless with directions. I am also late a lot, usually having underestimated how long it takes to attend to matters in hand.  So this lesson by Jamie Wiseman of the SAP HANA Academy on Installing the Spatial Map Client for SPS09 has me intrigued from the start.  I am dying to know how a computer sees maps and what advances there have been.

In this video you learn how to install a spatial map client application.  This provides an interface for use with Here Maps.  For information on licensing and usage of Here maps please open the SAP HANA Spatial Reference Guide and search for the section on the Spatial Map Client.

Before you go any further into the lesson it is important to note that the syntax used in this video is available for you to download.  If you go to the description of the video and click on Show More you’ll find the link to the available code and/or script.

The map Client is available as a delivery unit in the SAP Service Marketplace. You will need an account in the SAP Service Marketplace in order to obtain it. To find this delivery unit, log into the Service Marketplace and then go to Products, select Software Download, choose Installations and Upgrades then select the Search for Software link and type in spatial.  You will now be able to download the Spatial Map Client.

To install the delivery unit go to the File, Import, SAP HANA content and then Delivery Unit.

Follow the stages of the wizard.  In this case the delivery unit was downloaded to a Windows machine so I’ll choose Client and browse to the location of the extracted files.  Once the import wizard has verified the files, press Finish.

The job log should give you a success message once the import is finished.

You can now locate the demos install by going to Content, SAP, hana, spatial as shown.

In a browser you can navigate to the main index HTML page by following the path mentioned previously and then going to a demo sub package.  You can also find a sample URL and the code download mentioned at the beginning of the video.  If you’re able to see the map client your installation has been successful and here endeth the lesson.

However, if you aren’t able to successfully display the map image then you may be facing a proxy issue between your HANA system and the Here Maps server.  There’s a specific file in the demo application that deals with this connection issue.  Firstly ensure that your Development user has the appropriate rights to access and change the Map Client demo application.

If you go back to the HANA Studio and open up the Security dialogue for your Development user go to the Package Privileges tab and click on the Add button.

Search we want to look for the map Client package.  Please note that the search is case sensitive.

For rights you want to ensure you have Repo.READ selected and the three options for the imported package is selected.

Once you’ve selected those rights Press deploy or F8.  Please see your SAP HANA Administration Guide for further information on assigning security and right to users.

Jamie then does the rest of the lesson in the web development workbench.  He starts by showing the link for this IDE in the code referred to earlier. He then shows you how to perform the same troubleshooting task described earlier to ensure you do not have any proxy issues when connecting to the map Client.

As I mentioned at the start, I am dependent on map technology for getting around.  I tutor for family and friends but still totally rely on navigation services.  Given a choice of two directions I invariably choose the wrong one with some regularity.  My back seat driver, teenager daughters automatically shout “Left Dad” or “Right Dad” whenever I approach a turning as they know I will invariably go the wrong way if I am unsure.  I liked this simple straight forward lesson which gives you a solution to the only problem you are likely to have during the installation.  If only getting places on time was as straight forward.