A drive through
SAP FIORI APPS
Ankit Garg
[removed by Moderator]
Contents
- Overview of SAP Fiori
- Architecture of SAP Fiori
- Types of SAP Fiori apps
- Transactional apps – Overview
- Analytical apps – Overview
- Factsheets – Overview
- Useful links
What are SAP Fiori apps?
SAP Fiori is the new user experience (UX) for SAP software. It applies modern design principles for a completely reimagined user experience. SAP Fiori represents a personalized, responsive and simple user experience across devices and deployment options.
When combined with the power of the SAP HANA platform, SAP Fiori delivers unmatched responsiveness. SAP Business Suite applications, use SAP Fiori UX to provide a personalized and role-based user experience for enterprise-wide engagement across lines of business. It provides optimal usability on multiple devices for the best business interactions and ease of use. Now SAP users can enjoy the real-time user experience.
SAP Fiori is a package of Apps designed for various LoB, scenarios. These Apps are simple to use, interactive, explanative, easy-to-navigate, and platform-friendly. These SAP Fiori Apps can be accessed by any device like Desktops, Tablets, Cellphones etc.
SAP has delivered Standard Fiori Apps for almost all possible business process. User can also configure Customized apps, if standard ones do not fulfill their requirement.
Design Principles of SAP Fiori
Components of System Landscape
Architecture of SAP Fiori
Database
SAP HANA is an in-memory database platform that you can use to analyze large volumes of data in real-time. It was previously called High Performance Analytic Appliance. It stores data using columnar storage technique, which makes it perfect for on-the-fly reporting.
However, Transactional apps (discussed below) can be deployed on any DB, while Analytic apps and Fact sheet apps require HANA DB only. For best performance, SAP Fiori should be deployed with HANA DB.
ABAP back-end Server
The back-end server is based on SAP NetWeaver. In the ABAP back-end server, the SAP Business Suite products are installed, which provide the business logic and the back-end data, including users, roles, and authorizations.
This Server contains Virtual Data Models (VDM) or HANA LIVE, Data Providers from which data will be retrieved for the Fiori apps. This Server is directly connected to HANA DB. An RFC connection (system alias) is to be established between Back-end and Front-end Server for communication.
ABAP front-end Server
It is SAP NetWeaver Gateway having SAP UI5 and SAP Fiori add-ons. SAP Gateway is the back-bone of FIORI apps. NetWeaver Gateway is a set of ABAP add-ons to your existing SAP ERP system that provides easy access to your business information in a simple, people-centric manner and lowers the data consumption barrier to the point that no prior knowledge of an SAP system's internal workings is required.
SAP Gateway handles the communication between the web dispatcher and the SAP Business Suite back end. SAP Gateway uses OData services to provide back-end data and functions, and processes HTTPS requests for OData services. End-users access the SAP Fiori apps from the SAP Fiori Launchpad (web dispatcher). The specific UIs for the apps are delivered as SAP Business Suite product-specific UI add-on products, which must be additionally installed on the front-end server.
Web Dispatcher
It is the Fiori Launchpad where Fiori apps can be accessed by End-user through “Tiles”. It is designed using SAP UI5 framework. This Dispatcher is accessed through Web Browser using a URL. If this URL is accessed outside corporate network, make sure that connection is secure.
SAP Fiori apps are processed as follows: First, Fiori Launchpad loads the UIs for the SAP Fiori apps. Second, while running, the app consumes data from the SAP Business Suite back-end systems.
Standard browsers have a “SAME ORIGIN” policy, that is, HTTPS requests for the UI data and the back-end data must communicate with just one web address.
To meet this requirement, a reverse proxy server between Dispatcher and the SAP system must be installed. The reverse proxy server acts as the only point of entry for all HTTPS requests. Depending on the requests that the app sends, the reverse proxy server selects the appropriate application server, the ABAP front-end serve or SAP Gateway server.
Types of SAP Fiori Apps
SAP Fiori has three app types, each distinguished by their application and infrastructure requirements:
- Transactional apps
- Fact sheets
- Analytical apps
Transactional Apps
These apps let you perform transactional tasks, such as creating a leave request for an employee. They represent simplified views and interaction with existing business processes and solutions. They run best on an SAP HANA database, but can also be ported to other databases with acceptable performance.
For the transactional apps, the ABAP front-end server comprises of SoH (Suite on HANA) ,which contains the UI layer with the necessary product-specific UI components for the respective products (for example, ERP Financials (ERP-FIN), CRM, SCM and so on) as well as the infrastructure components. The infrastructure comprises the central UI component comprising add-ons as SAP UI5 control library and the SAP Fiori launchpad as well as SAP NetWeaver Gateway with the OData enablement.
The front-end components have access through a trusted RFC connection to the ABAP back-end server containing the business logic in the form of VDM or Data Providers.
The SAP Web dispatcher is the entry point for HTTP(s) requests into your system. The underlying database can be an SAP HANA database, or any database.
Analytical Apps
These apps let you get a role-based insight into real-time operations by displaying key figures directly in your browser. Analytical apps combine the data and analytical power of SAP HANA with the integration and interface components of SAP Business Suite. They provide real-time information on large volume data in a simplified front end for enterprise control. With analytical apps, you can closely monitor your most important key performance indicators (KPIs) in real time and react immediately on changes in market conditions or operations. These are also known as Smart Business or KPI apps.
The ABAP front-end server contains the UI layer with the infrastructure and the necessary product-specific UI components for the respective products used. The underlying database can only be an SAP HANA database. Back-end Server contains VDM and Data Providers from which data will be retrieved.
These front-end components have access through a trusted RFC connection to the ABAP back-end server with the business logic. KPI framework includes some roles which have to be assigned in order to configure KPI Modeler. Generally a separate user is created to configure KPI apps to which KPI roles are assigned. Once this is done, you can configure Analytic apps through web dispatcher in your browser.
HANA XS is a small-footprint application server, web server, and basis for an application development platform - that lives inside SAP HANA. The HANA XS Engine also contains the SAP Fiori app content for the different Business Suite products and the SAP Smart Business component with the KPI modeler as well as the Virtual Data Model (VDM) reuse content.
SAP has provided a feature of “Drilldowns” in order to analyze business based on By region, By Country, By Company Code, By Customers etc. In addition to it, you can restrict users to see specific apps. One or more Datsources can be used for single Analytical app.
SAP Analytical Apps Landscape
Factsheets
These apps display contextual information about central objects used in your business operations. Fact Sheets display master data or business documents in display mode. Fact Sheets are accessed from other apps like Analytical Apps by using app-to-app navigation in Fiori launchpad. Also you can search master data or business documents in the Fiori launchpad like google search. Facts Sheet is displayed by selecting the search result.
The architecture is somewhat similar to other apps. In addition, Factsheets require ABAP stack and Fiori Search enablement. For implementation, please follow links in the end of this document. This search is like google search which displays records when searched for a specific data, which is directly retrieved from SAP HANA.
For example, if you search material no. “CH003”, in search bar of Fiori launchpad, all documents (Business Objects) containing this material no. will be displayed. Select a particular entry, you can drill down to know underlying information such as locations where this material is sold, name of Top 10 buyers of it etc.
The ABAP front-end server contains the UI layer with the infrastructure and the necessary product-specific UI components for the respective products used. These front-end components have access through a trusted RFC connection to the ABAP back-end server with the business logic. These apps works only with HANA DB. Search models make Business Objects searchable during Fiori Search. For this, Software component has to be enabled, the steps are mentioned in the Useful links.
The SAP Web dispatcher selects the appropriate server for HTTP(s) requests by means of proxy server and request the search models from back-end server.
SAP Factsheets Apps Landscape
Useful links
https://support.sap.com/content/dam/library/SAP%20Support%20Portal/support-programs-services/solutio...
https://fioriappslibrary.hana.ondemand.com/sap/fix/externalViewer/
http://help.sap.com/fiori_bs2013/helpdata/en/12/af5252b10d5a64e10000000a423f68/content.htm?frameset=...
http://help.sap.com/fiori_bs2013/helpdata/en/de/f9b152d7d3215ce10000000a44538d/content.htm?frameset=...
https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/b6/e51604ca9a480bb8d58111a837b4ae/content.htm
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