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Former Member

Dear SAP Mentors,

I thought I would provide some information on the Screen Sharing options available to customers, in order to help bring faster resolution to open incidents.

Screen Sharing is only part of the comprehensive SAP Remote Access infrastructure available to customers, enabling SAP Support Engineers to securely connect to a customer's environment, for the provision of support.

Further details on the Remote Connection options available to customers, including Screen Sharing, can be found here:

https://support.sap.com/remote-support.html

Below are the methods available for Screen Sharing with SAP, for the provision of support.

Citrix Netviewer 6.4

For many years, Citrix Netviewer has been the main method of Screen Sharing, used by SAP Support Engineers.  However, Citrix Netviewer with be fully End of Life on 31st December 2016.

Full details of the announcement made on the Citrix Netviewer End of Life and what customers should do to continue to use Citrix Netviewer (version 6.4) for the remainder of 2016, can be found here:

https://support.sap.com/content/dam/library/SAP%20Support%20Portal/remote-support/Remote%20News%20Do...

Customers can continue to use Citrix Netviewer 6.4 until 31st December 2016 but the recommendation is for customers to move to Citrix Go-To-Assist in order to benefit from an improved and "evolving with customer needs" Screen Sharing solution.

Citrix Go-To-Assist

Citrix Go-To-Assist is the replacement to Citrix Netviewer and has been used by SAP Support Engineers in parallel to Citrix Netviewer since 2014.

SAP has a close partnership with Citrix, allowing close collaboration in the development of Citrix Go-To-Assist and SAP uses this partnership to ensure that the Screen Sharing solution is secure for the provision of support and to ensure that the solution is evolving with SAP and customer requirements.

Customers are invited to start a Screen Sharing session via email.  Clicking on the link in the email sent by the SAP Support Engineer will start the Screen Sharing session - it is as simple as that.

Below is a graphic which provides information on how the Citrix Go-To-Assist Screen Sharing session is established between the customer and SAP.

Features of Citrix Go-To-Assist

  • Remote Diagnostics
  • Drawing, Highlighting and Pointing
  • In-Session Chat
  • Two-Way Screen Sharing
  • Remote Control and View-Only modes
  • Mac ad Mobile Device support
  • Secure End-to-End Encryption
  • Available in 15 Languages

Note: There is currently a limitation with Citrix Go-To-Assist as a customer side collaboration tool, which has been temporarily worked around by SAP Support Engineers initiating a Citrix Go-To-Meet session.  Currently a Citrix Go-To-Assist Screen Sharing session can be with only one customer contact attending the session.  Should customer side collaboration be required (i.e. more than one contact on the customer side needs to be present during the Screen Sharing session), the SAP Support Engineer can provide steps and guidance to initiate this.  However, for simplicity and speed, customers can initiate their own collaboration tools in order to share the Citrix Go-To-Assist Screen Sharing session if they so wish.  SAP and Citrix have been working together to improve customer side collaboration within Citrix Go-To-Assist and a solution is scheduled for release in 2016.

Citrix Go-To-Assist offers two methods of connection.  Full Control allows the SAP Support Engineer to take control and navigate the customers environment, during the Screen Sharing session.  View Only allows the SAP Support Engineer to be shown the customers environment and has no control over the customers environment - adding a further level of security to an already secure Screen Sharing solution.

Like Citrix Netviewer, the Citrix Go-To-Assist connection types need to be maintained on a once only basis by the customer.

Customer chosen Screen Sharing Tool

SAP understands that customers have their preferred tools to use when Screen Sharing sessions are required and SAP can accommodate such Screen Sharing tools but only when important and required security measures are taken, which requires some administration to take place by the customer on their environment first, to ensure the connection is secure with SAP.

Please understand that this is an option that can be taken if there is a clear reason as to why the Screen Sharing solution using Citrix Go-To-Assist is not sufficient for the provision of support, via an open incident - We are confident that Citrix Go-To-Assist offers the security and functionality needed during a Screen Sharing session as part of the comprehensive support service SAP offers.

SAProuter is required to be installed in the customers network to facilitate the connection between the customer and SAP.  In addition, the customer must configure a "Jump Server" to take the connection from SAP and host the customers chosen Screen Sharing tool.  Without these additional overheads, SAP is not able to enter into a Screen Sharing session with a customer for the provision of support, via an open incident.

Further information on the SAProuter, provided by SAP free of charge can be found here:

https://support.sap.com/remote-support/saprouter.html

Please see the graphic below for more information.

If customers would like to follow the above Jump Server solution to allow Screen Sharing to take place using their preferred tool, SAP can provide assistance and guidance to configure the required environment.  However, please be advised that SAP Support Engineers may not be clear on using the customers chosen Screen Sharing solution, so we will need full instructions and rules of engagement for SAP Support Engineers to follow before the Jump Server approach is taken.  Customers are advised to follow this option well in advance of logging incidents as the time taken to configure this environment does not align with the SLA demands of and already open incident.

Screen Sharing via SAP Advanced Secure Support

SAP offers Advanced Secure Support options for customers who need an extra level of security when SAP Support Engineers need to connect to their environments for the provision of support.  Screen Sharing can be part of the Advanced Secure Support offering.

More details on Advanced Secure Support can be found here:

https://support.sap.com/support-programs-services/offerings/more-offerings/advanced-secure-support.h...

I hope you have found this SAP Screen Sharing blog informative and please be aware, SAP is always looking at ways to improve its Remote Connection Service and I welcome any feedback you have in this area.

Thanks

Mike

Mike Trott

Product Support Operations (Infrastructure) - SAP Global Services & Support

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