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November 7, 2017 2 minute read

SAP BI 4.2 SP05 : Decoupling of BI Platform RESTful web services from WACS

1.Introduction to SAP BI Platform RESTful web services:

The SAP Business Intelligence platform RESTful web service SDK lets you access the BI platform using the HTTP protocol. You can use this SDK to log on to the BI platform, navigate the BI platform repository, access resources, and perform basic resource scheduling. Both XML and JSON request and response formats are supported.

This Blog explains the RESTful web services can also be supported on Tomcat application server.

2.Decoupling of BI Platform RESTful web services from WACS:

Currently, Rest SDK runs as service in WACS and can be deployed only on WACS server. Need to make RestSDK run as independent service which should be scalable and should run on Tomcat server.

As user I should be able to run this on latest Tomcat server (Tomcat version 8.5.7 and 9 both) being supported for SP05.

From BI 4.2 SP05 onwards, SAP BI platform architecture now supports both the WACS server and the Tomcat server for configuring and using RESTful Web service APIs.

By Default RESTful web services will be deployed in the BI 4.2 SP05 full build and patch build.

RESTful web services will continue to run on WACS as well.

Customers will have option to point the REST URL either to WACS or Tomcat. This ensures backward compatibility.

3.How to configure the RESTful web services on Tomcat URL:

In default installations of the BI platform, the base URL is defined as http://<servername>:6405/biprws

Log on to the Central Management Console (CMC) as an administrator.
In the CMC, click Applications.

A list of applications are displayed.

Right-click RESTful Web ServiceProperties .

The Properties dialog box appears.

In the Access URL text box, type the name of the base URL for RESTful web services.

For example, type http://<servername>:<portnumber>/biprws.

Replace the Restful Web services URL port from 6405 to 8080. Ie., WACS server port to Tomcat Application server port.

(if the Tomcat Application server is running on 8080 port)

4. How to set the RESTful Web services parameter values as part of server configuration:

If you are using a non-WACS server such as Tomcat, you can set the RESTful Web service parameter values as part of server configuration.

To configure the RESTful web services for Apache Tomcat application server, follow the procedure given below:

Stop the Tomcat server.
Access the file propertiesin the following file-path: <tomcat-location>\webapps\biprws\WEB-INF\config\custom.
Specify the values of following parameters in the file based on your custom requirements and save the file.
1. <Default_Number_Of_Objects_On_One_Page>
2. <Enterprise_Session_Token_Timeout_In_Minutes>
3. <Session_Pool_Size>
4. <Session_Pool_Timeout_In_Minutes>
Restart the Tomcat server.

Note: The default version of biprws.properties is available at <tomcat-location>\webapps\biprws\WEB-INF\config\default and your configuration for above listed parameters in custom file path overrides the default settings once you restart the server.

30 Comments

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Ivan Yin

November 8, 2017 at 5:26 am

Hi Ashok,

Great share!

Just one small question.

Does this change mean we don't need to make sure WACS is running and enabled if we want to use BI Admin's Cockpit and other applications that need RESTFUL Web services from BI 4.2 SP5?

Regards,
Ivan

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

November 8, 2017 at 4:03 pm

Hi Ivan,

Thanks for your feedback.

Yes. Once the RESTful web services URL is updated with the Tomcat server and Port. All Applications will be automatically use the Tomcat one including BI Admin cockpit.

Thanks,
Ashok R

PHILIPPE REMIS

November 21, 2017 at 4:46 pm

hi Ashok,

two questions :

the restful service in WACS must be remove after this 'split'?
biprws is a new application, include in war files ? deploy is automatic or manual ?

thanks

regards

phil

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

November 21, 2017 at 4:58 pm

Hi Philippe,

Thanks for your questions.

Biprws can be deployed through wdeploy with split configuration.

Just that the content won’t be split because it is not necessary.

2. deployment will be same and there is no difference. it comes automatically when we install the product.

Thanks,
Ashok R

Denis Konovalov

November 21, 2017 at 6:58 pm

Hello Ashok,

Is restful part of BOE.war or a separate webapp on tomcat ?

Regards,

Denis

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

November 24, 2017 at 7:10 am

Hi Dennis,

Restful web services are part of BOE.war file and will be deployed as part of full build and patch build installations.

Thanks,

Ashok R

Denis Konovalov

November 30, 2017 at 1:09 pm

if they are part of BOE.war - will restful work in slit deployments (web server static content and tomcat with dynamic ) ?

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

December 1, 2017 at 3:39 am

Hi Dennis,

Yes. Split deployment is supported for BIPRWS.war file.

Thanks,

Ashok R

Doug Bonomo

April 9, 2018 at 7:54 pm

They are apparently not part of the BOE.war if there is a BIPRWS.war file.

Also, any recommendations on these values?

<Default_Number_Of_Objects_On_One_Page>

<Enterprise_Session_Token_Timeout_In_Minutes>

<Session_Pool_Size>

<Session_Pool_Timeout_In_Minutes>

Thanks
Doug

Former Member

January 10, 2018 at 9:26 am

Hi Ashok,

This does not work for us.

When I try to launch WEBI using FIORI Launchpad, I get below error.

it works well if I use RWS deployed on WACS server.

Also, can you please guide more about the values which should be added for below parameters :

<Default_Number_Of_Objects_On_One_Page>
<Enterprise_Session_Token_Timeout_In_Minutes>
<Session_Pool_Size>
<Session_Pool_Timeout_In_Minutes>

Regards,

Aakash Gupta

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

January 11, 2018 at 6:22 am

Hi Akash,

Thanks for your question.

Can you please let me know are you using GA build or Beta build?

Regards,

Ashok R

Former Member

January 11, 2018 at 8:00 am

Hello Ashok,

Not sure if below answers your question:

I have updated the environment from 4.1 SP07 to 4.2 SP05.

Regards,

Aakash

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

January 11, 2018 at 4:04 pm

HI Aakash,

Did you install the Release to customer build downloaded from service Market place?

Did you change the Tomcat Port in the CMC-->Applications-->RESTful URL?

Thanks,
Ashok R

Former Member

January 12, 2018 at 9:39 am

Hi Ashok,

I have downloaded it from SAP ONE Support Launchpad -> Downloads,

We have a different server which contains web tier on which tomcat is installed.

I have specified Tomcat Port No and hostname in the CMC–>Applications–>RESTful URL and I get the above error when I open a webi report.

Regards,

Aakash

Henry Banks

January 18, 2018 at 8:33 am

Please log a support ticket Incident - that's route 1 for troubleshooting + you get an SLA.

regards, H

Roopa Puranik

January 12, 2018 at 7:32 pm

Hi Ashok,

I am experiencing the same issue. I am able to login to /BILaunchpad via Tomcat URL but when I try to access any reports I get the "Not Found (RWS 00005)" error.

I upgraded from 4.2 SP4 to SP5, tomcat is on a different server and CMS on different server. I updated the RESTful URL to use tomcat host and port.

I left the default version of biprws.properties as is.

http://<tomcat_host>:8080/biprws -- I am able to access this URL ok in the browser.

Any advise!

Thanks, Roopa

Roopa Puranik

January 16, 2018 at 10:36 pm

Hi Aakash,

I am experiencing the same issue. Did you find any resolution to this?

Thanks!

Henry Banks

January 18, 2018 at 8:33 am

please contact technical support via an Incident !

Roopa Puranik

January 18, 2018 at 6:02 pm

I was going to open incident but first I thought I should post question here to see if someone else was having issues or had some suggestions.

I got help and resolution from Bharath on this issue.

https://answers.sap.com/questions/402417/sap-bi-42-sp5-fiori-bilaunchpad.html?childToView=407091#comment-407091

Vishal Bagherwal

April 13, 2018 at 11:33 pm

Thanks Ashok for the great blog, I need your help, we decoupled Webservices from WACS and using tomcat as you described, now im trying to expose new “BILaunchpad” url to internet through proxy (apache) , I couldn’t find any document about it, I tried doing it by exposing “/biprws”, however no luck. I already have /BOE/BI and /BOE/CMC links working fine externally, i did similar config for “/biprws” as "/BOE" in apache config file.

Brian Kudera

April 19, 2018 at 7:25 pm

In a distributed environment where the Tomcat web application node is in the DMZ and the processing and management nodes are inside the LAN, what servers should be installed on the web application node inside of the DMZ? The RESTful service? Or can this service be installed inside the lan?

Hayden Gill

May 29, 2018 at 12:59 am

The RESTful service is installed on the web application node, so needs to be accessible to the users. It connects back to the processing/management servers in the DMZ

Brian Kudera

May 29, 2018 at 2:12 pm

Hi Hayden, I did get this resolved by:

Installing the RESTful services and WACS inside the LAN
Uninstalling all components from the web application tier besides Tomcat.
Now, the only thing running on the web application node is Tomcat, and no BI Platform servers.

Romulo Jose Morera Galvan

May 30, 2018 at 9:10 pm

Is It planned to support other WAS than tomcat? We are running netweaver 7.5 And we would like to use webdispatcher to load balance restful webservices due HA And performance reasons.

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

May 31, 2018 at 4:09 am

Hi Romulo,

Thanks for your question. yes we are planning incrementally to support all other WAS. we are planning for websphere first and later NW.

Regards,

Ashok R

Sean Morris

September 26, 2018 at 3:35 pm

Hi Ashok

Thanks for this great post. Can you speak to load balancing the REST service on tomcat in a multi-clustered environment? Also, does the biprws webapp use PlatformServices.proprties for clustering information or is there further configuration required?

Thanks in advance,

Sean.

Nicolas Kravetz

June 13, 2019 at 12:48 pm

Hello,

what happens if your tomcat is behind a proxy that says "send everything to tomcat on port 8080" ?

And if after that tomcat redirects 8080 to 8443 ?

For me, cockpit doesn't work anymore if you access BO via the proxy (as it should be)...

Regards

Denis Konovalov

June 13, 2019 at 7:59 pm

tomcat can't just redirect 8080 to 8443, so please clarify what exactly and how exactly is configured and what is not working and how ?

Tom Nather

December 9, 2019 at 9:17 pm

\\<tomcat_server\tomcat\webapps\biprws\WEB-INF\config\custom there is a file called biprws.properties file

Entry - CMS_Default=@clustername?

No one has documented this.

Ashok Rajashekar

Blog Post Author

December 10, 2019 at 3:11 am

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the update. we will document this.

Regards,

Ashok R

Product Information

SAP BI 4.2 SP05 : Decoupling of BI Platform RESTful web services from WACS

1.Introduction to SAP BI Platform RESTful web services:

2.Decoupling of BI Platform RESTful web services from WACS:

3.How to configure the RESTful web services on Tomcat URL:

4. How to set the RESTful Web services parameter values as part of server configuration:

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