Fiorified BI Launchpad and Web Assistant in BOE 4.2
This blog describes:-
- About Web Assistant,
- Configure Web Assistant for Fiorified BI Launchpad (BOE 4.2 SP05),
- Enable and use web Assistant in Fiorified BI Launchpad
Web Assistant feature available in Fiorified BI Launchpad from SAP BOE 4.2 SP05 and Onwards.
About Web Assistant:
The SAP Enable Now Web Assistant is a web-based help system to provide context-sensitive user assistance. It enables users to get started quickly and to find all relevant information in an easy way without having the need to leave the respective application. When clicking the help icon, the Web Assistant provides additional information directly on top of the current application screen.
The characteristics of the Web Assistant are:
- Seamless: Can be used, exactly when the user needs it from within the application
- Context-sensitive: Shows exactly what is needed for the user, depending on the current screen.
- Guiding: Provides an interactive step-by-step process guidance
More about SAP Enable Now : https://help.sap.com/viewer/p/SAP_ENABLE_NOW
Configurations to enable Web Assistant in the Fiorified BI Launchpad:
After you install or upgrade to SAP BOE 4.2 SP5, you need to configure proxy settings for a user to be able to access Web Assistant in-app help in fiorified BI launch pad.
Read the Comments in same blog: https://blogs.sap.com/2017/12/19/fiorified-bi-launchpad-and-web-assistant-in-boe-4.2/#comment-409634
SAP Note: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902
Proxy configuration is based on network settings in your organization.
verify by hitting this URL in browser where Tomcat deployed : https://xray.hana.ondemand.com/xRayControls/resources/sap/dfa/help
if this URL gives response then no need to set the proxy. else follow the below steps.
To configure proxy settings for web assistant in fiorified BI launch pad, perform the following steps:
Prerequisites:
You are connected to the internet.
-
Navigate to JAVA Properties of the web server.
- Add the https.proxyHost and https.proxyPort properties.
Example:
OS: Windows,
Web Server: Tomcat 8.5
-
Navigate to .
The Apache Tomcat for BI 4 Properties window opens.
- Choose the Java tab.
- In the Java options field, append the following properties to the list:
-Dhttps.proxyHost=<proxy_host>
-Dhttps.proxyPort=<proxy_port>
- Restart Tomcat.
Configuration in Split Deployment : https://blogs.sap.com/2017/12/19/fiorified-bi-launchpad-and-web-assistant-in-boe-4.2/comment-page-1/#comment-417787
Enabling and using Web Assistant in Fiorified BI Launchpad:
If application is updated and user is logging into the application for the first time after update – User can see the new features by clicking on the popup appeared on the screen.
To enable Web Assistant in Fiorified BI Launchpad, simply click on the Help icon in the upper right hand portion of the screen:
An informational bar (carousel) will appear across the bottom of the screen, and elements that have in-app help will have a green circle (hotspot) on top of them:
To get help on the topic, simply click on the green circle (hotspot):
If user clicks on the elements present in the carousel area, It will connect to the corresponding hotspot.
To turn off the Web Assistant, simply click on the Help icon again, and the circles will disappear. You can hide the carousel at any time by clicking on the double downward facing arrows on the right hand side of the overlay.
Whether you hide or show the carousel is up to you. We anticipate that in the beginning, people will keep the carousel visible. This gives visibility to the user not just insight into the current control, but at least introductory information on adjacent controls which might also have in-app help. More advanced users, they may decide to hide the carousel altogether and focus on clicking on a circle as they need help.
Not all elements are documented with Web Assistant yet, the number of topics will expand over time until, just about everything important is covered this way.
More Links:
https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902
https://blogs.sap.com/2017/05/16/fiorified-bi-launchpad-in-boe-4.2/
https://help.sap.com/viewer/p/SAP_BUSINESSOBJECTS_BUSINESS_INTELLIGENCE_PLATFORM
What’s New in SAP BOE 4.2 SP05:
https://www.sap.com/documents/2017/12/529564fc-e47c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html#
Hi Bharath, is there something more which needs to be configured ? As I cannot make it to work ;
-Dhttps.proxyHost=<our-proxi-server-name>
-Dhttps.proxyPort=80
in the java-options of the "Tomcat Configuration" tool
Web Assistant Not Available. The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured
Am I forgetting something ?
Many thanks,
Eddy
In my environment, the machine can access the internet directly so I didn't configure any Proxy in tomcat and IE and the Web Assistant works fine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8UksBdXl4E
Hi Eddy,
There is an issue with web assistant config.
Please apply this work around. : https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902
-
Bharath
What ports need to be opened in the firewall to make this work ? The video just points to some ip address who knows what that is ?
Hi Darren,
IP and Port number showed in videos is "Proxy host and Port number". Please check in your browser proxy settings where tomcat is deployed. Use command prompt to "ping" to proxy and update the same IP or host name in Tomcat java properties.
-
Bharath
Apparently
The url in this note https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902 is required to be accessible, but it doesn't work from any network, external, internal...sap's own network.
So Opened a support request with SAP and the note has been updated with a work around. No proxy required and works.
Error:
"The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured."
Cause
The URLs specified in the web.xml of the Fiori BI Launchpad are not accessible.
Resolution
<BOBJINSTALLDIR>\tomcat\webapps\BOE\WEB-INF\eclipse\plugins\webpath.FioriBI\web\WEB-INF\
<BOBJINSTALLDIR\tomcat\work\Catalina\localhost\BOE\eclipse\plugins\webpath.FioriBI\web\WEB-INF
Even after this steps getting same error then make sure Proxy Host and port is correct.
-
Bharath
Fixed this issue.
Fix will be available form SAP BOE 4.2 SP05 Patch2 +.
Note: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2599835
-
Bharath
Hi Bharath,
I have a split deployment with Apache httpd 2.4.39, Tomcat 9.05, and JRE 8.162. I can access to BO 4.2 SP05, but the web assistant kept giving me the same error:"The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured.”
I have tested the fix with the regular Apache Tomcat bundled with BO 4.2SP05 and it is successful. So, my guess is that there is something missing in the Apache config files.
Have you tested the fix on a split deployment scenario? Any help is appreciated. I have also opened a ticket with SAP support but no resolution so far.
Thanks,
Rene
Hi Rene,
I will check this and get back to you.
-
Bharath
Hi Rene,
I am back with my investigation.
Please follow the steps:
-
Bharath
Thanks Bharath! I also received these entries from SAP support:
JkMount /BOE/*/FioriBI/BOETimeoutPing ajp13
JkMount /BOE/*/FioriBI/sap/* ajp13
JkMount /BOE/*/FioriBI/resources/* ajp13
Everything is working fine!
Hi Bharath,
I am not sure if you have experienced or heard this before, but I logged on to the Fiorified Launchpad and it enabled the Web Assistant automatically. This behavior has not happened until today.
Have you heard anything similar? It is odd, it logs you on, then web assistant just shows up.
Thanks,
Rene
That's strange.
Is that happening consistently ?
Yes. It is a product bug according to KBA 2723208 where it states it will be fixed on SP07. 🙁
Title: 'Web Assistant' is by default enabled for all users in Fiorified BI Launchpad for each login
Link: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2723208
Thanks for the update Rene.
best regards,
I know the solution - and how you can disabel that annyoing thing starting itself up.
Be sure to take a backup/copy of the original file!
You need to adapt/change a property in the following file(Path):
.......\webapps\BOE\WEB-INF\eclipse\plugins\webpath.FioriBI\web\com\sap\fioribi\modules\homepage\HomepageView.view.js
edit the file and search for _XRayAdapter.toggle(); and comment it ----> /*_XRayAdapter.toggle();*/
and then save and copy the file to the same directory tree under "....\work\Catalina\localhost\" ( ...\webapps\...... ----> ...\work\Catalina\localhost\....)
So, there's no need to wait for SP07!
regards
Greg
Rene Brito :check below. Can't contact you elsewhere.....
Hi there,
I have done all the staps (web.xml configuration and tomcat - configuration), but I still get the error mesage :”The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured.”
Version SAP BO 4.2 SP 5
regards
Mile
Hi Mile,
could you please check below URLs are responding from the machine where BOE Tomcat installed?
-
Bharath
Hi Bharath,
No, I dont get any Respons.
regards
Mile
internet access is available in BOE installed machine ?
Hi Bharath,
no pages can be executed via internet explorer. Which steps have to be made?
thx.
Mile
If these 2 pages are not accessible from the browser where BOE is installed then Web assistant won't work.
Prerequisite to Web assistant:
Internet access must be there from BOE installed machine.
Hi Bharath, thank you very much 🙂
regards
Mile
Hi,
Is there a setting to deactivate web assistant as default when logging on Fiorified BI Lauchpad? Default mode should be inactive. Currently, all users are seeing web assistant active when logging on.
Thanks
Sonni
https://answers.sap.com/answers/693084/view.html
hi Bharath,
we've configured it as described. the urls are ok as we're already on 4.2 SP6.
when attempting to connect to both URLs from a webbrowser that is configured with same proxy everything is fine.
if we try from the launchpaf following error raises:
407 Proxy Authentication Required
as per this Site, a authentication is required when using proxy server as per our case.
https://blogs.oracle.com/wssfc/handling-proxy-server-authentication-requests-in-java
is there any additional settings to be done on tomcat to handel this authentication requests?
thanks
best regards
Younes
did you tried by adding these 2 parameters in tomcat java?
-Dhttps.proxyUser=<proxy user>
-Dhttps.proxyPassword=<proxy password>
yes we followed your instructions but no luck.
this happens only if we call it over the launchpad.
it seems that the application can’t authenticate, if the proxy is requesting authentication.
one addition:
if we call both URLs over the Chrome in the server where tomacat is installed we also get 407 Error code but then Chrome reacts and send the Credentials and then it works.
when calling the Launchpad it calls the URL and get Error Code 407 and then nothing happens
it seems the application can't authenticate the User with only these 2 parameters
regards
Younes
Ideally proxy auth must take the parameters from Tomcat not with application specific.
Please log SAP support ticket ?
I am experiencing the same issue now in BI4.3 SP01 Patch400. I added the entries to Apache24 BOE file, with don't use a proxy to connect to the Internet, so I am able to get results from the two URLS mentioned above, but the Web Assistant does not work. I also made sure that the URLS are correct in web.xml. I ran out of ideas.
4.3 should work out of the box.
I have a ticket open with SAP support, but they just said that they don't support split deployment or any apache/tomcat configurations. --> No comments about it.
Any news when it comes to 4.3