SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – Launch SAP Business Client from SAP Fiori Launchpad

Relevant for S/4HANA 2022, 2021, 2020, 1909, 1809, 1709, 1610

There could be some cases where customers need to use transactions that are not supported in SAP GUI for HTML through their SAP Fiori Launchpad.

Some of the transactions we have identified based on project experience are:

• SAP S/4HANA All versions:
  • CJ20N – Needed to display JGantt controls
  • /SAPAPO/CDPS0 – Needed to display JGantt controls
  • /SAPAPO/PPT1 – Needed to display JGantt controls
  • /MRSS/PLBOSRV – Needed to support a Windows graphical editor
  • BNK_APP – Needed to support a digital signature for the payment file

• SAP S/4HANA 1809
  • IW28 – Needed to support MS Excel download
  • IW37N – Needed to support MS Excel download
  • IW38 – Needed to support MS Excel download

NOTE – Several of the more complex PP/DS transactions with the prefix /SAPAPO/  – for example transaction /SAPAPO/POV1 – require SAP GUI for Windows for full capabilities. SAP Fiori app alternatives are currently planned in the roadmap for Q4 2021 – 2023 (and beyond).

You check the roadmap for PP/DS using the term “Constraint-Based Production Planning” at https://roadmaps.sap.com/board?BC=6EAE8B27FCC11ED892E91CE972DC80CC&range=CURRENT-LAST#Q4%202020

We will continue to update this list based on project findings.

The reason for these transactions not being available via WebGUI is generally due to deprecated or unavailable plug-ins via web technologies. You can find additional information in the following SAP Notes:

• 2283330 – SAP browser information about the Java Plug-in roadmap
• 2868598 – 7.77: SAP GUI for HTML functionality / Limitations / Sp. Behaviour
• 314568 – SAP GUI for HTML functionality / Limitations / Sp. Behaviour

Once you are aware of this limitation in your project, what happens when your SAP S/4HANA transition committee has defined the use of SAP Fiori Launchpad via browser as a central access point to all backend functionality?

In this case, you will be using Fiori Launchpad as a centralized access point to backend functionality so you could leverage the integration options of the SAP Fiori Launchpad and available SAP technologies.

One solution, though not the best user experience, is to create a tile in SAP Fiori Launchpad to launch SAP Business Client with the required transaction, as for these cases, transactions will typically be available only through SAP GUI for Windows runtime.

To do this Business Client needs to be setup with specific configurations which are listed here:

1. Place custom NWBCOptions.xml file in the following folder: C:\ProgramData\SAP\NWBC or you can use a centralized options file through a shared folder in your network.

2. In your custom NWBCOptions file, ensure parameter AllowTemporaryConnections is set to true

3. Once the custom file is created, you need to identify the path defined in Windows system environment variable: SAPLOGON_LSXML_FILE

Sample:  SAPLOGON_LSXML_FILE = C:\saplogon\SAPUILandscape.xml

4. Ensure that all users have read/write permissions to the file and folder defined in environment variable SAPLOGON_LSXML_FILE

5. If users do not have read/write access to the file and folder you can override the setup by defining an environment user variable with the same variable name aiming to a folder where the users have read/write access

Sample:  SAPLOGON_LSXML_FILE = C:\Users\i834429\AppData\Roaming\SAP\NWBC\SAPUILandscape.xml

6. Create new custom tile in SAP Fiori Launchpad Designer for a custom URL with the following format:
sap-nwbc://https://<hostname.fqdn>:<port>/sap/bc/nwbc/~canvas/transaction/<TCODE>

Sample:
sap-nwbc://https://<hostname.fqdn>:<port>/sap/bc/nwbc/~canvas/transaction/SAPAPO/CDPS0

Additional parameters for the sap-nwbc url can be found in SAP NWBC documentation

7. Assign tile to catalog, group, role and user

8. Test and adjust NWBCOptions file as required.

Note that despite looking simple this setup can really put all your technical knowledge of SAP GUI and Windows OS to a test.

The final result will look like:

Please note that this is a possible workaround for cases where a specific transaction does not exist or has issues while rendering as a web application and specific functionality is required.

The usage of this procedure will depend on your project requirements.

Becoming a SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA guru

You’ll find much more on our SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA wiki

Do you have any questions? Let us know in the comments section.

Thanks,

SAP S/4HANA RIG