The SAP Fiori Launchpad in SAP Business Client

The solution to integrate SAP GUI for Windows transactions with the FLP

Latest Updates:

February 2023: SAP Business Client 8.00 was released. The new version offers inplace navigation. EOL for SAP Buisness Client 7.70 will be in April 2024. We recommend an update.

October 2020:The Fiori launchpad designer refered to in the below step-by-step procedure is depredated and will be removed in future versions. Sucessor design-time tolls are available.See  blog post by Jocelyn: SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – Overview of tools for maintaining custom launchpad content and layout

 

This blog post contains guidens and a step-by-step procedure for customers with SAP Expert Users who want to use SAP GUI for Windows transaction with an SAP Fiori launchpad (FLP) as the entry point. This might be their first step towards the SAP Fiori User Experience, and it can be achieved using the SAP Business Client with the SAP Fiori launchpad connection (available with version 6.0* and higher).

*6.0,6.5,7.0=out of support. EOL 7.70 April 2024. 8.00 is the current version (released Q1 2023)

 

Figure 1: FLP running in SAP Business Client 7.70 with Theme Quartz Light[1]

Benefits

One single entry point

• No inconsistency due to the “human integrator” copying data from one client to another

Various UI technologies in one shell

• Building a bridge between established and new UI technologies
• Working with native SAP GUI for Windows transactions*
• Specific shell functions, such as search, system information, default connection, application search via quick launch, enter transaction code directly into quick launch.
• Quick launch in the Fiori launchpad connection: Once the backend connection is established, transactions and side panels can be launched directly from the SAP Business Client Quick Launch (ICF nodes for BC must be activated).

*Many customers want to reside on native SAP GUI for Windows transaction for various reasons, such as: Office integration, Business Explorer, special controls such as ABAP Editor or APOGrid, transactions might not be available as SAP Fiori Apps or Web GUI.

Side Panels

• Side panels are available for SAP GUI transactions

Improved User Experience

• Harmonization: different types of apps – similar look and feel with or without Fiori features depending on system, S/4HANA or other SAP products.

Prerequisites

There are back-end dependencies for the full usage of the Fiori Launchpad connection which is related to SAP Fiori launchpad resources on the Fiori launchpad / frontend server. To be able to render transactions with SAP GUI for Windows, the ABAP front-end server requires at least User Interface Add-On 2.0 SP01 for SAP NetWeaver or component SAP_UI 750 SP01.

Differences between FLP stand-alone in browser vs. FLP in SAP Business Client (FLP connection)

• Within SAP Business Client, classic Dynpro applications (aka SAP GUI transactions) open with SAP GUI for Windows
• SAP Business Client offers Intent-Based Navigation for SAP GUI transactions*
• SAP Business Client consumes the theme selected in SAP Fiori launchpad

 

*The Fiori navigation concept – intent-based navigation (IBN) – can also be integrated into classic Dynpro applications using an ABAP API. Therefore, you need:

• SAP Business Client 6.5 PL5 or higher
• SAP GUI for Windows 7.50 PL4 or higher
• Application system: SAP_UI 752 or higher, or SAP NWBC ABAP Runtime Patch 57 (2433839) or higher, or support packages mentioned in this Note

More information see: Legacy Navigation to IBN

Limitation

• Fixed Homepage in SAP Business Client (the tab acts as a container to get all the relevant FLP information; therefore you cannot close or pin that tab)
• Co-Pilot will not be available for native SAP GUI transactions

General Server Configuration

For the general server configuration, you must, for example, enable HTTP(S) communication, support SSL and SNC, authentication. Please check the SAP Business Client Set-Up document on our SAP Community Page, Chapter 5.

What must I do to navigate from a tile in my FLP launchpad to an SAP GUI for Windows transaction or a WDA app?

Systems on which the FLP is running and systems on which your applications are stored may be different. For this reason, you need to define remote function call (RFC) destinations from the ABAP front-end server to the ABAP back-end system(s).

Step by Step

1.     Configure your connections to remote systems in transaction SM59.

Configuring Remote Systems

2.     Maintain your connection.

Two connection types are necessary:

Type 3 and type H

Note: No RFC calls are executed at runtime and only some of the RFC destination settings are evaluated.

Naming Convention

ABAP Connection Definition

HTTP Connection Definition

3.     Specify a system alias

To call the specified remote system, the system alias references the RFC connection which have been defined according to the naming conventions.

You enter the system alias* into the target mapping configuration of the Fiori launchpad designer. Target mapping is part of the SAP Fiori launchpad configuration. It defines the target application, which is launched when clicking on a tile, on a link or within an app-to-app navigation.

*You cannot create several RFC connections with the same name; you must, therefore, reference the system alias.

You can specify the system alias via SPRO=> /UI2/GW_SYS_ALIAS

Figure 2: Define System Alias via SPRO

4.     Target Mapping (FLP)

Use the Fiori launchpad designer (note: there are successor tools for the launchpad designer available: Launchpad App Manager) to configure the target mappings.

Configuring target mappings

The designer can be launched with the following URL:

https://<server>:<port>/sap/bc/ui5_ui5/sap/arsrvc_upb_admn/main.html

Or using transaction

SPRO:

Figure 3: Start Fiori Launchpad Designer via SPRO

Everything you need to know about the FLP designer can be found here:

Setting Up Launchpad Content

Figure 5: FLP designer – Enter System Alias for SAPGUI Transaction

For further questions regarding the target mapping, please read the following blog by Carola Steinmaier: Simplification of Target Mapping

Further information:

Reference by System ID and Client (System ID in Origin Segment Parameter)

Classic SAP Technologies (Trust Relationships between SAP Systems)

 

Working with remote systems incl. Side Panel

To work with Side Panels, the ICF node for the SAP BC runtime must be activated:

https://help.sap.com/viewer/f526c7c14c074e7b9d18c4fd0c88c593/7.0.6/en-US/4c5bdb8497817511e10000000a42189b.html?q=icf

Please also check the SAP Business Client Set-Up document on our SAP Community Page, Chapter 5.

Useful Notes

2714160 – SAP Business Client 7.0: Prerequisites and restrictions

 

Roadmap Highlights

Planned Innovations

SAP Fiori UX integration
Support for Fiori3: Quartz themes

Cloud integration
Hybrid scenario: Run S/4HANA Cloud and on-premise systems in SAP BC

Browser integration:
Microsoft Edge: Microsoft’s new browser control based on Chromium, can alternatively be used in SAP BC

Product Direction 2021/2022

Cloud integration:

Run central Fiori launchpad in SAP BC
The central Fiori launchpad shall be exposed in SAP BC. Whenever there is a navigation to a transaction running in an on-prem system, the transaction shall be rendered with SAP GUI for Windows, otherwise with SAP GUI for HTML embedded in the FLP context.

Related blogs:

SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – Recommendations for transitioning users from SAP GUI to SAP Fiori

Integration: Launch native SAP GUI for Windows Applications in the Cloud with SAP Business Client

 

Any Questions?

 

[1] Quartz will be available with the next major release 2020