ADS installation on NW 7.4 Support Release 2 and RHEL 8.1

[yamaha_sap]

Purpose of this Blog Post

As there is no installation guide or NOTE regarding this configuration and issues released by SAP

This document will guide you through all the steps of installation and configuration including all the errors we faced and their solutions.

Introduction

Adobe Document Service enable form-based processing of business data triggered by both ABAP and JAVA based application. It is additional SAP NetWeaver solution extension included in SAP NetWeaver usage type AS Java.

Issue Faced

After successful installation of ADS, we encountered an issue that ADS was not able to make connection with our SAP system. ADS was running fine but after all the correct configuration ADS was not able to communicate with SAP.

Reason

RHEL 8.1 does not have library file that are needed by the ADS for running some library files are completely missing in this new ADS version some where there but with wrong extensions.

USE-CASE SCENERIO

Adobe® document services allow SAP applications (either Java or ABAP) to take advantage of the full range of capabilities in Adobe Acrobat® Professional, Adobe Acrobat Standard, and Adobe Reader®. For example, enhance the document handling capabilities of SAP NetWeaver Application Server. These capabilities enable SAP customers to:

• Create and deploy interactive forms that look exactly like their paper counterparts


• Work with forms in online and offline scenarios


• Annotate PDF documents and collaborate on PDF document reviews


• Capture data using forms and import that data directly into the SAP system


• Allow users to digitally sign PDF documents


• Embed other file formats inside PDF documents as attachments

 

Prerequisites

• Windows Server Virtual box
  • RHEL 8.1 e18.x86_64
  • SAP NetWeaver 7.4 Support Release 2
  SWPM1.0*SUM 1.0*
  Installation export (51045855)*
  Kernel (51046232_2)*
  SL Controller (51046232_3)*

(Note-*generate the files from sap maintenance planner to download the file from marketplace)

 

Problem faced

After the installation we faced an issue that ADS was not able to establish a connection with the SAP server. The services of ADS where on and functioning properly but ADS was not able to ping through the sap system. We found that the cause of the issue is that RHEL 8.1 does not have the required libraries for ADS to function and some libraries have wrong extension.

 

Solution

After the ADS installation on RHEL 8.1 install the libraries mentioned bellow

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el7.x86_64

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el7.i686

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el8.x86_64

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el8.i686
transfig-3.2.5-9.el6.x86_64

follow the procedure mentioned bellow step by step.

Procedure

• Launch the sapinst with XML file downloaded from maintenance planer from the Software Provisioning Manager. Before start the installation, it is recommended to run SAP Prerequisite Check to ensure all the requirements are met.

• Once you complete and verified the prerequisite checks, you can continue to navigate as below, SAP NetWeaver 7.4 Support release 2> SAP hana database> Installation>Standard system>Based on AS java>Standard System.

• Select Custom Parameter Settings.

• Provide the path for the required packages.

• Provide the path of the requested packages

• Provide the master password for the new system.

Enter database details database host and instance number remains same the one our ABAP system is running database id should be different from one that are in use.

• Provide the path of the requested packages

• Drop the existing schema and change the name to SAPJAVA1

• Provide all the ports and Passwords according to your need or you can use the default ports (sap recommended)

 

• Review Parameters

• If Parameters all correct start the installation.

(Note:-Steps that are not mentioned above use them as default)

After successful installation of NW7.4 start the SUM tool with the same xml file used for swpm.

After successfully completion of Sum process proceed as follows.

Configuration for ADS.

• Login on to the NW portal system.

• Create ADSUSER and assign the SAP_ADSCALLER and SAP_ADSMONITOR in the role tab.

• Login to S/4HANA System and enter transaction “sm59” to maintain RFC Connection

• Enter the user created in portal system. ADSuser

• Go to PFCG tcode and create an empty role named as “ADSCALLERS”


• create a user account in SU01


• “ADS_AGENT”


• The user should be system user with following roles assigned to it


• ADSCALLERS,SAP_BC_FPADS_ICF,SAP_BC_FP_ICF

• Activate the service in SICF


• Now open transaction “sicf” and Service Name as “fp”

Configuring: ADS to ABAP

• Go to portal page


• Go to sap NW administrator login with administrator user

• Create a new destination with destination name FP_ICF_DATA_<SID> with destination type as HTTP


• SID is of S4HANA system

• Maintain the connection URL along with port of http service of ABAP System

• Maintain details of ADS_AGENT user details which was created in ABAP System.

• Also, open SLD functions with the following URL  http://host:port/sld/fun
  
  
  
  • click on enable automatically
  
  
  
  

• Also, login to NWA… Select SOA Management -> Technical Configuration -> Destination Template Management.

Click on Security Tab

Select Authentication ‘HTTP Authentication’ and ‘User ID/Password (Basic)’

Select ‘Details’ and enter the user ADSUser and the corresponding password

Click on finish

Testing ADS

Checking ADS Configuration in an ABAP Environment

• Log on to the AS ABAP system.


• Start the transaction SE38.


• Enter the program name FP_TEST_00.


• Choose Program Execute (F8)


• Make sure, that the following default values are entered in the respective fields:
  Form: FP_TEST_00
  ADS Connection: ADS or the RFC Destination name specified in your system (if it does not correspond to the default entry)


• Choose Program Execute (F8)


• Enter the Output Device.


• Choose Print Preview.


• If you face the error as bellow

Check the ABAP Connection to ADS

• Log on to your SAP system.


• Start the transaction SA38.


• Enter the name of the test report FP_PDF_TEST_00.


• Enter the name of the connection. Enter the default name ADS, or, if you have specified another name, the one you are using in your system.


• Choose Execute (F8).


• If the configuration is correct, the system displays the version number of the Adobe Document Services.

• Then continue with following checks and correction

 

Check the error log on NW

Reason for this error is that RHEL 8.1 is missing with some packages and library file.

 

Install bellow package in you RHEL using command

yum install <package name>

 

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el7.x86_64

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el7.i686

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el8.x86_64

libidn-devel-1.28-3.el8.i686
transfig-3.2.5-9.el6.x86_64

IF following packages in your system are like below

libX11-1.6.7-1.el8.x86_64
libXau-1.0.8-13.el8.x86_64
libxcb-1.13-5.el8.x86_64
nss-softokn-freebl-3.44.0-8.el8.x86_64
glibc-2.28-72.el8.x86_64
glibc-devel-2.28-72.el8.x86_64

These are in a wrong extension. They are all x86_64 but they should be in 32 bit version so: i686.

(Note:-when correcting extension just replace .x86_64 with .i686)

 

Then use command yum install<package name>

 

After this Take the Reboot of the OS.

 

Then test the ads again the error will not be there.

Follow the steps of checking ADS configuration mentioned above

 

New output should be.

Conclusion : Red Hat's 8.1 promises improvements in manageability, security and performance. RHEL 8.1 will enhance the company’s open hybrid cloud portfolio and continue to provide a consistent user experience between on-premises and public-cloud deployments. In near future many organization will upgrade there OS to RHEL 8.1, so this blog post will help them in configuring ADS on RHEL 8.1 with out any issues.

Hope you find this blog Post helpful.