Overview

TJe · ‎02-17-2021

In this blog I will show, how you can use the SAP Intelligent RPA 2.0 Low-Code/No-Code approach on top of the SAP BusinessObjects REST API.

Knowing the concepts can be very useful also when you are working with other SAP Applications, Here a similar blog for SAP Analytics Cloud

You will learn how to

create Automations for reuse in other projects (like Activities provided by the Intelligent RPA SDK packages)

generate and share a reusable Package

use a Data Type and Input and Output Parameters

use Javascript in the Custom script Activity (REST requests using the irpa_core.request() method)

the basics of using the REST API and get a template you can use to implement your own requirements

Overview

In the first part, I will create a Project and Package with some sample automations for the BOE Platform (Logon, Logoff, Group). Here we will use the SAP BusinessObjects REST API, so this part needs Javascript skills and is typically done by Expert Bot Developers.

In the second part, we will create another Project and here we can use the package created in the first part. This will allow Citizen Developers or Business Process Experts to define automations, no coding skills are needed.

Here how the final automation looks like in Cloud Studio:

For general information regarding SAP Intelligent RPA (videos, blogs, openSAP courses) please read the blog SAP Intelligent RPA – enablement and getting started there is also a free trial.

First Part: Project and Package

We will create a New Project, a Data Type to manage session parameters and Automations for Logon, Logoff and manage the SAP BusinessObjects Groups. Finally we generate a Package from the project and this package will be used in the second part.

Create a New Project

Use the Project name: BOE REST-API CustomScript Sample

To work with the REST API of BusinessObjects, the SAP Intelligent RPA Core SDK is required.So make sure this package is added to your project.
If the Core SDK package is not available on your tenant, you can acquire it from the Store.

Select Dependencies - Manage Dependencies

Add Dependency

You will find the package in the list

Select Create - Data Type

Use the name dtSessionBOE

Define the fields of the data type as show in the picture below
- use New Field to add a new row
- use New Child to group parameters, here username, password, authentication
- authentication shows also, how to define values that can be selected later (secEnterprise,secLDAP,secWinAD,secSAPR3)

Select Save

Automation - Logon

Select Create - Automation

The Configure agent version may be displayed - select your installed agent version and confirm

Use the name Logon - CustomScript for the automation
optional description: Logon to SAP BusinessObjects using REST API

Select I/O to define an Output parameter
The automation will create a BusinessObjects session and we will use this session in other automations as input parameter. We will set the value for the output parameter later in this automation.
name: sessionBOE
select type dtSessionBOE from the list

Add the activity to set the session parameters to your automation
- select from Data - Data Types dtSessionBOE and drop to the flow diagram

Select the activity Create dtSessionBOE... in the flow diagram and select Edit Activity

Enter the parameters of your BusinessObjects system
access URL of the REST API, username, password, ...
important: Slash character / at the end of the url, e.g: http://server42:6405/biprws/

Save your automation - press Save

Add the activity Custom Script to your automation

Select the activity Custom script in the flow diagram and select Edit Script

Select Add new input parameter

Enter Input parameter name pSession and select type dtSessionBOE from the list

Copy the following script code to line 1

const options = {

    resolveBodyOnly: true,

    responseType: 'json',

    url: pSession.accessURL + 'logon/long',

    method: 'POST',

    headers: {

        'Accept': 'application/json',

        'Content-Type': 'application/json'

    },

    body: JSON.stringify({

        'password': pSession.logonParameters.password,

        'clientType': '',

        'auth': pSession.logonParameters.authentication,

        'userName': pSession.logonParameters.username

    })

};

const response = await irpa_core.request.call(options);

//irpa_core.core.log(response);

pSession.logonToken = response.logonToken;

You should have the following definition
red marker is an indicator, that the input parameter is missing (see next step)

Select Custom Script in the flow diagram

For parameter pSession, select generatedObject from the list
generatedObject is the Output Parameter from the step Create dtSessionBOE data object

Select End in the flow diagram
now we will assign the value for the output parameter of the automation, we have defined at the beginning. Select generatedObject from the list. In the custom script we have stored the session token in this variable .

Save your automation

Test the Logon

Select Test

On the Test Automation dialog select your Environment, here Test

Test should be successful

You can check the Session in the Central Management Console of your BusinessObjects system

Automation - Logoff

Select Create - Automation

Use the name Logoff - CustomScript for the automation
optional description: Logoff from SAP BusinessObjects using REST API

Select I/O to define an Input parameter
The automation will use the session created with the Logon - Custom Script automation.
name: sessionBOE
select type dtSessionBOE from the list

Add the activity Custom Script to your automation

Select the activity Custom script in the flow diagram and select Edit Script

Select Add new input parameter

Enter Input parameter name pSession and select type dtSessionBOE from the list

Copy the following script code to line 1

const options = {

    resolveBodyOnly: true,

    responseType: 'json',

    url: pSession.accessURL + 'logoff',

    method: 'POST',

    headers: {

        'Accept': 'application/json',

        'Content-Type': 'application/json',

        'X-SAP-LogonToken': pSession.logonToken

    }

};

irpa_core.core.log(options);

const response = await irpa_core.request.call(options);

irpa_core.core.log(response);

pSession.logonToken = null;

You should have the following definition
red marker is an indicator, that the input parameter is missing (see next step)

Select Custom Script in the flow diagram

For parameter pSession, select sessionBOE from the list
this is the Input Parameter for our automation, created with the Logon automation

Save the automation

Automation - Group

Most of the steps are the same like for the Automation - Logoff, so we will just have screens for the differences. To keep it simple in the sample it is only possible to add a group, but the automation could be enhanced to delete groups, ...

Select Create - Automation

Use the name Group - CustomScript for the automation
optional description: Manage Groups in SAP BusinessObjects using the REST API

Select I/O to define an Input parameter
The automation will use the session created with the Logon - Custom Script automation.
name: sessionBOE
select type dtSessionBOE from the list
in addition we have the parameters
- method: to define if a group should be added, deleted, ...
- name: the name of the group

Add the activity Custom Script to your automation

Select the activity Custom script in the flow diagram and select Edit Script

Select Add new input parameter

Enter Input parameter name pSession and select type dtSessionBOE from the list

Select Add new input parameter

Enter Input parameter name name and select type String from the list

Copy the following script code to line 1

const options = {

    resolveBodyOnly: true,

    responseType: 'json',

    url: pSession.accessURL + '/v1/usergroups/usergroup',

    method: 'POST',

    headers: {

        'Accept': 'application/json',

        'Content-Type': 'application/json',

        'X-SAP-LogonToken': pSession.logonToken

    },

    body :  JSON.stringify({

        'name': name

    })

};

const response = await irpa_core.request.call(options);

You should have the following definition
red marker is an indicator, that the input parameter is missing (see next step)

Select Custom Script in the flow diagram

For parameter pSession, select sessionBOE from the list
this is the Input Parameter for our automation, created with the Logon automation

For parameter name, select name from the list, this is the input parameter defined for the automation.

Save the automation

Test the automations

Now you can test the Logon, Group and Logoff in a new automation, which you probably would do to make sure everything works fine. You can also use easily debugging features of Cloud Studio when testing in the same project.
As we are now creating a package from our project, we will use the package in the second part and also test our automations in the second project.

Generate and Share the Package

Select Projects

On the sample project select the icon Generate Package

Confirm the name and select Generate Package

Select Packages

On the package select More Options and Share

On Share Package set Share with: Anyone and Authorization: Read, click on Share

Your Package is now shared and can be used in Projects

Second Part: No-code Project

Now we will create and test an automation using the package.

Automation – Create Group

Create a New Project

Use the Project name: Demo BOE

Select Dependencies – Manage Dependencies

Select Other and click Add Dependency

Select the Package and Version from the list and click Add

The package is in the list, select close

Select Create – Automation

The Configure agent version may be displayed – select your installed agent version and confirm

Use the name Create Group for the automation

Add the automations Logon, Group and Logoff to your flow

Select each step and rename the steps, use
Logon – SAP BusinessObjects
Create Group
Logoff – SAP BusinessObjects

Select step Create Group and set the Input Parameters
sessionBOE from the list
add string as method
00-Intelligent RPA string for the Group to create

Select step Logoff – SAP BusinessObjects and set the Input Parameter
sessionBOE from the list

Save the automation

Test the automation

Select Test

Select your Environment

The automations should be executed successfully

The group is created in your SAP BusinessObjects system

Conclusion

You have used several key concepts, how to

create Automations for reuse in other projects (like Activities provided by the Intelligent RPA SDK packages)

generate and share a reusable Package

use a Data Type and Input and Output Parameters

use Javascript in the Custom script Activity (REST requests using the irpa_core.request() method)

the basics of using the REST API and a template you can use to implement your own requirements

Hope this was useful and you can now start your own journey in using the REST API of your SAP Application.

Use SAP BusinessObjects REST API with SAP Intelligent RPA – Automations

Overview

First Part: Project and Package

Automation - Logon

Test the Logon

Automation - Logoff

Automation - Group

Test the automations

Generate and Share the Package

Second Part: No-code Project

Automation – Create Group

Test the automation

Conclusion

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