A HTTP request handler is a program (or, to be more exact, an ABAP class). It is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and receives HTTP requests that use this URL. The HTTP request handler receives the data sent in a request (for example, data coded in the URL as "query string" information), executes certain handler-specific processes, and creates a response to the HTTP request.

An example of a typical scenario involving a HTTP request handler is a handler that provides a Web browser with SAP reports. The HTTP request handler usually reads the selection criteria of the report, which are sent with the request (for example, in the URL), calls the relevant report from the SAP System, converts the results to HTML, and returns them to the requesting Web browser. To do this, the HTTP request handler must be able to access the data and send a response back to the client.

The Internet Communication Framework must guarantee that all this is possible.