HTTP Access for Repositories on SAP Web Application Server

Use

Knowledge Provider's Content Management Service can use both the HTTP server and the HTTP client interface of SAP Web Application Server (see also HTTP Communication with the SAP System as a Client and HTTP Communication with the SAP System as a Server).

The SAP Content Server Interface (see also SAP Content Server HTTP 4.5 Interface) is implemented in the SAP system as of Release 6.10. This makes the database repository HTTP-compatible. HTTP compatibility contains the functions of the above-mentioned interface.

HTTP compatibility comprises the following functions:

  • HTTP access to the database repository

    For example, SAP ArchiveLink can use the database repository as a HTTP Content Server repository if the corresponding settings are made in transaction OAC0. Thanks to HTTP compatibility, new features are now available, for example, you can now view documents stored in the SAP system database repository in the browser. For example, you can now display documents in the browser when using the database repository.

  • HTTP access to the HTTP repository

    This allows you to use the SAP system as a gateway.

This functionality is intended for use in the following situations:

  • Another SAP system needs to access your documents. To allow this, set your repository as a HTTP repository on the other SAP system and save the corresponding technical data:

    • Enter an application server in your own SAP system as the HTTP server. The Internet Communication Manager (ICM) must be running on this application server.

    • Enter the HTTP port of your own SAP system as the port.

    • Enter /sap/bc/contentserver as the path.

  • To enable external access to all repositories of the SAP system via this gateway, the gateway simply has to point to the HTTP port of the application server. The gateway can be specified as an alias for any content server.

Prerequisites

  • HTTP must be activated in the Internet Communication Manager.

  • To use this functionality you need to create a user in the HTTP services maintenance screen (see below).

Features

HTTP Access to Repositories

It is possible to access repositories via HTTP using SAP Web Application Server, especially SAP system database repositories. To do this, in your system you need a user for anonymous access, without any permissions (see below). You can create this user in transaction SICF (see below). If you do not create this user, the system outputs a logon screen at the relevant point.

Certificate Administration

Full certificate administration is supported (transaction CSADMIN, tab page Certificates).

In transaction OAC0, set up a repository and choose Start of the navigation pathEnvironment Next navigation step CS AdminEnd of the navigation path to go to transaction CSADMIN. You can then administrate certificates in this transaction. A dialog box appears, in which you have to enter your user and password. The client is entered automatically. From release 6.10, you have the option of specifying the client yourself. Once you make these entries, the authorization object S_TABU_DIS is used to carry out an authorization check. Both read and write authorizations are checked:

  • Activity 02: Change

  • Activity 03: Display

You can now make settings on the tab page Certificates in CSADMIN:

  • If you only use one SAP system, you do not have to do anything on this tab page.

  • You only have to send or activate certificates if you want to access database repositories on another system via HTTP. In this case, you have to specify what systems should have access. Then, your own SAP system only has access when its own certificate is active.

CSADMIN is used only for certificate administration in the SAP system database repository. It only supports read access for all other functions. A statistics function is not available.

Activities

Creating a User for Anonymous Access

  1. Call transaction SU01.

  2. Enter a user name, such as CMS_CS, and choose .

  3. On the next screen, select the tab page Address and enter this user name in the last name field.

  4. Select the tab page Logon Data and enter an initial password.

  5. On the tab page Logon Data, choose Service.

  6. Choose .

Store User in the SICF

  1. Call transaction SICF.

  2. Expand the services tree.

  3. Double-click on the service contentserver, which is located under /default_host/sap/bc.

  4. Make sure that the service user you created in transaction SU01 is stored under Anonymous Logon Data on the tab page Service Data.

    Note that setting under Language here sets the language of the Content Server error messages.

    When you create this user, the standard client is also specified.

  5. Activate the service contentserver. To do this, choose Execute, click with the right-hand mouse button on the service in question, and choose Activate Service from the context menu.

  6. Choose .