Introduction (SAP Library

Introduction

If you want to change or add parameters, you need not change the program code. These parameters can be specified in a file called saprfc.ini.

The RFC library will read the saprfc.ini file to find out the connection type and all RFC-specific parameters needed to connect to an SAP System (R/2 or R/3), or to register an RFC server program at an SAP gateway and wait for RFC calls from any SAP System.

All RFC-specific parameters, both currently known (load balancing, ABAP-debug, RFC with SAPGUI) or becoming available in the future, can be used without changing the RFC programs.

The saprfc.ini file must be in the same directory as the RFC client/server program, or you can define it with full path and file name by the environment variable RFC_INI.

Windows: set RFC_INI = d:\rfctest\saprfc.ini

You can work with the saprfc.ini file only if your RFC SDK was delivered with an R/3 Release as of 3.0C. However, the saprfc.ini file is merely a new interface in the RFC library. Therefore, it can work with any R/2 or R/3 System.

RFC client programs

To use this new feature, an RFC client program must issue the RfcOpen with RFC_MODE_PARAMETER as mode parameter. The destination must point to an entry of type B, A, 2, E or R in this saprfc.ini file.

No sideinfo file is necessary when using the new feature.

RFC server programs

To use this new feature, an RFC server program must issue the RfcAccept with -D<destination> as parameter. The destination must point to an entry of type R in the saprfc.ini file.

Restrictions

The parameters ABAP_DEBUG and USE_SAPGUI are only possible if the RFC server system is an R/3 System as of Release 3.0C, and the RFC client program does not work with the 16-bit RFC library on Windows (SAPGUI must also be of an R/3 Release as of 3.0C). For more details, see Load Balancing.

The Load Balancing feature is only available for R/3 Releases as of 3.0.

Possible connection (entry) types

Five connection types are available:

Type R is for RFC server programs or for a client program working with another external program as RFC server program which is already registered at an SAP gateway.

Type B is recommended for connecting to an R/3 System (using Load Balancing).

Type A is only to be used if you want to connect to a specific application server.

Type 2 is for connecting to an R/2 System only.

Type E is for RFC client programs working with another external program as RFC server program.

See RFC Between External Programs for more details about RFC between external programs.