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Process documentationSetting Up the Side Panel Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

You use this process to set up Side Panel for Business Suite.

System Landscape

The architecture of the side panel accommodates a flexible system landscape. The following scenarios are possible:

  • Side panel and application transactions run in the same physical system.

    Total cost of ownership is the lowest if the version of your ERP system contains SAP_BS_FND 7.31.

  • Side panel and application transactions do not run in the same physical system (side-by-side scenario).

    If your ERP system is below EHP6 (containing SAP_BS_FND 7.31), you can use the side panel in a side-by-side scenario in which only the role system contains SAP_BS_FND 7.31.

    If you want to set up the side-by-side scenario, see SAP Note 1691206.

    For more information, see SAP Library for SAP NetWeaver on SAP Help Portal under http://help.sap.com/nw703. In SAP Library, choose   SAP NetWeaver   SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability   Application Platform by Key Capability   ABAP Technology   UI Technologies in ABAP   SAP NetWeaver Business Client   6 Programming Aspects   6.7 Side Panel Programming  .

Note the following restrictions:

  • Reports (based on a personal object worklist (POWL)) are available only as of EHP4.

  • Reports (based on an analytic query) are available only as of EHP5.

  • Complete link lists (reports) are available only as of EHP5.

  • GOS storage for notes and attachments is available only as of EHP6.

  • Some transactions are only available as of EHP6 with the complete side panel functionality (for instance, if not all the fields required for data exchange are displayed on the screen).

  • The side panel for Web Dynpro ABAP applications is only available as of EHP6.

Prerequisites

To configure the side panel, you require administrator authorizations in your system.

Process

To use Side Panel for Business Suite in your system, proceed as follows:

  1. Assign a side panel role to each user.

    You assign a role in which side panels for transactions/Web Dynpro applications is defined for each user and make any required user-specific settings for the following authorization objects:

    • BSSP_NOTE (Notes and Attachments)

    • BSSP_STW (Collaboration)

    • S_WDR_P13N (Administrator Personalization in Web Dynpro ABAP Components)

      This authorization object is relevant for the personalization and customizing of side panel CHIPs.

    Note Note

    For Financial Accounting, you can assign the central role SAP_BSSP_FI_CO_FSCM. In this role, side panels for various transactions in the areas of Financial Accounting, Controlling, and Financial Supply Chain Management (FSCM) are assigned. For more information about this role, see the documentation.

    In addition, there are various roles in other areas, as described in the documentation. All of these roles follow the naming convention SAP_BSSP_*.

    When the assignment is made, all the transactions defined in the user roles automatically have a side panel if the transactions are listed in one of the side panel roles.

    End of the note.

    Recommendation Recommendation

    We recommend that you assign all roles to each user, since the areas can overlap.

    End of the recommendation.

    As an alternative, a sample role-specific side panel definition is delivered for each of the following user roles from the areas of Financial Accounting, Controlling, and FSCM:

    Technical Name of Role

    Semantic Name of Role

    SAP_EP_RW_FDMN

    AC - FI - Customers

    SAP_EP_RW_FKMN

    AC - FI - Vendors

    SAP_EP_RW_FSMN_1

    AC - General Ledger Accounting - Transaction Data

    SAP_EP_RW_FSMN_NEW1

    AC - General Ledger Accounting (New) - Transaction Data

    SAP_EP_RW_FSMN_2

    AC - General Ledger Accounting - Master Data

    SAP_EP_RW_FSMN_NEW2

    AC - General Ledger Accounting (New) - Master Data

    SAP_EP_RW_ASMN

    Asset Accounting

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_CEMN

    FI - CO - Cost Element Accounting

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_KSMN

    FI - CO - Cost Center Accounting

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_KAMN

    FI - CO - Internal Orders

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_CK00

    FI - CO - Product Cost Planning

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_KKPM

    FI - CO - Product Cost by Period

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_KKSM

    FI - CO - Product Cost by Order

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_KKAM

    FI - CO - Product Cost by Sales Order

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_KKOB

    FI - CO - Intangible Goods and Services

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_CPMN

    FI - CO - Activity-Based Costing

    SAP_EP_RW_CO_KE50

    FI - CO - Profit Center Accounting

    SAP_EP_RW_FSCM-COL

    FI - FSCM - Collections Management

    SAP_EP_RW_FSCM-CR

    AC - FSCM - Credit Management

    SAP_EP_RW_FSCM-DM

    FI - FSCM - Dispute Management

  2. Assign a user role to each user.

    Depending on whether the side panel and application transactions run in the same physical system or whether that is not the case (side-by-side scenario), proceed as follows:

    • Assign user roles to each user (side panel and application transactions run in the same physical system).

      Assign a user role to each user. This user role contains the navigation menu for the SAP NetWeaver Business Client (NWBC) and can either be a role provided by SAP or a role you defined to meet your needs.

    • Import user roles as remote roles into the central side panel system (only for the side-by-side scenario).

      If your ERP system is below EHP6, the user role must be a remote role. In this case, the ERP system is called remotely, while the side panel runs in a system with SAP_BS_FND 7.31 (or higher) and SAP NetWeaver Business Client connects to the side panel system.

      In this case, you must import your user roles into the central side panel system as remote roles and assign them to each user.

      For more information on the use of the central side panel role and remote roles, see SAP Library for SAP NetWeaver on SAP Help Portal under http://help.sap.com/nw703. In SAP Library, choose   SAP NetWeaver   SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability   Application Platform by Key Capability   ABAP Technology   UI Technologies in ABAP   SAP NetWeaver Business Client   5 Role Maintenance in PFCG   5.11 Remote Systems  .

  3. Configure system/NWBC.

    You have to make basic system settings for the SAP NetWeaver Business Client:

    1. Settings for side-by-side scenario

      Note Note

      If you use the side panel in a side-by-side scenario, you must have imported the changes described in SAP Note 1611298 . Note that, for remote roles, you must have configured a trusted relationship between the participating systems.

      End of the note.
    2. Activate sending and receiving of data between the (SAP GUI/Web Dynpro) application in the content area of NWBC and the side panel.

      In the standard system, the sending and receiving of data between the content area and the side panel in NWBC is deactivated. To make tagging possible, select the checkboxes for the following Web Dynpro application parameters:

      • WDSIDEPANELREMOTEPRODUCER (Allow receiving of tagging data in remote side panel)

      • WDSIDEPANELREMOTECONSUMER (Allow sending of tagging data for remote side panel)

      Recommendation Recommendation

      We recommend that you activate these parameters globally for the given client. To do so, start the Web Dynpro application WD_GLOBAL_SETTING, select the checkboxes for the mentioned application parameters, and save your entries.

      End of the recommendation.
    3. Activate SAP GUI scripting.

      The NWBC extracts the data from the SAP GUI application and makes the data available in all side panel applications. The data extraction is executed using SAP GUI scripting.

      In order for this to take place, you have to install and activate SAP GUI scripting on the server and in the SAP GUI.

      For more information, see SAP Library for SAP NetWeaver on SAP Help Portal under http://help.sap.com/nw703. In SAP Library, choose   SAP NetWeaver   SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability   Application Platform by Key Capability   ABAP Technology   UI Technology   SAP NetWeaver Business Client   6 Programming Aspects   6.7 Side Panel Programming   6.7.1 Identification of UI Elements with SAP GUI Property Collector  .

      Caution Caution

      Note that the screens can be read when SAP GUI scripting is activated.

      End of the caution.

      Recommendation Recommendation

      We recommend that you use write-protected scripting.

      End of the recommendation.
    4. Activate data conversion from external to internal format.

      To make data conversion possible from the external to the internal format for the SAP GUI UI elements for the side panel for SAP GUI applications in the content area, activate the Internet Communication Framework (ICF) node nwbc_ext2int in transaction SICF below the path /sap/bc/nwbc.

    5. Make entries in table HTTP_WHITELIST.

      Make entries in table HTTP_WHITELIST to make trusted Web sites known to the NWBC (for valid URLs in the side panel).

      For more information, see section 4 "Create parameter mapping for Web services" The standard Web services provided by SAP are mentioned there. We recommend that you enter these Web services in table HTTP_WHITELIST.

    For more information, see SAP Library for SAP NetWeaver on SAP Help Portal under http://help.sap.com/nw703. In SAP Library, choose   SAP NetWeaver   SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability   Application Platform by Key Capability   ABAP Technology   UI Technologies in ABAP   SAP NetWeaver Business Client  :

    •   4 Server Configuration   4.2 Activate Services in the ICF  

    •   5 Role Maintenance in PFCG   5.11 Remote Systems  

    •   6 Programming Aspects   6.7 Side Panel Programming  

    •   7 Security Aspects   7.4 Trusted Relationships   or   7.8 Whitelist  

  4. Create parameter mapping for Web services.

    You must assign the target parameters of the Web services to the source parameters that are filled by the side panel CHIPs provided by SAP in the standard system, and/or add or exchange the Web services if you wish to use your own Web services or additional ones. The following source parameters are provided: BSSP_COMPANY (company), BSSP_ADDRESS (address), BSSP_COUNTRY (country), BSSP_POSTAL_CODE (postal code), BSSP_CITY (city), BSSP_STREET (street).

    Caution Caution

    Check if there are any legal issues involved with the usage of certain Web services in your organization. If so, you must adjust the launchpad BSSP_WEB_SERVICES accordingly and create your own customer version of the launchpad.

    End of the caution.

    Below are a few examples for parameter mapping for certain Web services:

    • Company News (Google.com News), Company News (Live.com News), Finance (Google.com)

      Source Parameter

      Target Parameter

      BSSP_COMPANY

      q

    • Stock Quote (Reuters.com)

      Source Parameter

      Target Parameter

      BSSP_COMPANY

      search

    • Show Office Location (Google.com Maps)

      Source Parameter

      Target Parameter

      BSSP_ADDRESS

      q

    • Route Planner (Google.com Maps)

      Source Parameter

      Target Parameter

      BSSP_ADDRESS

      saddr (start address) or daddr (destination address)

    • Search and Get Address (GoYellow.de)

      Source Parameter

      Target Parameter

      BSSP_COMPANY

      NAM

      BSSP_POSTAL_CODE

      ZCD

      BSSP_CITY

      LOC

      BSSP_STREET

      STR

    • Search and Get Address (dasOertliche.de)

      Source Parameter

      Target Parameter

      BSSP_COMPANY

      kw

      BSSP_CITY

      ci

  5. Reports (based on a personal object worklist (POWL))

    All reports in Financial Accounting that are defined for many SAP GUI transactions using the central role SAP_BSSP_FI_CO_FSCM are based on a personal object worklist (POWL). To make it possible for these reports to display data, you have to activate the following business functions in the ERP system, and you have to perform the configuration steps for the POWLs described in the related business function documentation.

    • Reporting Financials (FIN_REP_SIMPL_1)

    • Reporting Financials 2 (FIN_REP_SIMPL_2)

    • Reporting Financials 3 (FIN_REP_SIMPL_3)

    In addition, you have to set up the RFC connections SAP_ECC_Financials and SAP_BI (of category 3 or H) using the transaction Configuration of RFC Connections (SM59).

  6. Set up SAP StreamWork (in the role system).

    Make the necessary Customizing settings in Customizing for SAP NetWeaver under   Application Server   Basis Services   Collaboration  . Note that the node is visible only if the business function Enable SAP StreamWork ABAP Integration (BC_SRV_STW_01) is activated.