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Establishing a Connection Using a Destination (SM59)Locate this document in the navigation structure

Use

If you want to establish an HTTP connection from an SAP system (client) to an HTTP server, you have the option of entering a fixed destination instead of a URL.

Note

SAP recommends that you use a fixed destination, as this reduces the need for configuration of communication parameters.

Features

The transaction for defining HTTP destinations is SM59.

There are two types of HTTP connection:

  • HTTP connection to an external server (connection type G)

  • HTTP connection to an ABAP system (connection type H)

The only difference between these two connection types is the available logon procedures. The technical settings are identical.

Activities

To create an HTTP destination, proceed as follows:

  1. Go to transaction SM59.

  2. Choose Create.

  3. Enter a name, a description and the required connection type (G or H).

  4. Under Technical Settings, you can make the following entries:

    • Target Host: This is the host that you want to connect to.

      Caution

      Note that if you are using HTTPS as a protocol, you have to specify the full host name (with domain).

    • Service No.: Here, you specify the port. The destination host has to be configured in such a way that the specified port understands the corresponding protocol (HTTP or HTTPS). See Parametrizing the ICM and the ICM Server Cache.

    • Path Prefix : At the time when the connection to this destination is initiated, the system inserts this sub-path before ~request_uri.

    • HTTP Proxy Options: Here you can configure a proxy for HTTP connections: You can determine the proxy host and service, as well as users and passwords for the HTTP connection.

  5. Under Logon/Security, you can make various entries depending on the chosen connection type:

    • HTTP Connection to Ext. Server (Connection Type G)

      Select the connection you require. You can choose from the following logon procedures:

      • No logon: The server program does not require you to enter a user or password.

      • Basic Authentication: The server program requires you to enter a user and password. Basic Authentication is a standard HTTP authentication method. When the user logs on to the target system, a user ID and a password are provided for authentication. This information is then transmitted across the HTTP connection to the server, in the form of a base64 encoded string in a header variable.

      • SSL Certificate: If you use client certificates for the authentication, the client authentication is performed using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. In this case, you also have to select the SSL client PSE of the Application Server, which contains the certificate that is to be used for the authentication. The target system must treat the system that issues the client certificate of the SAP NetWeaver Application Server as a " trusted" system.

      You can activate SSL separately, so that HTTPS is used as the protocol.

      Note

      This setting is mandatory when using SSL Certificate.

      Note

      If you activate SSL, make sure that you set the correct port under Technical Settings.

      You can define the type of SSL client to be used in the security transaction STRUST. Getting Started with the Trust Manager,

      Using the Trust Manager.

      As an additional protective measure, the field Authorization for Destination has been introduced. We recommend that you specify a user and a password for the destination.

    • HTTP connection to an ABAP system (connection type H)

      The settings to be made under Technical Settings and Special Options are identical with the ones for connection type G. Under Logon/Security, connection type H has additional logon procedures. As with an external server, SSL can be activated or deactivated, and permissions can be set for it.

      As the destination system is an SAP System, you can set the client and language for the logon as well as the user name and password. If the Current User checkbox is activated, you have to enter the associated password.

      You can choose from the following authentication options: Basic Authentication, SAP Standard, SAP Trusted System, and SSL Client Certificate.

      HTTP Basic Authentication: Logon with user and password

      SAP Standard: This procedure uses an RFC logon procedure. Here, the RFC Single Sign-On procedures within a system also apply. The same SAP user (client, language, and user name) is used for logon.

      SAP Trusted System: Trusted RFC logon to another SAP System (see: Maintaining Trust Relationships between SAP Systems).

      SSL Certificate: When using the SSL protocol, you cna use client certificates for the logon.

  6. Under Special Options, you can make the following entries for connection types G and H.

    • Timeout

      When sending an HTTP request, you can use this parameter to specify the maximum response time for the connection.

    • HTTP Setting

    You can use the HTTP version to specify the protocol version of the HTTP request (HTTP 1.0 or 1.1).

    • Compression

      You can use this option to activate gzip compression for the request body. This can only be activated in HTTP Version 1.1.

    • Compressed Response

      In the standard setting, the SAP NetWeaver Application Server sends the "Accept Encoding" field as a header field with the value gzip, provided that the application server can handle this type of compression. This notifies the partner that the caller can handle gzip decompression, and that the partner can send compressed data. If you want to prevent a compressed response being sent, choose the option No.

    • HTTP Cookie

      You can use this option to control the way received cookies are handled.

      You can specify the following for cookies:

      • Accept them automatically

      • Reject them automatically

      • Accept or reject them in a prompt

      • Use a handler for the event IF_HTTP_CLIENT~EVENTKIND_HANDLE_COOKIE to process the cookies in the program.