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OBN Web ServiceLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

The OBN (object-based navigation) Web service enables a developer to query the portal for OBN information.

For example, you can find out the valid operations for a specific business object for the current user, the URL for the default operation implementation for a specific operation for the current user, or whether the current has any valid operation implementations for a specific business object.

OBN Overview

OBN enables an application to trigger navigation without having to specify a navigation target. Instead, based on the user and parameters in the navigation call, the portal determines at runtime the appropriate navigation target.

Portal administrators define business objects and their operations, and then can assign one or more operation implementations (that is, navigation targets) to each operation. Each implementation is given a priority.

An application can then trigger navigation to a specific business object and operation without knowing the navigation targets assigned to the operation. The portal checks the user's roles, and determines which of the operation's implementations are available to the user, and navigates to the one with the highest priority.

For more information, see Object-Based Navigation .

For more information on developing applications with OBN, see Object-Based Navigation .

Use Cases

OBN enables a developer to trigger navigation without having to know during development the specific iView to which to navigate. The navigation target, or even the application on which it is based, may not have been created yet. In addition, the developer's link still works even if the navigation target is later moved to another location in the portal.

OBN also enables the creation of different iViews for the same function, and the ability to navigate to one of these iViews based on the user. For example, for the same link, an employee may get one iView while a manager may get another.

Application developers can do the following:

  • Trigger navigation, for example, to a specific business object and operation.

  • Find the available navigation links for a specific user, and create a context menu for the user to choose a navigation target.

    For example, you can find the valid operations for a specific business object for the current user, and display a list of the operations. When the user chooses an operation, you can navigate to the navigation target for that operation for that user.

WSDL

The WSDL for this service is at the following URL:

http://<server>:<port>/obnws/Config1?wsdl

where <server> and <port> are the server and port number for the portal.

The service requires HTTP authentication.

Accessing via EJB

You can also access the Web service's functionality by calling the underlying EJB, as follows:

  • JARs for Build Path / Classpath:

    • OBNBeanProject.jar , located in the Java EE application OBNWS

  • JNDI Name: OBNBean

  • Home Interface: com.sap.portal.obn.bean.OBNHome

  • Remote Interface: com.sap.portal.obn.bean.OBN

For general information on accessing portal EJBs, see Portal Web Services .

Requests

Batch Requests

  • massGetAllDfltImpls

  • massGetDfltImpl

  • massGetImplBOs

  • massGetImplOps

  • massHasImpls

For more information, see Batch Requests .

Data Types