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Component documentationIntegration with a WebDAV Client

 

The WebDAV interface (Web-Based Distributed Authoring and Versioning) enables a connection to be set up between Project Management or cFolders and SAP Knowledge Management in the SAP NetWeaver Portal. It also allows integration with Microsoft Windows File Explorer.

This connection enables project members from a Project Management or cFolders collaboration to edit the project and collaboration hierarchy structures contained in a Project Management or cFolders repository, using an external WebDAV-compatible application.

  • The connection to SAP Knowledge Management in the SAP NetWeaver Portal allows Project Management or cFolders document to be used as a data source in the portal. You can then process this data using functions provided by SAP Knowledge Management (for example, the cross-repository search function).

  • The integration with Microsoft Windows File Explorer provides users with a user interface comparable to the user interface of a file server. Employees can then navigate in a familiar working environment within the nested structure elements and evaluate and edit the resources that exist there (for example, folders and documents).

Integration

WebDAV Applications

The standard system supports two WebDAV applications:

  • WebDAV repository manager in SAP Knowledge Management (application component EP-KM)

    You install a SAP NetWeaver portal with SAP Knowledge Management (KM) and configure a WebDAV repository manager for the Project Management or cFolders repository in Content Management in KM. Your system administrator for the Project Management or cFolders system defines the WebDAV access in Customizing for cFolders or Project Management.

  • SAP NetWeaver portal drive

    This WebDAV application connects Microsoft Windows File Explorer to a configured Project Management or cFolders repository.

    You install the portal drive on your PC. Your system administrator for the Project Management or cFolders system defines the WebDAV access in Customizing for cFolders or Project Management.

For more information about the necessary configuration steps, see Technical Description and Configuration Information.

For more information about the portal drive connection, see SAP Library for SAP NetWeaver under Start of the navigation path Getting Started - Using SAP Software Next navigation step Working with Tools and Features Next navigation step Working with Folders Next navigation step Working with Folders in Windows (Portal Drive) Next navigation step Personalizing the Portal Drive Next navigation step Connect End of the navigation path.

Language

A WebDAV application creates a session in the Project Management or cFolders system. Language-dependent texts are output in the language of the current session in the Project Management or cFolders system.

  • If the WebDAV request is issued by KM in the portal, this session uses the language that is set up for the user in the portal, irrespective of the user-specific language setting in the Project Management or cFolders system.

  • If the WebDAV request comes from the portal drive, the user-specific language setting in the Project Management or cFolders system determines the language of the session. You make the language setting by choosing Start of the navigation path System Next navigation step User Profile Next navigation step Own Data End of the navigation path.

Authorizations

A WebDAV application must authenticate itself each time it sends a request to the Project Management or cFolders system. The user must enter his or her user name and password for the system.

Only those users who can log on directly to the Project Management or cFolders system have access to the Project Management or cFolders repository via the WebDAV interface.

The authorizations for the user are checked in the Project Management or cFolders system:

  • The user only has access to Project Management or cFolders data via the WebDAV interface for which he or she has read authorization.

    A user who has read authorization for a project element in Project Management should also have read authorization for all the subfolders and subdocuments of this project element. Otherwise, the WebDAV interface cannot transfer the data correctly.

  • If the user wants to create, change, or delete data via the external WebDAV application, he or she requires special authorization in the Project Management or cFolders system.

Features

Evaluating the Hierarchy Structures

The following overview contains the elements of the hierarchy structures from Project Management or cFolders that you can access via the WebDAV interface.

Structure Elements

Application

Structure Elements

Project structure from Project Management

Project elements: project definition, phase, checklist, checklist item, task

Folder

Document The system only displays documents that are also displayed on the Documents tab page in the standard system.

Collaboration structure from cFolders

Collaboration, work area

Root folder, folder

Document

You have the option of connecting a WebDAV-compatible application to an entry object in such a way that only the hierarchy is visible below the entry object. For more information, see Technical Description and Configuration Information.

Entry Objects

Application

Entry Objects

Project structure from Project Management

Project Management repository

Project elements: project definition, phase, checklist, checklist item, task

Collaboration structure from cFolders

cFolders repository

Collaboration, work area, root folder, folder
Editing Project Management and cFolders Structures

In the WebDAV application, you can navigate in the project and collaboration structure and access the structure elements (for example, documents) contained there.

For more information, see

Editing Functions for Project and Collaboration Structures

Function Details

Constraints

In order for the external WebDAV-compatible application to process all data from the Project Management or cFolders repository, note the following recommendations:

  • Documents

    • Document names can have a maximum of 35 characters.

    • In Project Management, the name of a folder can have a maximum of 35 characters. If documents or folders are created whose names have more than 35 characters, the name is cut off after 35 characters and is uniquely defined by a number. However, this is not WebDAV-compliant and can lead to names being misinterpreted by the WebDAV application.

    • Archived documents can no longer be accessed via the WebDAV interface.

    • Project Management: DMS documents, status reports and documents that are only checked in as a link cannot be accessed via the WebDAV interface.

    • cFolders Documents without a version (file) cannot be accessed via the WebDAV interface.

    • Only the newest version of documents that have several versions can be accessed via the WebDAV interface. A new version of the document is created each time you save.

  • Portal drive

    • This WebDAV application can currently only process paths of less than 240 characters. If, for example, you specify a naming convention of 30 characters for each hierarchy level, you can work with a structure depth of eight levels.

    • This WebDAV application can currently process a URL of up to 180 characters as the WebDAV URL for an entry object.

  • The date format for the Session Timeout is not WebDAV-compliant. If you use WebDAV applications that are not supported by SAP, multiple sessions are created for a user in the Project Management or cFolders system.

  • The WebDAV interface of the Project Management or cFolders repository does not support all the functions that are provided on the user interface of the WebDAV application. For a list of the functions, see Function Details.

  • The following special characters may have a special meaning in the URL: %, &, /, \, +, #, <, and spaces. Therefore, these special characters must not appear in the names of the following objects: collaborations, work areas, root folders, project elements, folders, and documents.