Hi Gurus,

Stuck in Portal 7.31 roles assignment to end user. please help me to release from this, Thanks in Advance.....

Portal 7.31 Attached the 10 common roles to more than 20 end users, try to run with super administration role is working.

Try to run without super administration role is showing Error:

Portal runtime error

An exception occurred while processing your request. Send the exception ID to your portal administrator.

Exception ID 09:17_08/02/16_0066_21596950

See log file for details about this exception

LOG file:

Error loading embedded application (componet - com.sap.tc.lm.itsam.co.ui.xi.msg.ximessagedetailed.XIMessageDetailed.
[EXCEPTION]
com.sap.tc.webdynpro.services.exceptions.ApplicationFaultException: wdDoInit: exception thrown in this user coding area
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.generation.DelegatingComponent.doInit(DelegatingComponent.java:164)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.controller.Controller.initController(Controller.java:227)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.components.Component.initController(Component.java:258)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.controller.Controller.init(Controller.java:206)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.components.ComponentUsage.createComponentInternal(ComponentUsage.java:418)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.components.ComponentUsage.createComponent(ComponentUsage.java:352)
at com.sap.lm.itsam.ui.floorplan.FloorPlan.loadEmbeddedApplicationInternal(FloorPlan.java:2211)
at com.sap.lm.itsam.ui.floorplan.FloorPlan.loadEmbeddedApplication(FloorPlan.java:449)
at com.sap.lm.itsam.ui.floorplan.FloorPlan.init(FloorPlan.java:666)
at com.sap.lm.itsam.ui.floorplan.FloorPlan.loadProfessionalApplication(FloorPlan.java:1214)
at com.sap.lm.itsam.ui.floorplan.FloorPlan.navigateNFtoEmbeddedApplication(FloorPlan.java:1851)
at com.sap.lm.itsam.ui.floorplan.wdp.InternalFloorPlan.wdInvokeEventHandler(InternalFloorPlan.java:975)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.generation.DelegatingComponent.invokeEventHandler(DelegatingComponent.java:248)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.components.Component.fireEvent(Component.java:492)
at com.sap.tc.lm.co.ui.nwa.workcenter.overview.wdp.InternalWorkCenterOverview.wdFireEventNavigateToEmbeddedApplication(InternalWorkCenterOverview.java:315)
at com.sap.tc.lm.co.ui.nwa.workcenter.overview.WorkCenterOverview.fireEventNavigateToEA(WorkCenterOverview.java:381)
at com.sap.tc.lm.co.ui.nwa.workcenter.overview.wdp.InternalWorkCenterOverview.fireEventNavigateToEA(InternalWorkCenterOverview.java:222)
at com.sap.tc.lm.co.ui.nwa.workcenter.overview.WorkCenterOverviewView.onActionNavigate(WorkCenterOverviewView.java:440)
at com.sap.tc.lm.co.ui.nwa.workcenter.overview.wdp.InternalWorkCenterOverviewView.wdInvokeEventHandler(InternalWorkCenterOverviewView.java:221)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.generation.DelegatingView.invokeEventHandler(DelegatingView.java:142)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.controller.Action.fire(Action.java:75)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.phases.ProcessingEventPhase.doHandleActionEvent(ProcessingEventPhase.java:159)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.phases.ProcessingEventPhase.execute(ProcessingEventPhase.java:94)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.window.WindowPhaseModel.processRequestPartly(WindowPhaseModel.java:162)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.window.WindowPhaseModel.doProcessRequest(WindowPhaseModel.java:110)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.window.WindowPhaseModel.processRequest(WindowPhaseModel.java:97)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.window.WebDynproWindow.processRequest(WebDynproWindow.java:515)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.cal.AbstractClient.executeTasks(AbstractClient.java:58)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.cal.ClientApplication.doExecute(ClientApplication.java:1671)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.cal.ClientApplication.doProcessing(ClientApplication.java:1485)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.session.ApplicationSession.doApplicationProcessingStandalone(ApplicationSession.java:908)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.session.ApplicationSession.doApplicationProcessing(ApplicationSession.java:880)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.session.ApplicationSession.doProcessing(ApplicationSession.java:357)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.clientserver.session.RequestManager.doProcessing(RequestManager.java:326)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.serverimpl.core.AbstractDispatcherServlet.doContent(AbstractDispatcherServlet.java:87)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.serverimpl.wdc.DispatcherServlet.doContent(DispatcherServlet.java:101)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.serverimpl.core.AbstractDispatcherServlet.doPost(AbstractDispatcherServlet.java:62)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:754)
at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:847)
at com.sap.engine.services.servlets_jsp.server.Invokable.invoke(Invokable.java:152)
at com.sap.engine.services.servlets_jsp.server.Invokable.invoke(Invokable.java:38)
at com.sap.engine.services.servlets_jsp.server.HttpHandlerImpl.runServlet(HttpHandlerImpl.java:466)
at com.sap.engine.services.servlets_jsp.server.HttpHandlerImpl.handleRequest(HttpHandlerImpl.java:210)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.server.RequestAnalizer.startServlet(RequestAnalizer.java:441)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.server.RequestAnalizer.startServlet(RequestAnalizer.java:430)
at com.sap.engine.services.servlets_jsp.filters.DSRWebContainerFilter.process(DSRWebContainerFilter.java:38)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.servlets_jsp.filters.ServletSelector.process(ServletSelector.java:81)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.servlets_jsp.filters.ApplicationSelector.process(ApplicationSelector.java:278)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.filters.WebContainerInvoker.process(WebContainerInvoker.java:81)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.HostFilter.process(HostFilter.java:9)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.filters.ResponseLogWriter.process(ResponseLogWriter.java:60)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.HostFilter.process(HostFilter.java:9)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.filters.DefineHostFilter.process(DefineHostFilter.java:27)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.ServerFilter.process(ServerFilter.java:12)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.filters.MonitoringFilter.process(MonitoringFilter.java:29)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.ServerFilter.process(ServerFilter.java:12)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.filters.SessionSizeFilter.process(SessionSizeFilter.java:26)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.ServerFilter.process(ServerFilter.java:12)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.filters.MemoryStatisticFilter.process(MemoryStatisticFilter.java:57)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.ServerFilter.process(ServerFilter.java:12)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.filters.DSRHttpFilter.process(DSRHttpFilter.java:43)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.ServerFilter.process(ServerFilter.java:12)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.chain.AbstractChain.process(AbstractChain.java:78)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.server.Processor.chainedRequest(Processor.java:475)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.server.Processor$FCAProcessorThread.process(Processor.java:269)
at com.sap.engine.services.httpserver.server.rcm.RequestProcessorThread.run(RequestProcessorThread.java:56)
at com.sap.engine.core.thread.execution.Executable.run(Executable.java:122)
at com.sap.engine.core.thread.execution.Executable.run(Executable.java:101)
at com.sap.engine.core.thread.execution.CentralExecutor$SingleThread.run(CentralExecutor.java:328)
Caused by: com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.api.PropertiesException$InitFailed: Unable to read configuration data (ExchangeProfile/aii.properties)
at com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.api.PropertySourceFactory.initServerMode(PropertySourceFactory.java:221)
at com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.api.PropertySourceFactory.getPropertySource(PropertySourceFactory.java:56)
at com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.api.AIIProperties.sync(AIIProperties.java:859)
at com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.api.AIIProperties.<init>(AIIProperties.java:578)
at com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.api.AIIProperties.getInstance(AIIProperties.java:603)
at com.sap.tc.lm.itsam.co.ui.xi.msg.ximessagedetailed.XIMessageDetailed.wdDoInit(XIMessageDetailed.java:321)
at com.sap.tc.lm.itsam.co.ui.xi.msg.ximessagedetailed.wdp.InternalXIMessageDetailed.wdDoInit(InternalXIMessageDetailed.java:1206)
at com.sap.tc.webdynpro.progmodel.generation.DelegatingComponent.doInit(DelegatingComponent.java:161)
... 77 more
Caused by: com.sap.rprof.dbprofiles.DBException: dbconnect.prop: failed to load properties file .\dbconnect.properties
at com.sap.rprof.dbprofiles.AbapConnect.setupDefaultJcoCommunication(AbapConnect.java:126)
at com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.rprof.ExchangeProfileR3PropertySource.<init>(ExchangeProfileR3PropertySource.java:36)
at sun.reflect.GeneratedConstructorAccessor719.newInstance(Unknown Source)
at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:27)
at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:513)
at com.sap.aii.utilxi.prop.api.PropertySourceFactory.initServerMode(PropertySourceFactory.java:169)
... 84 more

Backdrop: In the interest of using a practical example as a baseline for understanding let us assume that you are using an Enterprise Portal Setup which incorporates a lot of information with Knowledge Management (KM) repositories.

Storage Purposes - What is a CM Repository Manager ?

• A CM repository is used as the main repository for storing documents and folders that are managed by CM.

Throughout your review of the various material and options available you come across the three different modes in association to KM-CM.

• DB Mode
• DBFS Mode
• FSDB Mode

You want to export information from a database to a file-system is this possible?

Firstly these "modes" outlined above are feasible options for CM Repository mode choices and ordinarily are selected via preference by different customers depending on their setup and landscape. You may on some occasions see this "modes" labelled as "persistence modes" as this is another associated term.

Now back to question: Q: Can you export all information from a DB to File System?

A: In short the answer to this query is yes that this is indeed a feasible option and can be achieved via a transport package. Although from a high level perspective I would encourage diligence and to ensure that essential information is backed up as a general guidance rule of thumb.

In order to aid you in the transport and export you can make use of the following guidance documentation which provides a comprehensive and information overview:

• Exporting KM Content : https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/EN/46/77da3bb8036ef0e10000000a1553f6/frameset.htm
• Transporting KM Content : https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/49/b4dfbadcfc6bf9e10000000a421937/frameset.htm

DB VS DBFS VS FSDB

Let us work through the different modes and summarize what each are below (you may already be aware of the following based upon your previous analysis).

1: DB Mode:  All data (documents, folders, and metadata) is stored in the database. If there is a large number of write requests in your CM usage scenario, set up the CM repository in database mode. Since all documents are stored in the database, this avoids unintentional external manipulation of the data. Another advantage of storing all data in the database is that the procedure for data backup and restore is easy since only the database needs to be backed up.

2: DBFS Mode:  Metadata and folders are stored in the database, but documents are stored in the file system. This mode is faster than the database mode if you have large documents since there is no database data streaming. This mode also enables the size of the database to be controlled more easily since documents are stored in the file system.  The documents and metadata are stored in different places, so you have to take into account both the database and the file system and synchronize them both when backing up and restoring data.

3: FSDB Mode:  Folders and documents are stored in the file system, but metadata is stored in the database. In this mode, the file system is predominant. File systems are not transactional, so this mode has restrictions and affects performance. If read and write operations take place for one document in the file system at the same time, these operations have to be coordinated by the repository manager. This happens by recording both write accesses and read accesses in the database. This affects performance.

When utilizing the Enterprise Portal or running with a Netweaver environment we can all agree that upgrades, SP Deployments, Patch Level applications and browser changes are a normality. For example in a business scenario and in accordance to business requirements you may be moving from one NW Version to another e.g. NW 7.01 to NW 7.4 or changing between Web Browser Platform versions.

With each different Web Browser Platform comes a set of different configurations which need to be maintained in order to ensure optimal performance.

By performance here we are making reference to the actual display (rendering) of the Portal Setup and the navigation output (selectability).

If you are dealing with different web browser platforms and product versions its quite easy to encounter different rendering modes and display issues.

From my experience I have seen multiple scenarios with all different types of issues. The one common characteristic which became apparent during troubleshooting is "complexity" there are numerous parameters, settings and properties at play which can make the scenario quite confusing from the offset.

The whole purpose of this next blog series is to break everything down and create a troubleshooting baseline that can be followed on a step-by-step basis towards identifying the solution.

The First Point of Call - Am I Supported?

If you've recently encountered some form of display issue whether it is with the Portal itself or an application rendering within the Portal Content Area one of the first analysis steps to follow is to check out whether this setup is supported. A simple way of checking this is through the SAP Product Availability Matrix or PAM for short. On the PAM we are given a comprehensive and detailed overview on what Product Versions support which types & versions of Web Browser Platforms and vice versa. The PAM will also help you highlight any potential issues (if any) that would be expected.

On the PAM you can check your current setup and its support compatibility via the following path:

• Technical Release Information > "Web Browser Platforms"
• PAM Link: https://support/sap.com/pam

Commonly Used Browsers

• Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10, 11
• Mozilla Firefox
• Google Chrome

A Point on Internet Explorer

As of January 12, 2016 only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for the supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates (see IE blog http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2014/08/07/stay-up-to-date-with-internet-explorer.aspx). For Windows 7, 8.1 operating systems and server 2012 R2 this will be IE11. Older versions of IE are no longer supported by MS therefore it is of vital importance that you check the PAM.

What Type of Issue am I dealing With?

If you encounter an issue whether its to do with rendering of applications, general display or peculiar behavior from the Portal's perspective one quick and easy means of analysis is to determine whether it is solely browser related. Here all you need to do is attempt to reproduce the issue in various web browser platforms. Certain business requirements may only allow specific web browser platforms but if feasible you should try and test the issue in IE, Chrome & Mozilla. If the issue pertains to only one web browser platform then you have successfully indentified the problematic source and can troubleshoot from this aspect.

Note Search

If you managed to trace the issue to only one browser platform the next step is to conduct a note and documented fix search as the likelihood as the issue has arisen previously and a fix should be readily available.

Part 2 coming soon - common issues!

Background

A trypical scenario for many Portal administrators is the need to update multiple object properties for different reasons, be it document Rendering modes, assignments, navigation modes etc.

Fortunately there are tools available under both Netweaver 7.0X and higher which enable the batch setting of these parameters, saving considerable time that it may take to make these changes individually.

Under Netweaver 7.0X systems, the tool is called the "Multiple Property Replacement", while under Netweaver 7.X systems, the tool has been renamed the "Find & Replace" tool.

Caution!: This blog post contains instructions on using a very powerful tool. Incorrect use of this tool may result in content inconsistencies. Please take care while using the tool. The SAP Help documentation regarding this tool, containing more information may be found at the URL below:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/76/7a4d2984c54338aeb9531a758d3405/frameset.htm

Introduction

For this tutorial, I will be demonstrating under a Netweaver 7.40 system using the "Find & Replace" tool. The objective for this tutorial will be to change the Navigation Mode (NavMode) for multiple iViews from "Display in Portal Content Area" (NavMode0) to "Display in seperate headerless portal window (standards mode)" (NavMode10).

It should be noted there are slight differences between the two tools, however, each tool will support the scenarios that are illustrated below.

Tutorial

1. We first go to the Content Administration area of the Enterprise Portal. We must have the Portal Super User roles (or equivelent permissions) to access this area
2. Expand the Portal Content Catalog so that you have visible the folder(s) with the objects contained inside that must be changed in bulk. In this scenario we are going to set the Navigation Mode property in bulk for the iView object type
3. Right click on one of these folders, hover over Search -> click Find and Replace as below:
   
4. Under the Search and Replace wizard: for name, we are going to enter asterisk '*' to show all items, and for Object Type we are going to choose iView as below:
   
5. After hitting Next, the tool will display all the iViews maintained under this Folder. At this point any iViews you wish to exclude may be removed from the list. When happy click next.
   
6. At this point we must enter the Property Type for the property we want to set in bulk. To locate this, in a new browser tab call your Portal and navigate to Content Administration. Open any of the affected iViews Properties you wish to change. Make sure all properties are shown.
   Now we must locate the iView property we want to set in bulk, in this tutorial this is the "Launch in new window" property:
   
7. Under Attributes, click the Show attributes button. The attribute window appears, displaying the Property ID, and descriptive text about possible entries:
   
8. From the above we can see the Launch in New Window Property ID is com.sap.portal.navigation.ShowType, and the possible values under the description. Now Close the iView.
9. Navigate back to the Find & Replace wizard, enter the Property ID as above, and we are setting the value to equal 10 (NavMode10). We are also setting the Replacement Method to Overwrite the current value:
   
10. At this point the wizard will confirm the iViews to be changed, it will also display the objects current property value. Click the Finish button to confirm the property changes:
    
11. Sucess! The properties should now have been changed in bulk! Check the iViews you have changed to ensure the changes have been made successfully.

In the Enterprise Portal we can create content structure directly in the Portal Role Editor.

When a portal role is created we can add content from the Portal Content Catalog as a delta link or as a copied object.

The content is being added with the original object ID and a serial suffix in case this ID already exist.

Content administrators want to be able to add objects with specific ID for different useful reasons (search, management, etc.)

In this blog I want to share "how to enable object ID change" during the add action.

This is useful functionality disabled by default and we need to enable it in configuration NWA UI.

1. Open NWA (SAP NetWeaver Administrator) http(s)://<server>:<port>/nwa

2. Navigate to "Operations" -> "Systems" -> "Start & Stop"

3. Select "Java Applications" and filter by "com.sap.portal.appdesigner.contentcatalog" and select "Portal Service Configuration"

4. Change the Value for "Enable changing properties" to True and "Save"

5. From "More Actions" select "View Corresponding to Application"

6. In the "Portal Service Details About com.sap.portal.appdesigner.contentcatalog" view select "Stop Service" for "contentcatalog" service "On All Instances"

7. In the "Portal Service Details About com.sap.portal.appdesigner.contentcatalog" view select "Start Service" for "contentcatalog" service "On All Instances"

Result is that during addition of an object from the Portal Content Catalog to the role in the Portal Role Editor  - the popup "Mofify Properties" appears with an option to change object ID.

This blog is for portal end-users and content administrators who would like to learn about the new features developed in the latest Enterprise Portal SP for FLP on EP, their added value, and the configuration required.

Prerequisite: Minimum required SPfor ABAP FES server is SAPP_UI750 SP02 component, which includes SAPUI5 1.34.x For additional information please refer to SAP note 2031108.

1 Sync Home Page

This new action on Options Menu allows an end-user getting the updated content on the Home page after portal administrator changes it.

Detailed information on each selected option behavior can found here.

To enable this feature portal administrator should check-in the following parameter on the Framework Page configuration page:

2 News Tile (via RSS feeds)

This feature allows your portal server to access the external websites and update the tile content constantly:

To enable this feature an administrator has to fulfil the following steps:

• Define proxy host and port for portal server http service and restart it
• Download the RSS feed xml file from a news site and save in on portal server under C:\usr\sap\<server ID>\J00\j2ee\cluster\apps\sap.com\irj\servlet_jsp\irj\root
• Create a news tile using News iView template and set the properties as described here. An example is shown below:

• Check in the news iView property Default App in Home Page,assign the news iView to the end-user role (usually it is also shown in a locked group).

3 Theme Change Using User Preferences Option

An end-user can set the preferred theme using Options Menu (User Preferences option).

After the end-user chooses a theme and presses Save,  the UI is refreshed and displayed in a new theme.

To learn more:

• SAP Documentation NW 7.5 Release notes

In the last blog posting we highlighted and provided a brief overview on the different complexities which can arise with various web browser platforms and the parameter settings which support them. Catch Part 1 http://scn.sap.com/people/troy.cronin2/blog

Now with browser related issues the key towards their resolution is simplification and maintaining a high level analysis viewpoint.

In this blog posting we are going to discuss the parameters themselves with a brief overview on each.

Navigation & Different Mode (Parameters)

From a purely navigation approach we are dealing with two key modes which are that of Browser & Document Mode.

• Browser Mode: A user agent string sent to the server (which affects the User Agent only).

• When compatibility mode is selected the the User Agent is set to the oldest supported setting for the current browser.
• Tools > Compatibility View > F12 > Navigation > Navigation.UserAgent
• IE10, IE10 Compatibility View, IE9, IE8, IE7.

• User Agent: essentially a string (textual) which identifies the Browser & OS to for the Web Server.

• IE5 Quirks: oldest document mode. IE tells the server its browser mode. According to the browsers mode the server decides which resources CSS/JS should be sent back to the Browser.

• Document Mode: Determines how the browser (IE) renders the page.

• Essentially tells browsers how it wants it to be rendered.
• Browser decides which rendering engine should be used.

• Quirks: displays webpages as if users view them with older versions of the browsers.

• Standards: HTML 5 engine, new features are only supported in this mode.

Part 3 Coming Soon

Now as we discussed in parts 1 & 2 with each evolving version of Internet Explorer as a Web Browser Platform comes a different set of configuration settings which need to be maintained accordingly in order to support optimal performance.

If you missed Part 1 & 2 you can check them out using the links below:

1. http://scn.sap.com/people/troy.cronin2/blog/2016/02/25/ep-browsers-rendering-troubleshooting-support--a-simplistic-overview-part-1
2. http://scn.sap.com/community/enterprise-portal/blog/2016/03/07/ep-browsers-rendering-modes-troubleshooting--common-issues-part-2

In terms of performance we are not making reference to the speed of the browser in any way, shape or form . Instead we are referring to the browser makeup it's associated operations, rendering and interchangeability.

The list of reported issues alongside the Utilization of Internet Explorer (IE) can be vast and seem endless. We know to well from our own experiences all of the different issues that can occur whether its browser freezing, missing scroll-bars and incomplete display of icons. If we take these known issues into consideration and combine it alongside the running of an Enterprise Portal and numerous applications the likelihood of browser sourced issues increases drastically.

In this blog posting we focus solely on Internet Explorer and all of the different versions. For each version you will see the settings which are both required and recommended to support optimal performance.

Older Versions: Internet Explorer (IE) 7 & 8 & 9

Perhaps the three versions listed here are among-st the most popular still being utilized by user bases within organizations. As with any process or product change is inevitable and on some occasions arrives with a sense of uncertainty. One key point to note from the beginning of of January 2016 is a change between what is supported and what is no longer supported.

As of January 12, 2016 only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for the supported operating systems will receive technical support and security updates.

For more details and additional reference points you can checkout the official Microsoft posting below:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2014/08/07/stay-up-to-date-with-internet-explorer.aspx

For Windows 7, 8.1 operating systems and server 2012 R2 this will be IE11. Older versions of IE are no longer supported by MS therefore it is of vital importance that you check the PAM.

These "changes" in support highlights the reasoning behind checking the Product Availability Matrix (PAM) on a regular basis.

Internet Explorer (IE) 8 arrived in 2008 and came into widespread adoption and was followed by IE9 in 2010. These browsers may from a high level perspective not seem that classic or old in terms of usage but the reality is that they are heading towards being almost 10 years old. Both IE8& 9 offered security advancements, higher efficiency and modern display revolutions.

Enterprise Portal & IE 7,8,9

Now in part 2 of this blog series we mentioned "Quirks" and its utilization towards aiding the rendering of displays in an "older-feel" format. Quirks follows the notion of simplicity and with simplicity means easy maintainability.

If we take the Enterprise Portal as an example and its markup running in quirks was straight forward. Although again to make reference to term of "evolution" when we begin to add fancy applications and operation mechanisms to our Portal environments "simplicity" is a word which becomes less apparent.

IE8/9 & Standards Mode.

With Internet Explorer two of the most common terms we hear about are "Quirks Mode" & "Standards Mode". Now we already mentioned "Quirks" and how it relates to and "Older/Classical" type of feel and rendering. With the evolution of the Internet came the evolution of Web Standards thus the term "Standards".

To find out what you are currently running you can simply check your current mode setting via F12 and checking the "Document Mode" space.

For example

As you can imagine when IE8 presented Standards and changes in configuration occurred i.e. switching from Quirks to Standards issues began to become apparent. The default mode for a freshly utilized IE8 or IE9 version remains "Quirks" but on some occasions in order to support desired setups the configuration of "Standards" was required.

If a widespread setting of "Standards" came into effect within an organization issues began to be noted quickly and the resolution is to adjust the browser to re-render in "Quirks".

IE10 & Quirks Mode Emulation

Evolving Web Standards meant a requirement for change was inevitable in terms of the browsers themselves and IE10 introduced the newly titled QME (Quirks Mode Emulation).

IE11 & Standards Mode

Unlike older web browser platform versions IE11 runs in "Standards" Mode as opposed to "Quirks Mode". With IE11 each navigation call across the Portal in terms of opening applications follows the default concept i.e. each window is opened within "Standards". Applications and processes which do not support "Standards" will most likely encounter rendering and select-ability issues.

IE Versions & Which Mode to Use

• Internet Explorer browsers are not supported in all modes when using the SAP NetWeaver Portal.

IE8 Recommended Setup - Changing the browser & document mode to the recommended settings

• Browser Mode = IE8 Compatibility View.
• Document Mode = Quirks.

IE9 Recommended Setup - Changing the browser & document mode to the recommended settings

• Browser Mode = IE9 Compatibility View.
• Document Mode = Quirks.

IE10 Recommended Setup - Changing the browser & document mode to the recommended settings

• Browser Mode = IE10 Compatibility View.
• Document Mode = Internet Explorer 5 Quirks.

IE11 Recommended Setup - Changing the browser & document mode to the recommended settings

• Document Mode = 5. To set this configurations please do as follow:
• Open IE browser.
• Press F12 (or 'Tools' -> 'Developer Tools').
• At the top right corner you will be able to set the Browser Mode and Document Mode.

Backdrop: You are running a setup involving the Enterprise Portal (EP) & Knowledge Management (KM).

Details: You have recently upgraded the Enterprise Portal e.g. from 7.00 to 7.3 or 7.3 to 74 and have performed a delta copy of the content currently maintained within the Collaboration Rooms (older version).

After performing this action you noticed that the "Room Structures" i.e. the general room makeup markers have indeed been transported correctly however the Room contents have not been carried over

What are we dealing with here: Essentially here in this instance you have managed to transport and bring in the previously utilized Collaboration Room setup into the newer Portal Version although the Rooms themselves are blank and missing the core content required for business operations.

Question:

What content KM Content do you need to export from the old system to the new system so the collaboration rooms are displayed correctly?

Answer:

All content located in the collaboration rooms is stored in the 'room_extensions' repository. You should transport the content of this repository if you wish to make the same available in the destination system.

Select Content Administration - KM Content • Navigate to folder path /root/room_extensions

Core Guidance Points

• Transporting Templates: https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/e3/d9f74122c9c417e10000000a155106/content.htm

For a reference overview a similar overview is also provided in Transport of Collaboration Room Templates: https://scn.sap.com/thread/495322

ICE

The KM ICE Distribution guide is accessible via the link below therefore the first recommendation would be to ensure the process is being followed carefully:

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/802c1739-d270-2910-ad9f-f369de07c1bf?QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true&10204842398447

There is also an additional guidance document available below for additional reference purposes "Getting Started with ICE":

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/a0883c3b-ca84-2910-c0ad-80f8e8756275?QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true&10453950474380

Background:

You are utilizing the Universal Worklist and notice than upon logging into the Enterprise Portal (EP) and loading the UWL (GUI) Interface the Inbox is empty and no work-items are being displayed.From the end-users perspective the empty Inbox means no work-items or work-tasks become visible thus affecting business operations .e.g. approval of sales orders, tracking purposes or travel requests.

High Level Analysis

As with any issue the first investigation steps are in true essence the most vital. From a high level perspective you can easily eliminate probable causes and root sources with a few simple analysis points to follow:

• Has there been recent UWL Changes or System Upgrades, could this have played a role?
• Is the issue occurring for all users (if not are we dealing with permissions or authorizations)?
• Are the Connectors currently maintained in association to the UWL being maintained correctly (check the status column)?

Examine the Default Trace

When we are dealing with missing work-items or work tasks the default trace becomes a vital source of reference. When viewing a default trace file you are examining the underlying operations of a system setup. From the perspective of the UWL if there is a small discrepancy in the configuration this will become apparent in the trace itself and return error exception highlights or warnings.

Common Culprits

Depending on what the error exception being returned is most cases of missing work-items can be sourced down to mis-configurations of the smallest proportions. Ordinarily you will see highlights such as the following:

• Problem occurred while creating JCO for client destination SAP_SRM
• Problem occurred while creating JCO for client destination SAP_ECC etc
• User is missing credentials for connecting to alias "ABCXYZ".

Remember

Here we need to remember the underlying core function mechanism through which the UWL Functions and operates which is that of the UWL Destination Service Configuration.All of the above error exceptions are making direct reference to this configuration setup and indicates a small discrepancy in the settings and parameters being maintained.

Solution

The core baseline note to follow here (carefully) is that of SAP Note: 1133821 - UWL Destination Service Configuration.

By following the documentation above we can ensure that the RFC destination is missing or is not configured properly.

After the note is implemented and the WebFlowConnector re-created the cache should be cleared and the backend re-registered.

Solution Part 2

Check that after applying Note 1133821 the destination names and the UWL connector names exactly match, even considering case-sensitiveness.

If your portal system alias (=UWL connector name) is for example XYZCLNT100, then the RFC destination name should be exactly XYZCLNT100$WebFlowConnector. Please correct the RFC destination accordingly.

After you have checked/prepared the RFC destination for the future use:

• Please delete that connector in the UWL config UI (Portal->SystemAdministration->System Configuration->Universal Worklist) with which you would like to use this RFC destination.

After that

• Restart the portal cluster
• Recreate and Re-Register connector.
• Now retest.  Are you still seeing the issue?

I must stress that this particular documentation note and the steps outlined above need to be followed precisely and carefully to resolve this particular error exception and the surrounding issue.

Backdrop:  The topic of security is perhaps one of the most important factors when it comes to business practices for organizations. In the modern world of business operations  organizational establishments will  incorporate strict security standards and procedures as part of their everyday business processes and regulatory practices.

With technology being such a vital part of everyday from both a professional and personal standpoint we ourselves are fully aware of the dangers which can emerge from opening a suspicious email or accidentally providing personal details over the phone.

Some of the most common security concerns are derived from the following types of Networking Attacks

• Viruses
• Spyware
• Ransomware
• Malware
• Eavesdropping
• Identity faking
• Application attacks
• SQL Injections
• XSRF
  

The list outlined above in true essence is endless.

Enterprise Portal & Security

Let us in this section paint a picture in association to a sample employee working in a professional environment for an organization utilizing the Enterprise Portal. As we know the Enterprise Portal (EP) serves as a central baseline platform and singular point of access to services, applications both custom and standards and data information. For means of greater insight let us create a fictional employee named "Joe Bloggs" who is a long standing employee for a multi-national automobile company. Joe who is vastly experienced has a broad range of everyday work tasks that he must see too and uses a wide arrange of different applications and services through the Portal to do so. For example Joe manages a team and must see that all tasks are designated accordingly, he must also keep track of production stock, order placements, leave requests etc.

The diagram above is perhaps a little generic and high level but gives you an idea into how the underlying processes of work activities converge and stem off one another. In this example we are dealing with one individual called Joe but if we are taking a multi-national organization as the example baseline Joe might be 1 out of 100,000 different employees.

Portal: Security Analysis Avenues & How Secure Are We Now?

If you have incorporated the Enterprise Portal & NW AS JAVA into your setup general practice would deem any information hosted within the Portal itself as strictly confidential and meant only for employees dependent on authorization levels.

Prevention in many cases is the best means of protection. The identification of potential "weak-spots" in a Portal setup from a security standpoint gives you the means of patching up security flaws and fortifying the setup. Assuming all security practices and procedures currently being utilized are effective in preventing attacks is not enough as newer means of attacking and hacking are increasingly being created to take advantage even of the smallest of loopholes.

To perform security checks from a configuration standpoint you can follow the Enterprise Portal Security Guide outlined below:

• http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/59bba290-0201-0010-468b-cd12efda573a?overridelayout=true

Secondly you can view the security zones and perform direct checks on each. The purpose behind this is to ensure that only current users bases (Portal End-Users) can view, access, utilize, interact and retrieve information from Portal Services and Applications. The way to perform these checks is to run the Security Zones Checker.

• Login to the Enterprise Portal
• http://<host>:<port>/portal
• In  the Portal Select > System Administration > Support > Portal Security > Security Zones Checker.
• You can from this point Select "Scan Security Zones".
• The result list will display used Security Zones & also highlight any unused Security Zones
  • Unused Security Zones are usually sourced to PCD changes.
  • If Unused Security Zones have been highlighted they can if desired be removed.
  • It is not encouraged to do so without adequate consultation and diligent analysis beforehand

Simple Networking Security Tips:

• Antivirus Scans & Prevention
• Trusted Sites
• Network Audits
• Software Blacklists
• Spam Zone Checker
• URL Blocking

Welcome to the Q1 edition the SAP Portal news blog 2016. We have many news for you in the following topic areas:

• Enterprise Portal News
• HANA Cloud Portal News
• SAP Fiori and SAP Fiori Launchpad
• What our Customers Say
• Events: DSAG Technology Days 2016

SAP Enterprise Portal News

SAP Portal Features on SAP NetWeaver 7.5 SPS2

SAP Enterprise Portal on SAP NetWeaver 7.5 is continuing with UX renovations according to the SAP Fiori UX paradigm. If you are interested in the latest SAP Enterprise Portal features for administrators or end-users, this blog is the right one for you.  Learn about the new features developed in the latest SAP Enterprise Portal support package stack (SPS2), developed for SAP NetWeaver 7.5:

• End-users can synchronize the SAP Fiori launchpad homepage.
• Administrators can configure a News iView to run as a news tile that displays article feeds to end-users in the SAP Fiori launchpad (see image below).
• End-users can set the theme in the SAP Fiori launchpad.

For details, see also the release notes.

Working with the Role Editor in SAP Enterprise Portal

In SAP Enterprise Portal you can create a content structure directly in the Portal Role Editor. When a Portal role is created you can add content from the Portal Content Catalog as a delta link or as a copied object. The content is being added with the original object ID. There is the need for some content administrators to be able to add objects by changing the object ID. This functionality is disabled by default. Read this blog by Portal developer Roman Loshevsky and learn how to enable this functionality in the SAP NetWeaver Administrator.

How to set in batch multiple iView properties using the Find and Replace tool

Read this blog tutorial, which demonstrates under a SAP Netweaver 7.40 system, how to use the "Find & Replace" tool in order to update multiple object properties.

A Journey to SAP Fiori Launchpad on Enterprise Portal

Read about a company that decided to implement SAP Fiori launchpad on Enterprise Portal and why they think it was the best solution for them.

Customer Story "Five Groups"

Five Groups Employees are using e-Spirit Web Content Management to easily create SAP Portal content. Read the details in this article.

SAP HANA Cloud Portal News

SAP HANA Cloud Portal: New Major Release Available

We recently announced the availability of the new major release of SAP HANA Cloud Portal. You can expect a completely redesigned and improved version of the product, that brings with it major changes in the product architecture to adapt Fiori technology and concepts. It also provides a tighter integration with SAP Web IDE for advanced developer flows, and includes out-of-the-box templates and business solutions that are delivered with a responsive user experience optimized for mobile devices. For details, see the new updated overview presentation. If you haven't signed up yet for your free trial account, register by following this link.

Watch this movie showing how to use UI theme designer in SAP HANA Cloud Portal:

Technical Tips and Tricks for Working with SAP HANA Cloud Portal

Check out the new updated tech tips and tutorials information on SAP Community Network.

Read this blog by Sibylle Brehm describing some important change from the previous version to the new version: the navigation menu can be reached by clicking the menu icon in the upper left corner – which might not be intuitive to all site users. It is possible to replace this kind of navigation with a second bar below the header bar displaying the menu.

Winners of the HANA Cloud Portal Developer Challenge 2015 Announced

The HANA Cloud Portal developer challenge 2015 on SAP Community Network ended in November 2015, the winners were identified and announced recently: the challenge gave customers and partners the chance to demonstrate their developer excellence and leverage the capabilities of the trial developer environment  of HANA Cloud Platform and HANA Cloud Portal. Every contributor developed an app, by using the cloud tools provided by SAP.

Congratulations to the winner and the finalists:

• Finalist award for Karan Bahl for his contribution: Fiori app for transport approval process
• Finalist award for Nithyanandam Venu and Shankar Narayanan SGS for their contribution: Analytics for grocery industries in India
• Winner award goes to Luc Olivier and team for their contribution: An alert cockpit for SAP Real Estate

SAP Fiori and SAP Fiori Launchpad

SAP Fiori 2.0 Impressions

Get some impressions of SAP Fiori 2.0, that won a Red Dot award and that will also be the future UX paradigm for SAP Enterprise Portal on SAP NetWeaver 7.5.

New SAP Press Book

Implementing SAP Fiori launchpad: this is a new SAP press book by Aviad Rivlin and Tamas Szirtes. Get the details on architectural options for SAP Fiori Launchpad and walk through road maps and scenarios for implementation, discover options for implementing on AS ABAP, SAP Enterprise Portal, and SAP HANA Cloud Platform.

What Our Customers Say

Watch this movie summarizing some of our customers’ feedback on our cloud solutions SAP HANA Cloud Portal, SAP Fiori Cloud Edition, SAP Web IDE and our on-premise flagship SAP Enterprise Portal:

Events

Technology Days of German-Speaking SAP User Group

The German-speaking SAP User Group (DSAG) met in Hamburg in February for the Technology Days, which is the place where you can obtain the latest innovations concerning experience and development in the SAP environment. Product Manager Thomas Hensel from the Portal and Cloud experience team showcased the latest news and innovations in the SAP Portal roadmap including SAP Enterprise Portal 7.5, and the new release of SAP HANA Cloud Portal. ZF Friedrichshafen AG presented their Portal-based extranet relaunch based on a user centered design. DSAG members can download all released presentations by following this link.

Backdrop: When utilizing a setup including the SAP Enterprise Portal the primary means of utilizing the centralized access platform for various applications is a central logon screen.

Accessing The Portal

To access the Enterprise Portal Logon Screen you utilize a support Web Browser Platform. Here as per your organizations business requirements you will almost certainly be using a proposed and recommended Web Browser which has been deemed as standard by your Portal Administrator through a list of supported browsers.

Ensuring the Browser is Supported.

From the Portal's perspective in terms of intended utilization it is of vital importance that the Web Browser Platform being used is supported from SAP's perspective. In order to support optimal browser performance you will need to ensure that the current Product Version being utilized (IE, Chrome, Firefox, Safari) supports your NW Version and vice versa. In relation to optimal browser performance here I am making reference to two difference aspects:

• Rendering: how the presentation is presented to the end user in terms of EP components & elements
• Navigation: functionality setup and essentially "click-ability" and "select-ability"

Checking the Browser is Supported.

The primary means of checking whether or not your present Web Browser Platform version is supported is through the SAP PAM or Product Availability Matrix. On the PAM we are given insight into which different Product Versions support Web Browser Versions and vice-versa. The PAM will also provide an informative outlined into the limitations (if any) which may exist which a potentially unsupported setup.

• Access the PAM: https://support.sap.com/pam

Importance of Supported Browsers (High Level)

Modern computing environments whether in the workplace or in the privacy of our own homes offer end-users a continual and consistent means of access to the internet and subsequent websites and applications. The sole means of accessing the Internet is through Web Browser Platforms and it has been noted recently "internet attackers" are favoring an approach of "attacking" through these Browser Platforms.

An unsupported Web Browser Platform can be cross-translated into a potentially insecure Platform thus paving the way for Web Attackers to enter the fold and compromise security, information and data.

Although we can refer to the risk of using an supported Browser Platform as a lack of common sense in many cases we inadvertently open ourselves up to potential threats. For example if you are using standardized company software and are participating in a project perhaps you want to make use of a free software to offer an extra degree of detail to your project. This could be anything from grammatical process setups or perhaps a graphical generation software.

If you have experiencing with downloading any software program you would have encountered the launch program and .exe files on many occasions. Here we often navigate quickly through the launch tool as we only want to make use of the final product. In doing so we might accidentally install a host of third party tools such as browser plugins, and toolbar setups.

In true essence you are never quit sure as to what you are downloading if not from a trusted source. Upon downloading any third party software even for temporary use inadvertently you could be installing spyware and phishing mechanism to which you are "none the wiser".

The recommendation is to install only what is supported and seek consultation from Admins regarding any potential queries you may have regarding the intended utilization of programs or tools which may not be available as standard in an organizational setup.

Plugins & Add-On's

In direct correlation to what we covered above if third-party mechanism in your browser such as plugins, popup blockers, ad-blockers toolbar rankings etc can all play a role in the underlying functionality when it comes to logging into the Portal. Here the underlying concept of blacklisting and white-listing comes into play and fruition.

Logging On - Credentials

The process of logging onto the Portal ordinarily involves a standard credential input mechanism for authorized users via a password and username declaration. Upon following the URL link through internal shortcuts or browser setups you will be presented with the Enterprise Portal Logon Screen.

Password Tips (If Applicable)

• Dictionary Words Combination
• Lowercase & Uppercase
• Numbers & Symbols
• If you have further queries upon this the recommendation is to contact your System Administrator

Logon Issues

• If you cannot for any reason logon you can utilize the "GetSupport" link on the Portal Logon Screen Homepage.
• This "GetSupport" option ordinarily requires configuration.
• Upon clicking the link and entering details about the issue while logging on a System Administrator will be notified.

Mapping Client Certificate

• Utilizing a setup that involves a client certification will allow you to logon to the Portal without the need for entering logon credentials.
• Instead a secure protocol is utilized (https) via the Poral URL.
  • Mixed protocols are not supported
  • Client Certification for authentication https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70ehp1/helpdata/en/62/881e3e3986f701e10000000a114084/content.htm

Backdrop:

Out of Memory (OOM) issues are perhaps one of the most common and generically occuring issues encountered whilst operating in a complex business process Portal environment.

OOM & WCM:

In the Enterprise Portal (EP) environment you encounter performance degradation on various server nodes, subsequently the Portal itself becomes inaccessible. You notice an unexpected restart of the Java engine along with checking the directory /usr/sap/<SID>/<InstID>/j2ee/cluster/serverX you notice an OOM.Hprof file has been automatically generated.

High-Level Analysis:

Upon analyzing the OOM.Hprof you find several core refereneces. The results show an Out of Memory error exception referencing Web Content Management (WCM) & the KM Cache "com.sapportals.wcm.util.cache.CacheFactory" which is pulling a significant grouping of the heap allocation.

KM: Out of Memory & Performance Pointers

The primary cause of performance impacts within the KMC is the activation of the AccessStatistic service on the KM repositories.

• You can check if this service is indeed activated in the configuration of the KM repository managers
• If you make a change in the repository managers i.e. a setting is updated with the removal of the AccessStatistic then a service restart will be required for the change to take effect.

Reproducing the Issue:

1. Log into the Enterprise Portal.
2. In the portal, upon performing navigation you begin to notice reduced perfomance accompanied with loss of navigation.
   • Severe performance degradation is followed subsequently by the Java Engine failing with a 666 exit code.
   • The 666 exit code highlights an OutOfMemory (OOM) error.
3. In the SAP directory search for the OOM.Hprof file via the path /usr/sap/ <SID>/ <InstID>/j2ee/cluster/serverX
4. Analysis of the OOM file points to the KM Cache "com.sapportals.wcm.util.cache.CacheFactory" as the source of the error.

Why?

• The OOM issue due to KM caching and the and the solution is to apply the latest KMC-CM patch available.

Lastly from the KM side and in terms of a performance setup and the "slow response times". I've outlined some reference documentation below for your convenience:

How to Tune the Performance of Knowledge Management (NW7.0): 

• http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/002fb447-d670-2910-67a5-bfbbf0bb287d?overridelayout=true

Knowledge Management, TREX, and Collaboration How-to Guides for SAP NetWeaver 2004:

• http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-8600

Background: You are utilizing the Enterprise Portal (EP) and after performing a recent system upgrade/migration or change you notice peculiar behavior regarding the application pages & screen presentations.

Issue Description: Application screens and page being displayed through the Enterprise Portal (EP) inherit the name of the application through the browser screen menu bar as opposed to using the name of the application itself.

Browser Title VS Application Name

Occurrences such as this may usually come into effect after a system upgrade. When you are accessing the application through Web Dynpro iViews the returned display setting is not matching your requirements / intended display.

High Level Analysis

A high level process of elimination regarding this scenario revolves around cross-comparison.

Two quite simple checks you can perform include:

• Is this issue reproducible in all Portal Theme/Framework combinations?
• Is this issue occurring for each and every user/in all Web Browser Platform types?

If the issue occurs across all Web Browser Platforms, Frameworks & Theme setups you can remove these from your analysis approach as here we are dealing with a small discrepancy in the configuration setup.

Checking the settings (High Level) Solution

You can use a straightforward method to check and determine which setting the "Page" is following to inherit its namespace through the Portal itself.

• Go to System Administration --> System Configuration --> Service Configuration - > Portal Runtime --> Central Configuration --> ? You should be able to view and configure a change (if needed) under "Portal.html.head.title"?

Important Points

In relation to this scenario there have been interesting observation's in the past regarding the Window Title inheriting the WD Application Title as opposed to the iView Page.

On some occasions this was down to the iView being configured to "Display in a separate window", as the flow that generates the code that changes the title is not called. If you have the value set as "Display in separate Portal window". This will trigger the code that generates the title change.

Dynamic Application Title Vs iView Property

In this scenario the most common root source is a conflict between inheritance properties.

• The application being called e.g. UWL in this case holds code to change the dynamic window title - EPCM.getSAPTop().document.title = "my Title"
• Instead however this code is not followed and the iView property name is used.

NW 7.40 Versions Solutions

• There is a documented fix for this particular issue within NW 7.40.
• With SP12 Patch Level 14 for SP12 (EPRUNTIME12P_15-20010057.SCA) - Patch for EP RUNTIME 7.40 SP12.

Backdrop:  In an Enterprise Portal (EP) setup the utilization of Knowledge Management (KM) BW Bookmarks is quite common. Such bookmarks are stored within a KM Repository (CM repositories are used as the main means for storing documents and folders managed by CM).

Bookmark Management: With any means of management collective administration approaches are required to ensure everything is kept up to date and redundant information is removed wherever possible.

• If further information is required on KM & BW Bookmarks I would recommend reviewing the BW Bookmarks Central Note for a comprehensive overview and a look into some of the most commonly encountered issue.

Problematic Scenario - Example:

There are a multitude of factors behind the motivation of needing to delete Bookmarks. Such factors can range from configuration discrepancies to system upgrades or system changes. Wholesale upgrades sometimes highlight issues with Bookmarks links which can no longer be accessed and this is due to the navigation target following the older system setup. Upgrades can lead to changes within the Portal Content Directory (PCD) or associated roles.

Is there a standard functionality that can be designated to users to delete their own bookmarks?

• Mass deletion or management is indeed feasible through Content Administration->Portal Content navigate to Portal Content->Content Provided by SAP->End User - Portal Users.
• You can see the default framework page here. Open the framework.
• Select the desktop inner page check box and click OPEN. Now you can see the portal favourities iView. Remove it from the page.
• The portal favorites iView is part of the desktop inner page of your framework page.

Deletion Limitation

The report RSWR_BOOKMARK_DELETE can be used for the mass deletion of the Bookmarks.

However

The user has the option to select the bookmarks to be deleted under four conditions:

  1. Delete all the Bookmarks of a particular type(either for the selected templates or all templates),
  2. Delete all the Bookmarks which have not been used since the key date(either for the selected templates or all templates),
  3. Delete the Bookmarks by entering the Bookmark IDs directly,
  4. Delete all the Bookmarks created by an user(s), with option to also filter it further based on the last used date or template name.

Fom the frontends perspective a keystone function for mass deletion does not exist.

The users can delete their entries in the Favorites or KM Folders, which will remove the link in the Portal.

An ABAP administrator can reorganize bookmarks using report RSWR_BOOKMARK_DELETE

More Information on the Report: https://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/display/BI/Report+to+delete+the+Bookmarks

How to use "Find and Replace" Enterprise Portal feature for mass property changes of iViews.

After several requests from SAP customers I have recognized that it is not clear for them how to change system alias property values that are used in content with back-end connectivity.

A very common case for usage of "Find and Replace" functionality are changes of the "System" property value for all iViews in a specific folder.
The AI (Application Integrator) iViews that are used for connectivity to the R/3, BW, CRM etc., has specific property with system alias value that need to be changed.

Usually iViews are added to the content structure (Role, Workset, Page) as delta-links and all iViews have a default "System" property value that need to be changed with specific value after content imported from another Portal or moved to another folder.

Let's start …

Login to the Portal as Content Admin or Super Admin user.

First step is to start search for iViews in the folder with content that needs to be changed.

Right click on folder will show menu:  Search -> Find and Replace

Wizard show first "Define Criteria" step:

1. Select "iView" object type

2. Select "Search for non-unit objects"

3. Choose "Add Row" button

4. Enter as text Property ID "System"

5. Enter current Value to be searched. (screenshot example NWTCLNT000)

6.  Click "Next" button.

The search result contains all iViews (all types of iView object) with property "System" that has value "NWTCLNT000"

In this example the result contains default objects ( used for content creation) that are located in the same folder as all content so I have decided to remove them from the planned change.
You can see that result contains all types of iView (BSP, IAC, Transaction, WD ABAP, etc...)

The next step is to provide new value to replace old one:

In the Property input-field enter again "System"

Enter new value

Select method: Overwrite .....

Click Next and review content prepared for changes:

In the screenshot above you are able to see the summary for prepared changes: property id, new value and method, and a table of content that contains old value

Click on Finish button and enjoy results

This blog is valid for Enterprise Portal 7.3x , 7.4x , 7.5x and higher versions.

Backdrop: With knowledge management repository and folder management is a regular administrative task needed to support optimal business processes.

Issue: Upon attempting to logon and delete a particular folder in the Knowledge Management (KM) you encounter a deletion error which is thrown and highlighted thus signifying the deletion cannot complete "Delete failed for <folder name>".

Try to Delete the Folder

1. Go to Content Administration > KM Content
2. Open the context menu of a resource
3. Select the folder of choice
4. Click on 'Delete'

Analysis & Identifying the Root Source

The first point of analysis here is to trace the root source of the exception in order to see the full underlying operations of the system. This can be done through generic log analysis via the Log Viewer or directly through the Default Trace Error Log File.

Pinpoint the Error

• Reproduce the issue and capture a default trace error log file.
• Note the UserID used to reproduce the issue and the time-stamp.
• Obtain the default trace via: the Portal folder: \usr\sap\<SID>\<J2EE_instance_number>\j2ee\cluster\<server#>\log\

Wastebasket Service - Preventing Folder Deletion

• Upon analyzing the log viewer you will see an error exception noting 'com.sapportals.wcm.command.DeleteResourceToWastebasketCommand' which references the wastebasket service.
• This exception highlights and issue with the WasteBasket Service itself.
• Occasionally this exception might also show that the associated folder + document is "locked" by a user even if the folder itself is empty.

What is the Wastebasket Service?

• Activated by default in a standard setup.
• Provides users with a means of fail-safe deletion i.e. users can be moved (deleted) to the wastebasket and restored/recovered from this point of call if required.

Probable Cause

• The wastebasket service is not running on the system.
• If you navigate to the component monitor by choosing System Administration -> Monitoring -> Knowledge Management -> Component Monitor what do you see?
• If you are presented with an exception highlight such as #com.sapportals.wcm.command.DeleteResourceToWastebasketCommand#sap.com/irj#com.sapportals.wcm.command.DeleteResourceToWastebasketCommand#E005007#10396##n/a##b70095bb5f5911e4a798000002ab5054#SAPEngine_Application_Thread[impl:3]_58##0#0#Error##Plain###RID '/documents/- <Folder Name> is locked by <'User'>#
• The wastebasket service has failed to startup due to a mis-configuration.

Fixing the Wastebasket Service & Enabling Folder Deletion

1. Any configuration which is causing the wastebasket service startup fail needs to be removed and subsequently corrected.
2. After making the required corrections a restart of the system should be performed so the service can start up accordingly.
3. Once the wastebasket service is running it should then be possible to delete the resource as desired.

Backdrop: You are attempting to display your corporate news feed to your external facing customers through an external facing portal. The RSS feed setup is based upon a custom portal component containing a par file based iView

Retrieving Data:  This retrieves the RSSFeeds URL from the JSP file

Error Exception:It returns a Connection Timed out Error e.g. Connection time out: 00:00_00/00/15_0002_123456789 [EXCEPTION]  java.net.ConnectException: Connection timed out: connect at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketConnect(Native Method) www.http.HttpClient.<init>(HttpClient.java:283) at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.doConnect(PlainSocketImpl.java:320) at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connectToAddress(PlainSocketImpl.java:186) at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.connect(PlainSocketImpl.java:173) at java.net.Socket.connect(Socket.java:471).

Testing the Behavior

1. Log into Enterprise Portal.
2. In the portal, navigate to the external portal via System Administration -> System Configuration -> (external e.g. CRM) iView.
3. When attempting to run the standard out of the box iView defined to call the RSSFeeds URL you encounter http connectivity runtime errors accompanied by a subsequent timeout.
4. Also in the integrated XML iView associated trace files:
   • (\usr\sap\<SID>\<J2EE_instance_number>\j2ee\cluster\<server#>\log\) you also see highlights of these Connection Timeout errors.

Why is this issue occurring?

Timeout issues in such a scenario are ordinarily thrown in association to server connection issues in addition to proxy service discrepancies. These configured services need to be maintained within SAP NetWeaver Administrator.

Resolving the Issue for the RSS Setup

1. Log into Enterprise Portal.
2. Firstly verify the URL's accessibilityvia the portal/j2ee server by navigating to the feed e.g. "http://www.abcxyz.com:abcxyz/news/abc-xyz/rss".
3. Ensure the proxy service is configured correctly in the com.sap.portal.ivs.httpservice module.
4. To specify the proxy server property values, configure the following application service: navigate to System Administration → System Configuration → Service Configuration -> com.sap.portal.ivs.httpservice application.
5. View the specified proxy server property values to ensure they are configured accordingly alongside firewalls. Important Consideration: Set the Override JVM settings to "true".
6. Save/close the service -> Close the editor.

If you require further consultation on how to define a Proxy Server for the Portal:

• https://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73/helpdata/en/49/2599e4406c6492e10000000a42189b/content.htm

Backdrop:

When utilizing the Enterprise Portal you encounter a blank white screen within the Detailed Level Navigation. In some instances a change occurrence such as a Portal upgrade or System Migration can cause the setup and display to become problematic.

On some occasions when you are using the  Ajax Portal Theme in the Enterprise Portal (EP) the rendering of portal theme itself fails in the Detailed Level Navigation.

A "white" blank background gets displayed on Detailed level Navigation, making the text on detailed level navigation unreadable and invisible. The issue occurs alongside the use of the Internet Explorer (IE) Web Browser Platform versions.

Breaking the Issue Down:

1. Determine firstly if the issue happens in all web browser platforms (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla).
2. Determine if the issue occurs in both SAP Standard Themes & Custom Themes.
3. Determine if the issue can be reproduced in all Portal Framework & Theme Combinations.

Common Culprit: Internet Explorer (IE) 8

Checking the Behavior:

1. Login into the portal from desktop
2. httphttp://hostname.domain.com5000/irj/portalhttp://hostname.domain.com5000/irj/portalhttp://hostname.domain.com5000/irj/portalhttp://hostname.domain.com5000/irj/portal://<host>:<port>/portal
3. Navigate to and view the display of the Detailed Level Navigation (DLN)
4. The text content does not get displayed in the DLN correctly
5. The text font appears invisible in the background and is therefore unreadable

Resolving the Issue:

1. Find your theme on the file system under: usr\sap <SID>\J00\j2ee\cluster\apps\sap.com\com.sap.portal.design.portaldesigndata\servlet_jsp\com.sap.portal.design.portaldesigndata\root\themes\portal\<your-theme>\AFP\images\layout\Navi11XY.PNG
2. Open Paint application
3. Edit the file using Paint and create it as 1x2 pixel image instead of 1x1.