ABAP HTTPS client. More than just coding necessary?

[Former Member]

Hey guys,

I'm implementing a HTTPS client with ABAP. See my code below. If I work with HTTP everything is fine, but as soon I change to HTTPS, I get HTTP_COMMUNICATION_FAILURE in HTTP_CLIENT->RECEIVE.

Did I implement something wrong? Does HTTPS require some additional configuration? I already tried to add parameter ssl_id = 'ANONYM' to the method CL_HTTP_CLIENT=>CREATE.

Thanks and best regards

Oleksandr

DATA content TYPE string.
 DATA url TYPE string.
 DATA TPuser TYPE string.
 DATA TPpassword TYPE string.
 url = 'http://XX.XX.XX.XX:9000/'.
 TPuser = 'user'.
 TPpassword = 'password'.
 " overwrite TP-User and TP-Password with corresponding encoded base64 values
 DATA base64encoder TYPE REF TO cl_http_utility.
 CREATE OBJECT base64encoder.
 TPuser = base64encoder->if_http_utility~encode_base64( TPuser ) .
 TPpassword = base64encoder->if_http_utility~encode_base64( TPpassword ) .
 PERFORM sendRequest
   USING url TPuser TPpassword
   CHANGING content.
 WRITE content.
 FORM sendRequest USING url TYPE STRING
                        TPuser TYPE STRING
                        TPpassword TYPE STRING
                  CHANGING content TYPE STRING.
   DATA HTTP_CLIENT TYPE REF TO IF_HTTP_CLIENT.
   DATA utf8Content TYPE xstring.
   DATA utf8Length TYPE i.
   DATA tmpstr TYPE string.
   DATA code TYPE i.
   DATA reason TYPE string.
   DATA l_request TYPE REF TO if_http_request.
  CALL METHOD CL_HTTP_CLIENT=>CREATE_by_url
     EXPORTING
       URL           = url
     IMPORTING
       CLIENT        = HTTP_CLIENT.
   CALL METHOD HTTP_CLIENT->REQUEST->SET_HEADER_FIELD
     EXPORTING
       NAME  = '~request_method'
       VALUE = 'POST'.
   tmpstr = utf8Length.
   CALL METHOD HTTP_CLIENT->REQUEST->SET_HEADER_FIELD
     EXPORTING
       NAME  = 'Content-Length'
       VALUE = tmpstr.
  " Set TP-User and TP-Password
   CALL METHOD HTTP_CLIENT->REQUEST->SET_HEADER_FIELD
     EXPORTING
       NAME  = 'TP-User'
       VALUE = TPuser.
   CALL METHOD HTTP_CLIENT->REQUEST->SET_HEADER_FIELD
     EXPORTING
       NAME  = 'TP-Password'
       VALUE = TPpassword.
   CALL METHOD HTTP_CLIENT->SEND
     EXPORTING
       timeout =  5000
     EXCEPTIONS
       HTTP_COMMUNICATION_FAILURE = 1
       HTTP_INVALID_STATE         = 2
       HTTP_PROCESSING_FAILED     = 3
       HTTP_INVALID_TIMEOUT       = 4
       OTHERS                     = 5.
   IF sy-subrc <> 0.
     tmpstr = sy-subrc.
     WRITE: 'HTTP communication failure (SEND failed: ', tmpstr, '); aborting.'.
     HTTP_CLIENT->CLOSE( ).
     EXIT.
   ENDIF.
   CALL METHOD HTTP_CLIENT->RECEIVE
     EXCEPTIONS
       HTTP_COMMUNICATION_FAILURE = 1
       HTTP_INVALID_STATE         = 2
       HTTP_PROCESSING_FAILED     = 3.
   IF sy-subrc <> 0.
     tmpstr = sy-subrc.
     WRITE: 'HTTP communication failure (RECV failed: ', tmpstr, '); aborting.'.
     HTTP_CLIENT->CLOSE( ).
     EXIT.
   ENDIF.
   CALL METHOD HTTP_CLIENT->RESPONSE->GET_STATUS
     IMPORTING
       code = code
       reason = reason.
   CLEAR: content.
   "Read content data
   utf8Content = HTTP_CLIENT->RESPONSE->GET_DATA( ).
   IF code < 200 OR code >= 300.
     tmpstr = code.
     WRITE: 'HTTP communication failure (code:', tmpstr, '); aborting.'.
     utf8Content = HTTP_CLIENT->RESPONSE->GET_DATA( ).
     HTTP_CLIENT->CLOSE( ).
     EXIT.
   ELSE.
     WRITE 'OK'.
   ENDIF.
   "Close client connection
   HTTP_CLIENT->CLOSE( ).
 ENDFORM.

[Former Member]

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a combination of two different protocols. It is more secure way to access the web. It is combination of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) and SSL/TLS protocol. It is more secure way to sending request to server from a client, also the communication is purely encrypted which means no one can know what you are looking for. This kind of communication is used for accessing those websites where security is required. Banking websites, payment gateway, emails (Gmail offers HTTPS by default in Chrome browser), and corporate sector websites are some great examples where HTTPS protocols are used.

For HTTPS connection, public key trusted and signed certificate is required for the server. These certificate comes either free or it costs few dollars depends on the signing authority. There is one other method for distributing certificates. Site admin creates certificates and loads in the browser of users. Now when user requests information to the web server, his identity can be verified easily.

Here are some major differences between HTTP and HTTPS:

HTTP	HTTPS
URL begins with “http://”	URL begins with “https://”
It uses port 80 for communication	It uses port 443 for communication
Unsecured	Secured
Operates at Application Layer	Operates at Transport Layer
No encryption	Encryption is present
No certificates required	Certificates required

MAY BE YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCESS A WEBSITE HAVING NO CERTIFICATE.

Try to browse the url in the browser there also it will create some issue.

Regards,

Alenlee MJ

[Former Member]

Hello Alenlee,

thanks for the introduction into HTTPS. However, the webserver has a valid certificate and perfectly works, I checked with Postman, see a screenshot below.

Best regards

Oleksandr

[Former Member]

Bit late but just found this while searching for something else. You will need to import the websites certificate into SAP using transaction STRUST.

Hope this makes sense but thought I'd write something rather than nothing

Cheers,

Tim J.