web application server

[Former Member]

versions and advantages

[Former Member]

1.0 Introduction

Enterprise Resource Management Technology is evolving at a rapid pace with professional business applications increasingly demanding a highly scalable, reliable infrastructure that can support open Internet standards, off the shelf. A Web Application Server serves all these purposes and delivers proven scalability and performance. It also supports Web technologies and open standards, such as HTTP, eXtensible Markup Language (XML), and Java (J2EE).

SAP Web Application Server (SAP WAS) is a platform for efficient development and allows you to implement Web applications. SAP Web Application Server is a crucial component of mySAP® Technology platform. It also paves the way for implementing "Web services". WAS supports all releases of mySAP.com components (including ABAP language), any Java 2 Enterprise Edition and .NET platform. This article concentrates on using SAP WAS with Java components.

2.0 Overview of Business Server Pages (BSP)

SAP Web Application Server enables new Internet paradigms to be combined with the transactional operations of ERP. SAP supports the development and operation of both Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) and ABAP-based Web applications and services.

The custom development of such applications start with the creation of an environment, which provides a set of carefully matched tools to support various applications, known as Web Applications Builder. It is an object-oriented, repository-based development environment using ABAP and/or JavaScript. It supports the complete development and lifecycle of enterprise applications, and allows a user to develop new kind of enterprise web applications known as BSP applications. The core parts of these applications are the Business Server Pages (acronym BSP) and MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) objects. The concept behind BSP is similar to that of ASP (Active Server Pages) or JSP (Java Server Pages) documents that can contain code and HTML, all of which is compiled by the server upon request. You have the choice whether to use ABAP or JavaScript in your BSP documents.

SAP’s Web application Server assimilates conventional Web technologies with new ones like Web Dynpro for the presentation logic of professional business web applications. In order to implement BSP Applications, it is important to gain an understanding of the SAP Web Application Server.

In this 7 article tutorial we will cover subjects such as:

Architecture

Features

Versions

Introduction to BSP's (Business Server Pages)

Creating your own BSP's

etc

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3.0 Understanding Web Application Server Architecture

SAP integrates a J2EE environment into the Web Application Server and supports Java and ABAP in parallel within one server using a common database. The functions of a SAP Web Application Server consists of four major building blocks:

3.1 The Internet Communication Manager (ICM)

It is an independent process responsible for communications between the Web Application Server and external supporters over intranets or the Internet using standard protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). The communication is carried out using a high-performance, memory-based communication channel named memory pipe. ICM also significantly improves Web site performance and scalability using dynamic and active content caching technology.

SAP WAS (Web Application Server)

Architecture

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3.0 Understanding Web Application Server Architecture

SAP integrates a J2EE environment into the Web Application Server and supports Java and ABAP in parallel within one server using a common database. The functions of a SAP Web Application Server consists of four major building blocks:

3.1 The Internet Communication Manager (ICM)

It is an independent process responsible for communications between the Web Application Server and external supporters over intranets or the Internet using standard protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). The communication is carried out using a high-performance, memory-based communication channel named memory pipe. ICM also significantly improves Web site performance and scalability using dynamic and active content caching technology.

Figure 1: Detailed Architecture: SAP Web Application Server

Image Source: SAP® White paper "Web Application Server: Building Reliable Business Applications"

3.2 Business Environment

The environment is the component responsible for the business content and underlying logic of the enterprise that is published using the BSP/JSP.

ABAP Environment is based on SAP’s application server development and deployment environment. All existing components, such as business objects, can be used for the business logic.

J2EE Environment consists of a full-featured, J2EE-certified runtime environment that processes the request passed from the ICM and dynamically generates the response. This enables Web application developers to create Web applications that include the presentation and the business logic by using standard Java or J2EE technology. The SAP Java Connector (SAP JCo) enables method calls between Java applications and ABAP applications (and vice versa). The SAP Java Connector also meets the J2EE standard specification for the integration of enterprise information systems i.e., the J2EE Connector Architecture.

F The connectivity hiccups between different application servers and Enterprise Information Systems can be solved by the J2EE Connector. The J2EE Connector architecture is part of the J2EE 1.3 platform, which is based on the standardized technology of the J2EE.

3.3 Connectivity

To integrate third-party products, tools, and applications, the Web Application Server supports several open connectivity standards. As a result, the Web Application Server provides complete technical interoperability across all SAP and third-party components. The Web Application Server supports Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), XML-based protocol for exchanging information.

3.4 Relational Database

Web Application Server uses an exhaustive repository for exchanging sensitive enterprise data. In order to deploy successful Web Services, a set of Enterprise Application Integration (EAI

4.0 Features of SAP Web Application Server

4.1 Provides highly expandable and robust Web Infrastructure

The SAP Web Application Server is the natural choice for customers seeking to combine high expandability and flexibility with Web development in a diverse environment. It has a highly efficient caching mechanism for user access and database access with an optimized lock management and multiple distributed processes.

4.2 Compatibility with Internet standards

SAP Web Application Server supports HTTP, HTTPS and other Internet Standards. It also allows a user, the desired flexibility to be in sync with changing technologies. It can also act as a server for bringing applications to the user via a Web browser or for communicating with other applications in XML or HTML either directly or via a standard Web server. It can also function as a client to access other Web applications for collecting information and data.

4.3 Web Application development using server-side scripting

The server side-scripting concept has been readily adopted by developers as it provides them with a platform of choice. It is similar to Active Server Pages (ASP) and Java Server Pages (JSP) and thus can be instantly adopted by developers. The presentation of a Web application is organized in Business Server Pages (BSP). Such an integrated web development environment provides complete support to a Web developer’s tasks including versioning, debugging, deployment, and transporting, It also supports scalable development projects supporting many simultaneous Web developers. The SAP Web Application Server also supports workflow with the Web Flow for creating and running comprehensive business logic.

4.4 Open integration capabilties for Web-based applications in flexible environments

Open integration capabilities provide both real-time and cached access to SAP and non-SAP applications, allowing web-based expandibility to customers without affecting their existing, stable component landscape. All integration facilities supported by SAP are available with the SAP Web Application Server. All existing SAP applications, along with connectivity to standard middleware components or support of traditional communication standards is available with the SAP.

4.5 Secure communication

The SAP Web Application Server ensures authentication and secure communication. It also supports widely accepted Internet security standards like Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and HTTPS. SAP Web Application Server supports digital certificates, ticketing, and cookies to enable effective user authentication. With X.509 client certificates, users can be identified without any need to remember passwords. The SAP WAS also supports the use of cookies to identify a user.

4.6 Platform independence

The SAP Web Application Server supports all SAP-compatible operating systems, databases and middleware. Additionally, it supports open technology standards, including all major communication protocols and document standards for all business objects and processes, whether in J2EE or ABAP. Adaptability to any technical infrastructure from mainframe to small servers for all major databases is featured. Consumer needs are readily met by providing user access to mobile devices allowing deployment on top of any technical infrastructure.

Web Application Server - 6.10 Vs 6.20 Versions

SAP® launched the first version of WAS in September 2001, when it was known as SAP® Basis. It provided open usage capabilities such as a native Web enabling infrastructure, the adoption of latest technical standards, like HTTP, HTTPS, XML, SMTP and SOAP. But within a year, in May 2002, SAP launched WAS version 6.20 which has many additional features over version 6.10.

5.1 Additional features in SAP WAS 6.20

In SAP WAS version 6.20, XSLT engine has the onus of transferring XML documents. It is also used for transformation between ABAP, XML, HTML, or any other text-based format.

The Web Dynpro technology, which provides a sophisticated development and runtime environment for Web applications based on server-side scripting.

Cluster management functionalities and advanced load balancing are one of the key features with SAP WAS version 6.20.

Add-on tools for Java integrated development environments (IDEs).

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