Unable to connect to SAP GUI running on abap cloud developer trial docker

[mvallebr]

Disclaimer: I am new to SAP. I am an experienced Linux developer trying to create a connector with SAP. 

I found the guide https://hub.docker.com/r/sapse/abap-cloud-developer-trial showing how to run ABAPTRIAL_2022 in my local machine using docker. I was able to follow the guide and my container is running locally, with the right ports open, with updated license, but I can't seem to connect to any of the ports - I keep getting `connection cancelled` or `connection refused` from my browser. 

Here are the logs of my container start up:

```

3.4s
✔ Container a4h Created 0.0s
Attaching to a4h
a4h |
a4h | You have accepted the SAP Developer Center Software Developer License Agreement
a4h | by passing the parameter -agree-to-sap-license.
a4h | You can read the license text in the file /SAP_COMMUNITY_DEVELOPER_License
a4h | in the image.
a4h | Hint: docker exec -it a4h less /SAP_COMMUNITY_DEVELOPER_License
a4h |
a4h |
a4h | sapinit: starting
a4h | start hostcontrol using profile /usr/sap/hostctrl/exe/host_profile
a4h | Impromptu CCC initialization by 'rscpCInit'.
a4h | See SAP note 1266393.
a4h | Impromptu CCC initialization by 'rscpCInit'.
a4h | See SAP note 1266393.
a4h | sapinit: started, pid=13
a4h |
a4h | HDB: starting
a4h |
a4h | 07.10.2024 19:14:17
a4h | Start
a4h | OK
a4h |
a4h | 07.10.2024 19:15:57
a4h | StartWait
a4h | OK
a4h | HDB: started, pid=589
a4h |
a4h | hdb_license_update: starting
a4h | ---
a4h | Retrieving HDB license information
a4h | ---
a4h | HDB Hardware Key : HIDDEN BY ME
a4h | HDB Expiration Date: 2025-10-12 23:59:59
a4h | Days to expire : 370
a4h | ---
a4h | Not updating HDB license: the file /opt/sap/HDB_license was not found
a4h | ---
a4h | hdb_license_update: started, pid=1611
a4h |
a4h | asabap_license_update: starting
a4h | ---
a4h | Retrieving AS ABAP license information
a4h | ---
a4h | SAP License Key Administration - Copyright (C) 2003 - 2016 SAP AG
a4h |
a4h | System ID. . . . : A4H
a4h | Hardware Key . . : HIDDEN BY ME (of this computer)
a4h | Installation No. : *** not yet assigned ***
a4h | System No. . . . : *** not yet assigned ***
a4h | Release. . . . . : 789
a4h | Software products: NetWeaver_HDB
a4h | ---
a4h | AS ABAP license can be automatically renewed from the file /opt/sap/ASABAP_license
a4h | Hint: new container : docker run ... -v <local file path>:/opt/sap/ASABAP_license
a4h | Hint: existing container: docker cp <local file path> <container name>:/opt/sap/ASABAP_license
a4h | ---
a4h | Updating AS ABAP license: found the file /opt/sap/ASABAP_license
a4h | Removing the current AS ABAP License
a4h | SAP License Key Administration - Copyright (C) 2003 - 2016 SAP AG
a4h |
a4h | 2 license key(s) were deleted.
a4h | Installing the license from the file /opt/sap/ASABAP_license
a4h | SAP License Key Administration - Copyright (C) 2003 - 2016 SAP AG
a4h |
a4h | 2 SAP license key(s) successfully installed.
a4h | ---
a4h | asabap_license_update: started, pid=1627
a4h |
a4h | Application Server: starting
a4h |
a4h | 07.10.2024 19:16:01
a4h | Start
a4h | OK
a4h |
a4h | 07.10.2024 19:16:15
a4h | StartWait
a4h | OK
a4h | Application Server: started, pid=2118
a4h |
a4h | Worker Processes: starting dependencies
a4h | uuidd: starting
a4h | uuidd: started, pid=2488
a4h | Worker Processes: started dependencies
a4h | Worker Processes: starting
a4h |
a4h | 07.10.2024 19:16:15
a4h | Start
a4h | OK
a4h |
a4h | 07.10.2024 19:16:52
a4h | StartWait
a4h | OK
a4h | Worker Processes: started, pid=2494
a4h |
a4h | *** All services have been started. ***
a4h | ***
a4h | *** To stop and be able to safely start again use Ctrl-C
a4h | *** Or use the stop command with timeout: docker stop -t 7200 ...
a4h | ***
a4h | *** Have fun! ***

```

In my `/etc/hosts` file in the host computer, as oriented, I have added an entry to `vhcala4hci` pointing to localhost:

```

ping vhcala4hci
PING vhcala4hci (127.0.0.1) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from localhost (127.0.0.1): icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.021 ms

```

However, if I try to connect using CURL or the browser to SAP GUI port, I just get an empty response from the server:

```

curl -X GET http://vhcala4hci:3200/
curl: (52) Empty reply from server

```

If I try to connect from the browser to `http://vhcala4hci:50000/`, I get an HTML showing 404 error. 

I found some logs inside the container in the folder `/usr/sap/A4H/D00/log/`, but I am not sure what I am looking for in there. I am not sure whether I should be running SAP GUI in a different way or what I could be doing wrong. 

Could anyone please assist?

[abo]

To connect on port 3200 (GUI instance 00), you definitely need to use the GUI, either the Windows version or the Java one. The new Java version, out soon, is substantially better than the previous one and comparable in features with the (mainstream) Windows version.

An alternative could be using the WebGUI: WebGUI SAP HANA 

(I am not sure if it is enabled by default but it's worth a try)

EDIT: the web gui is a normal web application, the pro is that you do not need to install anything else but the con is that not everything is supported.

Port 3200 requires an external GUI, be that Java or Windows. Do yourself a favour and stick to the official documentation for the docker image as closely as possible, only deviate from it once it is working and you know exactly what happens with each change.

[mvallebr]

I tried the web GUI - https://vhcala4hci:50001/sap/bc/gui/sap/its/webgui?sap-client=001 - I also tried adding `vhcala4hci.dummy.nodomain` as alternative host in `/etc/hosts`. 

Now I see the SAP logo in the left bottom part of the screen, but it returns 403 - forbidden. 

Does it mean it's enabled by default? It hasn't asked me login or anything else

[abo]

Please do not reply to yourself, it makes following the thread harder than it already is with the new forum.

[mvallebr]

BTW - I am running ubuntu 24.04 - I can try running things on windows if that's any better, but unless windows GUI is much much better, java one would probably be my first choice. If it failed on port 50000, is it possible that it would work with Java GUI?

[massoud1991]

I was going through the same process for the past week. Unfortunately I couldn't set-up the connection in Ubuntu 24.04 for SAP SE image using SAP GUI. Although it seems like there is no problem with either the running container or the host name and ports. I guess there might be an issue in the new version of Ubuntu. I switched back to windows docker using WSL and the recommended system requirements explained by the SAP SE docker hub and its working without a flow since.

p.s. I had to assign more ram (22 GB), More Disk Space ( at least 180 GB) and also i have to run wsl.exe manually as system administrator to get the container running. In case you run to the same problems. 

[mvallebr]

To whoever might be of interest, I have created a wrapper on top of the "raw" docker file provided by SAP, with most settings configured via docker compose. This worked with the SP1 both in windows 11 and ubuntu 24.04:

https://github.com/identiacore/minisap_docker

I was able to connect to it using SAP GUI, but I had to get an S USER to download it. It's unfortunate SAP doesn't have a SAP GUI version publicly available.