What is the SAP CPms, Agentry component?

[former_member231107]

SAP Work manager and SAP Inventory Manager are part of SAP’s Mobile EAM and Field Service Solution offerings.   These are fully featured, workflow driven mobile applications for Asset Management and Inventory Management respectively.  Both products run on Agentry, which is a mobile framework consisting of client, server, editor and SAP Framework Foundation (mobile add-on) components. Traditionally these products have been deployed on premise to the SAP Mobile Platform (SMP).

SAP has recently added a new deployment option to Agentry that allows the server component to be deployed to SAP Cloud Platform, mobile services (CPms).   Running from the cloud will give these powerful applications all the benefits of SAP Cloud Platform, such as:

• Decreased Capital investment in hardware and maintenance


• Flexibility and Scaling


• Security and device management


• Ability to manage and work from anywhere


• And much more…

Work Manager 6.4.1+ and SAP Inventory Manager 4.3.1+ are supported for SAP Cloud Platform, mobile services deployment (custom built applications will not be supported.)  The product functionality for Work Manager and Inventory Manager are exactly the same on-premise as in the cloud, however, the deployment, framework architecture and management vary slightly.  In this blog, I will discuss the SAP CPms, Agentry Component architecture and landscape as well as give you details regarding the differences between the two deployment options.

Architecture

The Agentry application definitions (SAP Work Manager, SAP Inventory Manager) are developed with the Agentry Editor, and are deployed to the framework.  Although the application definitions are the same for on-premise and cloud deployment, the framework architecture varies slightly.  Let’s look at each component individually.

 



Client

The Agentry client is found in the Agentry SDK, and the exact same software is used for both on-premise implementations and CPms implementations.  There are client installers available for Windows (WPF), iOS and Android and the clients communicate to the Agentry server via Web Sockets.  The minimum Client version that can be used for CPms is SDK SP14.

Server

The SAP CPms, Agentry component runs on SAP CP virtual machines instead of on customer hardware on-premise.   As opposed to the SMP version, which supports multiple back-ends, Agentry running on CPms will only support the Java Backend.

Initially Agentry running on CPms will only support one application per server, however, multi-application support is on the roadmap.  (SMP deployments currently support multiple applications).

If you need to run both Inventory Manager and Work Manager running on CPms, you will need separate Agentry environments on SAP Cloud Platform.

 Development tools - Editor

The application configuration is done in the Agentry Editor (an add-on to Eclipse available in the Agentry SDK).  The on-premise deployments and SAP CPms deployments will use the exact same editor software.

The editor has been upgraded from previous versions to add a deployment option for SAP CP (all deployments, even Agentry development deployments, are now done through a zip file).  The minimum SDK that can be used for SAP CP deployments is SMP 3 SDK SP14.

Cloud Connector

For both the on-premise and CPms deployments, the customer’s data will reside in the customer's on-premise ERP system. For SAP CPms deployments, the server will utilize SAP Cloud Connector to provide a secure channel to their on-premise SAP back end backend system.

The cloud connector runs on-premise in a secured network and acts as a reverse invoke proxy between the on-premise network and SAP Cloud Platform. The cloud connector provides fine-grained control over:

• On-premise Systems and resources that are accessible by cloud applications;


• Cloud applications that make use of the cloud connector.

The tool takes care to automatically re-establish broken connections, provides audit logging of the inbound traffic and configuration changes, and can be run in a high-availability setup.

The Agentry component is utilizing the cloud connector’s RFC connection functionality.

More information on SAP Cloud Connector can be found here.


SAP Framework Foundation (SAP Mobile Add-on)

Agentry SAP Framework Foundation is implemented as an ABAP Add-On and is installed to the SAP ERP backend.   The Integration Framework provides the integration point to the SAP system for the Agentry Server. This allows the Agentry Server to synchronize data with the SAP system for the mobile application (i.e. it provides change detection layer, business logic layer and integration layer.)  The Add-on remains the same for both deployment methods.

For SAP CP deployments,  customers need to be running 620_700 SP03 of the ABAP Add-On.

 

Landscape

Customer Tenant Accounts

When a customer purchases SAP Work Manager, cloud edition, SAP provisions an account on SAP CP that consists of 4 Environments:

• Production (CP/CPms Production Landscape)


• Test (CP/CPms Production Landscape)


• Test-Preview (CP/CPms Preview Landscape)


• Development (CP/CPms Preview Landscape)

The below diagram illustrates these environments:



The environments are single tenant accounts - Each of environments has an Agentry server component attached to it (this is a dedicated JVM) and each server has only one application. Clustering is internal and the Ops team will scale the system if needed.

The Development and Test- Preview environments are connected to CPms preview, where the newest CP code is deployed for about two weeks before it is moved to production. Test and Production point to production accounts.

The Development environment account provides an Agentry server component deployed as a Java application.  This allows developers to stop and start the server as well as debug their Java during development.  For the other three environments, the server is running in the CP provider account and the account is subscribed to it. (Since the user is subscribed to the service, they do not have direct access to it).

Each environment can connect to a separate ERP system on-premise or they can all connect to the same backend. The on-premise connections are managed through the cloud connector.  One cloud connector can service all 4 tenant accounts provided (note: a tenant account can only have one cloud connector).

Admin UI

All accounts have access to the SAP CPms Admin UI,  which allows allows administrators to deploy, manage and monitor their applications.  This tool provides the same functionality as the SMP cockpit that is used for on-premise systems.

The admin UI is exposed through the Mobile Services Development & Operations or Development & Operations Preview card.

Data Centers

There are multiple data centers that can host the SAP CPms, Agentry component, you will want to choose the data center closest to your backend system.  For information on the available data centers please see SCN


Migration Path for On-premise Users

License/Subscriptions

A cloud subscription license is required to run SAP Work Manager, cloud edition and SAP Inventory Manager, cloud edition on SAP CPms. For licensing details, please contact your SAP Account Executive.

A full license to SAP CPms is included as part of the SAP Work Manager, cloud edition and SAP Inventory Manager, cloud edition applications

Installation

SAP CPms, Agentry Component is supported by Work Manager 6.4.1 or greater and Inventory Manager 4.3.1 or greater.  If you are currently running either product on-premise, you will need to upgrade to the minimum supported version of the relevant product.  The backend systems will remain unchanged and will remain on premise.  If you are on a recent version, this should be a relatively minor upgrade.

When initially installing the applications, a new option “Deploy to CP” has been added to the server component installer.  This will create a zip file that is uploaded to the server via the Admin UI, much like the SMP cockpit functionality on the on-premise version.

 Development and Deployment

The application development process remains unchanged.  The developer will configure the SAP Work Manager / SAP Inventory Manager applications in the Agentry Editor on-premise.  When they are ready to deploy and test, they will perform a development publish from the editor to the Development Staging directory which will create a zip file that is then uploaded to SAP Cloud Platform via the admin UI, much like a production publish is deployed through the SMP cockpit for an on-premise installation.

 

 

 

 

[Jitendra_Kansal]

Hello Lisa,

Thanks for sharing about this new offering. sounds promising.

Quick check:

Any plan to make this service available for HCP Trial users?

If i have a productive HCP account (also with HCPms preview), will i have to subscirbe (or request SAP) to make this Agentry service available?

Will i see same App type as "Agentry" similar to SMP on-premise while creating an app on HCPms? or there is a different way?

Really looking forward for more blogs and How to Guides.

Regards,
JK

[bill_froelich]

You will have to subscribe to get access to this in conjunction with Work Manager or Inventory Manager.  It is not something that we expect to be available for all trial users.  We are considering a trial pricing option but this may or may not happen.

Once activated, you will see an App type of Agentry when creating an application in HCPms similar to on-premise.

--Bill

[sudhiranjan_lenka]

Thanks Lisa for sharing this. it's really helpful. 🙂

When Work Manager 6.4 will be available? I am curious to try the SAP UI5 generic control.


@Bill :- How can we subscribe to the Agentry HCPms in the trial account?


Thanks,
Sudhir.

[bill_froelich]

Work Manager 6.4.1 is available now on the SAP Download Center.

For information related to subscribing please contact your SAP Account Executive.

--Bill

[sudhiranjan_lenka]

Thanks Bill for your reply.

Thanks,
Sudhir.

[pvannest]

Hi Lisa,

thanks for this great blog.

Can you tell something more about the user authentication mechanisms possible in the cloud?

For on premise we had the option between basic auth and connecting to the portal, what about hcp agentry user authentication?

regards

[pvannest]

Lisa,

another question,

if I understand correctly, the enhancements you can make for workmanager on premise ( frontend, middleware jar files, backend) are completely the same as for the cloud version, correct? Or are there some limitations i should be aware of ? Especially concerning enhancing middleware jar code?

thanks

[bill_froelich]

Peter,

You are correct.  The same enhancements you do and run on premise can be done with the cloud edition as well.

--Bill

[Former Member]

Hi all,

Can someone tell me how can we get trial version licence to deploy Agentry apps on HCP?

• Is it possible to deploy the Agentry application using the trial account of HCP? If possible, please provide the link/document to guide us. If it is not possible, what are the next steps to get the access to deploy Agentry application in HCP
• Does HCP supports the custom build Agentry application deployment?
• As the deployment model seems different, do we need to package the existing deployment package (.zip type) into a different type of file?

Thanks.

[bill_froelich]

We are working on a making a "trial" type of license.  It has not been released yet so right now the only option is to purchase a full license.

In response to your questions.

1. No, it is not possible to deploy Agentry applications using the trail account on the Cloud Platform.


2. We are only supporting deployment of Work Manager and Inventory Manager on the Cloud Platform.


3. The deployment of the Agentry app is virtually the same as when deploying to on-premise.  The only difference is that for a development mode Agentry application, that needs to be packaged as a zip (done from the editor) and uploaded through the mobile services admin cockpit since a direct publish from the editor is not possible.

--Bill

[Former Member]

Thanks Bill for the response. This is really helpful.

[feldonm]

Is there any update on the availability of a trial license in SCP, or is the position still to talk with our account manager?

[bill_froelich]

While there is no free trial license for deploying Work Manager or Inventory Manger on the SAP Cloud Platform, there is now a Cloud test and demo license type that was added.  You will need to talk to your account manager for specifics on the pricing for this offering.

--Bill

[LeonardoGomez]

Hi Lisa,
Very good blog! So SCP will allow you to publish a customized version of Work Manager but not a complete custom application, is that correct?
Best regards,
Leonardo.

[peter_pazdelgado]

Hi Lisa and Bill,

We have a licensed user and we do not have the Agentry component in the SAP CPms, in the mobile services section.

we have already installed the add-ons on the ERP server.

and we have the ZIP file of version 6.4.1 of the work manager.

We want to continue with the installation in the cloud part and we have the problem of having the Agentry component.

They can help us?

Regards

Peter

 

[bill_froelich]

You need to have purchased Work Manager cloud edition.  Just having a licensed Work Manager user will not get you access to the Agentry component in CPms.  Please work with your Account team to purchase or convert to the cloud edition.

[Jochinnabathini]

Hi Lisa/Bill,

 

We are running on On-prem SAP Mobile Platform 3.1 with SAP WM 6.4.1.0, along with addons SMERP and SMFND 620_700 SP7 installed in ECC (EHP8 SP18). We are in the process of lift n shift to Cloud (SAP BTP). Do we need to upgrade our backend addons SMERP & SMFND to 630_740 prior to moving to cloud?