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[Update 2023]: Please note that this blog was published prior to the re-branding related to SAP Build portfolio, which was announced at SAP TechEd 2022. SAP Launchpad service and SAP Work Zone come together under the SAP Build Work Zone brand, with two editions: standard edition (formerly SAP Launchpad service) and advanced edition (formerly SAP Work Zone). You can learn more in this announcement blog post: SAP Build Capabilities Explained | SAP TechEd | SAP News Center

Hello,

I’m Dana, a Product Owner of the SAP Cloud Portal service (Portal) and the SAP Launchpad service (Launchpad) on the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).

In this blog post I would like to share some insights and recommendations on how to move from your existing SAP Cloud Portal service to your SAP Launchpad service.

Our journey begins on the Portal service side. We export everything that cannot be reused, for example destinations, content, themes. After export we move to the Launchpad service in the different subaccount, define the necessary content providers, import the destinations, themes, content and validate that everything is in place and running successfully. Once everything is in place we can start off-boarding from the Portal service.

Compared to performing the move within same sub-account, switching between sub-accounts is a bit more complex journey which requires few additional steps like export and import the destinations, the custom themes, manual user assignments, shell plugin, HTML5 apps, etc.

Please note that switching the service within same subaccount is a subset of the steps required for a transition between different subaccounts.

Important points:

  • You should avoid manual content creation before the import to the Launchpad service

  • The Launchpad service does not support Freestyle sites. Your Portal service Freestyle sites and content won't be available in the Launchpad service.


Main steps:

  • Start with the Portal service

    1. Export Site/s + Content; Export Selected Content

    2. Export Destinations 

    3. Export Custom themes



  • Move to the Launchpad Service

    1. Import Destinations

    2. Import Cloud Connector

    3. Deploy HTML5 apps

    4. Subscribe to all SAP/Custom launchpad modules solution

    5. Add Content Providers

    6. Import Sites/Content

    7. Assign Users to Role collections

    8. Import Custom Theme

    9. Content Validation

    10. Run your site/s

      • Validation

      • Custom themes





  • Move back to the Portal service for off-boarding

    • Unsubscribe




Let's begin with the Portal Service:

1) You have two options to export the Portal content:

  • Export  site + all its related content:

  • Go to: Portal > Site Manager > Site Directory > [SITE] > Export Site:

  • Export selected content: Use this option when you have content that was not assigned to any site but, you want to keep it and use it in the Launchpad service.

  • Go to: Portal > Site Manager > Content Manager > My Content > Select Entities > Export:


Note: The Everyone role is not part of the export. However, if you export a site in which the Everyone role has apps assigned to it, all the content assigned to Everyone role will be exported.

2) Export Destinations

  • Export the destinations that you are about to use in the Launchpad service

  • Go to the SAP BTP cockpit > Connectivity > Destinations





3) Export Custom themes

  • Access to the UI Theme Designer is available from Portal or Launchpad RT sites only. There is no direct access to this service.

  • Go to:  Portal > Site Manager > Site directory > [SITE] > Go to site > User Actions menu> Theme Manager

  • In the UI Theme Manager, click Launch Theme Designer:

  • In the UI Theme Designer, you can now Export Custom themes

  • Tip! You could always bookmark the UI theme designer URL


Now we are moving to the Launchpad service in the other subaccount:

1) Import Destinations:

  • After importing destinations, you could adjust destinations if required

  • Go to the SAP BTP cockpit > Connectivity > Destinations



 

2) Import Cloud Connector  - SAP BTP Connectivity

  • Go to: Cloud Connector Administration > Connector > Subaccount field


  • Search for your Launchpad subaccount for the name or ID in the Subaccount field.

  • Now go to "Cloud To On Premise"

  • Import System Mappings

  • Choose subaccount as the Source and insert the Portal subaccount name – This will import to your Launchpad subaccount all the system mappings from your Portal subaccount.


3) Deploy HTML5 apps (MTA) , The following section should be done by developer:

  • Deploy to your Launchpad subaccount the Multi-Target Application Resource (mtar) file (contains the HTML5 apps) from Portal subaccount.

  • There are 2 options:

    • CLI Deployment: cf deploy <path-to-mtar-file>

    • Deployment via BAS



  • After the deployment is complete, go to the SAP BTP cockpit > Launchpad Subaccount > HTML5 applications

    • Check the deployed HTML5 apps are there:




4) Subscribe to SAP BTP Content Providers (SAP/Custom launchpad modules solution) and consume their content as a content provider.

  • For example: SAP Launchpad module solution, Real Estate service


5) Add Content Providers - This is a manual step. (not part of export/import)

  • The content provider IDs must be identical to the ones in Portal subaccount, otherwise the import will not import the content from the missing providers (with no identical ID).

  • Tip! You can open Portal and see the providers you have added. Please use the same provider IDs as used in Portal.

  • Go to: Launchpad > Site Manager > Provider Manager > New


  • If you’re using SAP S/4HANA as a standalone (Hub) deployment system, remember to map the aliases to the right destinations (as in the Portal service). This is a manual step after creating the provider.

  • Go to Launchpad > Site Manager > Provider Manager > [PROVIDER] > Map aliases

  • Note! Your content providers (launchpad modules) which you subscribed to in step #4 should appear in the Content Providers table. In addition, you will have an "HTML5  Apps" provider with all the applications you deployed in Step #3.


6) Import Sites/Content

  • Import the site/s you have exported (step #1).

  • Go to: Launchpad > Site Manager > Site Directory > Import Site

  • Import selected content (step #1)

  • Go to: Launchpad > Site Manager > Content Manager > My Content > Import


7) Assign Users to Roles collection - This is a Manual step

  • SAP BTP Cockpit Role Collections were created during import, however, users were not assigned to them. You should now assign your users to each role collection you have.

  • Tip! Open the SAP BTP cockpit > Role collections on Portal subaccount to see which users are assigned to which role collections.

  • Go to the SAP BTP cockpit > Security > Role Collections


  • Click on the role collection to which you want to assign users

  • Click on "Edit" and add your users:


8) Import Custom Theme

  • Access to the UI Theme Designer is available from Portal or Launchpad RT sites only. There is no direct access to this service.

  • Go to:  Portal > Site Manager > Site directory > [SITE] > Go to site > User Actions menu> Theme Manager


  • In the UI Theme Manager, click Launch Theme Designer:


  • In the UI Theme Designer, you can now Import Custom themes


  • Tip! You could always bookmark the UI theme designer URL


9) Now you should verify and validate that all sites and content were imported as expected:

  • Tip! Open Portal in another browser and compare the Launchpad sites and content with Portal "Content Manager" and "Site Directory"

  • Remember! No free style entities were imported


10) Run your sites and validate that they are working

  • Verify that all the sites are working, including launching tiles ; you can compare them to the to portal sites.

  • Go to: Launchpad > Site Manager > Site Directory [SITE]  > Go to site

  • In case you are using custom themes, you should check the custom themes are configured and exist in the Theme Manager of the Launchpad site.

  • Go to: [SITE] > User Action Menu > Theme Manager

  • Verify that your custom themes are listed and configured as in the Portal site.


Now after we have checked and validated that everything was imported and that the site is working as expected. We can start off-boarding the portal.

Going Back to the Portal service for off-boarding 

1) Unsubscribe from the Portal service, please be aware of the following:

  • All Portal content will be deleted.

  • Out-of-the-box Portal roles (incl. portal admin role) will be deleted and users will be unassigned from those Out-of-the-box roles

  • Re-subscribe won’t restore the content, Tip! We recommend exporting site/content as a backup and saving them for future use, if needed.

  • Go to the SAP BTP cockpit > Subscriptions > Portal (tile)


  • Click on the Portal tile, and then unsubscribe the Portal service



Now you can work on your Launchpad service. Portal service is no longer active and shows up as "not subscribed".

Note: Subscriptions for Portal, Launchpad or any other services are available based on customer contracts. Once the service contract is ended the subscription for the service will no longer be available in the subscription list.

!Tip: Keep your export files from Portal service in case you will want to activate the Portal service in the future.

Go back to Transition from Portal Service to Launchpad Service - How to Guide

Good luck!

 

Dana.

 

#SAPCommunity

 

 
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