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former_member230921
Active Contributor
This blog describes:-

  • About Web Assistant,

  • Configure Web Assistant for Fiorified BI Launchpad (BOE 4.2 SP05),

  • Enable and use web Assistant in Fiorified BI Launchpad


Web Assistant feature available in Fiorified BI Launchpad from SAP BOE 4.2 SP05 and Onwards.

 

About Web Assistant:


The SAP Enable Now Web Assistant is a web-based help system to provide context-sensitive user assistance. It enables users to get started quickly and to find all relevant information in an easy way without having the need to leave the respective application. When clicking the help icon, the Web Assistant provides additional information directly on top of the current application screen.


The characteristics of the Web Assistant are:

  • Seamless: Can be used, exactly when the user needs it from within the application



  • Context-sensitive: Shows exactly what is needed for the user, depending on the current screen.



  • Guiding: Provides an interactive step-by-step process guidance




More about SAP Enable Now : https://help.sap.com/viewer/p/SAP_ENABLE_NOW

 

Configurations to enable Web Assistant in the Fiorified BI Launchpad:


After you install or upgrade to SAP BOE 4.2 SP5, you need to configure proxy settings for a user to be able to access Web Assistant in-app help in fiorified BI launch pad.


Read the Comments in same blog: https://blogs.sap.com/2017/12/19/fiorified-bi-launchpad-and-web-assistant-in-boe-4.2/#comment-409634

SAP Note: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902

Proxy configuration is based on network settings in your organization.

verify by hitting this URL in browser where Tomcat deployed  : https://xray.hana.ondemand.com/xRayControls/resources/sap/dfa/help

if this URL gives response then no need to set the proxy. else follow the below steps.

To configure proxy settings for web assistant in fiorified BI launch pad, perform the following steps:


Prerequisites:





You are connected to the internet.


  1. Navigate to JAVA Properties of the web server.



  2. Add the https.proxyHost and https.proxyPort properties.



Example:


OS: Windows,

Web Server: Tomcat 8.5



  1. Navigate to Windows  Tomcat.


    The Apache Tomcat for BI 4 Properties window opens.



  2. Choose the Java tab.

  3. In the Java options field, append the following properties to the list:

    -Dhttps.proxyHost=<proxy_host>


    -Dhttps.proxyPort=<proxy_port>



  4. Restart Tomcat.




 

Configuration in Split Deployment : https://blogs.sap.com/2017/12/19/fiorified-bi-launchpad-and-web-assistant-in-boe-4.2/comment-page-1/...


 Enabling and using Web Assistant in Fiorified BI Launchpad:


If application is updated and user is logging into the application for the first time after update - User can see the new features by clicking on the popup appeared on the screen.



 

To enable Web Assistant in Fiorified BI Launchpad, simply click on the Help icon in the upper right hand portion of the screen:



 

An informational bar (carousel) will appear across the bottom of the screen, and elements that have in-app help will have a green circle (hotspot) on top of them:



 

To get help on the topic, simply click on the green circle (hotspot):



 

If user clicks on the elements present in the carousel area, It will connect to the corresponding hotspot.

 

To turn off the Web Assistant, simply click on the Help icon again, and the circles will disappear.  You can hide the carousel at any time by clicking on the double downward facing arrows on the right hand side of the overlay.

Whether you hide or show the carousel is up to you.  We anticipate that in the beginning, people will keep the carousel visible.  This gives visibility to the user not just insight into the current control, but at least introductory information on adjacent controls which might also have in-app help.  More advanced users, they may decide to hide the carousel altogether and focus on clicking on a circle as they need help.

Not all elements are documented with Web Assistant yet, the number of topics will expand over time until, just about everything important is covered this way.



 

More Links: 

https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902

https://blogs.sap.com/2017/05/16/fiorified-bi-launchpad-in-boe-4.2/

https://help.sap.com/viewer/p/SAP_BUSINESSOBJECTS_BUSINESS_INTELLIGENCE_PLATFORM

 
37 Comments
former_member230921
Active Contributor
Paul1202
Participant
Hi Bharath, is there something more which needs to be configured ? As I cannot make it to work ;

  1. I have installed BI 4.2 SP5 on a (single-node) test-server

  2. Fiori-launchpad is fully working

  3. The test-server has access through the internet (I have configured our proxi-server and proxi-port-number in the configuration of Internet Explorer), and afterwards I could use this IE to browse the internet from that test-server

  4. I have added :

    -Dhttps.proxyHost=<our-proxi-server-name>
    -Dhttps.proxyPort=80

    in the java-options of the "Tomcat Configuration" tool

  5. Restarted Java (even cleared Tomcat-cache)

  6. But afterwards, I still have (after clicking on the icon on the top-right hand corner of the Fiori-launchpad :

    Web Assistant Not Available. The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured


Am I forgetting something  ?

Many thanks,

Eddy

 

 


ivanyin
Advisor
Advisor
In my environment, the machine can access the internet directly so I didn't configure any Proxy in tomcat and IE and the Web Assistant works fine.
former_member230921
Active Contributor
darren_martin
Explorer
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What ports need to be opened in the firewall to make this work ?  The video just points to some ip address who knows what that is ?

 
darren_martin
Explorer
0 Kudos
Apparently

The url in this note https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902 is required to be accessible, but it doesn't work from any network, external, internal...sap's own network.

 

 
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Hi Darren,

IP and Port number showed in videos is "Proxy host and Port number". Please check in your browser proxy settings where tomcat is deployed. Use command prompt to  "ping" to proxy and update the same IP or host name in Tomcat java properties.

 

-

Bharath

 

 
darren_martin
Explorer
So Opened a support request with SAP and the note has been updated with a work around.  No proxy required and works.

 
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Hi Eddy,

There is an issue with web assistant config.

Please apply this work around. : https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2583902

-

Bharath
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Error:

"The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured."





Cause






The URLs specified in the web.xml of the Fiori BI Launchpad are not accessible.








Resolution






  1. Navigate to below location in the installed machine
    <BOBJINSTALLDIR>\tomcat\webapps\BOE\WEB-INF\eclipse\plugins\webpath.FioriBI\web\WEB-INF\

  2. Open the web.xml

  3. Replace https://xraycontrolstebofwk.int.sap.hana.ondemand.com/xRayControls/resources/sap/dfa/help with https://xray.hana.ondemand.com/xRayControls/resources/sap/dfa/help

  4. Replace https://cp1canary.int.sap.hana.ondemand.com/dps with https://cp.hana.ondemand.com/dps

  5. Navigate to below location in the installed machine
    <BOBJINSTALLDIR\tomcat\work\Catalina\localhost\BOE\eclipse\plugins\webpath.FioriBI\web\WEB-INF

  6. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4

  7. Restart Tomcat






Even after this steps getting same error then make sure Proxy Host and port is correct.

 

-

Bharath
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Fixed this issue.

Fix will be available form SAP BOE 4.2 SP05 Patch2 +.

Note:  https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2599835

-

Bharath
Hi Bharath,

 

I have a split deployment with Apache httpd 2.4.39, Tomcat 9.05, and JRE 8.162. I can access to BO 4.2 SP05, but the web assistant kept giving me the same error:"The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured.”

I have tested the fix with the regular Apache Tomcat bundled with BO 4.2SP05 and it is successful. So, my guess is that there is something missing in the Apache config files.

Have you tested the fix on a split deployment scenario? Any help is appreciated. I have also opened a ticket with SAP support but no resolution so far.

Thanks,

Rene
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Hi Rene,

I will check this and get back to you.

 

-

Bharath
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Hi Rene,

I am back with my investigation.

Please follow the steps:

  • Navigate to conf file in Apache http server (C:\Apache24\conf)

  • Open bobj.BOE file in any editor. (Name might be different in your machine)


  • Add these 2 redirection mappings to .BOE file (last parameter might be different in your case)


  • JkMount /BOE/*/sap/dfa/help/* ajp13
    JkMount /BOE/*/resources/sap/dfa/help/* ajp13



  • Restart Apache http Server.


 

-

Bharath

 
Thanks Bharath! I also received these entries from SAP support:

JkMount /BOE/*/FioriBI/BOETimeoutPing ajp13

JkMount /BOE/*/FioriBI/sap/* ajp13

JkMount /BOE/*/FioriBI/resources/* ajp13

Everything is working fine!
qamile
Participant
0 Kudos
 

Hi there,

I have done all the staps (web.xml  configuration and tomcat - configuration), but I still get the error mesage  :”The Web Assistant is not available. BILaunchpad may not have access to the internet or the proxy is not configured.”

Version SAP BO 4.2 SP 5

regards

Mile
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Hi Mile,

could you please check below URLs are responding from the machine where BOE Tomcat installed?

  1.  https://xray.hana.ondemand.com/xRayControls/resources/sap/dfa/help

  2. https://cp.hana.ondemand.com/dps


-

Bharath
qamile
Participant
 

Hi Bharath,

No, I dont get any Respons.

regards

Mile

 
former_member230921
Active Contributor
internet access is available in BOE installed machine ?

 
qamile
Participant
0 Kudos
Hi Bharath,

no pages can be executed via internet explorer. Which steps have to be made?

thx.

Mile
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
If these 2 pages are not accessible from the browser where BOE is installed then Web assistant won't work.

  1. https://xray.hana.ondemand.com/xRayControls/resources/sap/dfa/help

  2. https://cp.hana.ondemand.com/dps

former_member230921
Active Contributor
Prerequisite to Web assistant:

Internet access must be there from BOE installed machine.

 
qamile
Participant
0 Kudos
 

Hi Bharath, thank you very much 🙂

regards

Mile
 

Hi Bharath,

I am not sure if you have experienced or heard this before, but I logged on to the Fiorified Launchpad and it enabled the Web Assistant automatically. This behavior has not happened until today.

Have you heard anything similar? It is odd, it logs you on, then web assistant just shows up.

Thanks,

Rene
sonnijacobsen1
Explorer
0 Kudos
Hi,

Is there a setting to deactivate web assistant as default when logging on Fiorified BI Lauchpad? Default mode should be inactive. Currently, all users are seeing web assistant active when logging on.

Thanks

Sonni
former_member230921
Active Contributor
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
That's strange.

Is that happening consistently ?
Yes. It is a product bug according to KBA 2723208 where it states it will be fixed on SP07. 😞

Title: 'Web Assistant' is by default enabled for all users in Fiorified BI Launchpad for each login
Link: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2723208
0 Kudos
Thanks for the update Rene.

best regards,
hasba
Participant
0 Kudos
hi Bharath,

 

we've configured it as described. the urls are ok as we're already on 4.2 SP6.

when attempting to connect to both URLs from a webbrowser that is configured with same proxy everything is fine.

if we try from the launchpaf following error raises:

407 Proxy Authentication Required

as per this Site, a authentication is required when using proxy server as per our case.

https://blogs.oracle.com/wssfc/handling-proxy-server-authentication-requests-in-java

is there any additional settings to be done on tomcat to handel this authentication requests?

 

thanks

best regards

Younes

 
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos

did you tried by adding these 2 parameters in tomcat java?

-Dhttps.proxyUser=<proxy user>
-Dhttps.proxyPassword=<proxy password>

hasba
Participant
0 Kudos

yes we followed your instructions but no luck.

this happens only if we call it over the launchpad.

it seems that the application can’t authenticate, if the proxy is requesting authentication.

one addition:

if we call both URLs over the Chrome in the server where tomacat is installed we also get 407 Error code but then Chrome reacts and send the Credentials and then it works.

when calling the Launchpad it calls the URL and get Error Code 407 and then nothing happens

it seems the application can't authenticate the User with only these 2 parameters

regards

Younes

 

former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos
Ideally proxy auth must take the parameters from Tomcat not with application specific.

 
former_member230921
Active Contributor
0 Kudos

Please log SAP support ticket ?

 

former_member256353
Participant
0 Kudos
I know the solution - and how you can disabel that annyoing thing starting itself up.

Be sure to take a backup/copy of the original file!

You need to adapt/change a property in the following file(Path):

.......\webapps\BOE\WEB-INF\eclipse\plugins\webpath.FioriBI\web\com\sap\fioribi\modules\homepage\HomepageView.view.js

edit the file and search for _XRayAdapter.toggle(); and comment it ----> /*_XRayAdapter.toggle();*/

and then save and copy the file to the same directory tree under "....\work\Catalina\localhost\" ( ...\webapps\...... ----> ...\work\Catalina\localhost\....)

 

So, there's no need to wait for SP07!

 

regards

Greg
former_member256353
Participant
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brito1_ilg :check below. Can't contact you elsewhere.....
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I am experiencing the same issue now in BI4.3 SP01 Patch400. I added the entries to Apache24 BOE file, with don't use a proxy to connect to the Internet, so I am able to get results from the two URLS mentioned above, but the Web Assistant does not work. I also made sure that the URLS are correct in web.xml. I ran out of ideas.

4.3 should work out of the box.

I have a ticket open with SAP support, but they just said that they don't support split deployment or any apache/tomcat configurations. --> No comments about it.

Any news when it comes to 4.3