BPM & WebDynpro ABAP

[Former Member]

Hello,

I would like to call WebDynpro ABAP application from BPM.

I assume in order to get process data from BPM i must call some specific web service with process id which must be delegated to WD ABAP. Via call of a web service

it must be also possible to confirm the step as processed. Is it correct?

Of course it would be nice if SAP would offer an access to WD ABAP Components (context and events) directly from BPM like it is possible with WD Java.

Regards

Paul

[Former Member]

Any updates on this topic? I would highly appreciate the usage of

- WDA (SAP standard technology for Business Suite applications - major part of SAP applications) from within

- BPM (the SAP standard for Business Process Management)

[Former Member]

Hi Alfred,

The ability to consume Web Dynpro ABAP for human tasks within BPM is planned for SAP NetWeaver CE 7.3 which will go into ramp-up in Q4.

O.

[Former Member]

Hi,

Can you please point me to a SAP message or some official note on this to help me confirm this to our client?

appreciate your help.

Thanks.

Aditya

[Former Member]

Hi Aditya,

How about a TechEd Session - PMC203 ?

http://www.sapteched.com/usa/edu_sessions/session.htm?id=66

O.

[Former Member]

Hi Oliver,

We are not able to access this link any more. Can you please send me this doc?

regards,

krishnam

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Krishnam,

We are currently working on a draft article for the SDN community on this... to give you the overview of what is needed for WebDynpro ABAP UIs in BPM:

1. You you need to create a Web Dynpro ABAP component with a CHIP (Collaborative Human Interface Part). BPM will use the CHIP to call the component and export/import data. This means your ABAP system must be at least on platform SAP NetWeaver 7.02 SP5 (e.g. a ECC 6.0 EHP5 system or similar) and your NetWeaver BPM needs to be 7.2 or higher.

2. In transaction SE80 use the context menu on your Web Dynpro ABAP to add the CHIP

3. In the CHIP you select the interface view and start-up plug to be exposed as CHIP. Existing views and plugs can be used.

4. You need exactly one interface component method with only one importing parameter to be used as the CHIP Inport. An existing interface method can be used if you have one. In the CHIP you select the method and which parameters to expose.

Note: The parameter is either a DDIC structure or table type. Within the parameter the data types currently supported by BPM for CHIPs are STRING, INT4, and WDY_BOOLEAN - so its best to stick to those and do any conversion in the mapping on the BPM side.

5. You need at least one interface event with an exporting parameter to used as the CHIP Outport. An existing interface event can be used if you have one. In the CHIP you select the event and the parameters to expose.

Note: Normally we create two events - a complete event and an error/cancel event (we can use the error event as a boundary event in BPM).

6. On the "Properties" tab of the CHIP, mark the chip as "Remote-enabled" and enter the Loading application "WDR_CHIP_LAUNCHER".

7. On the "Inports" tab of the CHIP, assign the tag CHIP_CONTRACT:PROCESS_STEP_START_POINT.

8. On the "Outports" tab of the CHIP, assign the tab CHIP_CONTRACT:PROCESS_STEP_END_POINT.

Note: if you forget to do steps 7 and 8, BPM will find your chip but complain that its not valid and won't let you assign it to your task.

9. Then go to BPM and Create a new task (do NOT use the UI generation template here - just start with an empty task). In the User Interface section of the task use the "Choose..." button and the UI Wizard "Online Technologies(Web Dynpro Java, Web Dynpro ABAP, Visual Composer). Select Web Dynpro ABAP and your SAP system (you can use SAP systems configured in your NWDS preferences or add them on the spot here with the "Configure R/3 Destinations" hyperlink).

10. Press the "Search" button to find your component. It will show the name of your CHIP - not its technical id - so make sure you know what you called it. By default it selects for only supported components (there's a checkbox to do this towards the bottom of the Select UI Component wizard window) - if you can't see your CHIP, try searching for all components and you will be able to see a brief message giving you some idea as to what is still missing from your CHIP.

11. Select your CHIP and complete the wizard.

We'll be putting screenshots in the article.

Hope that helps,

Regards,

Jocelyn

[Former Member]

Hi ,

Now I am able to see WD ABAP app via chips in NWDS and I have assigned the task to BPM and deployed. When I have strarted the BPM Flow using NWA>Process it started the BPM flow and ABAP WD task is generated in the UWL. How ever when I opened the task I am getting the below error in the task page.

Portal runtime error:

An exception occurred while processing your request. Send the exception ID to your portal administrator.

Task error:

Exception ID 05:55_27/01/12_0025_33731950

See log file for details about this exception

I went to NWA logs and found error:

Cannot clear ICM server cache by [11df5d64493911e1ca7a00000202b56e] etagIP address . Can any one helo me on this how to resolve this??

Regards,

krishnam

[Former Member]

Hi Jocelyn,

Can you help me with the process of integrating BPM with Webdynpro ABAP with FPM. I believe the process you mentioned above works good for a standalone Webdynpro application. I am trying to integrate a Webdynpro application that uses FPM and need to display the entire application from BPM.

Regards,
Vishal

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Vishal,

This thread is very old and adding to it makes for more confusion. Please start a new discussion and explain why you need FPM specifically there.

Thanks

Jocelyn

[Former Member]

no answers...

Does it mean i can not call WD for ABAP from BPM and it will never be possible?

Lets say i have a stable User Interface implemented in WD Abap with Floor Plan Manager. Now i want to use it in BPM. Of course i can use it in Business Workflow if i have only one system, but advantage of process composer in BPM for me that it has advanced graphical tools, it is based on standard notation BPMN and there will be in future a simplified version for business user. Situation will of course change, if SAP Business Workflow will move in similar direction.

For me does not not make sense to recreate UI in WD for Java or in Visual Composer. At first it can be time-consuming, second it is possible that i can not manage to create such convenient UI ( as i already have) based only on Enterprise Service. I can not imagine that SAP is going to recreate all Business Suite WD Applications in WD for Java? I would take WD for Java only if have to create someting new and if there are java developer in a project.

Thanks

Regards

Paul

[a_heut]

Calling Web Dynpro ABAP is not possible from BPM, you can only use UI Technologies Web Dynpro Java, Visual Composer and Adobe Interactive Forms. I was on Teched 2008 and I have asked the same question to Thomas Volmering from SAP and he answered there were no plans to integrate Web Dynpro ABAP into BPM (which I can imagine because ABAP and Java are two different "worlds").

We struggle with the same things as you do. BPM has potential but we want to be able to generate Web Dynpro ABAP UI's too from BPM as

1. WDA is in our company the leading UI technology (we don't have WDJ knowledge and we were not intend to gain this knowledge either)

2. Business Suite has WDA as UI strategy, not WDJ

[Former Member]

SAP NETWEAVER BPM WHITE PAPER Bruce Silver Associates:

While its initial release emphasizes edge processes, SAP is evolving NetWeaver BPM to

become a common process layer for core application processes as well. Extension points

exposed by SAP Business Suite applications will be accessible both to integration via

NetWeaver Process Integration and composition via NetWeaver BPM

***********************************************************************************************************

It would be very nice if someone from SAP colleagues could explain how will it work without WD for ABAP (standard UI for core application - Business Suite).

thanks

Paul

[Former Member]

-