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How to Connect to SAP

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Former Community Member

Hi Experts,

I am working on a new business requirement to implement Adobe forms for Purchase department needs for the following Scenario.

Client is using SAP and have a staff of 50 that ONLY create Purchase Requisitions. So SAP has 50 userids and as many licensing requirements. Now the client wants to get away from the licensing and use some kind of Form ( viz. Adobe interactive ) so that all the data entry/ querying is done on workstation and backend calls are made to SAP using one generic ID.

I have worked with SAP and Adobeforms, that are launched from within SAP via a plug-in for any forms requirement, such as Invoice/ barcodes etc.

Now, My question(s) to you all, is,

1. how do I communicate to SAP after I am done with my forms design in Adobe Lifecycle Designer?.

2. How do I make an executable program, once I design/ develop code so that I am able to communcate to SAP back and forth?

3. How many licenses do I need for 50 or so people and related costs?

4. What are the downsides to this approach?

5. Any show stoppers that I should know, before I starting barking this kind of tree?

6. Anyone used this kind of model and successful with their implentation?

Thanks a bunch in advance to your cooperation .

Regards,

AbapGuy

6 Replies

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Former Community Member

1. how do I communicate to SAP after I am done with my forms design in Adobe Lifecycle Designer?.

Before you begin on the form I recommend that you figure out the SAP side first. Analyze and determine which SAP transaction(s) is required to access the data, determine which interfaces (if any) the transaction(s) supports, determine which interface the SAP admin is willing to expose outside of SAP, take a look at the data model and the data the interface provides, get security straightened out (this can kill you), etcetera.

2. How do I make an executable program, once I design/ develop code so that I am able to communcate to SAP back and forth?

If the SAP transaction is exposed via WSDL, go with web services. You can use the SAP WSDL to do data binding in the form and call the SOAP endpoint.

3. How many licenses do I need for 50 or so people and related costs?

To execute a web service call from the PDF in Reader, the form has to be Reader-extended using LiveCycle Reader Extensions.

4. What are the downsides to this approach?

To execute a web service call from the PDF in Reader, the form has to be Reader-extended using LiveCycle Reader Extensions.

5. Any show stoppers that I should know, before I starting barking this kind of tree?

If you are SAP fluent, the form is easy. If you are not SAP fluent, find someone who is. Security on the WDSL and the SOAP endpoint can be challenging.

6. Anyone used this kind of model and successful with their implentation?

I have done it recently.


Steve

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Former Community Member

Thanks Steve for getting to the questions so quickly. Now this gives enough confidence to proceede further on this project.

I have strong technical background in SAP, and I can pretty much take care of what has to be analyzed and coded to be ready for Remote Function calls from this new approach. I can design and create the Form also.

So, this brings another set of questions for me, how is this WSDL file created when we create a data connection.

What level of expertize Basis / Security team needs to have to set up SAP server  hand shake.

And when you said Reader extensions, what are the associated costs estimated?.

Regards.

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Former Community Member

Hello

We currently experience problems calling an SAP web service from LiveCycle ES 2.

The WSDL of the SAP service is protected by basic auth.

When we try to load the WSDL, we only get error message (HTTP 401, server redirected too many times, etc.)

The username and password we supply are correct (verified in the logs).

Do you have any experience with such issues?

Thanks for your help

Felix

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Former Community Member

Hi Felix,

Yes. I am aware of a problem with the ES2 WebService Foundation service that effects connecting to SAP.

Can you please send an email to stwalker.adobe@gmail.com so we can communicate directly and address the problem?

Thanks,

Steve

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Level 1

Hello Felix,

we have same issue. Could you please contact me? fatih.koekce@gmail.com    

Regards,

Fatih

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Level 2

Hi,

Dispatch the SAP logon cushion.

Double tap on the Application Server (which you want to associate), from the SAP logon cushion. The SAP logon screen shows up.

On the SAP logon screen, The worth of the default customer shows up consequently. Assuming you need to logon to an alternate customer, then, at that point, change it with the new customer number.