Mobile Devices 4

[Darrenb]

My boss has given me a Compaq iPaq H3630. We want to be able to connect to our SAP servers and use the handheld device just like the SAP client on the desktop PC's. Does anyone know how to do this, or where I can get some kind of idea?!?! If anyone knows of some websites with some info I would be very grateful. We have searched OSS with no luck either!!!

Many thanks

Darren

 

[vermeulenm]

Hi,

I've recently did extensive research on how to connect various mobile devices to SAP.

First you must decide to which platform you want to port SAP to. Up to now most mobile interfaces was text based (Warehouse Management, shop floor data gathering, etc. Third party middleware or bridges are used to translate the Graphical User Interface to a Text User Interface(GUI to TUI). As of release 4.6B, SAP supports a direct RF connection via the SAPConsole. In essence it's a GUI to TUI interface and is dependent on a SAP screen that will fit the smaller screen of the handheld. The predelivered transactions in 4.6B and C is very rudimentary and only focuses on a subset of the LES transactions. For example, if you want to do a Goods Receipt or do a Bib-to-bin transfer, you have to write the transaction and screens yourself.

A second choice is to use a Graphical handheld device such as the iPaq. The problem is that you cannot load SAPGui on the device due to the limited resources on the device. You have three options:
1. Go text based and connect with a Telnet session via SAPConsole to SAP. Use the standard LES or your own custom transactions.
2. Use third party solutions that uses screen scraping and port the result to a proprietary browser or GUI that will run on your handheld.
3. Use the standard LES mobile transactions, custom code your own, or use GUIXT to create your own mini transactions and push it to the handhelds via Citrix/Terminal Server.

I've looked at using SAP's ITS but it's not ready for prime time - you can not control cursor placement.

I have the names of multiple vendors who can assist you in solving this but I'm not prepared to advertise their services on an open forum.

marius.vermeulen@worldnet.att.net

 

[Darrenb]

Thanks a lot for the information that's a great help. I can't seem to find anything on the Internet about this!!!

I have a few questions:

1) What would be needed in order to get the SAPGui installed on the iPaq? (Money is no object)

2) You mentioned SAP's ITS not being ready? I have never heard of this? Do you know where I can get some info?

Thanks for all your help so far.

Darren

 

[matt31]

Cloudscape will allow you to connect to the SAP database and use it on hand held devices. Cloudscape is 100% Java and has a small footprint. It is ideally positioned for this marketplace, because it will allow end users to sync up to the SAP database upon return to the network, and still have complete access while being disconnected. There is a free developers kit which you can download and play with to evaluate, the developers kit is a full product.

http://www.cloudscape.com

will give you all the details.

Matt

 

[vermeulenm]

Are you connecting one or more handhelds to SAP?

If it's one handheld - forget about it! It's too expensive a project for just one device. If you want to investigate the application of handhelds for the whole SAP enterprise - it may be worth it. One of the key decisions you need to make is to how many different platforms you want to connect to - each platform has it's own challenges and each different platform in the landscape exponentially adds to the cost.

Seeing that Cloudscape responded to your inquiry, I can freely disclose the following vendor information:

ATS - Has an "UMDC" console clone that is far superior to SAP's product. This is a good solution for a high-volume picking, packing and shipping environment. Their product is fully backwards compatible to 3.0. They are not really interested in doing development work for their customers but they train the client's own ABAP programmers in RF ABAP programming and using their case tools to design mobile screens. They are a software and hardware services company and make their revenue from selling software, not implementing it. I think it is a good strategy to keep cost down for their customers.

SAIPX - Implements SAPConsole as well as their "Enterprise Gateway " (a direct bridge to SAP). Very good at "store-and-forward". Their Enterprise Gateway can port screens to the WEB, Palm O/S, Windows devices, Blackberry pagers and WAP phones. Has extensive SAPConsole implementation experience. Their programmers understand SAP and LES business processes extremely well.

ACSIS - can implement SAPConsole but typically focus on their "Datapass" product (can be a direct bridge to SAP or middleware configuration). They currently support only character based devices and only focus on LES applications.

Datavision-Prologix - SAPConsole implementers that is "in-bed" with SAP and Ofteck (Ofteck developed SAPConsole). Good for typical warehouse implementations. Note that they are able to port SAPConsole back to SAP releases as far back as 3.0. Datavision is very knowledgeable and has a couple of alternative approached in porting SAPGui to handhelds.

CIM-Concepts - Has a "Data Integrator" can port SAP to about any device, even voice recognition! The Data Integrator is able to port screens to the WEB, Palm O/S, Windows devices, and WAP phones. CIM-Concepts now has their own separate sales organization to promote the product.

Psion-Teclogix has two products: Tek RF and Tek Console. Tek Console is a stripped down version of Tek RF, their middleware product that leaves only the bridge to SAP part. Both versions of the software is excellent and would warrant their existence for different applications. If you need to "store-and-forward" transactions, you will implement the Tek RF product. The only problem is that their software is using a proprietary protocol to talk to their proprietary hardware (802.IQ). The test of the industry is using 802.11b. I believe their technology is backwards compatible to 802.11b (do not need to rip out an existing network) but if you want to connect to their software, the handheld needs to be Psion.

All these vendors specializes in SAP RF and will assist you in finding the best solution. Please feel free to use my name (Marius Vermeulen) as reference.

Contacts:
ATS - Dan McCabe: dmccabe@atsworld.com
Saipx - Guy Martineau: gmartineau@saipx.com
Psion Teklogix - Mike McGuriman: mike.mcguriman@teklogix.com
Datavision - Jim Fini: jfini@datavision.com
Acsis - John DiPalo: JohnJDiPalo@acsisinc.com
CIM Concepts - Ken Stott: kstott@MSN.com

 

[Darrenb]

Just for now I need to connect it to one device, but if it works well, we could be buying quite a lot.

We are not keen to involve any third parties, at least until we know we can get it to work.

Can I not install the SAP GUI on the iPaq? Ideally a wireless solution using a mobile phone connected to the device would be best, but would this be too slow? Please bear in mind that I am in the UK!!!!

HELP!!!!
Thanks

Darren

 

[vermeulenm]

Darren,

You will not be able to run SAPGui on the iPAQ.
Yes you can do something without involving third parties or their software. The only problem is that it will be character based Warehouse Management transactions.

If you want to see how it looks like, do the following:
You need to be at least on SAP release 4.6B and have a fully functional Warehouse or LES Distribution implemented.

Install SAPConsole (on the SAPGui 4.6D CD) on an NT workstation (host). Purchase Telnet Server Software and install it on the same workstation (host).
Install the Telnet client on the iPAQ. Configure the Telnet client for that host.

Your iPAG needs to be in real-time connection with the host machine. The best way is to buy the PC card expansion pack and slot in an Compaq WL110 - Wireless PC Card. Install the Compaq WL210 - PCI Adapter with an additional Compaq WL110 - Wireless PC Card to the host machine and hopefully you will be able to get a real-time Telnet session going between the iPAQ and the host machine. Note: as per my knowledge, Compaq still has not released the PC card expansion pack for the iPAC.

Do the SAPConsole configuration as per SAP's published "SAPConsole User Guide".

Enable SAP's predelivered RF transactions by doing the configuration topics in IMG>Logistics Execution>Mobile Data Entry>Verification Control and RF Queue Management.

If you have all the ducks in a row, you will be able to run SAP transactions on the iPAQ.

Good luck,
Marius

 

[geniusidler]

Hi,

Our company is implementing a RF solution for one of our customer using SAPConsole. One of the biggest problem we encounter was not able to get the function keys to work (F1-F10) under the VT220 emulation. We tried every possibility and even changed the vt220.txt mapping file but to no avail. On the other hand, the function keys would work if we run the sapcnsl.exe in command prompt (i.e. not via Telnet connection). This is a great hurdle to us and our future development work is pending on this issue. Does anybody knows what had we miss out?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Wei Tien

 

[vermeulenm]

Wei,

Ok, first of all, this is not suppose to happen.
We do not experience the problem described by you.

Please provide me with the following information:
1. When you experience this problem do you:
1.1 Emulate the screen on a Windows operating system in a terminal window?
1.2 Emulate the screen on a mobile device on a DOS OS?
2. What mobile device are you using - make & model.
3. Which Telnet Server are you using?
4. Are you connecting directly to an Apps or load balance server or are you connecting to SAP using Treminal Server.
5. Are all the RF access points and SAPConsole box on the same VLAN?

Marius.

 

[geniusidler]

Hi Marius,

We manage to solve the problem.

We are using a handheld barcode scanner that's running DOS and using NCSA telnet client programme (that's the only one we can find =)).

The problem turns out to be we are using Win2k telnet service. The problem goes away when we install Ataman TCP/IP Remote Logon service instead of using the telnet service provided by Win2k.

Nevertheless, thanks for the taking the time to answer.

Appreciate it. =)

Sincerely,
Wei Tien

 

[vermeulenm]

Wei,

You may however want to look at Georgia Softwork's Telnet Server. This telnet package is the only telnet product that is specially adapted for optimal performance with SAP and to address specific SAP functionality.

You can direct your inquiries to: sapconsole@georgiasoftworks.com

Marius Vermeulen

 

[putzy]

Marius,
Could you lend me some knowledge.
I am trying to also implement SAPConsole.
At the moment I do not understand what software sits where from a server perspective.
Does the SAPConsole software sit on the SAP Application server? Or does it need a seperate server?
can the telnet software sit on the same server as the SAPConsole software or does it need to be on another server?

I "think" my setup will need only one additional server to the SAP system. I am going to put the telnet software and the SAPConsole software on one server. Does this sound wise?

Also how big does this server need to be?
Number of processors, RAM, Disk?

Any hints would be much appreciated as I have trawled the SAP website for hours.

 

[vermeulenm]

Putzy,

The SAPConsole as well as the Telnet server sits on a separate box.

This box, as well as the access points and RF devices needs to be on the same LAN/VLAN segment of your network.

The "box" can be a Windows NT/2000 Workstation. Minimum Pentium III, 500MHz, add 4MB RAM to the minimum system memory for each potential RF session.

I'm using my NT Workstation as a test bench.

We will be adding a VPN box to separate the RF part of the network (SAPConsole box, access points and RF devices) from the corporate WAN. The 802.11b access points are the weak link in network security because they can be "sniffed" from the outside and a malicious attack can be launched against it to compromise your network.

This is the reason why you need to run SAPConsole and the Telnet server on a separate box (to allow for seperation from the rest of your network).

Marius Vermeulen.

 

[Guest_imported]

I need to develop MM transactions to work with Sapconsole in V. 4.6b.
I´d like to know if it´s possible to obtain a list of materials shown in the terminal, and if it´s possible to make scroll up/down, and make selections from the list to process the items.
Thank in advanced.

 

[vermeulenm]

Paco,

Yes, anything you can code for a regular SAP transaction can be used for SAPConsole - only certain graphical limitations.

To prove the point, we've just completed Goods Issue to Work Order. All the components not issued so far is presented for the user to select. The user gets a "down-arrow" to indicate that there is more items than those presented on the first screen and the page will scroll down on pressing the [Page Down] key.

Immediately on selecting a particular item, we present the second screen for the user to confirm the quantity and batch number(s). We update SAP after each line item and bring the user back to the selection screen to process the rest of the line items. If the RF link is broken, no transaction is lost.

Remember, if transaction works on a regular Gui session on a regular PC, it will work on the handheld. The only issue is to paint the screen so it fits on the small screen.

Marius.

 

[Guest_imported]

Thanks a lot, Marius!!!

 

[Guest_imported]

I´ve to re-design MM transaction "Compsumtion for order from warehouse" from a reservation, to work with Sapconsole.
The standar screen use a Table Control because reservation can have more than one item. I think I can´t use table controls with Sapconsole.
Must I create a list using WRITE commans with checkboxes to select the items and process them?

Thanks in advance.

 

[vermeulenm]

Paco,

I do not want to publish the code on the internet. Please e-mail me at marius.vermeulen@att.net and I will send you the sample code.

Marius

 

[Guest_imported]

Using Sapconsole, is it possible to see the character screen in the PC monitor?

Regards.

 

[vermeulenm]

Paco,

No characters, text only.
Screen looks like this:

[F1 Save] [F2 Clear]
[F3 Back]
BIN 2 BIN TRANSFR
Scr Bin:
010 A22A
Material:
W051278
RELAY PE ELECT ST

Qty: UoM:
500.000 EA
Dest Bin:
A22B
[F8 L0ff]

Marius Vermeulen