While you set up SAP, have a Basis consultant available who is able to configure ALE. However, the ALE steps in this document should be followed as written. They may differ from the consultant's standard steps.
NOTE: Details about driver architecture and driver/application relationships are discussed in the driver implementation guides. You can find driver implementation guides on the Novell Documentation Web Site.
To prepare a lab workstation to provision resources to SAP users, complete the following sections:
The computer where you will install the Remote Loader and the driver must be running the following software:
Currently the driver supports only client version 1.1.x. This client is freely available through SAP and is provided for most popular server operating systems. You can download the JCO from the SAP Connectors site.
You'll need to provide a number of system-specific details when you install and configure Novell Nsure Resources for SAP. Some of these details can be collected before you complete the following procedures, and others will be defined during the process.
Print and complete the Import Driver Form for SAP, which mirrors the actual form you will fill out in iManager, or print the following table and record information there.
| System | Value |
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|---|---|---|
IP Address for the SAP Application Server (Ask your SAP Administrator.) |
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SAP System Number (Ask your SAP Administrator.) |
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SAP Client Number (Ask your SAP Administrator.) |
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SAP User ID and Password (Ask your SAP Administrator.) |
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Metadata File Directory (Default=c:\Novell\RemoteLoader\lib\SAPutils.) |
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IDocs File Directory (See Creating a Port Definition .) |
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IP Address and Port Number for the Remote Loader (See Installing and Configuring the Remote Loader and Driver .) |
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Driver Object Password (See Installing and Configuring the Remote Loader and Driver .) |
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Remote Loader Password (See Installing and Configuring the Remote Loader and Driver .) |
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As part of configuring the SAP system, you should complete the following steps in this order:
NOTE: The following instructions are for SAP version 4.6C. If you are using a previous version of SAP, the configuration process is the same; however, the SAP interface will be different.
The sending and receiving systems must be defined for messaging. In order to distribute data between systems you must first define both the sending and receiving systems as unique logical systems.
There is a one-to-one relationship between a client and a logical system. Therefore, you must assign a client to each logical system. You should never assign the same client to more than one logical system.
For this particular solution, we recommend defining two logical systems. One logical system will act as the receiver and the other logical system will act as the sender. Although only one of these clients is used as a data source (that is, the client/logical system where employee data is stored and "actions" occur) and target for the driver, the second client is needed for defining the receiving logical system.
NOTE: Depending on your current SAP environment, you might not need to create a logical system. You might only need to modify an existing Distribution Model by adding the HRMD_A message type to a previously configured Model View. For more information, see Creating a Distribution Model .
It is important, however, that you follow SAP's recommendations for logical systems and configuring your ALE network. The following instructions assume that you are creating new logical systems and a new model view.
Enter transaction code SPRO, then display the SAP Reference IMG project (or the project applicable to your organization).
Click Basis Components > Application Link Enabling (ALE) > Sending and Receiving Systems > Logical Systems > Define Logical System.
Click Edit > New Entries.
Enter a name and a description for the logical system you want to create.
Save your entry.
Enter transaction code SPRO, then display the SAP Reference IMG project (or the project applicable to your organization).
Click Basis Components > Application Link Enabling (ALE) > Sending and Receiving Systems > Logical Systems > Assign Client to Logical System.
Select the client.
Click GOTO > Details to display the Client Details dialog box.
In the Logical System field, enter the logical system you want to assign to this client.
Save your entry.
The distribution model contains essential information about message flow. The model view defines the systems that will communicate with each other and the messages that will flow between them. The distribution model forms the basis of distribution and controls it directly.
To create a distribution model:
Verify that you are logged on to the sending system/client.
Enter transaction code BD64. Ensure that you are in Change mode.
Click Edit > Model View > Create.
Enter the short and technical names for your view, as well as the start and end date, then click Continue.
Select the view you created, then click Add Message Type.
Define the sender/logical system name.
Define the receiver/server name.
Define the Message Type you want to use (HRMD_A), then click Continue.
Click Save.
The port is the communication channel to which IDocs are sent. The port describes the technical link between the sending and receiving systems. You should configure a file port for this solution. The file port is used to determine the directory and the file location to which IDocs are sent.
To create a file port definition:
Enter transaction code WE21.
Select File, then click the Create icon. Enter information for the following fields:
Define the outbound file:
Select the physical directory. This is the directory where you want IDocs placed. You might need to create this directory.
Enter the directory where the outbound files are written, for example: \\SAPDEV\NOV\SYS\GLOBAL\SAPNDSCONNECTOR
Enter the function module. This names the IDoc file in a specific format. For example: EDI_PATH_CREATE_CLIENT_DOCNUM
Save your changes.
NOTE: You do not need to configure the other three tabs for the port properties (outbound:trigger, inbound file, and status file).
The system automatically generates a partner profile or you can manually maintain the profile.
NOTE: If you are using an existing distribution model and partner profile, you do not need to automatically generate a partner profile. Instead, you can modify it to include the HRMD_A message type.
To automatically generate a partner profile:
Enter transaction code BD82.
Select the Model View. This should be the Model View previously created in Creating a Distribution Model .
Ensure the Transfer IDoc immediately and Trigger Immediately radio buttons are selected.
Click Execute.
When you generated a partner profile, the port definition might have been entered incorrectly. For your system to work properly, you need to modify the port definition.
Enter transaction code WE20.
Select Partner Type LS.
Select your receiving partner profile.
Select Outbound Parameters, then click Display.
Select message type HRMD_A.
Click Outbound Options, then modify the receiver port so it is the file port name you created in Creating a Port Definition .
From the Output Mode, select Transfer IDoc Immediately to send IDocs immediately after they are created.
From the IDoc Type section, select HRMD_A03 as basictype if you are using SAP 4.5. If you are using SAP 4.6, you should select HRMD_A05.
Click Continue/Save.
Enter transaction code PFAL.
Insert the Object Type P for person objects.
Enter an Employee's ID for the Object ID or select a range of employees.
Click Execute.
Ensure that the status is set to "passed to port okay."
The IDoc has been created. Go to the directory where IDocs are stored (it was defined in the file port setup) and verify that the IDoc text file was created.
To activate change pointers globally:
Enter transaction code BD61.
Enable the Change Pointers Active tab.
To activate change pointers for a message type:
Enter transaction code BD50.
Scroll to the HRMD_A message type.
Check the HRMD_A check box, then click Save.
Enter transaction code SE38 to begin defining the variant.
Select the RBDMIDOC program, select Variant, then click the Create icon.
Name the variant and give it a description.
NOTE: Make note of the variant name so you can use it when scheduling the job.
Select the HRMD_A message type, then click Save.
You will be prompted to select variant attributes. Select the background processing attribute.
Click Save.
Enter transaction code SM36.
Name the job.
Assign Job Class.
Job Class is the priority in which jobs are processed. Class A is the highest priority and will be processed first. For a production environment, we recommend assigning the class to B or C.
Schedule a start time. Click the Start Condition tab, then click Date and Time. Enter a scheduled start time, which must be a future event.
Define the job steps.
Click Save.
IMPORTANT: Click Save once; otherwise, the job will be scheduled to run multiple times.
From the SAP client, hire an employee.
Ensure that an IDoc was created.
You can verify IDoc creation in two locations:
Users are client-independent. For each client that will be using the driver, a system user with CPIC access must be created.
From User Maintenance in SAP, enter a username in the user dialog box, then click the Create icon.
Click the Address tab, then enter data in the last name and format fields.
Click the Logon Data tab, then define the initial password and set the user type to CPIC.
Click the Profiles tab, then add the SAP_ALL, SAP_NEW and S_A.CPIC profiles.
Click Save.
NOTE: Initially, you can create a dialog user to test your SAP system configuration. If there are processing problems, you can analyze the dialog user in the debugger. You should also log into the SAP system once to set this user's password. After the system is tested and works properly, you should switch to a CPIC user for security measures.
In SAP HR, there is not a direct relationship between a manager and his or her employees. The hierarchical relationship exists between the positions they hold. To establish a manager-to-employee relationship, it is necessary to traverse from manager Person to manager Position to employee Position to employee Person.
In order to populate eDirectory with the organizational data, the existing data must be exported from SAP. To export your organization's hierarchical data, perform the following steps before starting the driver:
From the SAP client, enter transaction code PFAL.
Insert the Object Type O for Organization objects.
Enter the organizations you want to export to eDirectory. You can choose to export one organization, a range of organizations, or all organizations.
Click Execute. Ensure that the status is set to "passed to port okay."
Repeat the above process for Object Type C for Job objects.
Repeat the above process for Object Type S for Position objects.
IMPORTANT: It is important that you export the objects in the order specified above. This ensure that the driver makes the correct relationships.
The following instructions explain how to install the Remote Loader and driver on the Windows NT/2000 platform. If you need setup instructions for UNIX platforms, see the DirXML Driver for SAP Implementation Guide.
NOTE: If you are running another DirXML Remote Loader service on this computer, such as the Remote Loader for the Exchange driver, stop that service before starting this procedure. Restart the service after completing this Remote Loader installation.
Insert the Novell Nsure Resources CD and click Next at the Welcome page.
At the License page, click I Accept.
At the Components dialog box, select DirXML Remote Loader Service and click Next.
Accept the default installation path for the Remote Loader, then click Next.
Mark the following items, then click Next.
Review the Product Summary, then click Finish to install the Remote Loader files.
When prompted, create a shortcut.
Run the DirXML Remote Loader Configuration Wizard from your desktop.
At the Welcome page, click Next.
Keep the default Command Port number, then click Next.
Keep the default Configuration File Name, then click Next.
In the DirXML Driver dialog box, mark Java, then click Next.
In the Connection to DirXML dialog box, leave the default Port settings, and ensure that Use SSL is unchecked.
Record the port number in the table under Collecting Configuration Information , then click Next. This information will be required later during driver parameter configuration.
Set Trace Level to 3, so that you'll get minimal tracking data for troubleshooting, specify a location and filename for the trace file, then click Next.
NOTE: If you are running multiple Remote Loader sessions on a single computer, you should create separate trace files.
Mark Install the Remote Loader Instance as a Service, then click Next.
Set Remote Loader and Driver Object passwords.
We recommend keeping remote passwords and driver passwords the same across systems and changing them later when you go to production. Record the passwords in the table under Collecting Configuration Information . This information will be required later during driver parameter configuration.
Review the summary and click Finish.
When prompted, start the service.
The SAP system is prepared to provision resources to employees. Complete preparation of other participating systems and then proceed to Configuring DirXML Drivers .