Using Connection Strings for SAP GUI
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Background
Copado Robotic Testing for SAP records a “Connect to SAP” step when
opening a new SAP GUI connection thru the SAP LogonPad. During the
recording process, Copado Robotic Testing for SAP will extract the
details of the connection normally by identifying the server name and
system number of the SAP environment.
To support advanced server configurations, Copado Robotic Testing
for SAP allows to use other connection details such as the standard
SAP connection strings. The documentation below is the official article
from the SAP support site, and provides information on how to build
connection strings that are fully supported by Copado Robotic Testing
for SAP.
Procedure
1. Record and save the SAP flow, including Connect to SAP step
2. Go to Data sets tab and open the desired data set
3. Replace the value of the parameter for the Connect to
SAP step with the connection string
Connection Strings
Connection String is a technical term used within SAP GUI. A
connection string describes a connection address for a destination,
e.g. an SAP system's application server, similar to an Internet URL
describes a location for a web page.
Simple Connection Strings
In its simplest form, a connection string contains an IP address and a
port number. This information is sufficient for SAP GUI to open a direct
TCP connection to a destination, e.g. an application server. IP address
and port number are marked with the prefixes '/H/' (for host) and '/S/'
(for service). Note that the port number for an SAP application server
is by convention 3200 plus the two-digit SAP system number.
Example
Example for a simple connection string with an application server's IP
address (172.16.64.17) and port number (3200):
/H/172.16.64.17/S/3200
If your network environment supports DNS (Domain Name Services),
a hostname can be used instead of the IP address in all kinds of
connection strings. (This requires a correct DNS configuration on the
client, e.g. via the hosts file).
Example
Example with an application server's hostname (iwdf8997.wdf.sap-
ag.de) and port number (3200):
/H/iwdf8997.wdf.sap-ag.de/S/3200
If your network environment supports symbolic service names for
well-known ports, the symbolic service name can be used instead of
the port number in all kinds of connection strings. (This requires a
correct service configuration on the client, e.g. in the services file).
Note that SAP application server ports are by convention named
'sapdp<SID>', where <SID> is the SAP system id
Example
Example with host name (iwdf8997.wdf.sap-ag.de) and symbolic
service name (sapdpIWD):
/H/iwdf8997.wdf.sap-ag.de/S/sapdpIWD
Simple connection strings need not to be resolved by the SAP GUI
application. Resolution of host names and symbolic service names is
done by the operating system's network layer.
SAP Routers
In a WAN (Wide Area Network) environment, SAP routers are used to
make connections to remote SAP systems that cannot be reached
with a direct TCP connection. Passwords may be used for each SAP
router to control access. In order to make a connection, the client is
responsible for providing the complete route to the destination,
possibly including a chain of several SAP routers. Path information is
not provided by the routers. (Strictly speaking, an SAP router is
actually better described as an application level proxy with password
capabilities and strict source routing). The address for each router is
specified by a simple connection string (with the router's host name
and port number), optionally followed by '/P/' and the router
password. The path from the current location to the destination is
described by concatenating all router addresses, followed by the
address of the destination SAP system. Thus, a connection string with
SAP routers generally has the form <router 1><router 2>...<router
n><destination>.
Example
Example with two routers (gate.acme.com, port 3299,
and gate.sap.com, port 3298), the first using a password (secret), for
a connection to the application server iwdf8997.sap.com, port 3200):
/H/gate.acme.com/S/3299/P/secret/H/gate.sap.com/S/3298/H/
iwdf8997.sap.com/S/3200<-------- 1st router ----------><---- 2nd router
----><------ app_server ------>
Connection strings including SAP routers are passed to SAP GUI's
communication layer and resolved step by step by the routers on the
path. If host names and symbolic service names are used, each router
must have access to correct network configuration information to
resolve them.
Message Servers and Logon Groups
For load balancing purposes, application servers from one SAP system
are usually configured in logon groups, where each group serves a
particular kind of user. The application servers in each group are
assigned to users by a least-heavily-loaded strategy. This load
balancing is done by message servers. Each SAP system has exactly
one message server, which can be reached via TCP on a specific
message server port.
Note
Care should be taken that the application server's port number is not
confused with the message server's port number. Although the
message server's host name may in small installations often be
identical to the hostname of an application server, the port number is
always different. Symbolic service names for message servers by
convention have the form 'sapms<SID>', where <SID> is the SAP
system id.
Message server and group information can be used to address an SAP
system in a connection string. The address of the message server is
specified as a combination of message server host name, message
server port and group name. This information is marked with the
prefixes '/M/'(message server host name), '/S/' (message server port)
and '/G/' (logon group).
Example
Example with message server (hostname alrmain, port number 4253)
and logon group (SPACE):
/M/alrmain.wdf.sap-ag.de/S/4253/G/SPACE
Connection strings with message servers are resolved by SAP GUI by
contacting the message server and retrieving the (simple) connection
string of an application server for the specified group. This requires
network access to the message server at the time the address is
resolved. SAP router connection strings may be used in combination
with message server connection strings simply by specifying the
router address before the message server address. The router is then
used for contacting the message server as well as for contacting the
resolved application server.
Symbolic System Names
The most user-friendly form of connection string addresses an SAP
system only by its symbolic name (per convention, the system id) and
the logon group name. This information is marked with the prefixes
'/R/' (for the symbolic SAP system name) and '/G/' (for the logon group
name).
Example
Example with SAP system (ALR) and logon group (SPACE):
/R/ALR/G/SPACE
Connection strings with symbolic system names are resolved by SAP
GUI by looking up the symbolic SAP system name in the Message
Server List (a text file containing a mapping between symbolic system
names and message server addresses) and replacing the /R/ part of
the connection string with the resulting message server address.
The result is a complete message server connection string, which is
then further resolved as explained above.
Formal Syntax
For the technically interested reader, the following BNF grammar
formally describes the syntax of connection strings:
Sample Code
Bash (Unix Shell)
<connection string> := [<router prefix>]<local>
<local> := <simple>|<message server>|<symbolic>
<simple> := "/H/"<host>"/S/"<service>
<host> := <hostname>|<ipaddr>
<hostname> := (any DNS hostname)
<ipaddr> := (any IP address, in dotted decimal form)
<service> := <servicename>|<port number>
<servicename> := (any IP service name)
<port number> := (any decimal number)
<messageserver> := "/M/"<host>"/S/"<service>"/G/"<group>
<group> := (any ASCII string not containing '/')
<symbolic> := "/R/"<system>"/G/"<group>
<system> := (any ASCII string not containing '/')
<router prefix> := <router>*
<router> := "/H/"<host>"/S/"<service>["/P/"<password>]
<password> := (any ASCII string not containing '/')
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