Preparing for R/3 Enterprise
Is NetWeaver required to install Web Application Server to use for ESS? We are about to upgrade to R/3 Enterprise, and we are wondering whether we should continue with ITS or go in for the Web Application Server?

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NetWeaver is a brand name that simply labels all of the R/3 descendant products. If you install the SAP WebAS you "have" Netweaver. I guess the question is rather whether you need to install the SAP NetWeaver J2EE (WebDynpro) framework. There are mainly two products:

* The SAP WebAS for ABAP (which is the former SAP Basis).
* The SAP WebDynpro J2EE Server (which is a classical J2EE engine with adapted Eclipse DIE)

Many of the SAP New Dimension products make use of both the ABAP and the Java engine. To my knowledge, the Employee Self Service software is still completely written in ABAP without using J2EE components.

As far as ITS, my latest information is that SAP actually sees the future of ITS only as an intermediate proxy for the WebGUI. This means that with the integrated ITS, only the generated Dynpros will be supported, while HTML development is depreciating.

I have never been a big supporter of ITS anyway. If you want to write professional web applications you should use one of the cutting edge web servers like the WebAS BSP Server (or IBM Websphere, Microsoft IIS, Apache, TOMCAT etc.). The advantage of the BSP server is that you can access the underlying R/3 software directly from ABAP. With any other server including the J2EE WebDynpro you may develop your application at your discretion and connect to R/3 via RFC calls using the JCo or .NET adapter.

So, for existing applications it is case-by-case decision whether to retain the ITS. For new web application I strongly recommend using the BSP features and mainly have a look at the great HTMLB library (check out HTMLB_SAMPLES in the SE80/BSP Application; start with default.htm to see the possibilities; if the service does not start, think of activating HTMLB_SAMPLES in SICF before).

This was first published in March 2005

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