SAP Business Client has a great talent for integration. First, single apps have been integrated. Second, the Fiori Launchpad as a whole (FLP@ABAP). Now, the cloud launchpad, called SAP Fiori Launchpad Service, running on Business Technologie Platform (BTP), cloud foundry).

So even in the cloud you can mix native SAP GUI transactions with state-of-the-art web applications. Therefore, a TCP ping to the remote system has to be performed at the time the application shall be started.

The following blog describes how to run a cloud launchpad within SAP Business Client in 3 steps.

But first,

What is SAP Launchpad Service?

The SAP Launchpad Service (central launchpad running on SAP BTP, cloud foundry environment) enables organizations to establish a central point of access to SAP, custom-built, and third-party applications, and extensions, both on the cloud and on premise.

With the Launchpad Service you can only use Web GUI however. SAP GUI for Windows cannot be launched.

Using the Launchpad Service together with SAP Business Client native SAP GUI for Windows applications can be launched from your connected on-premise system.

Integration Prerequisites

SAP Business Client 7.70: SAP ONE Support Launchpad (SAP Software Download Center)

At least a trial account on BTP. See Get a Free Account on SAP BTP Trial | Tutorials for SAP Developers

Subscription to the Launchpad Service including the Launchpad_Admin role (see the following tutorial Deliver Your First SAP Fiori Launchpad Site | Tutorials for SAP Developers)

SAP Launchpad Service on BTP: Initial Setup

Direct Access and Tunneled Access

Direct access is only possible within the corporate network (or via VPN).

Tunneled Access is possible from the corporate network or from the Internet (for which you need the Cloud Connector). The Cloud Connector is http/https based. The DIAG protocol of SAP GUI for Windows cannot be used. We are therefore using direct access here.

Procedure

The following steps will show you how to launch SAP GUI for Windows applications (Dynpros) directly from the FLP@BTP. As an example, we ‘d like to create an app/tile in the Launchpad Service (FLP@BTP) to open an SAP GUI for Windows transaction from a remote system (here U1Y*). To connect, you must create a http destination to this system (step 1 below).

Note: In general, there are two ways of integrating content into the Launchpad Service: Manual Integration of Business Content, and integration of content from remote content providers. In this blog, we demonstrate the manual integration of apps. Administrators who need to integrate hundreds of roles will use the federation approach, described at the end of this blog.

Step 1: Create runtime destinations to access apps

To launch apps in the Launchpad Service, the service must know where the content/apps are located. It is therefore necessary to create a destination to tell the BTP where your app is running.

Logon

1. Logon to the BTP cockpit and open the Destination editor (subaccount=>Overview=> Connectivity=>Destinations)
2. Choose New Destination and enter the name, type, description (optional), and URL as shown in the screenshot below. You can copy the URL from the landscape file or directly from Business Client (system selector, right click). It must start with https:// including the port, for example https://<server>.<domain>.<ext>:<port>.

Configure destination and add additional properties

Add the additional properties as shown in the screenshot below:

For example sap-login-group, message server and instance number, sap-snc-name, can be found in SAP Logon.

Configuring the destination to you back-end

Add additional parameters to your destination configuration

The editor is a little unpredictable, but I am optimistic that this will improve over time.

Link to documentation: Create Runtime Destinations to Access Apps

Step 2: Make your Apps visible in the Launchpad

In this step you will:

• Open the site manager
• Create and configure your app.
• Create a group and assign your app to it
• Create a catalog and assign your app to it
• Create a role and assign your app to it
• Assign your role to your app

Open the Site Manager

Open your Site Manager in your BTP cockpit or directly via the FLP Menu (upper right corner => your profile=> Manage Site)

Open Site Manager

Site Manager

Create and Configure your App

In the Site Manager, choose +New to create your app (in this example an SAP GUI for Windows transaction, SE80).

Add a new App

Select your system and fill in the properties as documented here Configure Apps for Your Subaccount

System:

The system names in the list reflect the destinations defined in the SAP BTP cockpit. Choose your destination.

Choose your App UI Technology

Switch to the tab Navigation tab and configure you intend based navigation.

Configuring intend based navigation

In this example, no additional parameters are needed.

Choose Save.

See: Configure Apps for you Subaccount (Help Portal Documentation)

Create a group and assign your app to it

Assign apps to a group

Choose Save.

Create a catalog and assign your app to it

Assign an app to a role

Assign your role to your site

Go to your site manager and click Site Settings.

Site Manager in the BTP Cockpit

Choose Edit and assign your role to the site.

Choose Save.

Assign your role to the launchpad site

Note: In the BTP Cockpit, you have to assign this role to your BTP user.

To assign the role to your BTP user, you have to go back to the cockpit. Under Security, choose Users. Enter your e-mail address and assign the role to your user.

Assign the created role to your BTP user

Check if your site is working

Go back to the Site Manager and click on “Go to site”.

Site directory

Step 3: Configure your system connection within SAP Business Client

As an administrator, you can provide templates for your end users. See the following documentation for details: SAP Launchpad Service Intregration – SAP Help Portal

For our example here, just copy the URL from your site into the Business Client system connection properties, as shown in the screenshot below.

Modify System Entry

Integration of content from remote content providers (Content Federation)

As you can imagine, manual integration of content is not the best approach for integrating large amounts of applications from your SAP Business Suite system to your Launchpad Service on BTP. Using the content federation administrators can expose the content and make business roles with their apps, catalogs, and groups available straight away.

Exposure of the content is done at role level. In an SAP Business Suite system or S/4HANA system, use transaction /UI2/CDM3_EXP_SCOPE to expose your SAP Fiori content.

For a detailed description of how to enhance your launchpad site with federated SAP S/4HANA content, see the following tutorials by Dr. Sibylle Brehm:

Enhance Your SAP Launchpad Site with Federated SAP S/4HANA Content | Tutorials for SAP Developers

You can find the official documentation here:

Federation of Remote Content Providers – SAP Help Portal

You can open your Launchpad Designer to check your catalogs, groups and tiles:

Running the Launchpad Designer – SAP Help Portal

Tip: Once connected to your on-premise back end, you can open the Launchpad Designer directly within SAP Business Client using transaction SPRO=>IMG (F5)