User Licensing

[Former Member]

I`m new to SAP and PHP. I have only one license for administrative purposes, I share this user with other system administrators and most of the time we`re logged in at the same time and we have to pay the cost of doing so.

If I use php calling SAP functions via RFC, can I avoid the problems of being logged at the same time? I mean, If Im logged with my user via SAP logon and other person is using SAP (with the same user) from "outside" via PHP and RFC, is the same as having 2 users logged via SAP logon? In both cases am I using the same license at the same time? Is there a way to avoid this? Thanks.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I'm not an expert on SAP Licensing. However talking to people in the know, every distinct user of SAP is required to purchase a license. You might investigate the types of user that you can setup for your requirements.

Also I would avoid using the same account that you use to do admin to call RFC's in external scripts.

It is best to use an account which has got roles assigned to it to invoke only the RFC's you want to call in your scripts.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Jason is correct - talk to your account rep. there are more than one type of user so find out which one is best for what you want to do.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the advice, although I`ve only used that account for a test, I use other account now. My main problem is that I dont know if I use SAP via php and RFC logged as a valid SAP user and in the same time Im logged in SAP with that user I need an extra license. Thanks

[gregorw · Accepted solution]

Hello Walter,

you always should use a special user for the SAPRFC calls. With restricted access rights and from type communication.

Regards

Gregor

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Again - limited understanding and best to ask your account rep but usually you have a "named" user and more than one system so in your testing if you are logged into the GUI and RFC with the same user I believe that is OK - but really the account rep could answer this one quite easily.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

ok, thanks. but my account rep doesn´t know the answer, that´s why i´m asking in this forum. I don´t have problem in my testing environment, but i want to know if its posible to use the same user at the same time in the productive system with only 1 license (via sap logon and on the other hand via php and rfc).

Thanks

[Former Member]

Hi.

This thread seems to have taken a bit of dust, but no definitive answer.

Has anyone been able to shed some light on this since then. We are thinking of using the combo php and SAP to extract information out of SAP (read data only) and am wondering what the situation is. Can (should?/must?) each of our named SAP (SAPGUI) users use their own logon credentials or we could we just use a 'hard coded' communication user?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Former Member]

Hello,

As far as i get you - you have one username and you use it together with SAP GUI and for PHP/RFC connection. For productive SAP systems logging as such is a break of license for productive SAP system. The same rule applies, that you cannot logon from 2 different machines with the same login. If you try to do so, SAP GUI will give you a warning message.

Altough this is technically possible

As Gregor wrote, you need to have additional user, a "communication" type in R/3 and use that user for RFC calls.

-reg

Marcin

[Former Member]

I also believe that its a break of license, but can someone confirm it? if im logged via RFC/PHP and then i log in via SAP logon the system doesn`t warn me about another user already logged. Thanks

[Former Member]

Please have your account rep contact me.