How to define a separate virtual host for each client in SICF

[Former Member]

Hello,

We have an ERP system with multiple clients running on it. The WebDynpro ABAP applications once developed are available on all clients, as standard. However, this is not our desired behavior. We want:

1. The WebDynpro ABAP applications should be managed separately in SICF depending on the client

2. The URL for accessing the WebDynpro application should have a own host name for each client. e.g.

A WebDynpro application on client 100 should be accessed by http://host1:5000/sap/bc/... and the same application on client 200 should be accessed by http://host2:5000/sap/bc/...

After a while researching I find out that creating a virtual host for each client in SICF would be a possible solution to fulfill the above mentioned requirments:

1. Set the profile parameter is/HTTP/virt_host_* with corresponding host name and port number

2. Create a new virtual host in SICF assigning the profile paramter to it

3. Assign a client to this virtual host

My question is how to specify a client to a virtual host? I didn't find any possibilities in SICF!

Anyone can help me? Thanks a lot in advance!

Best Regards

Di Li

[Former Member]

Hi,

If you define virtual hosts in SICF, I understand that you will get a diiferent hiearchy of HTTP services for each virtual host.

You should be able to enter the client for exemple at the level of the webdynpro handler :

/virtual_host1/sap/bc/webdynpro

Logon data tab : client = 100

/virtual_host2/sap/bc/webdynpro

Logon data tab : client = 200

This is the way I would try if I needed it.

Regards,

Olivier

[Former Member]

Hi,

This reminds of a similar situation where we had multiple clients on a CRM system.

To gain access to the WebUI on different clients we used the same hostname with different client numbers in it.

When testing the application from SICF, a following link is generated:

http://<fqdn>:<port>/sap/bc/gui/sap/its/bwsp?sap-client=100

As from the above, the URL would define which client is being used. Perhaps you could access your BSP application the same way using the "?sap-client=xxx" addtion to the URL.

Regards,

Srikishan

[Former Member]

Hi Srikishan,

thanks for your reply. Your suggested way is certainly a potential, and also my preferred option for solving the multiple-client-capable URL access to WebDynpro / BSP applications.

However, for some reasons, based on the customer requirements, the client should not be visible in the URL. The URL for accessing the WebDynpro / BSP applications on different client should have different host name, as if they are different companies. Besides that, we want to manage each WebDynpro / BSP application on different clients in SICF separately.

Therefore, at least on my opinion, we need to introduce a virtual host for each client in SICF. But how do I make it happen?

Regards

Di

[Former Member]

Hi Di,

If the customer does not want any traces of client during the login, then perhaps a reverse proxy can be implemented in between.

It could mask the entire URL(which could have the company name in it) and internally redirect the requests to the specific clients (based on the respective company name in the URL).

Regards,

Srikishan

[Former Member]

Hi Oliver Hi Srikishan,

thanks for your reply. Both of your answers may help. It depends on the customer's requirements:

1. If the customer just want to mask the URL (different host name for different client), then we may go for "reverse proxy". @Srikishan: thanks for your input.

2. if the customer addtionally wants to maintain the HTTP Services client-dependent (not only in runtime, but also in design-time), then we should go for "SICF virtual host". @Oliver: your information about how to configure SICF is very helpful .

Regards

Di

[Former Member]

Hi,

is there any best-practises on how to establish an ICF tree for each system client:

e.g should I copy the whole SICF tree or just a subset of it for new introduced client? Should I use copy or just an internal alias? etc.

Thanks!

Regards

Di