BSP/WAS 7.01 rejecting Firefox 10 request

[benoit-schmid]

Hello,

We are running ECC 6.04 (with was 7.01).

When a user connect, with firefox 10, the WAS analyze the user-agent parameter

and denies the connection by saying (in french):

---

IE 5.50 et sup., Netscape 7.00 et sup. et Mozilla 1.75 et sup. sont supportés pour "Design2003"

---

Basically, Firefox 10 is not considered as Mozilla 1.75 evolution and therefore a supported browser.

How I could configure the BSP/WAS to accept request from firefox 10?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

[duncanspeidel · Accepted solution]

Hi Benoît,

Have you cjhecked if Firefox 10 is supported? This done in the PAM..

Best regards,

Duncan

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

Hi Benoît,
> 
> Have you cjhecked if Firefox 10 is supported?  This done in the  PAM..
> 
> Best regards,
> Duncan

Hello,

In the Pam, the speak about Firefox 8 and 9.

They do not mention 10 as it is brand new.

I am not very familiar with support of web browser in Sap.

As it is the first time that I get a blocked of a new browser, I am puzzled.

My understanding was that Sap would recommend a minimum version, as it is suggested by the error message.

Limiting on the future version is very restrictive.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[christian_breler · Accepted solution]

Hello,

we're facing the same issue. There is a bug in the SAP user agent detection and this will be more allerting, when IE reaches Version 10. The reason lies in the fact that the implemented UA-Detection still relies on the facht that a browser's version number will never be double-digit. In fact the bsp-error-message says (in our case its german) "Für Design2003 wird IE ab 5.50, Netscape ab 7.00 und Mozilla ab 1.75 unterstützt." which means that Firefox has to be at least version 1.75 or above.

Well it is above 1.75 but is recognized as 0.0 because the 10.0 is not understood. In my opinion SAP has to react soon.

The only way to work around is to install a user agent switcher add-on in firefox.

Reagards,

Christian

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

Hello Christian,

How do you know that it is a single digit limitation?

I can not ask my several hundred users to run agent-switch

As you said, Firefox 10 is above Mozilla 1.75...

Hello,
> 
> we're facing the same issue. There is a bug in the SAP user agent detection and this will be more allerting, when IE reaches Version 10. The reason lies in the fact that the implemented UA-Detection still relies on the facht that a browser's version number will never be double-digit. In fact the bsp-error-message says (in our case its german) "Für Design2003 wird IE ab 5.50, Netscape ab 7.00 und Mozilla ab 1.75 unterstützt." which means that Firefox has to be at least version 1.75 or above.
> 
> Well it is above 1.75 but is recognized as 0.0 because the 10.0 is not understood. In my opinion SAP has to react soon.
> 
> The only way to work around is to install a user agent switcher add-on in firefox.
> 
> Reagards,
> Christian

[christian_breler · Accepted solution]

I have no proof, but strong hints - see:

https://hacks.mozilla.org/2012/01/firefox-goes-2-digit-time-to-check-your-ua-sniffing-scripts/

Any UA-Switcher-Addon in Firefox and hundreds of users... we can't tell them either. But if one uses such an addon and switches to any browser-variant that tells the server to be a whatever-one-digit-version the error will not show...

Nevertheless: The advice by SAP to refer to the pam is not satisfactory either.

[christian_breler · Accepted solution]

Hi Benoît,
> 
> Have you cjhecked if Firefox 10 is supported?  This done in the  PAM..
> 
> Best regards,
> Duncan

Hello all,

BTW Firefox 10 ist supported according to the PAM with Netweaver 7.0 and SPS26. Has anyone tried this out yet? Our development does not see a chance to install all browser-related sap-notes (i.e. 1628530, which relies on a higher service level then 7.0).

The relevant notes seem to be

1296463

1628530

and 990034 and

BSP is mentioned with FF10 contidionally supported.

Best regards,

Christian

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Thanks for the information.

In my opinion, having to import a complete Support Package stack (with all the non regression testing to be done) to get support for a new web browser is just insane !

I just can't imagine to propose this "solution" in my company...

The web browser check should not be in the abap code but, for exemple in the ICM source code.

Regards,

Olivier

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

Hello Christian,

> BTW Firefox 10 ist supported according to the PAM with Netweaver 7.0 and SPS26. Has anyone tried this out yet? Our development does not see a chance to install all browser-related sap-notes (i.e. 1628530, which relies on a higher service level then 7.0).

I have read these notes.

They refer to the pam which does not mention Firefox 10 support.

Which part of the Note specifies that Firefox 10 is supported?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

Hello Olivier,

> In my opinion, having to import a complete Support Package stack (with all the non regression testing to be done) to get support for a new web browser is just insane !

I agree with you.

It is the first time I have to deal that kind of problem (Web Browser support) with Sap.

Has this already happened in the past?

I have the feeling that they are hiding behind PAM because they have a bug with 2 digits browser version

Thanks in advance for your answer.

[christian_breler · Accepted solution]

Hello Benoît,

Hello Christian,

> > BTW Firefox 10 ist supported according to the PAM with Netweaver 7.0 and SPS26. Has anyone tried this out yet? Our development does not see a chance to install all browser-related sap-notes (i.e. 1628530, which relies on a higher service level then 7.0).
> 

I have read these notes.

They refer to the pam which does not mention Firefox 10 support.

Which part of the Note specifies that Firefox 10 is supported?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

None of the notes refer explicitly to Firefox 10 but the PAM for Netweaver 7.0x / SAP BASIS 7.00 declares the Firefox 10 to be supportetd with SPS26, see: -> Netweaver 7.0, get the Powerpoint-Slides of the PAM and view Slide 22. And on this slide with the Header Firefox 10 one can read

Mozilla Firefox is released conditionally, see note 1628530 and 990034. These slides should be read in conjunction with the Main Note 1296463, which contains a list of important related notes.

.

Best regards,

Christian

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

Hello Christian,

> None of the notes refer explicitly to Firefox 10 but the PAM for Netweaver 7.0x / SAP BASIS 7.00 declares the Firefox 10 to be supportetd with SPS26

You are right, I checked the PAM last week and it was not the case.

Let's see now what Sap says concerning providing a Sap Note,

as SPS implies downtimes and several days of regression tests.

Regards,

[christian_breler · Accepted solution]

Hello Benoît,

> You are right, I checked the PAM last week and it was not the case.
> Let's see now what Sap says concerning providing a Sap Note, 
> as SPS implies downtimes and several days of regression tests.

We just got the news that it will take h3. 4 to 6 weeks

before SAP will be able supply a kernel patch - unbelievable! Let's just hope that this will fix the IE 10 problems - if there are any - in advance.

Best regards,

Christian

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

Hello Christian,

> We just got the news that it will take h3. 4 to 6 weeks 
before SAP will be able supply a kernel patch - unbelievable! Let's just hope that this will fix the IE 10 problems - if there are any - in advance.

I have got the same answer from BC-CST-IC team.

But they have not told when the 4/6 weeks delay delay started,

as this bug has been known for several weeks

The fact that we do not have to implement a full SPS is good news.

There is still one thing that is not clear in our case.

As Sap wants to get rid of the 7.0x Kernel and replace them with 7.20,

I do not know if Sap is going to provide a patch for 7.01 or only for 7.20.

Would you know their plans?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

> before SAP will be able supply a kernel patch - unbelievable! Let's just hope that this will fix the IE 10 problems 

Hello,

I have tested with Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8.

As expected it has the same problem.

See you,

[benoit-schmid · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Sap has started to provide fix kernel.

I have just patched our DEV and TST kernels:

Solaris Sparc 7.01 64b NUC 117->184

The first tests seems to be ok.

See you,

[simon_redondie · Accepted solution]

We had exactly the same issue and thanks to this post, we have solved it.

May I advise the next ones who have the issue to look at SAP NOTES

Note 1691434 - Firefox user agent version of 'xy*.z*' parsed incorrectly

1738285 - Non-numeric kernel release not parsed properly

Regards,

[mario_ecker]

Check note 1691434

[Former Member]

Hi,

We just came across the same situation. BSP framework indeed fails to correctly indentify Firefox 10's user-string. A system call parses the string and returns the values for browser_type and browser_version. For example, Firefox 9 is identified as browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla and browser_version = 9000 but because of a bug in the user-agent parsing, Firefox 10 is identified as browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla and browser_version = 80

Here's a quick & dirty hack as a workaround for this: in SE80 edit class CL_BSP_ELEMENT_RT_ATTR_VALID -> method BROWSER_CHECK

at around line 19, you'll find the check for a lower than Mozilla 1.75 compatible browser:

  OR ( browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla AND browser_version < moz )

We modified it with a special case for the way FF10 is identified:

  OR ( browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla AND browser_version < moz AND browser_version <> 80 )

So that FF10 will not be considered as an unsupported, old version. We have also notified SAP, who said that this is a known issue and they're working on a solution.

Hope this helps.

[benoit-schmid]

> Here's a quick & dirty hack as a workaround for this: in SE80 edit class CL_BSP_ELEMENT_RT_ATTR_VALID -> method BROWSER_CHECK

Hello Juha,

In our WAS 701, I have not found the method BROWSER_CHECK.

The only methods, for CL_BSP_ELEMENT_CT_ATTR_VALID, are:

---

CONSTRUCTOR Instance Method Public Constructor

INITIALIZE Instance Method Public Reset M_ALL_VALUE_VALID

TO_BOOLEAN Instance Method Public Convert a string value to a Boolean value

TO_DATE Instance Method Public Convert a string value to a date value

TO_INTEGER Instance Method Public Covert a string value to an integer value

TO_FLOAT Instance Method Public Convert a string value to a float value

TO_ENUM Instance Method Public Convert a string value to an enum value

TO_ENUM_FROM_TABLE Instance Method Public Convert a string value to an enum value

ERROR Instance Method Public Error

ID Instance Method Public Validate ID Attributes

INITIAL_CHECKS Instance Method Private Model binding not supported for attribute

WARNING_DEPRECATED Instance Method Public

---

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[christian_breler]

Hi Juha,

Hi,
> 
> We just came across the same situation. BSP framework indeed fails to correctly indentify Firefox 10's user-string. A system call parses the string and returns the values for browser_type and browser_version. For example, Firefox 9 is identified as browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla and browser_version = 9000 but because of a bug in the user-agent parsing, Firefox 10 is identified as browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla and browser_version = 80
> 
> Here's a quick & dirty hack as a workaround for this: in SE80 edit class CL_BSP_ELEMENT_RT_ATTR_VALID -> method BROWSER_CHECK
> 
> at around line 19, you'll find the check for a lower than Mozilla 1.75 compatible browser:
> 
> 
  OR ( browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla AND browser_version < moz )
> 
> We modified it with a special case for the way FF10 is identified:
> 
> 
  OR ( browser_type = ihttp_user_agent_mozilla AND browser_version < moz AND browser_version <> 80 )
> 
> So that FF10 will not be considered as an unsupported, old version. We have also notified SAP, who said that this is a known issue and they're working on a solution.
> 
> Hope this helps.

Thank you very much. This works - but ONLY for BSP.

We have a mixture of BSP and WD and don't use the WDLIGHTSPEED=true at the moment for some reason. Navigation between BSPs an WDs fails because Firefox 10.0 is then rejected by Methods from WD-Classes (CL_WDR_CLIENT_ABSTRACT_HTTP Method CLIENT_INSPECTOR_CREATE_CLIENT and so on).

So we will need to wait for a genuine solution by SAP.

Regards,

Christian

[Former Member]

Hello,

I've checked in my SAP ECC6 EHP4 SP Stack 9 (SAP_BASIS 701 SP8) system and I do find the BROWSER_CHECK method.

By the way, this strong dependency from web browsers and SAP support packages is getting ridiculous.

It is, in my opinion, a major problem that SAP needs to fix urgently.

How do you publish a SAP Web application on the internet where you cannot control which browser will be used ?

Regards,

Olivier

[benoit-schmid]

Hello Olivier,

> I've checked in my SAP ECC6 EHP4 SP Stack 9 (SAP_BASIS 701 SP8) system and I do find the BROWSER_CHECK method.

We are running SAP_BASIS 701 SP-Level 7 (not 8 as you).

> By the way, this strong dependency from web browsers and SAP support packages is getting ridiculous.
> It is, in my opinion, a major problem that SAP needs to fix urgently.

I agree with you, but Sap does not seem to be very fasten.

At least, this the impression I have from the call that I have opened.

> How do you publish a SAP Web application on the internet where you cannot control which browser will be used ?

What is also bad, is that the support refugees behind the Pam matrix, although it is a bug that forwards a 0 version.

It is all the more true, as the error message suggests using Mozilla version greater than 1.75.

With Firefox 10, it is the case.

See you,

[Former Member]

> I agree with you, but Sap does not seem to be very fasten.
> At least, this the impression I have from the call that I have opened.
> 
> What is also bad, is that the support refugees behind the Pam matrix, although it is a bug that forwards a 0 version.
> It is all the more true, as the error message suggests using Mozilla version greater than 1.75.
> With Firefox 10, it is the case.

That is why I think it is important that, us, SAP paying customers, express our opinions to SAP on what needs to be fixed.

It is not because the bug is documented as a "feature" in the PAM that it is acceptable.

When SAP marketing people visit us they tell us that SAP solutions are designed to be published on the internet...

Of course, they don't speak about browsers limitations.

Regards,

Olivier

[christian_breler]

Hello both,

> > I agree with you, but Sap does not seem to be very fasten.
> > At least, this the impression I have from the call that I have opened.
> > 
> > What is also bad, is that the support refugees behind the Pam matrix, although it is a bug that forwards a 0 version.
> > It is all the more true, as the error message suggests using Mozilla version greater than 1.75.
> > With Firefox 10, it is the case.
> 

That is why I think it is important that, us, SAP paying customers, express our opinions to SAP on what needs to be fixed.

It is not because the bug is documented as a "feature" in the PAM that it is acceptable.

When SAP marketing people visit us they tell us that SAP solutions are designed to be published on the internet...

Of course, they don't speak about browsers limitations.

Regards,

Olivier

I agree with you. But the issue will get sharpened when IE 10 arrives. As I've mentioned before a user agent switcher for firefox 10.0 solves the problem at the moment (which of course dislocates the problem to the end-user).

One of the alternative user agent switchers (http://neko.tsugumi.org/UAControl.html) complies the possibility to add an alternative UA String as an exception for a given web-page (IMHO the cleanest solution).

If you test around a bit and make firefox 10 to mask as IE 10 (for instance with this string " Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 10.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/6.0) ") the BSP-mis-behaviour is just the same as with the default UA String. If you mask Firefox 10 as Version 9.9.9 everything is just fine.

So, besides the LIGHTSPEED-rendering-meander, its "just" the parsing and ua-detection in really many different classes and methods of your SAP-System which makes the whole thing so confusing.

Good luck and greetings,

Christian

[Former Member]

Benoît Schmid wrote:

In our WAS 701, I have not found the method BROWSER_CHECK.

Can you scroll down the methods page? You'll find it in the bottom. Or have a look at the left side panel in SE80 repository browser: when you open class CL_BSP_ELEMENT_RT_ATTR_VALID you'll find two folders inside it, "Attribute" and "Methods".

[benoit-schmid]

Benoît Schmid 	wrote:
> 

In our WAS 701, I have not found the method BROWSER_CHECK.

> 
> Can you scroll down the methods page? You'll find it in the bottom. Or have a look at the left side panel in SE80 repository browser: when you open class CL_BSP_ELEMENT_RT_ATTR_VALID you'll find two folders inside it, "Attribute" and "Methods".

In se80, the only method that I get for the class CL_BSP_ELEMENT_RT_ATTR_VALID are the one that I have provided.

I guess it is due to the difference of SP stack between my and your system.

See you,

[Former Member]

Hi,

1. you can click on the broken page icon shown in the end of address bar of firefox, to start it in compatibility mode.

2. you can take help from Note 1387264 - HTTPWatch trace for problem analysis in BEx Web

[benoit-schmid]

Hello,

Hi,
> 1. you can click on the broken page icon shown in the end of address bar of firefox, to start it in compatibility mode.
> 2. you can take help from Note 1387264 - HTTPWatch trace for problem analysis in BEx Web

A trace won't help has we know the WAS answer.

Basically the WAS check the user-agent and does not provide a web page for Firefox 10.

My question is which configuration should I change to allow firefox 10 browser.

Thanks in advance for your answer.

[benoit-schmid]

The user agent that is passed to the was is:

User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.6; rv:10.0)

Gecko/20100101 Firefox/10.0