SAP Application help installation

[Former Member]

Hi Everyone,

Please help me out with the following question.

We have installed SAP Application help in our ECC EHP7 system in an Linux server.

We have mounted a filesystem in Linux server and installed Help in that file system.

We used the help installation files related to ECC EHP7.

Later we configured SR13 variant to access the help documentation.

SR13 config:

Variant: SAPHTMLHELP

Platform: WN32

Area: IWBHELP

Server: <hostname of linux server>

Path: SAPHelp/PLAINHTM (path of file system created)

Language: EN

But later when we try to access Application help from menu Help -> Application Help, it is starting bowser but giving error "Page cannot be displayed".

Not sure what gone wrong.

Installation completed successfully using SWPM.

We have used Plainhtmlhttp type.

We are not sure where it has gone wrong.

Any inputs on this will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ram.

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

Hi Ram,

Just to double-check, you installed the help files in a file share, but you are using the "PlainHtmlHttp" type, yes? This is the issue. PlainHtmlHttp expects to find the help files on a web server, not a file server. So, either you must set up your help files in a web server, or you must switch the type to PlainHtmlFile (or HtmlHelpFile depending on which version of the help files you put on your Linux fileshare).

Cheers,

Matt

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Matt,

Yes, we have installed help files in a file system mount in a linux server and trying to use "Plainhtmlhttp".

But, i have even tried the option "PlainHtmlFile" and still having the issue. It gives the error "the file cannot be found"

I have given the path as \\<server>\<Installation dir>\PLAINHTM

Am not able to find where the issue?

Is it not able to access that file server?

Could you please throw some light on what needs to be done.

Thanks,

Ram.

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

Did  you set your language indicator? Your path looks correct to me, and then in the Language field in the config set EN (or whichever is appropriate for you... pick it from the list). Also make sure the Default box is checked, the platform is set appropriately (for instance, WN32), and Area is set to IWBHELP.

If all of that is correct, then you need to check the file, directory, and share permissions to the server and directory where you have installed the help files. Your users need to have file level access to them (read-only), or you will get the error you describe. So, make sure that an ordinary end-user can access the help files directly by navigating to that directory and opening a file.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Matt,

Yes, i have setup the language indicator to EN, Area to IWBHELP and default is checked.

I have given read permissions to all folders and files of installation directory by executing command chmod -R a+r * (as per installation document).

But, still we are getting the error.

Do you think any otheer permissions need to be given?

Do we need to do NFS export of this file system to the SAP server where we need to display help. (currently the help is installed in a different linux server in a file system mount).

please provide me thoughts on it.

Thanks,

Ram.

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

You should try testing those file permissions by logging to a regular workstation using a regular end-user network account. Don't start SAP, just try to open the folder and any file from the help files on the remote Linux box. If that doesn't work, then you know you still have a permissions issue of some kind. Are your end users on Windows machines? Does your Linux server provide access to its files to Windows clients? If not, you may need to set up a Windows server to host the help files, or reconfigure the Linux server to do so. I don't work with Linux, but I believe you need to ensure you have Samba configured properly.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Matt,

The given file permissions are fine. But they are in Linux box. As you said all our users are on windows systems. And these files are not accessible from windows systems as they are in Linux box.

Even from SAP system, when i tried to test it from menu (Help-> Application help) it gave error. So where do you think lies the issue - does the issue related to Windows box not able to talk to Linux box? So for this communication between windows and linux to happen, do we need Samba to be configured in Linux? Please advise.

So in nutshell

-> For help type "Plainhtmlhttp" - we need to have webserver configured in Linux server (apache) or we can use SAP Web As as webserver. (For that do we need to install the help files in /usr/sap path?)

-> For help type "Plainhtmlfile" - we need to have Samba server configured in Linux for it to communicate to Windows box.

Is my understanding correct?

Please let me know what is the best approach.

Thanks you,

Ram.

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

For Linux servers to make their filesystems available to Windows users, yes, you need to configure Samba. So, either you must do this, or you must install and configure a web server on the the box and then install the plainhtmlhttp files instead. Or setup a Windows fileserver (this would be the easiest option, IMO).

I suppose you could configure the Web AS to be a web server for this purpose, but I think this will get much more complex.

So, here's another idea entirely. Don't install the application help at all. Instead, point your users at the help that SAP makes available over the web. This is quite easy to do:

Type:  PlainHtmlHttp

Platform:  WN32

Area:  IWBHELP

Server name:  help.sap.com

Path:  erp2005_ehp_07/helpdata

Language:  EN

Default:  <checked>

That's it!

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the solution.

I think i can decide one among the given options.

You have mentioned that the easier option would be setting up windows file server. How can we do that. Does setting up file server can access file systems in Linux?

Could you please throw some light on this.

I can point to help.sap.com, but SAP discourages to do that, so thats why we went on installing SAP help.

Thanks,

Ram.

[Matt_Fraser · Accepted solution]

I use the "help.sap.com" option on my systems, and it works just fine. I'm not aware that SAP actually discourages this -- in fact, they used to encourage it, because it means the help files are always up-to-date with newer support packs. This is by far the easiest and fastest option to set up.

As for setting up a Windows fileserver, no, that is not going to somehow grant access to Linux filesystems for Windows clients. The idea for this option is to not use the Linux fileserver at all; use a Windows fileserver instead. Whether or not this makes sense for you depends on many things about your network environment. If you have a Windows-based network for the most part, with Active Directory, etc, then this would be the logical option anyway, and there is probably already a fileserver in place that you can use -- no need to setup a new one. If you do not, if your file and print services are mostly Linux-based, then the network administrator should already have a mechanism for enabling Samba on Linux servers, so you don't need to reinvent this wheel.

[divyanshu_srivastava3]

Hi Ram,

Have you check below KBA ?

2149786 - How to maintain online help settings in transaction SR13

Regards,

[Former Member]

Hi Divyanshu,

Yes, i have checked that KBA and maintained SR13 entries in that form.

But for Plainhtmlhttp, am confused which port to give.

Can you please throw some light on that?

Thanks,

Ram.

[divyanshu_srivastava3]

Hi Ram,

This should be the name and port of the web server on which the contents are stored.

You should read from the below source.

1019805 - PlainHtmlHttp: Web AS ABAP as Web server

Regards,

[Former Member]

Hi Divyanshu,

Thanks a lot.

That SAP note is really helpful and could solve my issue.

I have small doubt as per that note.

Actually i have installed SAP Help in another server apart from where the help needs to be displayed.

I have installed in a file system mounted to that different server.

So now as per that note,:

-> Do i need to install the SAP Help in /usr/sap file path?

-> If so, is it fine if i install that in /usr/sap path of another SAP server or do i need to install in the same server as i want to display the help.

Please provide some inputs on the above queries which would actually solve my issue.

Thanks,

Ram.

[Former Member]

Ramakrishna,

Please check standard sap document which specifically talks about your requirement.

https://websmp203.sap-ag.de/~sapidb/011000358700002110712004E/SAPLibInstGuide_640_EN.pdf

starting from Page 17,

Page 22 which talks location of SAP APPLICATION HELP from different location other than defined one.

Regards

Anand

[Former Member]

Hello Ramakrishna,

Please check if you maintained parameters

icm/HTTP/file_access_0 = PREFIX=/saphelp/,

DOCROOT=/usr/sap/helpfiles/PlainHTM

[Former Member]

Hi Anand,

Thanks for the reply.

No, i have not maintained these parameters as nowhere in the installation document discussed about these parameters.

Where do i need to maintain these parameters, it is in DEFAULT profile?

I have installed SAP Help in a seperate file system mounted on a linux server, so what should the value of DOCROOT (Should it be the path of Installation directory rather than /usr/sap).

Also, in the installation document, if we use plainhtmlhttp, we have give port along with host name. Am confused which port to give.

Please suggest.

Thanks,

Ram.