Mobile Web Dynpro -- Offline

[Former Member]

Does SAP Mobile have offline abilities for Web Dynpro rendered applications?

Example Online Scenario:

Sales User uses his notebook computer on their company's network, opens up a browser and brings up a Web Dynpro application that displays contact information for this clients that they are responsible for. The Sales User can edit the information about his contacts and add new contacts. The data is retrieved on demand for browser rendering and send back to R/3 and saved.

Example Offline Scenario:

Sales User uses his notebook computer NOT connected to a network, opens up a browser and brings up a Web Dynpro application that displays contact information for this clients that they are responsible for. The Sales User can edit the information about his contacts and add new contacts. The data is retrieved on demand from a "local copy" of the data and the edits are stored locally until the user has a valid network for synchronization.

I have been asked to take a look into SAP's Mobile offering and this was one of the topics that came up.

Thanks for the information ahead of time.

Whit Armstrong

[Former Member]

Thank you all for the information.

Answer was:

in Mobile 2.5 -- No

in Mobile 7.1 -- Yes

[Former Member]

There are 2 versions of mobile solutions availabe. Initial Mobile 2.5 and more recent Mobile 7.1

Mobile 7.1 supports web dynpro rendering for offline applications.

Mobile 2.5 supports Web dynpro rendering with online applciation only.

[Former Member]

You all have provided good information, but not my specific question. I understand about disconnected / connected with fat / thick clients. My question is specifically pertains to a Web Based (delivered thorugh the browser) for offline use. I am a J2EE architect and understand the normal Web delivery paradigm. Google just recently delivered a Beta product call Google Gears. This delivers offline web based applications. Does SAP have a solution in this space for Web delivery ( through the browser)?

The answers could be as simple as Yes / No / I dont know / have not heard of that.

Thank you for your time, points will be rewarded

Whit Armstrong

[Former Member]

Hi Whit,

Yes, I guess it's a bit confusing.

In brief: you can not use Web Dynpro technology in SAP to develop off-line Web applications. It works for the devices which have permanent link to the backend system, e.g. BlackBerry.

You still can develop offline applications based on SAP Mobile Infrastructure, using Java AWT or JSP framework. They will have their own GUI interfaces and require SAP Mobile client to be installed on your machine, but will still rely on the browser on the background to render the data. So, I guess it doesn't suit your requirements because of that ?!!

There are some mobile offline applications developed for SAP Mobile Infrastructure. But you can develop you own one for your specific offline scenarios.

For Mobile Sales SAP has special offline solution. But it's based on .Net framework and requires additional machine to be installed somewhere between your client and server to translate the data. More detailed info can be found on SAP Service Marketplace (service.sap.com).

Hope it answers your question... at least, partly

Best regards,

Laziz

[Former Member]

Hi Armstrong,

With MI 2.5 you can only use JSP or AWT framework to built your offline applications. With Mobile 7.1 you can use web dynpro to model your client application. Currently 7.1 is in ramp up and not released to customers.

SAP offers Mobile sales Application ( work with CRM ) as a standard solution which uses JSP and can be used and implemented easlily.

[Former Member]

<b>When to choose Mobile Web Dynpro or Mobile Infrastructure over SAPConsole™ or Web SAPConsole™</b>?

If your operation require disconnected applications, then Mobile Infrastructure is the required technology. MI can also be used in a

sometimes-connected environment where redundancy is critical with the mobile application.

The decision to leverage Mobile Web Dynpro over SAPConsole or Web SAPConsole is more complex and is determined by technology and ergonomic

preferences and utilization of specific devices for specific tasks rather than the operational requirements.

The benefits of a Mobile Web Dynpro and Java-based User Interface over an ABAP-based, SAPConsole application are:

1) Deliver an Enterprise Quality Web Development Environment

2) Minimize development for advanced designs

3) Strict separation of layout data and business data through use of the Model View Controller concept

4) The use of declarative and graphical tools significantly reduces the implementation effort

5) Reuse and better maintainability by using components

6) Simple layout and navigation changes using Web Dynpro tools

7) Ability to operate on multiple platforms

😎 Improve user interface User Experience through a “High Fidelity Web User Interface”

9) True thin-client—browser based

10) Support different implementation languages

[Former Member]

Hi Armstrong,

SAP MI allows to call any SAP function module residing in any SAP backend.

It also allows to call any SAP function module residing even in NON-SAP backend, if SAP Business Connector is used.

As SAP MI is locally installed on a mobile device and is equiped with a server, a DB layer and its owm business logic.. people working remotely can therefore work offile and donot have to wait for a n/w connection to complete time critical business applications.

SAP MI mainly offers tools for synchronisation an data replication that makes the data of the mobile device consistent with that of backend.

Mobile Web Dynpro is a flexible technology for developing transactions, designed to be executed on handheld terminals. The Java-based toolkit greatly reduces development time and provides flexibility in solution design.

MI provides full off-line capabilities for your mobile workers.

Connectivity to SAP can be through several different methods such as WAN, CDMA, 802.11 wireless and Bluetooth.

I hope this information can help you.

Cheers,

Anu

[Former Member]

Hi Whit Armstrong,

I hope Netweaver Mobile best Suits your Scenario...!!

In SAP Netweaver Mobile you have Offline mode i.e ocassionally connected, where in one can access the backend and communicate i.e exchange the data.

The exchange of data between Mobile Device i.e Laptop or PDA and the Backend is called as Synchronization .

Here we have two kinds of Syncs... <b>Generic Sync</b> and <b>Smart Sync</b>.

Generic Sync is used for Simple Data, whereas Smart Sync is used for Complex data.

To know more abt NW Mobile, do check out the links below:

ps: Do reward points if this helps you ...

Cheers,

kumarR