Yes. As an alternative to the data storage on the file system IBM DB2e can be used to improve data access performance. The installation files of DB2e are shipped by SAP. Currently, IBM DB2 Everyplace is released in Version 8.1.2 for ME 2.1 SP03 PL00-03. For ME 2.1 SP03 PL04 and later, as well as for MI 2.5 SP09 and later, IBM DB2 Everyplace is released in Version V8.2. For further details check SAP Note 677476.

2. In order to run MI client and Mobile Applications on a mobile device I need to have a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) as a basis. Where do I find the installation files?

For Windows 32 platforms the JVM can be downloaded from http://java.sun.com. For PocketPC platforms the CrEme JVM has been shipped together with MI in the past. Starting with MI 2.5 SP09 and ME 2.1 SP03 the CrEme JVM can be downloaded from NSIcom directly at no extra cost. Before download you need to tell the number of licenses (users) you need and which operating system and processor you are using. Please read SAP Note 772334 for details.

3. I have already downloaded the CrEme from NSIcom. After the roll-out, more users are actually using CrEme as previously planned. What do I have to do?

Please visit the download page from NSIcom again and register the remaining users.

4. I have already downloaded CrEme, but lost the installation files. What do I have to do to get the installation files?

Please visit the download page again. In the field "Number of .. Users" you simply enter "0".

5. I need different installation files of the CrEme because I am using different operating systems (PPC2002/PPC2003) or processors (XSC/ARM). How do I handle this?

In order to receive several installation files you need to register for each version you need. A detailed split (number per version) is not necessary - only the total number of CrEme licenses need to be correct.

6. How can I get updates of the CrEme

NSIcom provides updates on their download server. When a update is available for the version you downloaded you will receive an email containing a link and information how to download the updates.

7. Does MI support Single-Sign on for mobile devices?

MI supports SSO on Win32 platform on both AWT and JSP clients. For PDAs, MI started supporting SSO for AWT clients with MI 2.5 SP14.

8. If the mobile user forgets his/her password on the mobile device for the MI login, can it be reset?

With MI2.5 SP14 release, a password reset function is made available. Prior to that, MI needs to be reinstalled on the device.

9. Can the port number be changed, where the Tomcat on the MI Client is listening?

Yes. The parameter is defined in the default.properties file within [MI Home]/lib/MEg.jar. The port number can be changed by setting a new value to this parameter in file [MI Home]/settings/MobileEngine.config.

Questions Application Development
1. How does MI support the development of mobile applications?

The Mobile Development Kit (MDK) is the tool that developers of MI-based applications should use. The MDK is an integrated and comprehensive set of documentation and tools to

quickly understand the development concept for SAP Mobile Infrastructure-based applications
quickly start programming their first MI example programs
develop, deploy, start, test and debug mobile applications from within the IDE
find short, precise and helpful answers to all implementation-specific questions

To download or view the MDK, check question "Where do I find the Mobile Development Kit (MDK)".

2. How/where can I get the Mobile Development Kit?

In NW'04/MI 2.5 the MDK is part of the SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio (NWDS). You can download the NWDS from SAP Service Marketplace like this: Open http://service.sap.com/swdc. Then navigate through > Download > Support Packages and Patches >SAP NetWeaver > SAP NETWEAVER > SAP NETWEAVER 04 > NetWeaver Developer Studio > SAP NW DEVELOPER STUDIO 2.0 > Win32. You can start the download straight away or by using the download basket functionality of the Software Distribution Center. After download, unpack the SAR-file using SAPCAR. For questions on SAPCAR, consult OSS note 212876.

For your convenience, the MDK 2.5 is also made available in the SAP Developer Network. The MDK documentation will be available online by following this link shortly. You can also download the MDK Plug-in from here. Then install it directly on your Eclipse 2.1.x development environment. If you delete subfolder "features" in the zipped archive together with all its contents, you can also install the MDK plug-in on top of your Eclipse 3.0 environment.
For Mobile Engine 2.1, the MDK is delivered as an independent piece of software that is installed on top of Eclipse 2.1. You can download the 2.1 version of the MDK like this: Open http://service.sap.com/swdc. Then navigate through > Download > Installations and Upgrade > SAP NetWeaver Components > SAP NetWeaver Components (older than SAP NW 04 ) > SAP MOBILE ENGINE > SAP MOBILE ENGINE 2.1 > SAP MOBILE DEVELOPMENT KIT 2.1 > Upgrade

3. How can customer and partners adapt and enhance their mobile solutions?

The Mobile Development Kit (MDK) does not propose a standard way for enhancing mobile applications. Several mobile applications like MAM do have their own enhancement concepts though. These documents are available in Service Market Place. You find the MAM guide on Service Marketplace at http://service.sap.com/instguides > SAP Components > SAP Solutions for Mobile Business > Mobile Asset Management > > MAM-Enhancement Guide.

4. Can customers modify the SAP source code of the MI Client? Can the customer adjust the MI Homepage or startup-link?

The modification of the MI client source code (i.e. MI Homepage) is not supported. SAP does not deliver the source code of the MI client to customers.

5. Is the microITS programming model still supported with MI?

The SAP ME 1.0 microITS programming model is only supported for existing applications (Mobile Time & Travel). New applications may only use the JSP for browser based applications and AWT for pure Java applications.

6. What type of SyncBO is recommended to use in the sense of performance reasons?

From the performance point of view both Timed 2-way (T01) and Server-driven (T51) are recommended. But data is most up-to-date in server-driven (T51) type.

Questions Administration and Monitoring
1. Where do I find more information about the operation and administration of mobile solutions on MI?

The Technical Operations Manual in the Documentation&Guides area contains all steps on operating and administering SAPNetWeaver components. Apart from generic chapters on operating SAP Web AS, it also contains an MI-specific section. There are also two best practices guides that deal with topics of administration and monitoring: the Smart Sync Troubleshooting Guide and the Operations Guide for SAP Solutions for Mobile Business. Both guides are offered in th documentation area.

Questions Platforms
1. Where do I find information about what platforms are supported by MI?

For all platform-related questions (like operating systems, databases, languages, browsers, maintenance period etc.), you should consult the Platform Availability Matrix (PAM) at http://service.sap.com/pam forSAP NetWeaver. After selecting your current release, you will see all detailed information about all platform properties of all NetWeaver components including MI. An MI-centric view of the same information is also available at mobile pam (Coming Soon) area in the sdn.

2. Is Pocket PC 2003 Second Edition supported for ME 2.1 and MI 2.5?

It is supported for both releases. Please note that for MI 2.5 at least SP13 is required.

3. When does MI support Windows Mobile 2005?

It is planned to support Windows Mobile 2005 (5.0) with MI 2.5/NW 2004 and NW 2004s. The targeted availability is Q2/2006. For ME 2.1 it is not planned to support Windows Mobile 2005. For details please check the PAM of the specific release.

4. Does SAP support the Blackberry device for mobile applications?

Blackberry is not supported by MI, but is supported by Mobile WebDynpro Online (see http://service.sap.com/mobileui for details on this technology).

5. Where can I find a list of certified mobile devices for SAP MI?

There is no certification or certification program for mobile devices. Being a Java-based platform, MI Client is essentially independent of hardware or operating system. But since SAP is only validating MI Client on a limited number of operating systems, MI is only released by SAP for those platforms that are listed in the Platform Availability Matrix (see question about supported platforms).

6. Does MI support mobile devices with other processors than Intel PXA and StrongARM?

The JVM, which is officially supported and delivered by SAP, depends on the device processor. Currently the PXA and StrongARM processor are supported only with this JVM. SAP recommends devices with Intel PXA processor, since this processor shows a better performance.

7. Will SAP support ME 2.1 on WebAS 6.40?

ME 2.1 supports only WebAS 6.20 and MI 2.5 only supports WebAS 6.40.

8. Is MI Client J2ME-compliant ? What Java standard do we use?

No, MI is not J2ME compliant. For further details, check the question about supported platforms).

9. Where can I get the mobile device's database once it is licensed?

The IBM DB2e database is electronically delivered by SAP via download from the SAP Service Marketplace following this link: http://service.sap.com/swdc > Entry by Application Group > SAP NetWeaver > SAP NetWeaver 04 > MI Client Database (DB2 Everyplace). Please note that only customers with a valid DB2e license are able to access the download link.

10. Is MI 2.5 released to run on Windows CE.NET?

MI 2.5 is released to run on Windows Mobile (PocketPC) 2003. This operating system is based on Windows CE.NET 4.2. CE.NET 4.2 is a bunch of building blocks that every hardware vendor can configure to customer requirements. The release of platforms require extensive tests in order to guarantee error-free operation. As SAP is not able to test all CE.NET 4.2 configurations out in the market, MI 2.5 is not released to run on CE.NET 4.2.

Questions Landscape, Installation and Upgrade
1. What is the migration plan from ME 2.1 to MI 2.5 and how to do it more effectively?

Only the methods presented in the MI Upgrade Guide (at service.sap.com/nw04upgrade ) are supported by SAP. One methodology is today. The Upgrade guide contains one variant that involves a 2nd parallel WebAS and results in zero downtime for the end users. Check the Upgrade Guide for all details.

2. Where do I find information on MI in real-world landscapes (i.e. with proxies, firewalls, GPRS, VPN, clusters, etc.)

The Technical Infrastructure Guide discusses different landscape setups (minimal, productive, distributed, highly-available, development etc.) in depth and also gives technical background information for various connectivity setups (GSM, GPRS, UMTS, VPN etc.). It can be downloaded in the Documentation&Guides

3. Can I have two or more Web Application Server (Web AS) connected to the same backend system to run different mobile applications on MI?

Yes, there is no restriction in this respect.

4. Can customers operate the different SAP mobile technologies in parallel in one system landscape?

Yes, there is no limitation in that respect.

5. If there are several mobile applications installed on the MI Client, can it point to different backend systems?

Yes, different applications on a MI client can point to different backend systems.

6. What backend releases are supported by MI?

For Generic Sync , your application backend needs to be of release R/3 4.5 or higher. For Smart Sync, MI supports any R/3 release. For details, check the Technical Infrastructure Guide in MI's Media Library. The sections Connectivity and Data Transfer cover these topics

7. Does MI support UNICODE?

As of MI 2.5 SP09, MI as a part of NW04 is completely Unicode enabled. The only restriction is that both MI 2.5 and Backend-System always have to run in the same mode, that means either both in Unicode mode or both in non-Unicode mode. Mixed modes are not supported.

Important: Since certain other NetWeaver components (namely Exchange Infrastructure) require to be installed in Unicode mode, MI may not be installed on the same system as XI if the application backend for mobile runs in non-Unicode mode.

8. Is it possible to use ME 2.1 and MI 2.5 clients at the same in the same environment?

No it is not possible. The ME 2.1 client requires the Web AS 6.20 and the MI 2.5 client the Web AS 6.40.

9. Can I use SAP Exchange Infrastructure for integrating MI with with non-SAP backends?

No, this is currently not supported (see release restriction note 717510).

10. Does MI support the integration of multiple backends for mobile solutions?

Yes, there is no restriction in this respect.

11. What is the Support Package and Patch schedule for MI?

For MI 2.5, the Support Package schedule is aligned to the SAP NetWeaver SP Stack schedule. For detailed information, check on NW Support Packages and their schedule, check http://service.sap.com/sp-stacks.
For ME 2.1, the latest Support Packages is SP03; no further Support Packages are planned to date. The patches for ME 2.1 are based on the Support Package 03 and are shipped every 8-10 weeks.

Questions Peripherals
1. Which printers, scanners or RFID readers are supported by MI?

For an introduction on peripheral support in MI, check the peripheral support in the Documentation&Guides. it also contains a list of supported peripheral models. For more development-oriented questions, check the corresponding RKT Learning Maps in on Service Marketplace. Then navigate to the Learning Map for Developers and look for the peripherals unit.
The MDK also contains a chapter on peripherals.

2. How do I access a peripheral (printer, scanner, RFID etc.) that is not yet supported by MI?

For devices that are not yet supported by MI, mobile application developers can make use of the standard java native interface (JNI) to integrate the peripheral devices required. Check this MDK chapter for details.

Questions Performance and Scalability
1. How many devices can I operate in an MI landscape?

Dataload-wise, an MI landscape can be sized following the the sizing information for mobile applications (see question Where do I find sizing recommendation about MI and mobile applications) . Since administration of very large mobile device fleets with the current administration tools (esp. Web Console) proved difficult in customer projects though, SAP will introduce more advanced administration tools for software deployment and landscape monitoring with MI 2.5 SP15. Using these tools, ~1000 mobile devices per Web AS installation can be administered. Before introduction of these tools, usability limits the maximum number of users to around 300 users per Web AS installation

Questions Product Features and Strategy
1. Does MI integrate with Personal Information Management (PIM) software like MS Outlook etc.?

No, this is not supported today.

2. Where do I find information on new/enhanced features of MI?

The MI feature list (.xls and .ppt) at SAP Service Marketplace => Implementation Guidance gives detailed information on new/enhanced features grouped by Support Package and feature area. The document points you on to additional information on SAP Help Portal, relevant OSS notes, MDK chapters etc. For very important Support Packages like SP13 and SP15, special info packages are assembled and offered within the same folder. Alternatively, you can use the composite notes for the respective Support Package (MI 2.5) or Patch Level (ME 2.1) as entry point for information on new/enhanced features. For finding the correct note, search for OSS notes, using search term composite note and application area BC-MOB*.

3. Does SAP support online access from a PDA to the SAP Enterprise Portal (EP)?

No, not as of today.

4. What are the limitations of MI? Where can I find a document?

Refer to SAP Note 717510 for restrictions in MI 2.5.

5. What is the recommended MI Client version for mobile business solutions?

The recommended MI Client version for mobile solution is the current release NetWeaver'04 (MI 2.5). You should always apply the latest Support Package Stack of NW04.

6. How are the three mobile technologies – MI, CRM .Net and Mobile Web Dynpro online – positioned within SAP NetWeaver?

SAP NetWeaver comprises three mobile client technologies to enable standardized mobile business solutions as well as customer-specific developments. These clients are optimized for user roles and target devices.

Mobile Java Client - Optimized for PDA or handheld based occasionally connected applications with lean function set and small footprint, like Mobile Asset Management. Technology: Mobile Infrastructure
Mobile .Net Client – Designed for windows-based occasionally connected CRM field applications with a rich function set. Technology: Mobile Client Technology for mySAP CRM
Mobile Browser Client - This technology focuses on online technology where a browser of a mobile device is always connected to a Web server. This is based on technologies such as WAP, wireless LANs, Bluetooth, GPRS, and so on. An already existing application based on this technology is Mobile Sales Online. Technology: Mobile Web Dynpro

Questions Data Synchronization
1. Does MI support the transport of binary files, like .BMP, .DOC, .PPT, .PDF or other document formats, between the mobile device and the server?

In general, the MI Smart Synchronization doesn’t support the transport of binary files. There is the workaround that the application developer implements the transfer of binary data in a Base64-coded text format using the the Smart Sync text field. However, the smart sync text filed has a max length of 255 characters. Hence the binary data needs to be split over multiple text fields, which decreases the performance. A similar workaround can theoretically by used by using generic data containers (also known as Attachment Data Containers) for Generic Synchronization.

2. Can I control the type of synchronization (generic sync or smart sync) within one mobile application, i.e. one data container is synchronized with generic sync and another data container smart sync?

Generic Sync and Smart Sync are technically two separate API and by choosing either of these, the application is hence either using Generic Sync or Smart Sync. Technically it is possible to have both generic sync and smart sync in a single application. However generic sync is advised only for very simple data exchange scenarios. For complex scenarios, smart sync is encouraged. On a data transport level though, both generic sync and smart sync use data containers for transport from client to WebAS.

3. Which network connectivity is recommended for MI, i.e. GSM, GPRS, WLAN ?

MI supports all the three connection types. For details on each, check the Technical Infrastructure Guide, sections Connectivity and Data Transfer in the documentation area.

4. Does MI support pushing of information from server to mobile device?

No, MI client essentially has to actively request new information from the Web AS. Nonetheless it is possible to configure MI client in such a way that a regular synchronization is triggered in a parallel Java process on the mobile device, so that users doesn't need to synchronize actively by themselves. If an http connection exists between mobile device and Web AS, this would without the need . If an http connection between the mobile device exist and new information is available on the Web AS, the client would then automatically receive the latest data of course. This feature is known as time-controlled synchronization.

Questions Software Deployment
1. Can I install multiple applications on the same MI Client?

Yes. Any number of applications can be installed on the same MI client, the disk space being the only restricting factor.

2. Can the customer use 3rd party software (MS SMS, Tivoli, NetInstall etc.) to distribute MI client and application software to the mobile devices

Customers can use such software only for initial installation of MI Client and the Java Runtime Environment on the mobile devices. For mobile applications, MI patches, driver packages etc. usage of such software is not supported by SAP. Using an unsupported workaround though, it is technically possible to use such software nonetheless for distributing mobile applications, MI patches, driver packages etc. The corresponding description for Mobile Time & Travel is published in SDN under this link.

3. Can I use the MI Web Console for deploying any type of file to mobile devices?

Yes, you can. OSS Note 734102 describes how to do this for RFID 3rd party software.

SAP Mobile Infrastructure

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions Client Runtime and API1.Can I use a data base on a client device?