Symptom
You are integrating your SAP workflows with Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes using the client software on the SAP Presentation CD. This client software, which also includes the SAPforms capability, will no longer support SAP software components based on NetWeaver '04 or the SAP Web Application Server Release 6.40 or above.
Maintenance of earlier Releases will be supported until October 2005.
Future versions of Microsoft Outlook (beyond Outlook 2002) and Lotus Notes (beyond Domino 6.0) will not be supported using this interface.
Replacement: The pro-active e-mail notification of work items will be enhanced for SAP NetWeaver '04. This will be available as advance functionality for SAP software using the basis Release 4.6C of the SAP Web Application Server.
Reason and Prerequisites
The current interface is not Unicode compatible and is complicated to deploy compared with the workflow e-mail notification mechanism. The e-mail notification mechanism is not specific to any particular mail client so reduces the total cost of ownership for IT infrastructures and reduces risks associated with more frequent client and operating system upgrades or security updates or patches. The e-mail notification mechanism also has the advantage that it supports more than 200 users (unlike Outlook Integration and Lotus Notes integration where SAP recommends no more than 200 users, due to the administrative tasks and maintenance associated with this method)) and displays the notifications in the users' standard e-mail inboxes rather than separate inboxes for each connected server system.
Solution
The migration path and the features of the replacement solutions are shown below.
SAPforms implementations will need to migrate to a different forms solution, such as WebFlow services or simple forms. Alternatively, the WAPI APIs (or a partner solution based on these APIs) can be used to implement a new launch mechanism.
Releases based on basis Release 4.6b or less should use the e-mail notification report rswuwfml, or import it using note 131795 if it is not already part of your system.
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Enhancements of the E-Mail Notifications for Business Workflow
The RSWUWFML report released in Release R/3 3.1G has been significantly enhanced and in keeping with tradition will be made available retrofitted to existing SAP installations.
There are two versions of this feature to choose from. Your choice depends on which basis or Web AS Release you are currently using.
There is no obligation to migrate immediately away from the existing RSWUWFML report. It can be used in tandem with the newer alternatives to make a phased go-live easier. However, customers using Outlook Integration for SAP Business Workflow or Lotus Integration for SAP Business Workflow should consider carefully the new features and reduced Total Cost of Ownership offered by this update.
Alternative 1: E-Mail Notifications for Business Workflow 4.6C+
The latest version of the E-mail Notifications for Business Workflow is now available for installations based on a basis or SAP Web AS Release of 4.6C or higher (see accompanying Notes to see how this can be imported via a transport or hot package).
.E-mails notifications include attachments. These attachments are SAP GUI for Windows shortcuts to
.Display the work item in the SAP GUI for Windows
.Execute the work item in the SAP GUI for Windows.
.Display the Business Workplace in the SAP GUI for Windows
.It is no longer necessary to specify a forward address in the Business Workplace user settings in order to receive notifications.
Instead user master record (transaction SU01) is always used to determine the e-mail addresses.
.In addition to a suffix text, a prefix text to the e-mail notifications may also be specified
.If note 684798 has been applied, texts are supported as streams, rather than lines of text. This allows
.Improved formatting
.SAPscript text definitions
.Long URLs within the e-mail
.Substitutions based on task classifications are supported
.The subject line of the e-mail is freely definable
.Proxy-user configuration is supported to enable customers' own e-mail server support (e.g. Domino agents).
.The shortcut sign-on mechanism is supported.
.If single sign-on is enabled then no password/login is needed
.If single sign-on is not enabled, the password must be entered for the first sign-on and remains valid until the session is closed.
In order for the optional short-cut mechanism to be used, the client PC installations must have the SAP GUI for Windows installed. However the Outlook/Domino integration or SAPforms front-end installation is not needed.
Limitations:
.R3F or R3M attachments are not supported
.R3O attachmets are not supported. These are the attachments used by generic object services and the workflow query feature in the Business Workplace.
.Only Windows-based work items are supported. For other types of work items you should use the Universal Worklist.
.Only e-mail notifications are sent. Fax and X400 notifications are not supported.
.E-mail Notifications are not generated for SAP Mails generated by the workflows (e.g. mail-send step) or for any other mails sent within the SAP component. However, these can be automatically forwarded to the external mail server using the SAP office home-address configuration.
The initial restricted release has finished so this code is freely available to all SAP customers.
Alternative 2: Extended Notifications for Business Workflow (Release 6.40)
The Extended Notifications for Business Workflow takes the E-Mail Notifications one big step forward. It is delivered as part of Net Weaver '04 (including SAP Web AS Release 6.40) and based on a notification framework within Business Workflow that supports significa
Features offered by the Extended Notifications for Business Workflow
.The e-mail may be generated as HTML mail, allowing the content and links to be presented in a much more attractive fashion
.The e-mail may contain links to the SAP GUI for HTML rendering of the
.display of work items in the Browser
.execution of work items in the Browser
.Each e-mail may contain a list of work items, and each description of the work item contains a link to the work item display or execution
.Work items based, which are not based on the SAP GUI for Windows user interface can be executed from the e-mail (E.g. WebFlow services, Web Dynpro). Single e-mails can be generated for generic decisions so that the decision can be made directly from the e-mail.
.Notifications can be for forwarded to other users. Providing the new user has the necessary authorization, and providing that this feature has been activated in the system, the recipient can execute this work item directly from the shortcut or URL.
.Most notifications features can be customized on an individual or group basis. For example one user group can receive summary mails in html format while another group receives individual notifications in plain text.
.E-mail address can be read from the PD org structure (infotype 1205) instead of from the user's master record (transaction SU01)
.The language of the e-mail notification is based on the user's master record (transaction SU01).
This will
not be made available for SAP Web AS 6.20 installations later because the E-mail Notifications for Business Workflow (alternative 1) meets customers' basic requirements.
The English and German documentation to the alternative 1 can be downloaded from the service market place at: http://service.sap.com/workflow
(Media library, system documentation)