SAP NetWeaver Application Server

SAP NetWeaver Application Server or SAP Web Application Server is a component of

products. All ABAP application servers including the message server represent the application layer of the multitier architecture of an ABAP-based SAP system. These application servers execute ABAP applications and communicate with the presentation components, the database, and also with each other, using the message server.

The architecture of SAP Web Application Server can be separated into 5 areas:

Presentation layer

In the presentation layer, the user interface can be developed with

JavaServer Pages (JSP), Business Server Pages (BSP), or with Web Dynpro

technology. The underlying business layer provides the business content in Java or ABAP.

Business layer

The business layer consists of a

Enterprise JavaBeans

(EJB) using the J2EE environment. Developers can also access the business objects of applications running in the ABAP environment to benefit from their business logic and persistence.

Integration layer

The local integration engine is an integral part of SAP Web AS and allows instant connection to SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (SAP PI; formerly called SAP Exchange Infrastructure). The local integration engine provides messaging services that exchange messages between the components that are connected in SAP PI.

Connectivity layer

The Internet Communication Manager (ICM) dispatches user interface requests to the presentation layer and provides a single framework for connectivity using various communication protocols. Currently, modules are available for

Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), and Fast Common Gateway Interface

(FastCGI).

Persistence layer

The persistence layer supports database independence and scalable

CMP) for EJB, or the direct use of the Java Database Connectivity

(JDBC) API, are also supported.

Security

Authentication

The SAP NetWeaver AS can accept multiple forms of authentication:

• SAP Logon Ticket with appropriate configuration.^[1]
• Other
  Secure Sockets Layer
  (SSL) for one standardize authentication platform.

The SAP NetWeaver Application Server's connectivity layer supports

See also

• Comparison of application servers
• Secure Network Communications
• Secure Sockets Layer
• x.509
• Single Sign-On

• ABAP Development discussions, blogs, documents and videos on the SAP Community Network (SCN)
• SAP Netweaver Capabilities - Java Development discussions, blogs, documents and videos on the SAP Community Network (SCN)