Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)

Fri Apr 20 03:57:50 EDT 2001

Well,  the only thing I can tell you here is that there was a problem
lauching the SAPGUI with R/3 release 4.6 which has been fixed.
You should be able to get that release from the Lotus Competence Center in
Walldorf, you could contact to Peter_Saftenberger at lotus.com.

Peter

Kjetil Kilhavn <KJETILK at statoil.com>@MITVMA.MIT.EDU> on 20.04.2001 10:09:16

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Subject:  Re: Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)

This is new to me, because we still have not received feedback from Waldorf
(Lotus/SAP Competence Centre), nor on the issue we raised with Lotus
support.
Most likely we will not use it (final decision about the user interface is
due
Monday), but it is nice to have a fallback option if everything fails. It
would
even be nice to have that option in our transit period from when we start
using
Windows 2000 and the new SAP GUI and until we upgrade our SAP server
systems.

Just to make sure we are talking about the same thing here: the LSX we have
now
works OK with the new SAP GUI _if_and_only_if_ we first install an older
SAP GUI
version and _then_ version 4.6, because the problem is (as far as we have
been
able to find out) some registry entries which the LSX can't find. Is there
a new
LSX version which works OK when you the only GUI you have installed is the
4.6
version?

Any idea where "out there" is?
--
KjetilK

From:  Peter Lindlau <Peter_Lindlau at chorus.de>@MITVMA.MIT.EDU> on
20.04.2001
       07:53

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Subject:  Re: Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)

Hi Kjetil,

just a note on the "launch GUI" problem with the lsx:
There is an updated version of the lsx out there which solves the problem -
it was caused by an RFC API change...

Peter

Kjetil Kilhavn <KJETILK at statoil.com>@MITVMA.MIT.EDU> on 20.04.2001 08:28:39

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Subject:  Re: Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)

Although Alan and Jocelyn advice you from doing this what you are really
asking
is whether it is possible, and if so how it can be done. I won't say the
advice
against doing it are bad, because I haven't thought much about those
aspects -
but I agree that you need to do a lot of the authorisation checking
yourself.
Just because something isn't always a good idea that doesn't necessarily
imply
it is never a good idea. If you can live with it, then here are some
suggestions.

You can do this by using the integration tools from Lotus. There are two of
them, one called the SAP connector (I think) and the other called LSX for
SAP
R/3 RFC.

We have until now used the LSX for integration (not your scenario), and it
has
worked OK with SAP version 3.1, 4.0 and 4.5. With 4.6 we have encountered a
problem, so we will not be using it anymore. However, since our problem was
related to starting the GUI, you can possibly still use that solution. Note
that
Lotus wants to phase it out, so support is limited.

Checked the internet pages, it the LSX and then "Lotus Enterprise
Integrator or
Domino Enterprise Connection Services with the Domino Connector for SAP
R/3".
See their pages at
http://lotus.com/products/eibu_knowbase.nsf/eipages/homeconsap

The demo of the connector focuses on field mapping. The nice thing about
the LSX
is that the LotusScript extensions give you a fair amount of control. You
could
e.g. first call a function to do authorisation checking, and then if that
was OK
call a function to do the desired processing. Thereby you would avoid the
problem Jocelyn mentioned about the workflow continuing even if the user
wasn't
authorised.

Another option (to hide password etc also from those who have designer
access in
Notes) is to call an executable program from your Notes form (or whatever)
and
use a C++ program to do all the communication towards SAP. I suppose SAP
keeps
updating their C++ toolkit to support every release. It has some nice
classes,
so if you have some developers with a fair C++ knowledge they should be
able to
hatch the egg here.

I'd recommend calling your own functions in SAP from Notes (or a C++
program),
and then in those functions do the magic. Then the code outside SAP would
be
fairly small.
--
KjetilK

From:  "Dart, Jocelyn" <jocelyn.dart at sap.com>@MITVMA.MIT.EDU> on 20.04.2001
       01:44

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Subject:  Re: Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)

Hi Flavio,
I've been through this discussion with another customer.
I can only support Alan's advice, i.e. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!!!
Just because something is technically possible, doesn't mean it's a good
idea.

Using a generic user to send back the workitem results is very dangerous
from a
security standpoint.  Even if you are able to record who sent the mail, how
often
will that log be checked?  Given that the executed workitem will continue
the workflow
immediately the results are received, even if you do find an unauthorised
person
has sent the results, how will you catch it in time?  And how are you going
to reverse what's happened?
Especially if there is a monetary or contractual flow on?

The classic scenario to explain worst case:
a) Authorised person receives email with executable workitem attachment
b) Authorised person needs more info before making decision, so forwards
copy of workitem
with request for more info back to the initiator
c) Initiator is now able to execute the workitem attachment - i.e. approve
their own stuff!!!

If it's the licensing that's the issue, suggest you ring your local SAP
helpdesk
and get someone to discuss the licensing issue with your account manager at
SAP.
If you are on a mySAP licence it may not cost any extra (i.e. it may
already
be
included in your current licensing agreement), even if you are on an
old licence these are minimal users and should attract a minimal cost.
But you have to talk to the licensing experts on this.
Regards,
        Jocelyn Dart
Consultant (BBP, Ecommerce, Internet Transaction Server, Workflow)
SAP Australia
Email jocelyn.dart at sap.com <mailto:jocelyn.dart at sap.com>
Tel: +61 412 390 267
Fax: +61 2 9935 4880

-----Original Message-----
From: Flavio Oliveira [mailto:oliveiraflavio at hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, 20 April 2001 6:49 AM
To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)

Alan:

The problem is that I have some users that will use SAP very sporadically
and, some times, they are not locally at our site. Is not interesting for
us
to have specific SAP user id's for this kind of sporadicaly users.

That is why we are trying to use lotus notes id's.

The problems with log information we can try to solve by putting the notes
id as the user who has realy approved the document. I know that this is
possible only by changing standard SAP and we will have to decide what is
better: either create SAP users for all involved people or try to use the
lotus notes solution (with all the inconvenient that we know that exist).

I would appreciate any suggestion.
Thank you very much.
Flavio.

>From: "Rickayzen, Alan" <alan.rickayzen at sap.com>
>Reply-To: SAP Workflow Users' Group <SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
>To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)
>Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 14:32:13 +0200
>
>Flavio,
>The problem is that e-mails can be forwarded to anyone and by providing a
>generic mechanism you completely lose control over who-does-what in the
SAP
>backend system. It would be like creating a user with no password control
>whatsoever.
>
>You also lose all accountability in the different workflow logs.
>
>Why do it via e-mail rather than using the Web Inbox which everyone can
>access (via their user id and access control)?
>
>It would help if you could paint the exact scenario.
>
>Alan Rickayzen
>SAP AG
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Flavio Oliveira [mailto:oliveiraflavio at hotmail.com]
>Sent: Donnerstag, 19. April 2001 14:23
>To: SAP-WUG at MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Execute workitem from Lotus Notes (no SAP user)
>
>
>I know that is possible to send a notification from workflow to an
internet
>email address.
>
>But is it possible to execute a workitem from this internet address and
use
>some generic SAP user to actually update the data on SAP?
>
>Thanks.
>Flavio.
>_________________________________________________________________________
>Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

_________________________________________________________________________
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