A lot of things changed since the release of SAP NetWeaver Portal 7.3. One of the major changes is you have to migrate 7.0-based applications to 7.3 by using the migration tool available in SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio (NWDS) 7.3. You can easily migrate Web Dynpro Java applications with this tool. For Portal Archive (PAR)-based applications, SAP provides a separate PAR migration tool. But what about logon pages? Logon pages are often the focus of portal implementations, with organizations looking to create user-friendly appearances without thinking as much about the functionality. 7.3 logon pages are no longer based on PAR files. They are now shipped in a Web Archive (WAR) file, which is further dependent on an Enterprise Archive (EAR) file. Is there a way in which you can work on WAR-based development components (DCs) and yet keep old customizations from 7.0 intact so you don’t have to perform all that work again? I’ll present a step-by-step procedure to develop new WAR-based DCs and provide the flexibility to keep your customizations intact from your 7.0 DCs. I’ll start by explaining the basics of a WAR file and how it is similar to a PAR file. Then you can see how this similarity allows you to create WAR-based logon page DCs, copy custom files from a 7.0 DC into a new WAR-based DC, and deploy WAR-based DCs via EAR DCs. To complete the tasks in this article, you need an SAP NetWeaver Portal license, SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure (NWDI), and NWDS 7.3 with Support Package 6 or enhancement package 1. The article covers four major steps:

• Step 1. Create the Web application project and enterprise application project
• Step 2. Import the standard logon page WAR
• Step 3. Add configuration, runtime references, and code
• Step 4. Deploy the DCs

Step 1. Create the Web Application Project and Enterprise Application Project

Before you create any component, it is important to mention that you are not going to create any local components. Instead, you are going to create a project. In default configuration, go to LocalDevelopments > MyComponents in the Development Infrastructure perspective of NWDS. This default configuration is identical with NWDI tracks, which are versioning mechanisms that maintain application change history and deployment history. Therefore, you get the feel of working on the NWDI track itself. Go to NWDS and go to the Open Perspective pop-up screen (Figure 1). Launch the Development Infrastructure perspective. Default Configuration is already present in the Component Browser pane of the Development Infrastructure perspective as the MyComponents [demo.sap.com] selection in the LocalDevelopment configuration (Figure 2). In this configuration, you notice a default component in which you can create DCs needed for the logon page application. Note that you cannot move this development into the NWDI track because all the DCs created in MyComponents are available locally. Nevertheless, the process of creating the DC remains the same as that of NWDI configuration or working with NWDI tracks.

Create a Web Module DC

Before I explain the process of Web module creation, note that you can create either a Web module or EAR DCs first. There is no fixed sequence. However, if you create a Web module DC first, then NWDS fetches a reference to the Web module DC while creating the EAR DC. That means you do not have to bother referencing the Web module DC in the EAR DC. This is important because the file named application.xml exists and you have to reference the logon page Web module in this EAR project so you can actually set a custom logon page property from SAP NetWeaver Administration. However, if you choose not to create an EAR DC separately, then you get an option to create an EAR DC automatically while creating a Web module DC. I’ll start with the process of creating a Web module (Figure 3). Select MyComponents, right-click it, and then select New > Development Component. This produces the screen in Figure 4. In the Java EE type, select Web Module as a type and click Next to bring up the screen in Figure 5. Provide the necessary details, such as name and a meaningful caption, and click the Next button. Now comes the most important part.  Java EE Version by default is set to 5.0. However, the Logon Page framework in SAP NetWeaver 7.3 Portal is based on Java EE 1.4 and not on 5.0, so you should change it to 1.4 (Figure 6). Note that 7.3 Portal officially supports Java EE 5.0, but Logon Page framework is an exception, so it is important you make this change. Once you are done with Web Module DC creation, you can see the project structure in the Project Explorer view (Figure 7). Next, you need to create an EAR DC. Navigate to the Development Infrastructure perspective, right-click MyComponents, and select New > Development Component (Figure 8). Select Enterprise Application as a type of DC. Fill in the details, such as the name and caption, and click the Next button (Figure 9). Then the New Project pop-up screen appears (Figure 10). Change the Java EE Version to 1.4 so both DCs are in synch. At this time, the wizard allows you to select and refer to existing Web module DCs (Figure 11). Because you have already created a Web module, you can choose it in the Referenced Projects section. Click the Finish button. At this point, you have created both Web module and enterprise application DCs. In Figure 12, you can see the project structure of both DCs in the Project Explorer view.

Step 2. Import the Standard Logon Page WAR

You have created the project skeleton, and now it is time to import the standard logon page WAR. Even though you created a Web module, you still want to import the WAR because the WAR itself is a Web module, and you need to make sure that your Web module DC is the same as the WAR so everything works as expected. In the Project Explorer view, right-click the project and select Import > WAR file (Figure 13). From your desktop, select the standard logon page WAR file tc~sec~ume~logon~ui.war (Figure 14). Do not make any change to the default data. In the EAR membership section, select the Add project to an EAR check box. At this point, you have created an EAR project, so you can select it from the EAR project name drop-down (Figure 15). Click the Next button. In the prompt shown in Figure 16, do not select the check box for any Web libraries. If you select any of the Web libraries in this prompt, NWDS creates a separate project for the selected Web library, and you do not need a project to be created for any of the libraries. Instead, you have to add Web libraries in the external Java archive file (JAR) dependency. In the case of NWDI, you have to add new JARs into the library DC and rebuild and deploy it so the 7.3 DC can refer to the required libraries. Adding a local reference is not a recommended way of adding a JAR dependency. Now add required JARs to the Java Build Path of the Web Module DC. As shown in Figure 17, right-click the Web Module DC and select Properties. Select the Libraries tab and click the Add Library… button (Figure 18). You should get a pop-up window as shown in Figure 19. Select the option for EAR Libraries and click the Next button. At this point, the EAR Libraries prompt shows the message in Figure 20. All resources under META-INF are non-Web resources because these resources cannot be accessed via an HTTP request. Click the Finish button, which takes you back to the Add Library screen (Figure 21). Select SAP Java EE Libraries Server Runtime and click the Next button. Select SAP Libraries and click the Finish button (Figure 22). Note that you do not have to handpick individual libraries for EAR and SAP; the system adds all required libraries on its own. Now you need to add external JARs to your project. In addition to the afore-mentioned system JARs, there are other JARs required to resolve class references in 7.3 Web module DC. One example is logon local class. Without adding external JAR files separately, you get a compilation error. While working with NWDI, instead of adding an external JAR, you have to add new JARs into the library DC, rebuild, and deploy. Click the Add External JARs button and you can browse and select required JARs (Figure 23). Select tc~sec~ume~logon~logic~api.jar to add into the Java Build Path. Now you need to add Web App Libraries into the Web module DC. Click Add Library… and select Web App Libraries (Figure 24). Select the Web module DC from the drop-down menu (Figure 25). Now you have done the basic groundwork, added references, and added required libraries into your projects. You can now safely move ahead to compare the project structure of the Web Module DC and that of the imported WAR file project. You need to compare them because they need to work perfectly when you want to migrate your old 7.0 logon page DC to the 7.3-based DCs. Because the WAR itself is a Web module deployed as a Web application archive, you can copy and paste all missing resources in the Web Module DC from the WAR project. Remember, logon page logic, JSPs, and web.xml are deployed as a part of the Web Module DC. You do not deploy the WAR project because you need a DC and not a local application deployment. Take a look at the basic project structure of both projects as shown in Figure 26. The WAR project contains logon JSP files and other resources. You have to carefully compare the folder structure and add resources from the WAR project into Web Module DC. Begin by copying the CSS and Layout folders from the WAR project into the Web Module DC. Both folders are copied in the Web Module DC and now you need to add buildinfo.xml, JARs in the WEB-INF folder, and all JSP files into the Web Module DC (Figures 27, 28, and 29). When you have NWDI-based 7.0 DC, you should copy JSP files and resources from the 7.0 DC instead of copying from the standard WAR DC. Follow a similar process for the rest of the resources. You have to be cautious while copying and pasting the resources. Make sure that you do not paste any resource outside its parent folder. This may lead to deployment conflicts. Note also that in Figure 29 I have copied JSP files that contain logon logic and customizations from the WAR project. However, when you move your logon page customizations, changes, and logic from 7.0 DCs to 7.3, you have to copy JSPs from the 7.0 logon page DC to the Web Module DC based on 7.3. In short, all you need is the Web Module DC and the 7.0 logon page DC. In fact, you can still deploy the Web Module DC even if you do not import the WAR file into NWDS. The only reason I have imported the WAR file here is I do not have the 7.0 logon page DC in my system. However, do not feel lost. If you have access to the 7.0 logon page DC, then do not import the WAR file. Instead copy resources from the 7.0 DC to the 7.3 Web Module DC.

Step 3. Add Configuration, Runtime References, and Code

Before you go any further and deploy 7.3 DCs, there are a few pieces of configuration, runtime references, and code snippets you need to add in both Web Module and Enterprise Application DCs. Without following what comes next in this section, you cannot deploy 7.3 DCs successfully.

Web.xml

You can identify this file with portalapp.xml, which is a deployment descriptor, as is web.xml in the case of the Web Module. If you try to open any of the JSP files, you notice the following error produced by every JSP (Figure 30). The error states that the system can’t find the tag library descriptor for /SapLogon. You get this error because JSP files cannot locate a taglibrary file: taglib.tld in the WEB-INF folder of the Web Module DC project structure. That is simply because you created a basic Web Module DC and taglib.tld needs to be added manually. You can download a standard taglib.tld file in the installation directory of your portal and paste into your project. However, you still have to write a reference to this library in web.xml. Open the Web.xml file from your Web Module. Figure 31 shows the default Web.xml file and you can quickly note that there is no reference for taglib.tld file in this file. As shown in Figure 32, you need to add code starting from and including the <jsp-config>….</jsp-config> tags into the Web.xml file. For the ease of use, I have shared the entire code below. <jsp-config> <taglib> <taglib-uri>/SapLogon</taglib-uri> <taglib-location>/WEB-INF/taglib.tld</taglib-location> </taglib> </jsp-config> Save changes made in the file, and there are no more taglib errors in the JSP file.

Application.xml and Application-j2ee-engine.xml

Application.xml and application-j2ee-engine.xml are the two files you find in the Enterprise Application DC. Remember that you changed the Java EE Version of both DCs from 5.0 to 1.4. Let’s assume that by oversight you forgot to do this. You have already created both DCs and now when you expand the Enterprise Application DC to make changes in the application.xml and application-j2ee-engine.xml files, you cannot find these files in the project structure. You can see these files in figures in this article, but when you create these DCs of your own, you cannot find both of the required files. Remember also that you did not copy resources into the Web Module DC. Naturally, you either copy these files from some other project or try to create a simple file with the .xml extension. Yet, you cannot the resolve the deployment error or find an option to set the context root property. If you are in the situation I just described above, make sure that you have created a DC with Java EE Version 1.4. For version 5.0, NWDS does not create both files, and even if you try to copy or create, you cannot deploy the DC. Delete the DCs, revert all activities, and recreate them with Java EE Version 1.4 only. Assuming you have created DCs based on Java EE version 1.4, let’s move forward and make the required changes.

Create a Hard Reference to com.sap.security.core.logon

Open the application.xml file in the Enterprise Application DC and click the green + icon (Figure 33). Right-click References and select Add to insert a new reference. You should get the screen shown in Figure 34 upon performing this action. Click Create New and fill in the properties as shown in Figure 35. Do not change the value of property Provider Name to your client domain. This reference is not client specific and, therefore, needs to refer to standard SAP dependency.

Add DC Level Dependency

Navigate to the Development Infrastructure perspective in NWDS and add the DC level dependency for the Web Module and Enterprise Application DCs. As shown in Figure 36, you are adding the Web Module DC as a dependent DC to Enterprise Application DC. Select the check boxes for Deploy Time and Runtime, and save your choices.

Add the Web Module to the Enterprise Application DC

Adding the Web Module to the Enterprise Application DC is the final step in the process. Expand the project structure of the Enterprise Application DC and open the file application.xml (Figure 37). Make sure you add DC level dependency. Otherwise, you are sure not to find the reference to the Web module DC in the Modules section of the application.xml file. As shown in Figure 37, select the referenced Web Module in the Modules section and make a note of the property value of Context Root. Copy this value in a notepad. You need this value to be maintained in SAP NetWeaver Administration so when you launch the portal URL, instead of the standard logon page, your custom logon page is loaded. In short, the context root is the property that governs which logon page is to be rendered.

Step 4. Deploy the DCs

Now it’s time to deploy. Do you deploy both DCs? No, you don’t need to — and you cannot. If you try to deploy the Web Module DC, you notice that when you right-click Web Module DC, the option for DC deployment is grayed out. However, the same option is enabled for Enterprise Application DC. Note that the Web Module DC needs to be deployed as a reference DC of the Enterprise Application DC. When you deploy the Enterprise Application DC, NWDS automatically fetches the Web Module DC and deploys them together. That said, there is another way to deploy the Web Module DC. Follow this method only if you do not intend to use NWDI. Deploying with NWDI is fairly well understood, so I won’t cover it in this article. Navigate to the Deployment perspective in NWDS (Figure 38). In the repository explorer, you find the server on which you want to deploy your DC. In the Deployment List section, click Import to select the DC to be imported and deployed (Figure 39). Select Workspace as an import source and click the Next button (Figure 40). Select your Web Module DC from the list as shown in Figure 41 and click the Finish button. This imports the Web Module DC in the deployment list. You can deploy the selected DC by clicking the Start button available in the Deployment List section (Figure 42).