SAP Gateway for Microsoft overview

 

Topic Last Modified: 2015-05-05

Summary: Learn about SAP Gateway for Microsoft and how you can use it to consume SAP content.

SAP Gateway for Microsoft is a flexible interoperability framework that you can use to build applications that consume SAP content using the Microsoft technologies that you already know. It extends SAP applications and workloads to all major Microsoft platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and Office 2013. For example, you can create a SharePoint App that lets users work with SAP content through SharePoint Online in Office 365.

By using SAP Gateway for Microsoft, you can securely integrate an on-premises SAP system with Microsoft technologies via the Microsoft cloud in a nondisruptive, scalable, and sustainable manner, without needing to invest in new hardware.

Benefits of SAP Gateway for Microsoft

A primary benefit is that users don’t have to be connected to their organization’s intranet in order to work with SAP data. You can access SAP data anytime on any device that’s connected to the Internet.

Here are some other ways you can benefit from SAP Gateway for Microsoft:

	Open standard protocols. SAP Gateway for Microsoft is designed using open standard protocols such as OData and OAuth 2.0 to integrate Microsoft and SAP systems, cloud services, and clients.
	Well defined interfaces for all services. This means that no custom glue code is needed. Developers who can develop for OData and know Visual Studio can develop apps for SAP Gateway for Microsoft.
	Supports any device at any time. Apps run where users spend their time. For example: Microsoft Office applications, such as Excel and Outlook Windows 8 and Windows phone SharePoint Online
	Embraces web standards. Using familiar development tools, such as Visual Studio, means fewer quirks and more rapid development. You can create applications using Visual Studio developer templates.

Building blocks of SAP Gateway for Microsoft

Here’s a general view of the products and technologies that you use to enable a SAP Gateway for Microsoft solution.

SAP Gateway for Microsoft is installed in an Azure cloud service that is connected to the intranet using either a reverse proxy device or virtual private network (VPN). Because SAP Gateway for Microsoft provides a public OData endpoint to the Microsoft cloud, users can use a variety of apps to get SAP data into the app of their choice.

Note

Apps for SharePoint and apps for Office require an Office 365 subscription in addition to Azure.

Because SAP Gateway for Microsoft takes advantage of Microsoft services and technologies, this interoperability framework can utilize out-of-the-box enterprise readiness capabilities, like directory synchronization, single sign-on (SSO), security, logging, and supportability.

What's new in SAP Gateway for Microsoft SP4

SAP Gateway for Microsoft SP4 is now available. SP4 contains the following new features and capabilities, including benefits for customers who use SAP Mobile Platform:

• New ways for applications to access SAP data by connecting directly to SAP Gateway or through SAP Mobile Platform

• A PowerShell script to deploy SAP Gateway for Microsoft in Azure

• A Visual Studio add-in that you can use to connect directly to SAP Gateway for Microsoft components running in Azure and generate code for the available OData services

• Enhancements for the SAP Gateway for Microsoft Excel add-in

For more information about SAP Gateway for Microsoft SP4, see SAP Gateway for Microsoft Service Pack 04 – Integrating in SMP.

SAP Gateway for Microsoft: Visual Studio Add-In

The SAP Gateway for Microsoft Visual Studio Add-In lets .NET developers easily access SAP system data in Microsoft Office, by using the SAP Gateway platform. The Visual Studio add-in supports connectivity to the following systems using OData services:

• Microsoft Azure cloud services

• SAP Mobile Platform (SMP)

• SAP Gateway

After installing the Visual Studio add-in, four new Visual Studio project templates become available for Excel 2010 and 2013 and Outlook 2010 and 2013. You can use the Excel project template to generate code and resources to access SAP data in Excel spreadsheets. You can use the Outlook project template to generate code and resources to access SAP data in Contacts, Appointments, and Tasks.

For more information, see SAP Gateway for Microsoft: Visual Studio Add-In.

Supported apps

SAP Gateway for Microsoft can consume SAP data using the following types of apps:

• Office apps, such as Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint, in both Office Web Apps and rich clients

• SharePoint apps

• Windows Phone apps

• Windows 8 apps

• ASP.NET apps

For information about creating these types of app for SAP Gateway for Microsoft, see Developing apps for SAP Gateway for Microsoft.

Deploying SAP Gateway for Microsoft

Of course, before you can develop and use apps to access data in SAP, you have to first deploy and configure SAP Gateway for Microsoft. For information about how to do this, see the SAP Gateway for Microsoft Deployment and Administration guide on the SAP Help Portal.

SAP Gateway for Microsoft: Azure deployment script

SAP Gateway for Microsoft SP4 introduces a new PowerShell script that makes it easy to deploy SAP Gateway for Microsoft to Azure. The script performs the following tasks:

1. Reads an Azure publish settings file that you provide

2. Creates an Azure SQL server and database

3. Creates an Azure affinity group

4. Creates an Azure storage account and container

5. Creates an Azure Cloud Service

6. Deploys the SAP Gateway for Microsoft service to Azure

To run the script, you need the following:

• Your Azure account’s publish setting files, which you can download from the Azure website

• Three PFX certificate files

• SAP.GWPAM.AZURE.Service.cspkg - SAP Gateway for Microsoft deployment package

• ServiceConfiguration.Cloud.cscfg - SAP Gateway for Microsoft deployment configuration file

To launch the script, run the GWM_AZURE_Deployment_Script.ps1 file from the PowerShell command line and simply follow the steps on the screen. This deploys a functional SAP Gateway for Microsoft Cloud Service on Azure.

To download the PowerShell script from the SAP website (SAP service user login required), see How to Download SAP Gateway for Microsoft.