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CitrixSAPGui640Best Practices

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
111 views22 pages

CitrixSAPGui640Best Practices

Uploaded by

Ru Bén
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Best Practices for Implementing SAPGui 6.

40 Using
Citrix Presentation Server 4

Citrix White Paper

Danny Wannagat
SAP Competence Center
Citrix Systems GmbH
Table of Contents

1. About This White Paper..................................................................................................... 3


2. SAPGui 6.40 Overview...................................................................................................... 4
2.1. New with SAPGui 6.40.............................................................................................. 5
2.2. SAPGui 6.40 Limitations on Citrix Presentation Server............................................ 7
2.3. SAPGui 6.40 Patches and Upgrades .......................................................................... 7
3. SAPGui 6.40 Installation on Presentation Server 4 ........................................................... 8
3.1. Application Isolation Environment ............................................................................ 8
3.2. Upgrading to SAPGui 6.40 on Presentation Server 4 ................................................ 9
3.2. SAPGui Ini Files ........................................................................................................ 9
4. SAPGui 6.40 Configuration and Tuning.......................................................................... 11
4.1 Important SAPGui 6.40 Registry Settings
4.2. SAPWorkdir ............................................................................................................. 12
4.3. Tuning ...................................................................................................................... 13
5. SAPGui 6.40 Printing....................................................................................................... 14
5.1. SAPLPD ................................................................................................................... 15
5.2. Front-end Printing with Control Technology........................................................... 15
5.3. Front-end Printing with Citrix Universal Printer Driver.......................................... 17
6. SAPGui 6.40 as a Published Application......................................................................... 17
7. Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................... 19
8. Additional Information..................................................................................................... 20
1. About This White Paper

Many organizations choose to implement SAPGui with Citrix Presentation Server™ to


gain the benefits of centralized application management and deployment, lower TCO
and access on any device, over any connection.

This white paper covers important technical information about installing and
configuring SAPGui 6.40 for Windows® on Citrix Presentation Server 4. Please
always heed SAP and Citrix product documentation and the latest Citrix Knowledge
Base articles.

Please visit the websites referenced in the white paper, consult SAPNotes listed at the
end, or contact your Citrix and SAP partner for the latest information.
2. SAPGui 6.40 Overview

When SAPGui is referenced in this whitepaper, we are talking about SAPGui for
Windows.
2.1. New with SAPGui 6.40

Condensed SAP Note: 710720


Improved support of Unicode scenarios:
Scenarios that require the display of several non-Latin1 code pages (especially in
the Asian countries) are supported more extensively in SAP GUI for Windows 6.40
than in previous releases. Therefore, we recommend that all Unicode customers use
Release 6.40 of the SAP GUI for Windows.

Improving accessibility
For more information on this topic, see Note 740785.
Improved usability
In addition to various minor improvements to the usability of UI elements, we have
enhanced the usability of lists.

New SAP logon design


The SAP logon was redesigned completely and its usability was improved in many
ways. We have also added new functions, such as filtering with existing SAP
systems.

Revised icons
The designs both of the program icons of the SAP GUI and of the icons used by
applications within the SAP GUI were optimized.

Support of the "Windows XP Theme"


If you are working on Windows XP and using the "Windows Theme", you can also
activate this "Windows Theme" for the SAP GUI with Release 6.40 (provided that
you are using the Classic Design of the SAP GUI).

Web SAP Console


The Web SAP Console is the successor of the SAP Console and is delivered for the
first time together with the SAP GUI 6.40. In addition to the functions above, the
SAP GUI for Windows 6.40 contains functions that were introduced with
Compilation 6 of the SAP GUI for Windows 6.20:

Installation compression
SAPSetup no longer transfers individual files but entire archives to the clients. This
reduces the dataset that is to be transferred.
Inclusion of Adobe Template Designer in the SAP GUI installation
To simplify the development of form-based applications, Adobe Template Designer
is delivered with the SAP GUI.
2.2. SAPGui 6.40 Limitations on Citrix Presentation Server

The SAPGui Screen Reader Extension is not currently supported on Citrix


Presentation Server 4.

2.3. SAPGui 6.40 Patches and Upgrades

Because of the modular SAPGui architecture, there are many different types of
SAPGui patches available. All of them can be found in the SAP Support Portal at
http://service.sap.com

The most common are the SAPGui Patch and the SAPGui Setup Patch. But there are
also hotfixes for different business modules available within the Support Portal. We
recommend checking the SAP Support Portal for all available updates for SAPGui-
related modules utilized in your environment.

To install SAPGui 6.40 with Citrix Presentation Server 4, we recommend using at


least Patch Level 13 and SAP Setup Patch 20 for your deployment. But please always
check the SAP website for additional information and updates published after the
release of this document.
3. SAPGui 6.40 Installation on Citrix Presentation Server 4

The installation of SAPGui 6.40 on Citrix Presentation Server 4 is similar to a local


SAPGui installation.

There are three different ways to start the installation.

SAP Setup Server


Installation CD / Network Setup
Repackaging with Citrix Installation Manager

We recommend installing an SAP Setup Server first. But you don’t need to install the
Install Server services; you only need the Install Server Fileshare. The benefit here is
that all necessary SAPGui and SAP Setup patches can be integrated into the Setup
Server. This is the only way to use the latest installer patch.

When you install from an SAP Setup Server, please disable the following registry key:
"HKLM\SOFTWARE\SAP\SAPSetup\SAPstart\AutoUpdate"
on your Citrix server after the installation. If this key is present, SAPGui will try to
connect to the update server each time it is started. And if updates are available, they
will be automatically installed on the environment. Citrix does not recommend
allowing auto-update functionalities. All updates should be tested and validated prior
to final installation in the Citrix environment, and this task should be performed by an
administrator, not a user.

3.1. Application Isolation Environment

The Citrix Presentation Server Application Isolation Environment (AIE) is available


in Presentation Server 4, Enterprise Edition. This feature enables you to install
applications together on one system that normally would cause compatibility issues
due to DLL or resource conflicts.
For example, with this feature it is possible to install SAPGui 6.40 together with
SAPGui 6.20 on the same system. However, it is still necessary to ensure that each
version of SAPGui has its own SapWorkdir and separate Ini Files defined per user.

Please take a look at the Citrix Presentation Server Installation Guide and Advanced
Concepts Guide for additional information about AIE.

3.2. Upgrading to SAPGui 6.40 on Presentation Server 4

To update an older SAPGui version to 6.40, it is important to avoid installing the new
version on top of an older version. The preferred method in a Citrix environment is to
begin with a clean drive.
A setup scenario with unattended setup routines is very helpful to deploy updates and
maintain the whole environment. A lot of problems and issues have occurred in the
past because of uninstalling and reinstalling applications.

3.3. SAPGui Ini Files

The configuration of SAPGui is stored within four Ini Files:

SAPlogon.ini
SAPshortcut.ini
SAProute.ini
SAPmsg.ini

SAPlogon.ini and SAPshortcut.ini are the most important Ini Files on a Citrix
environment because all connection configurations are stored within them. The
challenge here is to deploy the right configuration file to your users.

The search order for the Ini Files is:

Command line Parameter /INI_FILE=


Environment Variable SAPLOGON_INI_FILE
SAPlogon.ini File stored in the SAPGui Installation Directory
SAPlogon.ini File stored in the Windows Directory

To deploy the right Ini Files to your users, there are different scenarios available. If
you only need one SAPlogon.ini File, the most frequently used scenario is to place it
on a central fileserver that all users can access, and set the environment variable on all
your Presentation Servers to point to the central file.

If you need different Ini Files for users or user groups, you can deploy the right Ini
Files to the users’ home directory with a login script, and set the environment variable
to point to the userhomedrive (f.e. h:\sapini\saplogon.ini)

SAPlogon.ini and SAPshortcut.ini have to be in the same directory. After deploying


your Ini File Scenario, please be sure, for example, that SAPlogon.ini is not stored in
another location on your server. So it is recommended to search all server hard drives.

If you store the SAPlogon.ini file in the Windows directory, which is not
recommended by Citrix, please be aware that Terminal Server copies Ini Files from
the system’s Windows directory to a user-specific Windows directory
(%userprofile%\windows). This is another function of the Terminal Server Install
Mode (Shadow Key). But this Ini File is only deployed once, so changing the Ini on
the system drive does not automatically update the user’s Ini File.
4. SAPGui 6.40 Configuration and Tuning
In this chapter we talk about possible SAP configurations on the Citrix server. This
doesn’t mean that all of them are right for your environment. And the list does not include
everything you can configure with SAPGui. However, these configurations and settings
are based on Citrix’s experiences in implementing numerous projects and reflect questions
that customers often ask.

4.1. Important SAPGui 6.40 Registry Settings

Turning off Enjoy mode


HKLM\SOFTWARE\SAP\General\Enjoy
Key: Active
Value: Off.
Due to high user acceptance, in most installations this key remains on.

Turning off the SAPGui splash screen


HKLM\SOFTWARE\SAP\General\Appearance
Key: SplashOff
Value: 1

Switching off the waiting time animation in Enjoy mode


HKLM\SOFTWARE\SAP\General\Appearance
Key: Animation
Type: REG_SZ
Value: Off

As of Patch 2 for SAPGui 6.40, you can display the additional windows title by setting the
'ShowAdditionalTitleInFo' registry key. This is necessary to allow Citrix Password
Manager™ to distinguish between different SAP back ends.
HKCU\Software\SAP\SAPGUI Front\SAP Frontend Server\\Administration
Key: ShowAdditionalTitleInFo
Type: REG_DWORD
Value:1

Close SAPLogon when the last SAP connection is closed.


HKCU\SOFTWARE\SAP\SAPLogon
Key: Autoclose
Type: REG_DWORD
Value:1

SAPgui.exe starts SAPlogon.exe


HKCU(HKLM)\SOFTWARE\SAP\SAPGui
Key: StartSAPlogon
Type: REG_DWORD
Value:0
The most critical part of the SAPGui installation process on Citrix Presentation Server 4 is
the multi-user configuration. This means that all configurations are user-specific. So each
user has to have his or her own configuration.

How to deploy the necessary configurations to your users depends on your environment
and how you use user profiles, login scripts and policies.

Please take a look at the Citrix documentation and also the Advanced Concepts Guide.
You will find a lot of information about user profiles, policies, the shadow key, etc.

4.2. SAPWorkdir

The SAPWorkdir is the SAPGui Temp Directory. All temp files and history files are
stored within the SAPWorkdir. It is not possible to separate the content of the
SAPWorkdir. For example, you cannot save the SAPGui History at one location and
the Temp files at another.

We recommend using a centralized SAPWorkdir for each user. It should be located on


the user’s home drive on a centralized fileshare. This prevents uploading and
downloading during logon and logoff. Also, having only one SAPWorkdir per user is
a great benefit in a Citrix farm with more than one server.
You can configure the SAPWorkdir in the Registry:
HKLM\Software\SAP\SAP Shared
Key: SAPworkdir
Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ

This key has to be user-independent (For example, %userhome%\sapworkdir or


h:\sapworkdir dependent on your infrastructure).

4.3. Tuning

When we talk about application tuning in a Citrix / Terminal Server environment we talk
about performance enhancements. This means better usage of CPU and memory, and lower
bandwidth consumption.

Currently there are no special SAPGui configurations known to change the memory and CPU
consumption of SAPGui.

The new CPU and DLL management functions of Presentation Server 4 are able to enhance
the performance and scalability of Citrix Presentation Server.
But results also depend also on the number of users and their work behavior in your
environment.

Another tuning field is the network traffic traveling between users running the ICA® client
and Citrix Presentation Server. Here you have to decide which graphic depth and resolution
you need. Less color depth and lower resolution reduce the traffic sent between the ICA client
and the Citrix server.

The new visual design of SAPGui 6.40 shown below has some more memory overhead than
the classic design. But normally only the Enjoy mode has a good user acceptance.
ICA Virtual Channels also consume network bandwidth, so we recommend disabling all
virtual channels you don’t need. We also recommend restricting the printing virtual channel to
a defined value. This prevents printing from using up all available bandwidth for the user’s
ICA connection.

5. SAPGui 6.40 Printing

SAPGui printing within a Presentation Server 4 environment usually means SAP


front-end printing. There are other SAP printing possibilities like host / back-end
printing. But the SAPGui front-end printing is the only print scenario in which printer
traffic is sent to the Citrix server and has to be processed by the server. This chapter
will discuss SAPGui front-end printing.

As of Patch Level 10 for SAPGui 6.40, it is possible to distinguish between two front-
end printing solutions, as described below.
5.1. SAPLPD

SAPLPD is the SAP front-end printing tool that is frequently used in Terminal Server
environments. And for a long time it was the only front-end printing solution available
from SAP. The problem with SAPLPD is that it was not designed for a multi-user
environment like Presentation Server. It was designed as a standalone print service.
But because of customer requests for a front-end printing solution, it was used.

If you have to use SAPLPD because your environment is not at the necessary patch
level to use the recommended control printing, please heed the following
recommendations.

The printer name has a limitation of 40 characters. This is an SAP back-end database
limitation. So if you use Citrix client printer mapping and SAPGui, it could be that
your printer name is too long, and that you will have SAPLPD errors. Also, the new
printer names used with the Presentation Server 4 universal printer driver could raise
issues here.

In addition to the normal SAPGui patches, there are SAPLPD patches available from
SAP. Please take a look at the http://service.sap.com for information.

The following things have to be done to configure SAPLPD on your Presentation


Server. Please take a look at SAPNote 150533 for updates.

- If it exists, delete the entry LPRINT_DEST in Table TSPOPTIONS.


- On the Presentation Server, set the system-wide environment variable LP_CMD to
the value <GUI_path>\saplpd\saplpd -f&F -c&C -p&P (-P&P as of SAPLPD 4.24).
IMPORTANT: The word "saplpd" must not appear in uppercase letters in the above-
mentioned command. If the GUI path contains blanks, set the entire expression -
excluding the arguments in quotes - for example: "c:\program
files\sappc\sapgui\salpd\saplpd" -f&F -c&C -P&P.

- SAPLPD must not be entered as a service on the server, since the SAPLPD print
program must be restarted for every user for every print output.

5.2. Front-end Printing with Control Technology

We highly recommend using the new SAP front-end printing technology for your
Citrix environment.
(SAPNote 821519)

From a technical point of view, the new front-end printing is based on the controls
that have already been used in SAPGui for a long time. Controls are DLLs that run in
the process context of SAPGui. The new print control receives the print data and
transfers it to the underlying printing system of the operating system. When you work
with SAPGui for Windows, you can continue to use the SAPWIN device type that
allows you to use any printer with a Windows driver. SAPLPD no longer exists as a
separate process. This eliminates the Terminal Server environment problems
mentioned at the start.

Differences from the old front-end printing:


SAPLPD is no longer required as a separate process.
There is no longer a printer selection box in the SAP system. Instead, a Windows
printer selection box is called directly from the control. The length restriction for
printer names therefore no longer applies.
The environment variable LP_CMD is no longer required in Terminal Server
environments.

Import the support package or implement the correction instructions. Import the
relevant kernel patch. Import the relevant GUI patch.
Kernel patch for Release 6.20: dw Patch 1942 (see Note 854044)
for Release 6.40: dw Patch 63
SAPGui 6.20 Patch 56
SAPGui 6.40 Patch 10

In your Citrix environment you don’t need to do configurations. After installing the
necessary back-end and front-end patches, you can directly use the new printing
subsystem.
5.3. Front-end Printing with Citrix Universal Printer Driver

Because of the new design of the Citrix® Universal Printer Driver, only the EMF format
is supported. Normally the SAPGui sends all print data as RAW. This results in a printer
issue, with the print job stuck in the print spooler on your server. To change the data
format of the SAPGui you have to implement the following registry key.

(SAPNote 858883)
It occurs with SAPLPD used for front-end printing services as well as with the new
control printing technology.

Before you implement the registry key below, please make sure that you can print to a
printer using the native driver instead of the UPD driver. And that the problem only
occurs while printing to a printer using the Universal Printer Driver in Presentation
Server 4.

Don’t be confused: the SAPLPD Registry Key is right for SAPLPD printing as well as for
control technology printing. The new control printing uses the “old” SAPLPD registry
keys for compatibility reasons.

To force the SAPGui to send the data as EMF data, please add the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SAP\SAPlpd\SAPLPD
Type: String
Name: SwinDataType
Value: EMF

6. SAPGui 6.40 as a Published Application

To run SAPGui as published application, you have different options. You can deploy a full
server desktop, but your users will have to start SAPGui manually. A better approach is to
deploy applications in seamless mode. This is a very good way to integrate published
applications running on Citrix Presentation Server into the user’s desktop environment.
You can publish the following SAP executables:

SAPlogon.exe
SAPlgpad.exe
SAPshcut.exe
SAPgui.exe

For all published applications you need a configured SAPlogon.ini file for your users.
For the SAPshcut.exe you also need to have the SAPshortcut.ini.
7. Troubleshooting

In the past Citrix has been able to identify and fix some graphic issues while running SAPGui
as a published application in seamless mode. Before attempting to fix any issues, please
install the latest SAPGui patch and the latest ICA client.

To identify a SAPGui issue on a Citrix Presentation Server we recommend first trying to


reproduce the problem with the following scenarios:

Published desktop instead of seamless mode


Win32 ICA client instead of other ICA clients
SAPGui Classic Mode instead of Enjoy Mode
Logon at the server console
Logon via RDP (desktop and initial program SAPGui)

If you can reproduce the problem at the server console or over RDP, please open a support
case with SAP. If the problem only occurs with ICA, please open a support case with Citrix
Technical Support.
8. Additional Information

SAPNotes are available from the SAP Service Marketplace, which is only accessible to SAP
customers and partners.
Link: http://service.sap.com/notes

SAPNote Number Summary


____________________________________________________________
0026417 SAPGui Resources: Hardware and Software
0030478 Service Packs on Windows NT/Windows 2000
0066971 Supported Front-end Platforms
0138869 SAPGui on Windows Terminal Server (WTS)
0146505 SAPGui for the Java Environment (Platform-Independent GUI)
0150533 Printing under Windows Terminal Server (WTS)
0177626 IS-H with Terminal Server: Restrictions
0196998 SAPGui Resources (APO): Hardware and Software
020069 Notes on SAPGui for use Via Terminal Server
0210274 Additional Information for SQL or MSDE on Terminal Server
0215529 SAPGui for Windows in the Workplace using WTS
0304112 Workplace, collective note GUI on Terminal Server
0355426 Workplace: SAPGui recommendations
038119 SAPlogon.ini
0407258 Hard-copy Functions in New Visual Design
0424307 Citrix Client and EBP: Problems at Catalog Call
0431163 Troubleshooting Citrix MetaFrame Issues
0441583 License Mechanism for ActiveX Controls inside Bluebox
0448529 Performance Problems with SAPLPD in Terminal Server Environment
0480149 SAP Scripting Kernel Patches
0519852 SAPWorkdir
0578944 Release Date Patches
0757964 Additional information in the SAP GUI window title
0798710 Print output on incorrect printer with front-end printing
0821519 New Front-end Printing
0844207 SAPGui Crash
0858883 Citrix Presentation Server 4.0 Printing Issue

The Citrix Value-Add for SAP Solutions


Citrix extends the value of SAP NetWeaver and the mySAP.com™ Business Suite through
access infrastructure solutions that enable more people, in more locations, on any device or
network to enjoy convenient, easy, high-performance access to SAP. Citrix solutions also
significantly lower the total cost of ownership of the overall computing environment. Today,
more than 14,000 SAP customers, including SAP AG and Citrix themselves, leverage Citrix
access infrastructure to improve their application environment and increase the time-to-value
of their SAP investment. Together, Citrix and SAP enable customers to have a more agile and
responsive business by creating a flexible IT infrastructure.
Citrix enables the SAP user interface (SAPGui or the browser) to be installed, managed and
deployed from central server farms, enabling users to enjoy high-performance access over any
network. Besides providing increased IT control, greater data security and improved service
levels for end users, Citrix access infrastructure solutions enable SAP deployments and
upgrades to be accomplished much faster.
In addition, customers benefit from seamless integration between Citrix Presentation Server
and SAP Enterprise Portal. The SAP iView for Citrix enables customers to extend their
current SAP solutions to include any available application resource, regardless of where it
originates. Finally, Citrix can add value to SAP deployments in other ways, such as improved
user collaboration for training, support or customer interaction; increased security and
regulatory compliance; better application performance; “built-in” business continuity; and fast
and efficient connectivity for remote offices and mobile users.

The SAP/Citrix Partnership


Citrix and SAP are strategic partners that work closely together for the benefit of mutual
customers.
Citrix is an SAP Global Technology Partner and member of the SAP NetWeaver Partner
Initiative.
SAP is a Premier Plus Citrix Alliance Partner.
Citrix has a global SAP Competence Center, including on-site support resources, at SAP
headquarters in Walldorf, Germany.
SAP AG uses Citrix technology to manage and deliver more than 40 applications (including
the mySAP ERP Suite) to its employees, while Citrix runs its global business on SAP.
Over 40 percent of SAP’s customers use Citrix technology to deploy and administer their
SAP environment.
About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CTXS) is the global leader and most trusted name in on-demand
access. More than 160,000 organizations around the world use the Citrix Access Platform to
provide the best possible access experience to any application for any user. Citrix customers
include 100% of the Fortune 100 companies and 98% of the Fortune Global 500, as well as
hundreds of thousands of small businesses and individuals. Citrix has approximately 6,200
channel and alliance partners in more than 100 countries. Citrix annual revenues in 2004 were
$741 million. Learn more at www.citrix.com.

© 2005 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix®, ICA®, Citrix Presentation
Server™ and Citrix Password Manager™ are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or
more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the United States Patent and Trademark
Office and other countries. Microsoft® and Windows® are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks and
registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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