Now I mentioned it – generic iView. What is that? A generic iView is a service that allows you  to display data that has been compiled by a SAP query on the SAP Netweaver Portal. The vehicle for the data generation is the  SAP Query tool. Application champions in SAP HR are probably already familiar with this powerful tool that is already available in the SAP R3 box. You don’t need to buy it. The same applies to the generic iView. It’s for free, you just need to use it.

Now we arrived at the point were you are probably raising the question – how can I use it, what do I need to get it done? In the following section I will try to provide you with a proper answer and a clear how-to guide.

First of all you need to know the basic components of this tool.  Basically you need to take care about three essential steps:

1. Create a custom variant for the generic iView service
2. Create or define SAP queries that suit your business need
3. Prepare the portal content and attach it to MSS

Before we start we need to check the pre-requisites – basically the authorizations you have on your SAP system. In order to perform the steps mentioned above you need at least the following authorizations:

ERP System (or Backend): Adequate profile to work with SAP query and read HR data.

Portal: Content Administrator and Self-Service Administrator roles.

Now you are well prepared to continue.  Please follow the instructions below:

• Log in to your SAP portal.
• Go to Self-Service Administrator > Portal Content > Content provided by SAP > srvconfig
• Go to folder com.sap.pct.erp.srvconfig.mss > Generic iView > FPM Applications

• Right mouse click on Generic iView Test Application and press Copy




• Go to your customer name space on the portal content directory and Paste as Deltalink (very important)
• Right mouse click on the pasted application and select Change ID
• Enter a new name, ID and prefix for the application (very important)
• Save your changes
• Go to folder com.sap.pct.erp.srvconfig.mss > Generic iView > FPM Views




• Repeat steps 4. and 5. for all view objects
• Go to folder com.sap.pct.erp.srvconfig.mss > Team Viewer > FPM Views
• Repeat steps 4. and 5. for all view objects

Now the first Part of the endeavor “generic iView” has been accomplished. More to come in the near future. I hope you will come back and follow up on this hopefully interesting article.

About the author

Christian Popa (cristego) is a SAP HCM, Self-Services (XSS) and Netweaver Portal Expert, having several years of experience in Global IT and SAP Projects. Click here to view Christian’s full profile.

1. Enter transaction code ST01.

2. Click on “Analysis” to access the options for the Trace Analysis program.

3. Configure the necessary parameters. In the example below, the trace records selected to be captured where “Kernel Functions” and “RFC Calls”. Tip: this procedure is also useful to perform Authorization Checks. In this case, we should only select “Authorization Check” from the Trace Records option list.

4. Go to the front-end and browse to the immediate point before you need to start capturing the trace records. This is important because as soon as you activate the trace, all actions will be stored in the log record. In the example, user would click in the standard Manager Self-Service Universal Worklist application

5. As soon as you have your browsing aligned in the front-end side, go back to ST01 and click on execute. Return to the Portal and click on the Universal Worklist link.

6. In ST01, click on “Analysis” to view the results. The result list will show something like the screenshot below. Notice that I’ve highlighted the standard function modules that were executed (SWN_UWL_GET_WORK and SYSTEM_RESET_RFC):

7. By double-clicking the Function Modules, you’ll be able to dig deeper and view more detailed information:

7. When you finish your analysis, don’t forget to switch off the trace analysis program. This is important because when the trace is active it will be gathering information at all times, which is a resource consuming operation:

1. Enter transaction code OANR and create a “Number Range” for SAP Archive Link;

2. For this process, additional authorization will be required for authorization object S_NUMBER = 03 ARCHIVELNK;

3. In “Intervals”, create a number range 01 from 0000000001 to 9999999999 without the external number flag. It is likely that this range already exists;

4. To assign the Documents Class, enter transaction code OAC2 and maintain table TOAVE. Create an entry with Document type HRICOLFOTO with document class JPG;

5. Set all three columns here to minuses and do not set the flag in the check box;

6. Now you must create a Content Repository with a storage type FILE archive. Enter transaction code OAC0.

7. Swap from Display to Change, select an entry and choose Copy. In alternative, you can just hit Create and fill in the following fields:

• Choose a two character name – can use Zx (where x is a number) if you need to use a customer namespace;
• Choose the relevant description;
• Set DocArea to be ‘Archive Link’;
• Storage type – set to R/3 Database;
• Protocol – leave blank;
• Choose Version no. 0046 (or the latest one available);
• Contents table – set this to SDOKCONT1;
• Basic Path – c:\ (this should be set to where the photos are stored);
• Archive Path – c:\ (this is the path from where the photos are to be retrieved);
• Output Device – leave blank.

8. Enter the path name where the photos are to be loaded from (this is for loading purposes only). When the photos are linked into the SAP system, SAP will take a ‘copy’ and store it in his own repository. The path may only need to be entered to ‘Arch.path’ and all the other entries;

9. Activate the Content Server Interface by maintaining the corresponding Basis service – transaction code SICF;

10. Create a user profile – with sufficient authorizations to carry out the processes which are done by the system in the background. Ideally this should be a background system user. Using your own user ID will trigger a warning that you are using a dialogue user account. If you use your own user ID, change it as soon as you have tested the configuration. Once you have finished the project, the chances are that your user account will be deleted from the system which will subsequently stop this service from working. Also, don’t forget to document every step of your configurations, including screenshots, passwords and authorization profiles;

11. Double-click on “content server” in the left hand tree structure, under default_host > sap > bc > content server;

12. Click on the refresh icon and make sure that the service is activated (black instead of gray). If it is activated, the writing should also be in bold;

13. Enter transaction code  OAC3 and check which content repository (Archive) is linked to document type HRICOLFOTO in object type PREL.

14. Set the ‘Content Repository’ field to the one you set up in the step above. Note the Ret.per. field is the retention period for the photo in MONTHS (the default is 833 years and 3 months);

Linking a photo to a personnel number

15. Enter transaction code OAAD and click on “Store and Assign”;

16. Enter business object PREL, document type HRICOLPHOTO and click on Create;

17. Enter the Personnel Number of the employee you want to link the photo to. Choose the infotype that you wish the photo to be displayed on (I’ve tested with Infotype 0002 but should);

18. Click on Continue;

19. Enter the path and filename of the photo. The dropdown will allow you to navigate to the appropriate directory;

20. The system will notify you that the Stored document is created successfully. If an error 401 appears, regarding missing authorizations, redo the above step. It is known to happen the first time you try to load the photo (SAP:-));

Displaying photos

21. You can now display your linked photos.

22. From any Infotype in PA30, you achieve this by selecting the employee in Display or Maintain Data and selecting Menu item ‘Extras’, display all facsimilies:

• Access transaction code SM30 and maintain table T588J;
• Note that Header structure per infotype and Header modifier activities describe which header is to be shown at the top of each infotype. The Passport photo option determines whether HRICOLFOTO or HRIEMPFOTO is used. Choosing either option is acceptable as long as all your other settings relate to that entry as well;
• Add an entry for PERNR with Filed Type ‘PIC’. Column 75 puts the picture on the right hand side. The IT column is used to decide where to take the ‘Field Name’ value from. For the PERNR attribute, all infotypes have this field;
• Before closing, GENERATE the screen header again;

23. In PA30, you can double click on the picture in the Infotype. This will bring up a bigger version of it;

24. As soon as the above configurations are done, ESS users can now update their own data, using the Who’s Who application;

25. Managers will also be able to view the employee’s photo in the MSS application Team: Employee Information.

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