Configuring the Web Service on the SAP Admin Module System for Communication with an Inventory Beacon

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

Communication between an inventory beacon and the SAP Admin module of FlexNet Manager for SAP Applications is facilitated using web services. Web services support the interaction of different software applications over the World Wide Web infrastructure.

After installation of an inventory beacon and FlexNet Manager for SAP Applications, you need to configure a web service called SAPServiceSoap to enable the applications to communicate with each other.

There are different security levels for the communication, and you can choose the level that you would like to use. The security settings are independent of the functionality of the applications. However, the settings need to be set up properly, otherwise communication is not possible.

The following security levels are available:
  • No authentication — Without authentication, communication between the inventory beacon and FlexNet Manager for SAP Applications is not secure. This security level is not desirable and therefore not described in this document.
  • Basic authentication — Authentication is based on the user name and password of the inventory beacon service account. For more information, see the relevant Accounts and Privileges section in Gathering FlexNet Inventory. For more information on basic authentication, see the Communication Using Basic Authentication.
  • SSL authentication — Authentication is based on the exchange of certificates. This is the most secure level. See Communication Using SSL Authentication for more information.

SOA Manager

You use the SOA Manager in SAP to configure the web service settings. The web service is client-dependent, and you need to configure it in the SOA Manager (transaction SOAMANAGER) for the client that the AdminModule transport will be used on. It is a prerequisite that SOA Manager is activated on the client before commencing the following web service configuration. These settings are not required on the dependent SAP systems. Administrator privileges are required for using the SOA Manager.

In the SOA Manager, the options that need to be selected depend on the SAP Basis release and the support package that is installed. Due to the number of different combinations of SAP Basis release and support package that are possible, not all combinations are documented here. Instead, the following steps only outline the required options based on the SAP Basis release that is installed.

Testing the Web Service Connection

During configuration, the SOA Manager enables you to test the web service connection using the Ping Web Service button. In SAP Basis release 7.3 and newer versions, this test can produce a false negative result. Although the SOA Manager displays an error such as Web service ping failed (RC=405). Service Ping Error: Method Not Allowed, the web service connection may be working correctly. Therefore, the ping result should be ignored.

The false error is generated because the inventory beacon sends a GET message, but the ping expects a HEAD message.

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

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