SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – 3 simple use cases for Launchpad Content Aggregator

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Latest Update April 2022: For details of the prerequisites refer to SAP Note 2977072 - SAP Fiori Launchpad on ABAP - Enhancements in SAP_UI 7.54 SP06 or SAP Fiori Front...

Ever needed to get a complete picture of what apps are assigned to a specific user or role? One of the newest Launchpad Support Tools for managing your SAP Fiori user experience first available in SAP S/4HANA 2020 FPS1 does just that.

Tip: You can also use this on SAP S/4HANA 1909 provided you patch up your Fiori Frontend Server 6.0 to SP04. You can find more on how to patch up in: How and why to upgrade SAP Fiori for your SAP S/4HANA solution Make sure you check the detailed requirements for your release, e.g. in SAP Note 2775163 - SAP-Fiori-Frontend-Server 6.0 - General Information and 2805572 - SAP FIORI FOR SAP S/4HANA 1909: Release Information Note.

For details of the prerequisites refer to SAP Note 2977072 - SAP Fiori Launchpad on ABAP - Enhancements in SAP_UI 7.54 SP06 or SAP Fiori Front...

It’s called the Launchpad content aggregator – otherwise known as SAP GUI transaction /UI2/FLPCA.

In this blog post you can find a few use cases for making the most of this new tool, and maybe suggest some of your own.

These are the use cases you will find explained in this blog post.

1. All content assigned to a custom business role or SAP Business Role, i.e. what the user sees in their App Finder


2. All dynamic links for a business object, i.e. what will appear in Search Results, Related Apps, SmartLink dialogs, jump to from Multidimensional reports, etc.


3. All technical services of a business role, i.e. OData Services and ICF Services.

What other use cases can you see? Suggest your own use cases in the comments!

Important:

The Launchpad Content Aggregator is part of software component SAP_UI 7.55 SP02, i.e. it is part of your SAP Fiori Frontend Server.  All screenshots in this blog post are taken from a SAP S/4HANA 2020 FPS01 on-premise trial system.

Use Case 1: All content assigned to business role(s)

You can use the launchpad aggregator to find all content assigned to one or more business roles - including SAP Fiori apps, classic UIs and URLs.

This is useful to confirm what the user will see in the App Finder, i.e. all of the launchpad content directly assigned to them via their business role(s).

App Finder view of a business user

Below is an example of how the launchpad content aggregator shows all apps and UIs assigned to a custom business role.

You can see:

• which business catalogs are assigned to the role,


• what text is displayed on each tile/link,


• whether the tile/link launches a SAP Fiori app or a classic UI,


• what device types the tile/link will appear on.

Launchpad Content Aggregator showing all content of business role(s)

The column Application Type indicates what type of SAP Fiori app or classic UI is included.  The values are:

• UI5 = SAP Fiori app


• WDA = ABAP Web Dynpro application


• GUI = GUI transaction


• WCF = Web Client UI framework


• URL = URL

You can even mimic the App Finder view by sorting the list by catalog and tile titles.

Launchpad Content Aggregator sorted by business catalog title and tile title

Tip: If you are paying careful attention, you might notice that there are 10 apps/UIs listed in business catalog Accounts Payable and Receivable - Operational Processing, but only 9 apps shown in the App Finder. That is because SAP Fiori app F1765 User Default Parameters is a special app that appears in the User Actions > Settings dialog.  Similarly, if your business catalog contains any apps marked as Reuse Components in the SAP Fiori apps library, such as SAP Fiori app F2818 Rich Text Editor these will not appear. To understand more about reuse components, you can read blog post Not Every Fiori app is a Tile. 

To use the Launchpad Content Aggregator to show all content of a business role, start by using the Role Filter parameter to find and select your role.

You can select a custom business role or a SAP Business Role.

You can select one or more business roles by using wildcards, ranges, or even select a list of roles using the Multiple Section button at the end of the Role Filter parameter.

Selecting business roles in transaction /UI2/FLPCA showing the Role Filter parameter including the Multiple Selection button

 

Use the Change Layout… option to adjust the columns and sort order.

Change Layout... option is in the Layout menu button within the table toolbar

In the Column Selection tab of the Change Layout dialog, you can use the buttons between the panes Displayed Columns and Column Set to control which columns are displayed, i.e. by moving the columns from Displayed Columns to Column Set and vice versa. You can use the arrowhead buttons at the top of Displayed Columns to adjust the order of the displayed columns.

Change layout dialog arrowhead buttons show between Displayed Columns and Column Set panes

For the show all content of the business role use case, select the columns:

• Role


• Role Description


• Catalog ID


• Catalog Title


• Title/Subtitle/Information


• Application Type


• SAP Fiori ID


• Keywords


• Device Type Desktop


• Device Type Table


• Device Type Phone

Your layout will look like this.

Column selection tab > Displayed Columns pane showing the list of columns needed to show all content of a business role

To see the list in a similar order to the app finder, use the Sort Order tab to sort by:

• Catalog Title


• Tile title


• Tile subtitle

Press Adopt (green tick icon) to review the impact of your settings.

Sort Order tab of the Change Layout dialog shows sort columns with ascending/descending indicated via radio buttons

You can save your layout settings by going back into Change Layout... and using Save as.... Your layout must start with character /, e.g. /APPFINDER.

Once saved, you can use Choose Layout… to select your layout whenever you run the launchpad content aggregator again.

 

Use case 2: Dynamic links assigned to a business role

Confirm what dynamic links the user will see for specific business objects.

For example, dynamic links in Enterprise Search results, Related Apps buttons, Smart Link dialogs, or Jump-to options in Multidimensional reports.

For example, when you search you can find dynamic links to all the apps and UIs you are authorized to use in the search results.

Dynamic links in the Enterprise Search results

Similarly, you see dynamic links in many places in apps. For example, the hyperlink on the Journal Entry number in the SAP Fiori app F0711 Manage Customer Line Items shows the SmartLink dialog for semantic object AccountingDocument. To see all links assigned, use the More Links button.

Dynamic links for the Journal Entry in SAP Fiori app Manage Customer Line Items showing the SmartLinks dialog and the More Links button

In the More Links dialog the user can select their favourite quick links.

Quick links shown in the More Links dialog

The driving field for this use case is the Semantic Object, since the Semantic Object is used to derive the dynamic links shown at runtime.

Below is an example of the Launchpad Content Aggregator used to show what will appear in dynamic links.

Notice the Semantic Object column and the Target Mapping Title. All links for the same Semantic Object will be shown. The name of the link will match the Target Mapping Title.

The following layout configuration will show the apps and classic UIs assigned to each Semantic Object listed in your business role.

Columns needed to show the dynamic app links:

• Role


• Role Description


• Semantic Object


• Action


• Target Mapping Title


• Application Type


• SAP Fiori ID


• Keywords


• Device Type Desktop


• Device Type Table


• Device Type Phone

Tip: Target Mapping Title this gives the link title that shows in dynamic links. The Target Mapping Title can be slightly different from the title/subtitle of the tile itself.

Launchpad Content Aggregator - Displayed Columns for Dynamic Links

Use the SortOrder tab to sort the display by:

• Role,


• Role Description,


• Semantic Object,


• Action,


• Target Mapping Title

Launchpad Content Aggregator - Sort Order for showing Dynamic Links

Don’t forget to save your layout so you can use it again, e.g. /DYNLINKS.

Tip: If you are wondering how to work out which SemanticObject relates to which field, the simplest approach is to rest your cursor on one of the links, then the URL will be displayed showing the SemanticObject fragment in the URL immediately after the #.

Dynamic link tooltip showing the Semantic Object in the URL after the #

 

Use case 3: All technical services assigned to a business role

With this use case you can find out all the technical services assigned to a role. This includes:

• ICF Services that are the entry points for SAP Fiori apps and Web Dynpro ABAP applications


• OData Services that are used by SAP Fiori apps to extract and update data

The example below shows all ICF Services and OData Services assigned to the SAP Business Roles SAP_BR_AA_ACCOUNTANT and their activation status.

Launchpad Content Aggregator showing ICF services and OData services per SAP Fiori app and their activation status

Start by selecting the role using the Role Filter.

You can select a custom business role or a SAP Business Role.

Make sure you select the checkboxes “Display OData Services” and “Display ICF Services".

Launchpad Content Aggregator entry screen showing selecting the business role and the services options

Use the Choose Layout… option to select the following columns:

• Role


• Role Description


• Catalog ID


• Catalog Title


• Application Type


• Fiori ID


• Service URL - this is the URL of the ICF Service


• Service activation status text – of the ICF Service


• Service Name – this is the external service name of the OData Service


• Namespace – of the OData Service


• Version – of the OData Service


• Service Activation Text – of the OData Service

Your layout will look something like this:

Change Layout dialog showing the Displayed Columns for showing services and their activation status

Set the filter to Application Type = UI5 and WDA.

To do this, navigate to the Filter tab, move the Application Type column to the Filter Criteria. Then select step 2 button Define Values.

Change Layout Filter tab showing Application Type selected as a filter column and showing the Define Values button

In the Define Values dialog, select the Application Type values UI5 and WDA.

Define Values dialog for Application Type showing UI5 and WDA chosen in the Select Single Values tab

Check your settings and adjust the column widths. Don’t forget to save your layout for future use! For example you could save your layout using the id /TECHSERVICE.

Save as... layout dialog showing layout name /TECHSERVICE being assigned

 

Becoming a SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA guru

You can find more announcements about the latest SAP Fiori features in SAP S/4HANA 2020 SP01 in Check out the improvements in SAP Fiori launchpad content administration and operations with SP01 of...

You can also find out more about SAP User Experience and Design in 3 Tips to Stay Informed About User Experience & Design Topics at SAP

You’ll find much more on the community topic page for SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA

Other helpful links in the SAP Community:

• Follow our tag SAP S/4HANA RIG for more from the SAP S/4HANA Customer Care and RIG


• See all questions and answers about SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA


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Brought to you by the SAP S/4HANA Customer Care and RIG.

[former_member97293]

Wish SAP Release this option for prior versions also using through notes so we can leverage using this excellent feature.

[former_member189717]

Hi, the Content Aggregator is also available with the Frontend Server 6.0 SP04 which was released on 28th April.

Best regards

Marek

[former_member714402]

It would be great if a note is available to apply for SAP S4 HANA 1909 SP02 version.

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Vijay, SAP S/4HANA 1909 FPS02 uses SAP Fiori Frontend Server 6.0.

You can patch up your Fiori Frontend Server 6.0 to SP04 usually without having to update your S/4HANA components themselves.

You can find more on this in: How and why to upgrade SAP Fiori for your SAP S/4HANA solution

And check the detailed requirements for your release, e.g. in SAP Note 2775163 - SAP-Fiori-Frontend-Server 6.0 - General Information

Best regards

Jocelyn

[former_member714402]

We are in SAP S4 HANA/Fiori 1909 SP02 Embedded

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Yes you can patch up your Fiori Frontend Server in Embedded mode... again please read the blog How and why to upgrade SAP Fiori for your SAP S/4HANA solution

[former_member151968]

Finally the much awaited feature in Fiori ! Great add. Thanks for sharing this.

[former_member619294]

Great post!!! Thanks for the info Jocelyn

[former_member612251]

Hi folks, has anyone tried to query all the roles via this method? I am trying to bring back everything related to all the assigned roles to users but I am only getting back a limited set of results each time, it looks like there is a limit on what can be returned? Is this behavior correct?

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Michael, I have run it for  all the roles in the CAL system - which is 609 roles and gives  me  nearly 20K rows in a downloaded spreadsheet. So how many are you looking at?

[former_member612251]

Hi Jocelyn,

I believe this was due to running this for derived roles, it doesn't seem to recognize these...but then again it wouldn't make sense to use derived roles, only the master so I believe this was the issue.

I am now seeing different issues, when I try to run it for 1 single role, I get the error "Page Cache is inactive for scope CONF". I don't see on KBA's on this yet, any ideas?

Thanks,

Michael

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Michael, It's quite difficult to answer such specific detailed questions in blog comments. Can you please use the Ask a Question link to ask your question and include specifics such as SAP S/4HANA release/FPS  and screenshots. You can @ mention me.

I am assuming you have at least confirmed that SAP Fiori has been activated and configured correctly in your system ?

You might also  want to raise a  SAP Incident for this - that would be the way to get KBAs created or updated.

[mike_y]

This is very useful, thank you!

 

Related question: Anyone know of a Fiori App itself that displays what Apps you have available by catalog/group?

 

Would be a great Fiori app... If you could see which ones are available in both standard vs custom catalog/group.

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi Michael,

Do you mean the App Finder in the Fiori Launchpad? That's it's whole purpose. You can see all of your apps search them, and also see them by business catalog.

You can see which apps are assigned to spaces/pages or groups or not.

Remember: Groups are deprecated as of SAP S/4HANA 2021. Placing an app on the launchpad layout is always optional.  Provided the app is in one of your business catalogs it will still show up as a navigation target, e.g.  Search result links, list of links dialogs, Related Apps buttons, etc.

[former_member151968]

Is there a similar option where we can check content for each Fiori Catalog as well or planned for future ?

[mike_y]

Hi @Jocelyn_Dart  I did see your response before, and appreciate it! We are now doing a upgrade from S4 2019 to 2023 and I wanted to further elaborate/clarify how we still have this challenge and perhaps you or someone else may help. Also, I'm on Functional side w some development/technical understandings. 

Questions for context:

1. How to know which Fiori apps we have enabled, to know which ones require testing in the upgrade. (we do understand about the possibility of superseded etc apps too, per your Fiori Life Cycle post on that)

2. Conceptually, what "Fiori apps enabled" means to us is, what are all the apps that have been "completely enabled", which some user may be able to use if they have security access.

3. "completely enabled" in above point means, not just it was brought in as 1 of many apps in a catalog, but we also updated all our custom security roles (don't use standard) so the app may work for whoever has access, and we have done any other technical requirements so the app is working as it should. In short, it's previously tested as working fully in our system, and not "just" an app that may or may not work, as it wasn't included in our security roles.  

4. We may want to re-organize apps, but how do we know all the apps that are "completely enabled" to know which ones to consider? 

Summary of what would be useful to know, what is what we are still looking for: 

1. What Fiori apps are "completely enabled", so we know which ones to consider in our upgrade testing and also know which ones we may want to re-organize (in whatever new method is replacing groups, to organize apps in logical way). 

2. What is the actual usage of the "completely enabled" fiori apps, to help prioritize the pecking order. For example, an app with "a lot" of usage vs an app that actually nobody is using will help understand priority/risk. Kind of like an ST03 usage of Fiori apps. 

3. Ideal solution would be a report that lists all Fiori apps that are enabled, what security roles per our system are referencing the apps (so we can know if the are "completely enabled", and what is the "recent" usage of those apps (like ST03). Does any such report exist? 

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi @mike_y 

Your best option is to run the SAP S/4HANA Readiness Check for Upgrade which includes an assessment of App Availability and includes a collection report that looks at app usage over the last 12 months.  You will have much better tools in S/4HANA 2023 for managing launchpad content - including the content aggregator.  You should also be aware that more and more Fiori apps are being monitored in a similar way to transaction codes and using some of the usual monitoring tools - that's a longer roadmap so it's a matter of checking what information you can see in your newly upgraded system. 

The most important tools we list in SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – Performance Optimization and Best Practice – Part 1 Tools and Tracing

[Jocelyn_Dart]

Hi @mike_y as you are upgrading I would also recommend you review these 2 blogs:

New Check for App Availability in SAP Readiness Check for SAP S/4HANA and SAP Readiness Check for SA...

and

SAP Fiori for SAP S/4HANA – Upgrade Faster – Managing app lifecycle impacts on users

[mike_y]

@Jocelyn_Dart Thank you so much!