SAP Browser Support, ESS/MSS - Firefox, Chrome, Safari, ipad - How to get some quick wins.

[Former Member]

There still seems to be numerous confusion over which browsers work and don't work with SAP.

Hopefully this blog should help Technical Consultants in the correct direction and help with some common problems and issues.

The first note EVERYONE should read is SAP note 1666862, Allowing NON Supported browsers to access the portal, whilst not guaranteed we have switched off browser checking to 6000 end users and have had no major problems on the ESS/MSS landscape.

We have a wide ranging Mac Community including our CIO.

Whilst sounding scary, the entire purpose of this note is to help end users.

1) It removes the issues surrounding the Firefox rapid release cycle, chrome and safari access - allows safari mac and chrome access.

Whilst not supported, any portal patched up-to the levels mentioned in this note won't get a "Browser Not supported" Message.

We have implemented the latest 7.0 patches and can confirm that this problem is fixed.

2) Another huge benefit of patching is the following, crucial paragraph in this note......

For customers on NW Portal 7.0

" Login to the portal with supper admin user. Navigate to "System Configuration". Select "Service Configuration" in DTN. Open "Applications" and navigate to "com.sap.portal.useragent" -> Services. Select "allowotherbrowsers" service and open (configure) it. By default for NetWeaver 7.00 and 7.01 portals the property "Allow other browsers" set to "true", for NetWeaver 7.02 the property set to "false". In order to allow other browsers to acces the portal this property should be set to "true". After saving the new value restart the "com.sap.portal.useragent|allowotherbrowsers" service (right click on "com.sap.portal.useragent" and select "Administrate"). Log off the portal. Try to access portal with browser different than supported by the default, for example Google Chrome.

This removes ANY browser restrictions and even allows ESS/MSS to be accessed on a iPad with a VPN connection.

This works, i've personally tested it, so long as your behind your corporate firewall you can view your Payslip, Book leave and Approve UWL messages(Just) using your iPad.

3) You will get MAJOR benefits from implementing EHP4+ /SRM 7/ The absolute latest NW7 Portal patches available as most of the webkit bugs are fixed.

4) On any ITS based transaction set the following parameter  which remove SICF based checked. -

~WEBGUI	1
~THEME	sl
~XSRFCHECK	1
~USERAGENTCHECK	0

Allows you to use chrome and safari with the Web Gui.

I also can't stress enough how important it is to have the correct SAP technical landscape as well.

Any ERP customers running a dual stack Portal - ERP Java instance should look as soon as possible at removing the ERP Java stack and moving to a single stack ERP system.

The main message though is to PATCH your systems and read the notes available.

Any other issues feel free to ask.

We deploy ESS/MSS/SRM/E-Recruitment to some 6000+ HCM users and have both a managed desktop PC service and numerous BYOD policy, as we have numerous Mac Users,  experience of deploying the Mac and Linux client.

Update

As a further update i'm now enclosing screen shoots of ESS running in Chrome for both WDJ and WDA versions. EHP4 and EHP5.

ESS WDA Leave Request working quite happily in Chrome. NW7.02 Portal and EHP5 backend. 

ESS WDJ Working quite happily in Chrome. Portal 7.0 and EHP4 ERP system.