When utilizing the Enterprise Portal or running with a Netweaver environment we can all agree that upgrades, SP Deployments, Patch Level applications and browser changes are a normality. For example in a business scenario and in accordance to business requirements you may be moving from one NW Version to another e.g. NW 7.01 to NW 7.4 or changing between Web Browser Platform versions.
With each different Web Browser Platform comes a set of different configurations which need to be maintained in order to ensure optimal performance.
By performance here we are making reference to the actual display (rendering) of the Portal Setup and the navigation output (selectability).
If you are dealing with different web browser platforms and product versions its quite easy to encounter different rendering modes and display issues.
From my experience I have seen multiple scenarios with all different types of issues. The one common characteristic which became apparent during troubleshooting is "complexity" there are numerous parameters, settings and properties at play which can make the scenario quite confusing from the offset.
The whole purpose of this next blog series is to break everything down and create a troubleshooting baseline that can be followed on a step-by-step basis towards identifying the solution.
The First Point of Call - Am I Supported?
If you've recently encountered some form of display issue whether it is with the Portal itself or an application rendering within the Portal Content Area one of the first analysis steps to follow is to check out whether this setup is supported. A simple way of checking this is through the SAP Product Availability Matrix or PAM for short. On the PAM we are given a comprehensive and detailed overview on what Product Versions support which types & versions of Web Browser Platforms and vice versa. The PAM will also help you highlight any potential issues (if any) that would be expected.
On the PAM you can check your current setup and its support compatibility via the following path:
- Technical Release Information > "Web Browser Platforms"
- PAM Link: https://support/sap.com/pam
Commonly Used Browsers
- Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10, 11
- Mozilla Firefox
- Google Chrome
A Point on Internet Explorer
As of January 12, 2016 only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for the supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates (see IE blog http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2014/08/07/stay-up-to-date-with-internet-explorer.aspx). For Windows 7, 8.1 operating systems and server 2012 R2 this will be IE11. Older versions of IE are no longer supported by MS therefore it is of vital importance that you check the PAM.
What Type of Issue am I dealing With?
If you encounter an issue whether its to do with rendering of applications, general display or peculiar behavior from the Portal's perspective one quick and easy means of analysis is to determine whether it is solely browser related. Here all you need to do is attempt to reproduce the issue in various web browser platforms. Certain business requirements may only allow specific web browser platforms but if feasible you should try and test the issue in IE, Chrome & Mozilla. If the issue pertains to only one web browser platform then you have successfully indentified the problematic source and can troubleshoot from this aspect.
Note Search
If you managed to trace the issue to only one browser platform the next step is to conduct a note and documented fix search as the likelihood as the issue has arisen previously and a fix should be readily available.
Part 2 coming soon - Internet Explorer (IE) & Modes, A Simple Overview - Part 2
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