5.5 Creating Search Connectors
SAP Fiori fact sheet apps are based on search models. To enable the use of fact sheet apps, search connectors must be created for the underlying search models.
A connector is a runtime object corresponding to a search model. It’s a system-specific and client-specific object that’s created in Transaction ESH_COCKPIT. Most of the data displayed in fact sheet apps comes from search models, which are transferred to the front-end server using OData services.
To enable the use of a specific fact sheet app, the underlying search models must be activated. When activating a search model, a search connector is created. The search models that need to be activated for your app are listed in the app-specific implementation information in SAP Help at http://help.sap.com/fiori.
SAP Fiori Search
Before you work on the back-end changes, make sure you’ve set up SAP Fiori search (see Chapter 2).
Fact sheet apps read business data via search connectors from the database. The creation of search connectors is therefore a prerequisite to using fact sheet apps.
To create search connectors, you need the following authorizations (see Figure 5.14):
Figure 5.14 Roles to Create Search Connectors
The SAP HANA–enabled search models for the search software component SAPAPPLH may only be used in SAP Fiori search. Figure 5.15 shows information from the apps reference library for the search connectors and search models information of a Sales Order fact sheet app.
Figure 5.15 Search Connectors for Sales Order Fact Sheet App
Search Models
All the delivered search models can be found in SAP Note 1861013 in the SAP Business Suite at http://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/1999463.
5.5.1 Create Connectors Manually
You must activate the underlying search models by creating connectors to be able to use a fact sheet app. We’ll go over the steps to create connectors for CUSTOMER_BILL_DOC_H, and then you’ll need to repeat the steps to create connectors manually for all the search models listed under the Search Connector section (see Figure 5.15).
The Connector Administrator cockpit is the central point from which to monitor and manage search object connectors and to access monitoring and administration tools. To create connectors manually, follow these steps:
-
Launch the Embedded Search Administration cockpit in the browser via http://<host_name>:<port_number>/sap/es/cockpit.
Note
The <host_name> placeholder variable stands for the host and <port_number> stands for the port that you use to reach the ABAP system.
You can also launch the Connector Administration cockpit using Transaction ESH_COCKPIT.
-
Click Create (see Figure 5.16).
Note: If the models are grayed out, the search connectors are already created, and you can skip this step.
Figure 5.16 Connector Administration Cockpit
-
Choose the software component that provides the required models (see Figure 5.17).
Figure 5.17 Select Software Component
- In the list, select the required models you want to use with embedded search, then click Create Connector.
- Next, a background job is created to create the search connector. You can monitor the job in Transaction SM37, where you’ll notice a job with the name ESH_<your client>_C_<unique code> (see Figure 5.18).
Figure 5.18 Search Connector Job
Models
Models can reference other models. If this is the case, the system creates more than one connector in the Embedded Search Administration cockpit, although you only chose one connector model.
If you’re using the SAP HANA–based variant of embedded search, all connectors with database support can be used directly for the search. For models that don’t provide database support, you must start or schedule indexing.
5.5.2 Create Connectors Automatically
Instead of creating the connectors manually, you can generate them automatically by using Transaction STC01 (ABAP Task Manager). The SAP_ESH_CREATE_INDEX_SC task list is available for this purpose; use this task list to create the connectors automatically and then index them immediately (Figure 5.19).
Figure 5.19 Search Connector Task List