How to Install MiniSAP 6.20 Web Application Server

Jimbo's picture
Submitted by Jimbo on Sun, 04/08/2012 - 02:07

A lack of any access to SAP's ABAP development environment is too often a hurdle for aspiring developers. SAP provides a free, scaled-down versions of it's flagship product for use as a teaching tool. The easiest way to obtain a copy is by purchasing a copy of The Official ABAP Reference, a book from SAP. The development system is included on CDs for training purposes. Additionally, it can be obtained by downloading it from the internet in a variety of places. It is hosted on SAP's website and on many other websites. It may be available from peer-to-peer sharing networks. A simple google search is a great place to start looking for a copy.

A great place to start is in notepad. Open the services file and remark out any entries for port 3600; it is a simple text file without the TXT extension. For Windows XP the location of the services file is in the c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\ and for Windows 2000 it is in c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\. If SAPGui is already installed on the computer then this port may already be specified in the services file and the installation will fail if this step is skipped. Don't worry if the installation fails due to the port 3600 issue; the installation will resume and complete as normal if the correction is made and the resume_setup.bat is launched, but it is best to avoid having to resume the installation, so be sure that any port 3600 entries are remarked out of the services file.

Insert the first CD. A web page will launch in the default browser which explains what the product is and what the system requirements are. If the page doesn't launch automatically, look for the "Web_AS_demo.htm" file on the CD. It gives some overview of how to install the product, but ultimately says little more than to run the setup.bat file in the root of the first CD. For the sake of brevity we will skip to the setup.bat step.

This window will remain unchanging on the screen while copying the installation software from the CD to a temporary location on the local hard drive.

Eventually the installation program will appear. Click the Next button and the software will prompt for the location of the "Kernel CD" and may propose Z: as the source drive. Just leave the first CD in the drive. Be sure to select the correct CD drive letter and then click Next.

After a time the software will prompt for the DATA1 CD and may propose the Y: drive as the source. Remove the first CD and insert the second CD. Be sure the correct CD drive is selected before pressing Next.

After a time the software will prompt for the DATA2 CD and may propose the X: drive as the source. Remove the second CD and insert the third CD. Be sure the correct CD drive is selected before pressing Next.

After a short time the software will prompt for the KERNEL CD again. Remove the third CD and insert the first CD. Be sure the correct CD drive is selected before pressing Next.

In a short time the installer will finish and look like this. Click Exit and remove the KERNEL CD. The installation is finished.

Start the local SAP server by clicking Start→All Programs→Mini SAP Web Application Server→Start SAP ABAP Engine. The software will appear on the screen and look like a DOS Prompt. Minimize it and leave it in the task bar. At the end of the day shut down the local SAP server by closing this window.

Install the SAPGui client from the CD located in the \MINIGUI folder or perform a google search to find a more recent version.

Once the SAPGui client is installed on the local system it can be configured easily to access the freshly installed MiniSAP system. Launch the SAPGui client and create a new entry like this one.

After saving the new connection in the SAPGui client, launch the connection and a screen very similar to this one should appear. It has the usernames and the passwords right on the welcome screen to eliminate any confusion.

This version of MiniSAP comes with LSMW installed and can be used for training and experimentation. There are very few tables and even fewer transactions to experiment with; the system comes with no infrastructure for master data.

Note: The MiniSAP server is installed with a license that expires after 30 days. Be sure to implement one of these solutions so that the software doesn't stop working after a month.