Quickstart Guide
Updated 2 months ago
by
Stephanie Krenz
In order to make the installation of dab Nexus as smooth as possible for you and your company, it is important that the following tasks are carried out by you, your SAP Basis team and/or your IT team.
You will find the links to the respective articles in the text below the checklist.
This Quickstart Guide contains all necessary (pre)work required for a smooth and successful initial installation and configuration of dab Nexus.
Below you will find a checklist where you can simply tick off the steps once you, your IT team and/or SAP Basis team have completed them. In the Responsibility column, you can also see who is responsible for carrying out the relevant task.
Checklist
Step | Task | Responsibility | Done? |
1 | SAP-System | ||
1.1 | RFC-Module Installation | Customer (SAP-Basis) | ☐ |
1.2 | SAP User Provision | Customer (SAP-Basis) | ☐ |
1.3 | OPTIONAL SNC Configuration | Customer (SAP-Basis) | ☐ |
1.4 | OPTIONAL RFC Function Module Test | Customer | ☐ |
2 | SQL-Server | ||
2.1 | User Assignment | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
2.2 | Creation of the Application Database | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
2.3 | File Group Sizing | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
2.4 | OPTIONAL Installation Machine Learning Servers for R Integration | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
3 | Application Server | ||
3.1 | Preparations | ||
3.1.1 | Server Provision and Access | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
3.1.2 | Network Connections
| Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
3.1.3 | OPTIONAL Procurement of SSL certificates | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
3.1.4 | OPTIONAL Configuration of the AD-Environment for Single Sign-On | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
3.1.5 | OPTIONAL Installation of the SAP SNC Solution | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
3.1.6 | Installation of the RFC libraries | Customer (IT-Team) | ☐ |
3.1.7 | Provision of the Installation Files | Customer | ☐ |
3.2 | Execution | ||
3.2.1 | Installer Execution | dab & Customer | ☐ |
3.2.2 | Initial Configuration | dab & Customer | ☐ |
3.2.3 | Setup for Client Access | dab & Customer | ☐ |
1. SAP-System (provided by you in advance)
The SAP-System is the first important part and at the same time the basis of your future data. All the data that is important to you will later be extracted, analyzed and processed from this SAP-System.
1.1 RFC-Module Installation
Follow these Guidelines to install the RFC function module /DABEXP/RFC_SAPCONNECTOR in your SAP-System.
1.2 SAP User Provision
It must be ensured that the SAP users have the necessary authorizations.
In these instructions (section Permissions) you will find which SAP authorizations must be assigned. You will also find the necessary steps for testing the function module /DABEXP/RFC_SAPCONNECTOR in the Testing section of this guide.
1.3 OPTIONAL - SNC Configuration
If SNC is to be used for securing or authenticating the connection, the corresponding settings must be made on the SAP-System. As there are many different SNC solutions, we cannot provide general instructions here and recommend that you discuss this topic with your SAP team.
You can find further information in the SAP Help Portal: Transport Layer Security on SAP NetWeaver AS for ABAP | SAP Help Portal
1.4 OPTIONAL - RFC Function Module Tester
You can use the dab FunctionModuleTester to check both the connection of the RFC module and whether the installed RFC function module is functional. To do this, follow these instructions.
2. SQL-Server (provided by you in advance)
The SQL-Server is the heart of your dab Nexus installation and fulfills two different functions:
- Application Database: All user settings required for smooth operation are stored in this database
- Process Database(s): These databases will later contain your extracted and processed data
2.1 User Assignment
dab Nexus can log on to the database server using either Windows authentication or SQL-Server authentication. You can use the following rule to help you decide:
- dab Nexus and SQL-Server are on the same Server -> Windows Authentication recommended
- dab Nexus and SQL-Server are on different Servers -> SQL-Server Authentication recommended
You can find more information in this article.
2.2 Creation of the Application Database
This database is for storing the dab Nexus settings.
We recommend assigning the db_owner role to dab Nexus.
If dab Nexus is supposed to automatically create databases for the extracted and analyzed data, the dbcreator role must also be assigned to dab Nexus at server level.
In addition, the following roles can be assigned to dab Nexus at database level:
- db_datareader
- db_datawriter
- db_ddladmin
2.3 File Group Sizing
While we do not need more than approx. 5-10 GB for the application database, the size of the processing database depends heavily on how you use dab Nexus. Therefore, we cannot make any general statements here, but we recommend that you start with 500 GB for the PRIMARY FILEGROUP of your processing database and then estimate the storage requirements after a few analysis runs.
Discuss in advance with your IT Team the need to adjust the memory on the SQL-Server at short notice in order to reduce delays during the test and implementation phase.
Additionally, it is necessary that you increase the memory for the following elements to at least approx. 30% of the size of your PRIMARY FILEGROUP:
- LOG FILE (per Database): Manage transaction log file size - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn
- tempdb (per Database Server): tempdb database - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn
dab Nexus is an on-premise software that is managed and executed on your IT infrastructure. Therefore, clarify any backup and restart strategies with your IT department in advance if your company has corresponding guidelines.
2.4 OPTIONAL - Installation Machine Learning Servers for R Integration
If you want to use the dab:AnalyticSuite for SQL together with Machine Learning Extensions, the corresponding Machine Learning Services must be installed on the SQL-Server.
You can find further instructions here: Requirements - dab Help (dab-europe.com)
3. Application Server
This step is about preparing the application server on which dab Nexus will later run.
3.1 Preparations by you
3.1.1 Server Provision and Access
You must provide the server in advance
To install dab Nexus on the server, you need administration authorizations to be able to install the application
The server on which dab Nexus is going to be installed must fulfill certain requirements. You can find the detailed system requirements here.
In addition to the basic connectivity, make sure that the firewall configuration neither blocks the connection between dab Nexus and the target system nor modifies its data. You can find instructions on how exactly to configure the firewall here.
3.1.2 Network Connections
SAP-System
- The application server must be able to communicate with the SAP-System in order to extract the required data
- Your IT Team must ensure that the SAP-System is accessible from the application server
- The required network ports (TCP) are:
- RFC Application Server 3300 - 3399
- RFC Message Server 3600 - 3699
- RFC SNC Connection 4800 - 4899
- SAProuter 3299
- You can find further information on the SAP Help Portal: TCP/IP Ports of All SAP Products | SAP Help Portal
SQL-Server
- Similar to the SAP-System, the SQL-Server must also be accessible from the application server in order to be able to analyze the extracted data and save it in databases
- Your IT Team must ensure that the connection to the SQL-Server is possible and that databases can be created
- The necessary Network Ports are:
- Default Instance TCP 1433
- If Named Instances or the SQL-Server Browser Service are used UDP 1434
- It may be that the ports differ -> you must clarify this with your IT team
- You can find further information in the Microsoft Documentation: Configure the Windows Firewall to allow SQL Server access - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn
3.1.3 OPTIONAL - Procurement of SSL certificates
In this article you will find all the important information about installing an SSL certificate on the server. We cannot provide any further assistance regarding the issue of SSL certificates, as this topic depends heavily on your IT policy and processes.
3.1.4 OPTIONAL - Configuration of the AD-Environment for Single Sign-On
If you would like to log in to dab Nexus using Single Sign-On (SSO) instead of an email address and password, you can integrate dab Nexus into an existing SSO solution. We support Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) and Active Directory Federation Services. We explain exactly how this works in these instructions.
3.1.5 OPTIONAL - Installation of the SAP SNC Solution
If you need to connect to SAP SNC via RFC, make sure that the SNC solution is installed and configured accordingly in advance. As these solutions are very individual, we cannot provide generally applicable instructions, but we would like to refer you to two frequently used SNC solutions:
- Secure Login for SAP Single Sign-On: Secure Login Client Installation | SAP Help Portal
- SAPCRYPTOLIB: 1848999 - Central Note for CommonCryptoLib 8 (SAPCRYPTOLIB) - SAP for Me
Since, depending on the system landscape, setting up an SNC solution involves a certain degree of complexity, we recommend close coordination between your SAP Basis and IT.
3.1.6 Installation of the RFC libraries
The SAP RFC libraries must be installed on the application server so that you can successfully establish a connection to the SAP-System. We support both Classic RFC (librfc32) and Netweaver RFC.
Even though dab Nexus supports librfc32, this RFC implementation has no longer been officially supported by SAP since 2016 and therefore no longer receives patches.
Both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the RFC libraries are supported. However, we recommend that you use the 64-bit version for increased stability.
You have two options for the installation:
- Installation via SAP GUI: If you install SAP GUI by yourself or your IT and select the features the Unicode RFC Libraries, then the corresponding libraries are automatically installed correctly.
- Manual Installation: You can also download the relevant libraries from the SAP Software Center and install them manually. You can find the corresponding instructions here.
3.1.7 Provision of the Installation Files
Please ensure that the installation package (as a .zip or already unzipped) is available on the application server before installation. You can obtain this in the customer portal.
3.2 Execution (by dab with you)
3.2.1 Installer Execution
While it is possible to install the software yourself, we recommend installing it together with us to avoid common errors and to clarify any questions that may arise quickly and easily.
The execution of the dab Nexus setup requires administrator authorizations on the application server
If an application URL with HTTPS is selected during installation, you must provide an SSL certificate in advance. If this is not the case, the Windows service cannot be started later and dab Nexus cannot be reached.
You can find out exactly how the installation works in this article.
3.2.2 Initial Configuration
Configuration.json is customized here. This means that it is defined how the SQL-Server is accessed (SSO or Windows authentication), which URL and port is used to access the dab Nexus application and whether a certificate is used.
You can find out how to configure this Configuration.json in this article.
The Windows service of dab Nexus will be started.
This is followed by the initial setup of dab Nexus, which includes license activation and the creation of a user.
3.2.3 Setup for Client Access
If the end users are to access dab Nexus via clients, the following precautions must be taken:
- Access to dab Nexus via browser
