Direct Link 8

Direct Link 8

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Direct Link 8 requirements

Compatible SAP systems

Direct Link 8 can be used with the following SAP systems:

 S/4HANA

 all enhancement levels of the following systems, running on all

supported database platforms including SAP HANA:

o SAP ERP 6.0 (ECC 6.0)

o SAP CRM 7.0

o SAP SRM 7.0

o SAP SCM 7.0

o SAP EWM 7.0

Direct Link 8 cannot be used with:

 SAP systems prior to ERP 6.0 (ECC 6.0)

Compatible SAP Basis release

The Direct Link 8 installation package contains two versions of the Direct
Link add-on – 8 and 7.5. The compatible SAP Basis release depends on which
version of the Direct Link add-on is installed on the SAP system:

Direct Link add-on version Compatible SAP Basis release

8 750 or higher

7.5 731 to 740

Subscription entitlement

The SAP connector requires a separate subscription entitlement beyond the

basic ACL Analytics subscription. If you do not have the required subscription
entitlement, you are not able to connect to SAP.

Contact your ACL account representative for information about an SAP

connector subscription.

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Compatible SAP SPAM/SAINT version

For installing Direct Link add-on 8 on SAP S/4HANA systems, the required
version of SAP SPAM/SAINT is 0064 or higher.

SAP SPAM is the Support Package Manager. SAP SAINT is the Add-On
Installation Tool.

Installing SAP GUI for Windows

SAP GUI for Windows 7.40, Compilation 3 (or higher), must be installed on
every computer on which the Direct Link client, version 8, will also be installed.
The SAP GUI allows Direct Link to remotely access your SAP system.

Caution

Do not install Compilation 1 or 2 of SAP GUI 7.40. Direct Link will not work if you
install one of these earlier Compilations.

Additional important installation information

Ensure that you perform all the following tasks associated with
the SAP GUI installation.

Task Description

Installation You must install the SAP GUI before you install
sequence the Direct Link client.

SAP Business In addition to installing SAP GUI, you must also

Explorer install SAP Business Explorer, which is
an SAP GUI add-on component.

Installing SAP Business Explorer automatically

installs SAP NetWeaver RFC library (sapnwrfc.dll),
which is required by the Direct Link client.

.NET Framework SAP Business Explorer requires Microsoft .NET

2.0 Framework 2.0. You can install or enable .NET 2.0 as
part of installing or enabling .NET 3.5.

SAP connection After you install the SAP GUI, you must configure at
information least one connection in the SAP Logon window to
your SAP system.

If no connection information exists, the Direct

Link installation fails with the error message: “Could
not write to SAPNWRFC.INI file”. If you encounter

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Task Description

this error you must configure connection

information and run the Direct Link installer again.

Configuring SAP connection information

Once the SAP GUI is installed, connection information for your SAP system
must be configured in the SAP Logon window.

Typically, an SAP Basis Administrator maintains connection information for an

SAP system. Ask your SAP Basis Administrator to provide the necessary
connection information, or have them configure the required connection
information in the SAP Logon window.

For more information on configuring SAP connection information, see

the SAP GUI Help.

Installing the Direct Link add-on

Note

The following procedure must be completed by your SAP Basis Administrator.

Use the SAP Front End to install the appropriate Direct Link add-on for your
SAP system.

The Direct Link add-ons are packaged as .SAR files, which are bundled with
the Direct Link installation package.

Locate the .SAR files

When you extract the Direct Link installation files, the SAR folder with
the .SAR files is extracted to the same directory as the Direct Link setup.exe file.

The default directory location is:

C:\Program Files (x86)\DirectLinkV802, or C:\Program Files\DirectLinkV802.

Compatible SAP Basis release

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Caution

Before installing or upgrading the Direct Link add-on, make sure the
SAP system is using an appropriate SAP Basis release.

The Direct Link 8 installation package contains two versions of the Direct
Link add-on – 8 and 7.5. The compatible SAP Basis release depends on which
version of the Direct Link add-on is installed on the SAP system:

Direct Link add-on version Compatible SAP Basis release

8 750 or higher

7.5 731 to 740

To confirm which .SAR file you should use for the installation or upgrade,
see The purpose of each .SAR file.

The purpose of each .SAR file

The Direct Link 8 installation package contains four .SAR files. Depending on
your organization's SAP usage, you may use only one of the .SAR files, or you
may use more than one:

 Use Direct Link to connect to a single SAP system choose the

appropriate .SAR file

 Use Direct Link to connect to two or more SAP systems choose the
appropriate SAR file for each SAP system

The Direct Link 8 client can connect to an SAP system on which you have used
any of the .SAR files listed below to install or upgrade to Direct Link add-on 8
or 7.5.

.SAR file name Purpose

DL802_AOI_S4HANA.SAR On an S/4HANA system that has no previous

installation of Direct Link:

o installs Direct Link add-on 8

DL802_AOX_S4HANA.SAR On an SAP system that is being upgraded to

S/4HANA:

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.SAR file name Purpose

o replaces Direct Link add-on 6.0, 6.1, 7.0,

or 7.5 with version 8

DL75_AOI.SAR On a pre-S/4 SAP system that has no

previous installation of Direct Link:

o installs Direct Link add-on 7.5

See Compatible SAP systems

DL75_AOU.SAR On a pre-S/4 SAP system that is being

upgraded to use the SAP NetWeaver RFC
Library:

o upgrades the Direct Link add-on from

version 6.0, 6.1, or 7.0 to version 7.5

SAP port configuration

On each SAP server that you will connect to with Direct Link, you need to open
the following TCP/IP ports for inbound and outbound communication:

Port name Port number Comment

Dispatcher 32<NN> Used by SAP GUI

Gateway 33<NN> Used for RFC communication

Message Server 36<NN>

Note

<NN> is the instance number of your SAP system. So, if the SAP system
number is 10, then ports 3210, 3310 and 3610 need to be open.

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Assigning SAP authorizations

Note

SAP authorizations must be assigned by your SAP Security Administrator.

Direct Link users require the following SAP access and authorizations in order
to connect to your SAP system and extract data:

 An SAP user ID and password that allows them to connect to the SAP
system

 Specific SAP authorization objects and authorizations, including

SAP table authorizations

SAP user type

To connect to your SAP system, Direct Link users must have SAP accounts
configured with either of the following SAP user types:

 Dialog

 Service

Direct Link does not work with SAP accounts configured with any of the
following SAP user types:

 Communication

 System

 Reference

Password update requirement

The password for the SAP Dialog user type must be updated on a regular basis,
whereas the password for the Service user type does not have to be updated.

If you schedule Direct Link extracts and use a generic SAP account to connect,
you should consider using the Service user type to avoid a connection failure
because of an expired password.

SAP authorization objects

Direct Link users require the specific SAP authorizations listed below.
Note

Consult your SAP security documentation for detailed information about

assigning SAP authorizations to users.

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Author
Object ization
class object Field Values Details

Cross- S_RFC ACTV 16 (authorizes Controls a user's

Applica T Execute) ability to execute
tion Authori function modules
Authori zation on the SAP system
zation check RFC_ /ACLDL/DLINK7 from a remote
Objects for RFC NAM location, such as a
access E DDIF_FIELDINFO_
desktop computer.
GET

GET_SYSTEM_TIME
_REMOTE

RFCPING

RFC_GET_FUNCTI
ON_INTERFACE

RFC_ FUGR
TYPE
FUNC

Basis: S_TABU Direct Link users Controls a user's

Admini _DIS should be access to specific
stration assigned groups of SAP
Table authorizations for tables.
mainte those SAP tables
nance they need to To control user
access in order to access at the
perform their individual table
analysis. For level, use the
example, a user S_TABU_NAM
performing a authorization
General Ledger object.
audit needs
authorizations for
S_TABU Controls a user's
the general ledger
_NAM access to
tables.
individual SAP
Table tables.
Note
mainte
nance Your organization's
own business
processes dictate
which users
require table
authorizations,
and what

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Author
Object ization
class object Field Values Details

authorizations
they require.

Work with your

SAP Security
Administrator to
determine the
appropriate level
of access that your
users require.

S_BTCH JOBA RELE (authorizes Controls a user's

_JOB CTIO Release) ability to release
N jobs in background
Backgr mode.
ound
processi JOBG '' Note
ng: ROUP
Operati (a space between If you intend to use
ons on two single SAP load balancing
backgro quotation marks) servers for the
und processing
jobs of Direct
Link background
jobs, you must also
enable
the Batch messag
e type on each
server.

The Batch messag

e type should be
enabled by default
on the main
SAP server where
the Direct
Link add-on is
installed.

S_DATA ACTV 06 (authorizes Controls a user's

SET T Delete) ability to read,
write, and delete
Authori 33 (authorizes files on the
zation Read) underlying

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Author
Object ization
class object Field Values Details

for File 34 (authorizes operating system

Access Write) of the SAP system.

Note
FILEN *
AME If stricter file
security is
required, the
PROG /ACLDL/DL7_DLIN S_DATASET
RAM KBKGD authorization
object can be
/ACLDL/SAPLDLIN configured so that
K7 users are restricted
to accessing only
those files that are
located in
the Direct
Link output folder.

To perform this
configuration,
change the * value
in the FILENAME
field so that it is
preceded by the
path to the Direct
Link output folder.
For
example: C:\Direct
_Link_output\*

S_GUI ACTV 61 (authorizes Controls a user's

T Export) ability to download
Authori data from the SAP
zation system to their
for GUI desktop computer.
activitie
s

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Install the Direct Link client

Note

You must have Administrator rights on the desktop computer or server where
you are installing the Direct Link client.

The procedure below installs the Direct Link client for use
with Analytics or Analytics Exchange.

You use the same procedure to upgrade the Direct Link client from version 6.1
or 7.0 to 8. To upgrade from version 7.5, see Upgrade the Direct Link client.

Note

IT administrators can also install Direct Link silently, without requiring user
interaction. For more information, see Installing the Direct Link client using
silent installation.

Installation steps

Make a backup copy of SAP connection settings

Optional. Make a backup copy of the SAP RFC library file

(saprfc.ini or sapnwrfc.ini), which contains SAP connection settings.

The SAP RFC library file is in the same folder as the Direct Link application file.

Tip

If required, you can copy SAP connection information from the backup .ini file
to the new sapnwrfc.ini file created by the Direct Link installer.

Uninstall older versions of Direct Link

If you are upgrading from Direct Link client version 6.1 or 7.0, uninstall that
version of the software.

If you are upgrading from version 7.5, see Upgrade the Direct Link client.

Download the installer and begin the installation

1. Download the Direct Link installation package (DirectLinkV802.exe) to

the computer or server on which Analytics or Analytics Exchange is
installed.

You download the installation package

from Launchpad (www.highbond.com). Your company’s Analytics account
administrator can also supply other users with the installation package.

2. Close all other Windows applications.

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3. Double-click the installation package.

4. If a security warning dialog box appears, verify the information listed, and
click Yes.

Extract the installation files

1. In the Location to Save Files page, specify the folder where the
installation files will be extracted, and click Next.

You can click Change to select a folder, or accept the default location:

C:\Program Files (x86)\DirectLinkV802 or C:\Program Files\DirectLinkV802

The setup files are extracted to the destination folder you specified. After the
files are extracted the installer starts automatically.

Note

If the installer fails to start automatically for any reason, you can use Windows
Explorer to navigate to the folder where the setup files were extracted and
double-click setup.exe.

2. If you are reinstalling the Direct Link client and the Overwrite
Protection dialog box appears, click Yes to All.

Install prerequisites, if required

If you are prompted to install prerequisites, click Install.

The only prerequisite you may have to install is Microsoft Visual C++. For more
information, see Installation prerequisites.

Perform the main Direct Link installation

1. In the Welcome page, click Next.

2. In the License Agreement page, select I accept the terms in the

license agreement and click Next.

3. In the Destination Folder page, accept the default location where

the Direct Link client will be installed and click Next.

The default location is:

C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\ACL Software\DirectLink\ or

C:\ProgramFiles\ACL Software\Direct Link\

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If necessary, click Change to modify the installation location.

1. If the Location of SAP Logon configuration file page appears, do

the following:

2. Click Change and navigate to the location of the folder

containing SAPUILandscape.xml or saplogon.ini.

3. Select the folder and click OK.

4. Click Next.

Note

You cannot install Direct Link if you do not have an SAP configuration file
already installed as part of the SAP GUI.

5. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.

The Direct Link client is installed, or upgraded.

6. When the installation process completes, click Finish.

The prompt You must restart your system appears.

7. Click Yes to automatically restart your computer right away, or click No if

you want to manually restart your computer later.

Caution

Do not ignore the message to restart your computer.

If you do not restart your computer, Direct Link may not function correctly.

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