SAPgui

SAPGUI is the GUI client in SAP R/3's 3-tier architecture of database, application server and client. It is software that runs on a Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh or Unix desktop, and allows a user to access SAP functionality in SAP applications such as mySAP ERP and SAP Business Information Warehouse (now called SAP Business Intelligence). It is the platform used for remote access to the SAP central server in a company network.

AP GUI family

* SAP GUI for the Windows environment
* SAP GUI for the Java(TM) environment
* SAP GUI for HTML / Internet Transaction Server (ITS)
** Requires Internet Explorer or Firefox as a browser; other browsers are not officially supported by SAP.

AP GUI for Windows releases

APGUI for Single Sign-on

SAPGUI on Microsoft Windows or Internet Explorer can also be used for single sign-on. There are several portal-based authentication applications for single sign-on. [ [http://secude.com/htm/813/en/White_Paper%3A_Secure_Single_Sign-on_for_SAP.htm Single Sign-on for SAP] ]

Criticism of using SAPGUI for authentication to SAP Server access

SAP is a distributed application, where client software (SAPGUI) installed on a user's workstation is used access the central SAP server remotely over the company's network. Users need to authenticate themselves when accessing SAP. By default, however, SAP uses "unencrypted communication" which allows potential company-internal attackers to get access to usernames and passwords by listening on the network. This can expose the complete SAP system, if person is able to get access to this information for a user with extended authorization in the SAP system. Information about this vulnerability is publicly accessible on the Internet.

AP Secure Network Communications

SAP offers an option to strongly protect communication between clients and servers, called Secure Network Communications (SNC) [ [http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04s/helpdata/EN/0a/0a2e0fef6211d3a6510000e835363f/content.htm SAP on Secure Network Communications] ] . Oddly, not many companies are using this technology even though SNC can be implemented quickly.

ee also

*PCI DSS
*Public key infrastructure
*Single sign-on
*Secure Network Communications
*Smartcard

References

External links

* [ftp://ftp.sap.com/pub/sapgui/ SAPGui Download Links from SAP FTP] No login/registration required.
* [http://www.sapdesignguild.org/resources/r3_history.asp SAP GUI history] . "SAP Design Guild".