2259199 - SAP HANA Rules Framework 1.0 SPS07 Release Note

Symptom

This is the SAP release note for SAP HANA Rules Framework 1.0 SPS07 (1.007).

Other Terms

SAP HANA rules framework; HRF; release note; SPS07

Reason and Prerequisites

You are installing SAP HANA rules framework 1.0 SPS07 add-on on top of SAP HANA platform.

Solution

Solution Highlights
SAP HANA rules framework (HRF) is a set of tools and services that empowers application developers to easily embed decision management into solutions and processes, and empowers business users to define and manage decisions in dynamic scenarios.
Minimal Revisions Requirements of SAP HANA for SAP HRF 1.0 SP07:

• SAP HRF 1.0 SP07 without SAP HRF modeling tools:
  • SAP HANA SPS 10 rev. 102.3
  • SAP HANA SPS 11 rev. 110
• SAP HRF 1.0 SP07 with SAP HRF modeling tools:
  • SAP HANA SPS 11 rev. 110

Documentation:
Documentation for SAP HANA Rules Framework 1.0 SPS 07 can be found on SAP Service Marketplace at http://service.sap.com/~form/sapnet?_SHORTKEY=00200797470000103845.
Documentation correction:
When deploying the SAP HRF modeling tools, use the "http://<hostname>:80<instance_number>/sap/hrf/" repository path instead of "http://<hostname>:80<instance_number>/sap/hrf/updatesite" as documented in the topic "Deploying the SAP HANA Rules Framework Modeling Tools (Optional)" in the SAP HANA Rules Framework - Installation & Upgrade Guide.
Installation and Upgrade Information:
For instructions, refer to the SAP HANA Rules Framework - Installation and Upgrade Guide: https://service.sap.com/~sapidb/012002523100001842442016E
Important notes for fresh-installation customers:

• Before executing the provided post-installation configuration script as described in "Configuring SAP HANA Rules Framework" in the SAP HANA Rules Framework - Installation and Upgrade Guide, you must first manually enable the HRF runtime plug-in. For instructions, see "Appendix: Enabling the Runtime Plug-In of SAP HANA Rules Framework" in the SAP HANA Rules Framework - Installation and Upgrade Guide.

Important notes for upgrade customers:

• You must use the hdbalm command line tool to deploy the SAP HRF software component. For more information, see "Deploying the SAP HANA Rules Framework Software Component" in the SAP HANA Rules Framework - Installation and Upgrade Guide.
• As a result of the new user authorization mechanism provided in SAP HANA Rules Framework 1.0 SPS 07, when upgrading from a previous support package stack to this release, you must complete the following actions to ensure compatibility with this release:
• When you are building a custom app integrating HRF without utilizing an application technical user, or when you are using SAP HRF standalone web application:
1. In SAP HANA studio, create a technical user with the name "HRF_TECH_USER".
2. Run the automated configuration script as described in "Configuring SAP HANA Rules Framework" in the SAP HANA Rules Framework - Installation and Upgrade Guide.
3. If you are consuming rule services via REST, XSJS Lib function call, or the SAP HRF web application, the HRF_TECH_USER must be granted the following:
• "execute" and/or "select" privileges on the application runtime schema
• "select" privilege on the schema where the data is located.
4. You must update the existing permissions of business users that perform editing tasks (create, update, or delete) to the various HRF resources so that they include the necessary privileges that permit the required CUD operations. Permissions can be granted as follows:
• If you are building a custom application by integrating HRF or using the SAP HRF modeling tools, assign explicit application privileges, as described in "User Administration and Authorization" in the SAP HANA Rules Framework Security Guide.
• If you are using the SAP HRF standalone web application, assign the shipped HRF roles, as described in "Shipped Roles for the SAP HRF Web Application "in the SAP HANA Rules Framework Security Guide.
• When your application consumes HRF service with an application technical user:
1. Grant the following to the application technical user:
• "sap.hrf::AllPrivilegesForTechnicalUser" application privilege
• "sap.hrf.role.model::HRF_TECH_ROLE" role
2. To enable rule service consumption, grant the following to the application technical user:
• "execute" and/or "select" privilege on the application runtime schema
• "select" privilege on the schema where the data is located

• As of this release, the generated-HRF roles are no longer needed.
• As of this release, a different UI library declaration is recommended, which improves overall performance. For more information, see "Prerequisites: Rule Builder UI Control" in the SAP HANA Rules Framework - Development and Implementation Guide.
• If you made custom changes directly in the .xsaccess file prior to the upgrade, you need to reconfigure those changes, since the .xsaccess file is overwritten whenever the delivery unit of SAP HANA rules framework is redeployed.

Known Limitations:

• SAP HRF modeling tools: A value list cannot be updated if it is already consumed by an active rule.
• Value lists with many entries (1000+) should be avoided due to performance issues.

New Features in the SAP HRF 1.0 SPS 07 Release:
These are the main highlights of this release:
1. New user management and authorization mechanism:
User management for SAP HANA rules framework (HRF) is now based on a set of application privileges, which provide a unique level of access to various functions within SAP HANA rules framework, such as view-only or editing capabilities for rules.
This new mechanism leverages the common SAP practice of using a technical user to access SAP HANA database artifacts. Based on this concept, business users can only access services that are protected by application privileges -- the services check whether the user is allowed to perform the task from business perspective, and if so, the request is delegated to the technical user, which has the required technical privileges. As a result, business users have no direct access to the database tables.
2. 'current' now generated as a part of a term in the rule expression language (REL):  
'current' (as indication for the data object in context of the rule, and used in cases to filter the data object as a collection) is now generated as a part of a term in the HRF rule expression language. Syntax: <attribute> of the current <data object>
For example, instead of annual_income of the customer >= average of annual_income of all customers where country = current country of the customer, the syntax is now annual_income of the customer >= average of annual_income of all customers where country = country of current customer.
3. Value-list based rules are no longer description-dependent: As of this release, using an expression that is based on a value-description list allows the following:

• Upon activation of the rule, the rule becomes self-maintained. In other words, values in the description column can be updated in the master data tables/views at any time. Note that the values in the value column cannot be updated once the value-description list is consumed by an activated rule.
• Viewing/editing such rules will always provide the current description as appears in the target view/table of the value list, regardless of the description given at the time of the activation.

An exception is with expressions that contain string-dependent operators (contains is like, starts/ends with), since these string operators work on the value's description directly, and not on the key value of each description.
For further details and to read about additional changes that may require further action from you, especially if you are performing an upgrade, make sure you also review the "Documentation History" topics in each of the SAP HRF guides.

Header Data

Released On	28.01.2016 12:50:36
Release Status	Released for Customer
Component	HAN-AS-RUL SAP HANA Rules Framework
Priority	Recommendations / Additional Info
Category	Upgrade information