A single sign on environment does not need to just use logon cookies.
User mapping can also be used to provide a framework where a user authenticates once to the SAP NetWeaver Portal and can then access their business applications without needing to reauthenticate to the applications.
In simple terms, user mapping means that a user stores their credentials to access a business system securely in the portal, where they can be recovered to access that business system.
User mapping is setup by setting appropriate values in the system definition for the business system in the portal system landscape. User mapping can be configured so that the credentials can be maintained by:
*the end user themselves,
*someone with administrator access, or
*both.
When an administrator sets up user mapping, then can do it for:
*one or more specific user,
*one or more groups of users,
*one or more roles, or
*a combination of the above.
When entering passwords in the credentials, ensure any case sensitivity is followed. So, if usernames or passwords are case sensitive in the business system, make sure they are entered this way during the user mapping.
It is worth noting that some of the later versions of the SAP Web AS ABAP may be set up to have case sensitive passwords.