Make logoff really work for Personas

This blog mentions personas, but the problem and solution is equal to any WebGUI scenario: you can log on, but never leave. Some changes were introduced in later NetWeaber ABAP version, making it impossible to logoff without further configuration that ensures the cookies and session are really deleted. The cause is that by default, the logoff ICF service is not active and the services like personas do not call the logoff service. You can find more information on this in SAP Note 1777513: WebGUI logoff does not work

Symptom

As an example, I’ll use SAP Screen Personas. Keep in mind the same happens when using WebGui. You log on to Personas and see your main menu: https://server:port/sap/bc/personas

Now you log off and hit F5 to reload the page. And you are logged on automatically. Meaning you were never really logged out of the system. What you want and need is to ensure that logout means logout. The following steps show how to achieve this by configuring the personas service to call the logoff service.

Solution

Logoff service

Transaction: SICF

Make sure the logoff service is active. If not, activate the service. This service is responsible for logging you out and deleting the cookies in the browser.

Personas service

Transaction: SICF

Change the personas service (or webgui service, etc).

Check the logoff settings under “Error Pages” > “Logoff Page”. By default there is no redirect activated, meaning that the logoff service is not called. Because of this you are not logged out, the cookies are not deleted.

Change to edit mode. Activate “Redirect to URL” and set as URL /sap/public/bc/icf/logoff.

Parameter: /sap/public/bc/icf/logoff.

Alternative

The above URL will log you out, but you won’t see any nice page that shows this. It may be a error page (404) or a blank page. To redirect the user again to the personas logon page, use the

Parameter: /sap/public/bc/icf/logoff?redirectURL=/sap/bc/personas.

Save.

Add the change to a request.

Done.

Test

Log on to the system via WebGui and then log off. You should see the logon page next time you try to access a service.