Hi Martin,
Business Explorer and BI Integrated Planning in SAP NetWeaver 7.0 require Portal.
In BW 3.5 and 7.X the Integrated planning working with Java stack in new BW 7.3 are working only ABAP stack ( without Java Stack BW 7.3 is working )
The ABAP-based Planning Modeler does not require functionalities from the Java Stack for BEx Analyzer based planning applications.
But SAP has now migrated the IP frontend to a traditional transaction screen within the SAPGUI. The screens are quicker and easier to use, and have no dependency on either a Portal or Java stack.
Planning is very user friendly and performance also improved the BW integrated planning. You can use Tcode RSPLAN in BW 7.3 to build Planning objects within the SAPGUI.