Configuring Extended Transport Control

Using SAP standard transport control, it is not possible to transport a transport request from one development system to multiple quality assurance systems in an easy way. The reason for that is that it is not possible to create two consolidation routes with the same transport layer from one and the same SAP system. As every repository object is assigned (via a package) to a certain transport layer, it follows that a transport request seems to have only one target system.

The solution for the problem stated above is to create a transport target group , which may lead to one or more SAP systems. Transport target groups can serve as transport targets from consolidations and deliveries for simultaneously servicing different SAP systems and/or clients.

To create a transport target group, use the menu path Overview → Transport Routes in transaction STMS and from there (in change mode) choose the menu path Edit → Transport Target Group → Create.

When a transport request, which has a transport target group as target, is released, it will fill the import queue(s) of all SAP systems in this transport target group. In the figure above, all released transport requests that contain objects pointing to the transport layer ZDEV are ready for import into both the QA1 system and the QA2 system.

Because some SAP system landscapes contain multiple clients in the development and quality assurance systems, it is a challenge for the transport administrator to maintain consistent (client-specific) customizing across the landscape. Different SAP systems and different clients within an SAP system may need to receive changes at different times, depending on quality assurance approval and acceptance procedures. Communication errors between customizing project leaders and transport administrators can inadvertently cause inconsistencies in the configuration settings of certain clients.

Because the majority of customizing is client-specific, during the scheduling of an import process, the import scheduler prompts the transport administrator for a target client. The administrator would need to manually schedule the imports for the different clients, possibly based on instructions from customizing project leaders, and would also have to keep track of which transport requests have and have not been imported into which clients.

TMS offers the Extended Transport Control (also known as Client Transport Control (CTC)), enables you to define client-dependent transport routes (consolidation, delivery), transport target groups and the assignment of clients to transport layers. where the administrator can automate the process by:

• Client-specific transport target groups
• Client-specific consolidation routes
• Client-specific delivery routes.

Client-specific transport targets

The transport targets of consolidation and delivery routes do not just specify an SAP system, they also specify a client. Client-specific transport targets are entered in the form: <SID>.<client> (for example, S4Q.100). Transport target groups combine several client-specific transport targets under a symbolic name. You can specify transport target groups when you define consolidation routes or delivery routes. To differentiate them from traditional transport targets, transport target groups must start and end their names with "/" (for example,/TTG01/ ).

Note

In the context of cross-client transport routes, transport target groups have already been discussed in the previous subsection. The concept of transport target groups and client-specific transport routes can easily be combined.

Client-specific consolidation routes

For each transport layer, the consolidation routes determine where changes made in the SAP system are transported to after the transport request has been released. If you have activated extended transport control, then the transport target can be a specific client in a target system or a transport target group. If you do not activate extended transport control, the transport administrator has to specify the correct target client at the time of import.

Client-Specific Delivery Routes

Delivery routes determine whether transport requests are to be flagged for import into subsequent SAP systems/clients, after they have been imported into an SAP system. If you have activated extended transport control, then you can set the delivery routes as client-specific. This makes it possible to supply several clients in one SAP system in sequence. You can also specify a target group as the target of a delivery route.

In the figure, objects pointing to the transport layer ZS4D will be imported (using transport target group /S4Q/) into S4Q client 100, and S4D client 200 (golden client), and S4D client 300 (client for functional tests).

After QA approval in the S4Q system (client 100), the objects are forwarded to S4P client 100, and TRN client 100.

After QA approval in the S4P system (client 100), the objects are forwarded to PRD client 100.

Extended transport control makes daily transport tasks easier and increases security. Extended transport control also reduces the need for communication between project leaders and SAP system administrators, because the transport routes can now be configured completely. No additional details about the target client need to be given at the time of import.

To take advantage of this function, in the transport program profile, you must set the tp parameter CTC (Client Transport Control) to TRUE (value of 1). The default value is FALSE (value of 0), which deactivates the extended transport control.

The standard transport layer (default: Z<SID>) determines the default transport target of the transport requests. When you use extended transport control, you can set a different standard transport layer for individual clients in the SAP system. This means that you can forward customizing requests from different clients to different transport targets. The client-specific standard transport layer is also the default transport layer for new packages that have been created in a client. If you accept this default, then the cross-client objects that have been created in cross-client customizing are transported along the same route as the corresponding client-specific customizing.

Usually all the SAP systems in a transport domain share the same common transport directory. There are situations, however, in which separate transport directories are set up for different parts of the same domain.

Multiple transport directories are used, for example, when:

• An SAP system is connected to the domain through a slow or expensive network connection.
• Strict security measures prevent allowing direct file system access from other SAP systems.
• Dissimilar hardware platforms prevent the use of a common transport directory.

Within a transport domain, SAP systems that share a common transport directory form a transport group. The TMS supports transports between transport groups. The following figure outlines the procedure on how to transport requests between different transport groups.

After a transport request has been released from DEV, the request is marked for import into the target system. Be aware that this happens in the transport directory of the DEV system (step 1). If the source and target systems are in different transport groups, however, the import queue of the target system must be adjusted from the Import Queue screen in the target system group choosing Extras → Other Requests → Find in Other Groups (this corresponds to step 2 in the figure above). TMS searches for requests for the selected SAP system in the import buffers (on file system level) of all transport groups in the transport domain, and (depending on the selected options) transfers the data files and cofiles belonging to the transport requests (step 3). Before the transfer of the data file, the transport request is marked in the import queue with a "lightning" icon that disappears after adjusting the import queue of the target system.

If you have configured multiple transport domains and want to perform transports between SAP systems in different domains, you can use domain links to link the two domains or external SAP systems to transport between different transport domains. A domain link enables transparent access to all linked SAP systems, display of import queues in all SAP systems and configuration of transport routes between SAP systems in different domains.

• Domain link (needs a permanent network connection)
• External systems

For a domain link, there must be a permanent network connection between the SAP systems in the two domains, similar to the connection between SAP systems within the same transport domain.

Linking two transport domains with a domain link involves two steps:

1. One transport domain controller has to request a link between the two transport domains.
2. The transport domain controller of the other transport domain has to confirm the link between the two transport domains.

To request a transport domain link, enter the System Overview area in transaction STMS. Here, choose the menu path SAP System → Create → Domain Link. Enter the SAP system name, host name, and instance number of the transport domain controller you want to link to, and then confirm your entries. The SAP system generates the required RFC destinations automatically and sends the address data of the local transport domain controller to the transport domain controller of the other transport domain.

To confirm a link between two transport domains, enter the System Overview area in transaction STMS. Position the cursor on the line for the transport domain controller system where you have requested the domain link and choose SAP System → Approve from the menu. Confirm the prompt and distribute the configuration.

After you have established a domain link:

• You can perform transports between SAP systems in different transport domains in the same way as you make transports between SAP systems in different transport groups; RFC is used to transfer transport files between the transport directories involved.
• You can display transport logs of SAP systems in the other transport domain.

If you can't operate a permanent RFC connection between SAP systems in the two transport domains, you can use external systems to perform transports between the two domains.

External systems are like virtual systems. However, for this type of SAP system, a separate transport directory is also defined. This directory can either be located on a disk partition that can be accessed by an SAP system in the other domain, or it is on a replaceable data medium, for example a DVD, memory stick or portable hard disk.

The idea behind external systems is to reduce the problem of transporting between different transport domains by transporting between different transport groups in the same transport domain.

In the figure above, you want to transport between the SAP systems DE1 in transport domain A and DE2 in transport domain B. In transport domain A, you create an external system called DE2 (pointing to the transport directory Transport Directory ext). In transport domain B, you create an external system called DE1 (pointing to the transport directory Transport Directory ext as well). In addition, in both transport domains you need to define a transport route between these two SAP systems. You must also configure the host of the SAP system DE1 so that it can access the directory Transport Directory ext. In the same way, the SAP system DE2 in transport domain B must be able to access the directory Transport Directory ext.

After you export a transport request from DE1 to Transport Directory 1, you perform a transport between transport groups in transport domain A. As a result, data files, cofiles and the buffer entries for system DE2 exist in Transport Directory ext. Next, you perform a transport between transport groups in transport domain B so that all necessary data is sent to the transport directory Transport Directory 2. Then you can perform the import into DE2.

To configure an external system, log on to the SAP system that is the transport domain controller and call transaction STMS. In the System Overview area, choose the menu path SAP System → Create → External System. Enter the System ID (together with a Description) and the Path and a Description of the transport directory. You also need both to enter the communication system. The transport domain controller is proposed as the communication system. Save your entries and confirm the prompt for the distribution / activation of the changes.