In SAP B2B Integration projects, integration flows (iFlows) are core artifacts that define how messages are processed, routed, transformed, and communicated between systems and business partners. These integration flows, developed and tested in development environments, need to be reliably moved—or transported—across landscapes to quality assurance (QA), pre-production, and production systems.
Properly managing the transport of integration flows is critical to ensure consistency, avoid errors, and maintain smooth operations in SAP Process Orchestration (PO), SAP Cloud Platform Integration (CPI), and other SAP integration platforms.
Integration flows are executable processes that orchestrate communication and data exchange between applications. They include mappings, communication channels, endpoints, routing conditions, adapters, and error handling configurations.
In SAP B2B integration, integration flows manage electronic data interchange (EDI), API communications, file transfers, and more.
In SAP PO, integration flows are part of Integrated Configuration (ICO) and Enterprise Services Repository (ESR) objects. Transport involves:
In SAP CPI (a cloud-based integration platform), transporting iFlows differs:
.zip files and import them into another CPI tenant (e.g., QA or PROD).Group related artifacts (mappings, communication channels, value mappings) logically to ensure completeness.
In SAP PO, define transport layers and routes in TMS to control which systems receive transports and in what order.
Maintain clear documentation on transport contents, purpose, and approvals for audit and troubleshooting.
Always test imported integration flows in QA and staging systems before promoting to production.
In CPI, automate export/import via APIs or scripts to reduce manual effort and errors.
Check adapter connectivity, message processing logs, and system alerts post-deployment to ensure smooth operation.
| Challenge | Solution |
|---|---|
| Missing dependent artifacts | Include all related objects in transport requests or packages. |
| Configuration differences across systems | Use parameterization and environment-specific configurations. |
| Manual transport in CPI leading to errors | Adopt automation scripts or CI/CD pipelines. |
| Version conflicts or overwrites | Use version control and clear change management processes. |
Transporting integration flows is a fundamental process in SAP B2B integration that ensures integration logic moves safely and consistently through the system landscape. Whether using SAP PO with traditional transports or CPI with export/import packages, following best practices around packaging, automation, testing, and monitoring helps achieve reliable and scalable B2B integrations.
Understanding transport mechanisms and applying rigorous change management accelerates integration deployments while minimizing risks, enabling seamless partner collaboration and business continuity.