# Transport Management in ABAP
Transport management in ABAP is a crucial part of the SAP development lifecycle, allowing you to move changes and custom objects between different systems in your landscape, such as development, quality assurance, and production environments. In this section, we'll explore the SAP transport system and the process of creating and transporting objects.
## SAP Transport System
The SAP transport system is a mechanism for packaging and transporting objects (such as programs, configurations, and custom developments) from one SAP system to another. This system ensures that changes made in development systems are correctly and consistently moved through the landscape to higher-level systems without manual intervention, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies.
Key components of the SAP transport system include:
1. Transport Request: A transport request is a container that holds one or more objects to be transported. It is assigned a unique request number and typically contains objects related to a specific development or project.
2. Transport Directory: The transport directory is a file system directory where transport requests are stored. It usually resides on the operating system level and is accessible to all SAP systems in the landscape.
3. Transport Organizer: The transport organizer is a tool within the SAP GUI that allows you to create, modify, and release transport requests. It helps manage the entire transport process.
4. Transport Routes: Transport routes define the path that a transport request follows from the development system to the production system. They specify the sequence of systems involved in the transport process.
## Creating and Transporting Objects
The process of creating and transporting objects in SAP typically involves the following steps:
1. Development: Developers create or modify objects in the development system. These objects can include ABAP programs, data dictionary objects, custom configurations, and more.
2. Creating a Transport Request:
- Developers create a transport request using the Transport Organizer (transaction `SE01` or `SE09`).
- They add the objects they want to transport to the request.
3. Releasing the Transport Request:
- Once the objects are added to the transport request and have been thoroughly tested and approved, the request is released. This action locks the request, preventing further changes.
4. Import Queue: Transport requests in the development system are part of the import queue. You can view and manage these requests in the Transport Organizer.
5. Export: In the development system, the released transport request is exported. This process packages the objects into a transport file and stores it in the transport directory.
6. Import in the Target System:
- In the target system (e.g., quality assurance or production), administrators or transport coordinators import the transport request.
- The transport request is added to the import queue of the target system.
7. Import Confirmation: The imported objects are confirmed, and administrators can review and adjust any inconsistencies or errors that may occur during the import process.
8. Activation: Once the import is successful, the objects are activated in the target system, making them available for use.
9. Testing: The transported objects are subjected to thorough testing in the target system to ensure they work as expected.
10. Approval: After successful testing, the changes are approved for promotion to the next higher-level system (e.g., from quality assurance to production).
11. Repeat Process: The transport process is repeated for each system in the landscape until the changes reach the production system.
The SAP transport system ensures that changes are systematically moved through the landscape, promoting consistency and reducing the risk of errors. It also allows for version control and rollback options in case of issues in higher-level systems.
In summary, transport management in ABAP is a critical aspect of SAP application development and maintenance. It enables you to maintain control over changes, ensure consistency, and minimize disruptions when deploying updates or custom developments across different SAP systems in your landscape.