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The Sign-Off Table

Lesson 3 of 5

Connected SIT

9 min

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Connected system integration testing (SIT) runs interfaces across real systems: Contoso's S/4HANA quality system CMQ, the middleware test system (PO XQ1 for the conversion go-live, the Integration Suite test tenant and Cloud Connector for migrated interfaces), and the partners' own test systems. It is the only level that proves real routes, certificates, partner processing and acknowledgments. It is also the most expensive level to run, because it depends on other companies' calendars, environments and data.

Map the environments

InterfaceContoso sideMiddlewarePartner sideAvailability
Supplier ordersCMQ client 100XQ1 at go-live; test tenant SFTP flow from Wave 1Lakeside test intakeWeekdays, 08:00 to 16:00 Eastern
Customer ordersCMQ client 100XQ1 AS2 channel at go-live; test tenant from Wave 2Great Lakes Fleet Services test EDITwo agreed test weeks per cycle
Bank paymentsCMQ client 100XQ1 at go-live; test tenant PGP and SFTP flow after its waveBank's test gatewayBooked slots only, five days' notice
Carrier labelsCMQ client 100XQ1 at go-live; test tenant REST flow after its waveCarrier sandbox APIAlways on, rate limited
Contoso's connected SIT environment map. Partner availability is a planning constraint, not a detail.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-302

Partners often have limited test availability: booked slots, short windows, shared test systems that other customers use too. Late coordination is one of the most common reasons connected SIT slips. Priya contacts every partner at test planning with the interfaces, dates, data needs and contacts, and books the windows into the test calendar like any other dependency.

Align the test data

Connected tests fail on data more than on code. Both sides must know the same keys: Contoso's supplier number for Lakeside, Lakeside's customer number for Contoso, the cross-reference from CMC-RTR-200 to Lakeside's part number, the ship-to codes for plants 1710 and 1720. Build a shared test data sheet per partner, agree it before the window opens, and check it in both systems on day one. Real partner data in test systems also needs the same privacy care as any other copy of production data.

The shared test data sheet for Lakeside: every key Contoso sends must exist on Lakeside's side, and the reverse, before the window opens.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-302

Entry criteria

  1. Mapping and contract tests passed for the interface's current version.
  2. Interface tests to a stub passed, including error paths.
  3. Connectivity tests passed in the test tenant: host, certificate, credentials, Cloud Connector route.
  4. Partner confirmed ready: test system available, contacts named, shared test data loaded.
  5. Test cases, expected results and evidence rules agreed with the partner.
  6. Defect process agreed across companies: where defects are logged, who triages, response times.
  1. 6 weeks beforePartner kickoffInterfaces, windows, contacts and data needs agreed with Lakeside.
  2. 3 weeks beforeData and certificatesShared test data sheet loaded on both sides; test certificates exchanged.
  3. 1 week beforeEntry checkConnectivity tests, stub tests and contract tests confirmed green.
  4. WindowConnected executionHappy paths, error paths and acknowledgments; daily joint triage call.
  5. AfterEvidence and retestResults signed by both sides; retest slot booked for open defects.
Planning one partner's connected SIT window.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-302

During the window

Run a short daily triage call with the partner while the window is open. For each failure, record the message identifiers on both sides and agree where the defect sits before anyone fixes anything. Cross-company defects stall when each side waits for the other to prove it is not theirs; shared identifiers and monitor evidence end that quickly. Book a retest slot before the window closes, because the next free slot may be weeks away.

Joint triage ends the blame loop: both sides bring message identifiers and monitor evidence, and agree where the defect sits before anyone fixes it.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-int-302

What would you do?

Three days into Great Lakes Fleet Services' two-week test window, half of the inbound orders fail in CMQ because the customer's ship-to codes do not exist in client 100. Maria asks what went wrong in planning. What is the most accurate answer?

Key points
  • Connected SIT proves real routes, security, partner processing and acknowledgments.
  • Map environments and partner availability early; book windows as dependencies.
  • Agree a shared test data sheet per partner and check it in both systems.
  • Use entry criteria, daily joint triage with shared message IDs, and pre-booked retests.

Check your understanding · not graded

Lesson check

  1. 1. Why coordinate partner test windows early?

  2. 2. Which is a sound entry criterion for connected SIT?

  3. 3. What ends cross-company defect stalemates fastest?

  4. 4. Why book the retest slot before the partner window closes?