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The Sign-Off Table

Lesson 3 of 5

Import queues and sequencing

10 min

When a request is released in CMD, TMS writes an entry into the import buffer of the target system, a file in the transport directory named after that system's ID. STMS reads the buffer and shows it as the import queue. The order in the queue is the order of export. That order is not cosmetic: it is the sequence in which changes were built, and importing in the same sequence is how SAP keeps dependencies intact and stops old versions from overwriting new ones.

  1. Released in CMDRequest exported; entry added to the CMQ buffer
  2. Imported into CMQScheduled Import All in queue order, into client 100
  3. Queued for CMPSuccessful CMQ imports are added to the CMP buffer automatically
  4. ApprovedWith the QA approval procedure, requests stay inactive in the CMP queue until approved
  5. Imported into CMPApproved requests imported in the change window, still in original order
How a request moves through the queues. Each step keeps the original export sequence.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-rel-201

Import all versus single imports

SAP's guidance is to import the complete queue with Import All Requests wherever possible. A full import brings every request in order, so a request never arrives without the objects it depends on and an older object version never lands on top of a newer one. You can also import selected requests (SAP calls this a preliminary or single import), but the training material strongly advises against it because of object dependencies.

Sometimes a single import is unavoidable, for example an urgent production fix. That is why the option Leave Transport Request in Queue for Later Import exists, and why it is the default under the mass-transport strategy. The request is imported now and stays in the queue, so the next full import imports it again at its original position. That protects against the overtaker problem shown below.

  1. MondayRequest A releasedContains version 1 of a pricing routine for fleet customers
  2. TuesdayRequest B releasedContains version 2 of the same routine, the corrected one
  3. WednesdayB imported alone into CMPAn urgent single import: production now runs version 2
  4. SaturdayImport All into CMPA is imported in its turn and brings back version 1, unless B was left in the queue and is imported again after A
The overtaker problem. Leaving the urgent request in the queue makes the full import restore the newest version last.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-rel-201

End marks, schedules and approval

An end mark (in the buffer it is called a stopmark) limits an Import All to the requests before the mark. Closing the queue sets it, which is how Luis enforces a deadline: everything released before Thursday noon goes into this test build, and anything later waits for the next one. After the import the mark is removed and the queue reopens automatically. Imports can also be scheduled as background jobs, and SAP recommends regular planned imports, such as daily or weekly, over frequent on-demand ones.

The QA approval procedure, when active, flags requests in the production queue as inactive until they are approved, potentially in several steps (for example, by the department and then by the request owner). Contoso uses one approval step owned by the test lead: Priya approves a request only when its tests in CMQ client 100 passed. Approval does not change the order; approved requests are still imported in sequence.

Some dependencies are explicit. A request can carry predecessor relationships, and TMS blocks an import that would violate them unless someone chooses Skip predecessor relationships, an expert option that should be rare and documented. Others are implicit: request B uses a dictionary field created in request A. The import queue also shows a version check column that flags requests built on a different software release or support package level than the target system, which matters around upgrades.

Scheduled Import AllMany requests, original order. The safest and most predictable pattern.
Cherry-picked releaseMany requests chosen out of order. Highest risk of missing dependencies and overtakers.
Next request in sequenceOne request, still in order. Low risk.
Urgent single importOne request ahead of others. Acceptable with Leave in Queue and a documented reason.
Import patterns by risk. The further from queue order, the more a test result needs re-proving after the full import.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-rel-201

Contoso's import rhythm

SituationRule Luis applies
Integration test cyclesImport All into CMQ daily at 06:00 with an end mark set at 18:00 the day before; the build number is posted in the test channel
Production releasesWeekly Saturday change window; only approved requests; Import All in order
Emergency fixSingle import with Leave Transport Request in Queue for Later Import, approved by the change advisory board, retested the next morning
Before cutover rehearsals and go-liveTransport freeze: only fixes for blocking defects, each listed by number

A simple import calendar. Predictable imports make test baselines easy to record.

What would you do?

Grace, the PMO lead, asks Luis to import only three of the forty approved requests into CMP this weekend because the business wants an early feature. The other 37 are approved but not urgent. What should Luis do?

Key points
  • The import queue order is the export order; importing in that order protects dependencies and versions.
  • Prefer Import All; use single imports only with Leave Transport Request in Queue for Later Import.
  • End marks freeze the scope of a build; scheduled imports make baselines predictable.
  • The QA approval procedure keeps production requests inactive until approved, without changing their order.
  • Skipping predecessor relationships or cherry-picking requests needs a documented reason and a retest.

Check your understanding · not graded

Lesson check

  1. 1. Why does SAP recommend Import All over importing selected requests?

  2. 2. What does the option Leave Transport Request in Queue for Later Import achieve?

  3. 3. What is an end mark used for?

  4. 4. With the QA approval procedure active, requests in the production queue are: