Lesson 2 of 5
Transport nodes and routes
8 min
A CTMS landscape is a set of transport nodes connected by transport routes. A node is a logical representation of a source or target endpoint, for example the Cloud Foundry space where the fleet order status app runs in cmc-ext-test. A route connects a source node to a target node, so that anything exported from or imported into the source is queued for the target. The landscape can be linear, like Contoso's, or more complex, such as a star where one development node feeds several targets.
- CMC_DEV nodeSource node. Allow Upload to Node selected so exports can arrive. No deployment destination.
- Route DEV to TESTRequests exported to CMC_DEV are queued for CMC_TEST
- CMC_TEST nodeContent type Multitarget Application; destination to the deploy service of the test space; forward mode Manual
- Route TEST to PRODRequests forwarded from CMC_TEST are queued for CMC_PROD
- CMC_PROD nodeContent type Multitarget Application; destination to the deploy service of the production space
Node settings that matter
| Setting | What it does | Contoso's practice |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Upload to Node | Lets files be added to the node, from local file systems or by API calls from external tools; without it, uploads are refused | Selected on CMC_DEV only |
| Content Type | What the node deploys, for example Multitarget Application, BTP ABAP or Application Content | Multitarget Application on test and production nodes |
| Destination | The target endpoint, such as a deployment service, that performs the import | One destination per target node, pointing to its own subaccount and space |
| Forward Mode | When requests move on to follow-on nodes | Manual on CMC_TEST |
| Virtual Node | A node with no physical endpoint; imports are marked Skipped | Not used |
| Controlled by SAP Solution Manager | For nodes driven by Solution Manager change control; manual imports are blocked | Not used; Contoso orchestrates with SAP Cloud ALM |
Key transport node settings. Your node names and destinations will differ.
Forward modes
Forward mode decides when a request moves from one node's queue to the next. It is the single setting with the biggest effect on test control, so it deserves care.
| Forward mode | When requests are forwarded | Forwarded if import fails? | Fits when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Import (default) | As the first step when an import starts in this node, before importing here | Yes, they were forwarded before the import | The follow-on node is imported deliberately and never automatically |
| Post-Import | After import into this node, regardless of result | Yes | Speed matters more than gating |
| On Success | After a successful import here (Succeeded, Warning or Skipped) | No | You want technical success before the next queue fills |
| Manual | Only when someone chooses Forward in the import queue | No | Forwarding is a test sign-off step |
The default deserves a warning. With Pre-Import, a request lands in the production queue the moment its import into test starts, before anyone has tested it. That is fine if production imports are always started by a person who checks the evidence. It is dangerous if production has a scheduled or automatic import, because untested content can then reach production on the next run. Contoso chose Manual on the test node: Priya's test sign-off is the trigger for forwarding, and the production queue only ever contains tested requests.
- Does the next node have scheduled or automatic imports?Yes → avoid Pre-Import and Post-Import; use On Success or Manual · No → continue
- Must a test sign-off happen before anything is queued for the next node?Yes → Manual · No → continue
- Is technical success enough to queue for the next node?Yes → On Success · No → Manual
Two other features help as landscapes grow. Nodes can be grouped by tags in the landscape visualization, which keeps dozens of nodes readable. And a transport landscape wizard creates common landscape shapes in one go, after which you adjust node settings. A virtual node, with no physical target, is useful as a placeholder or as a branching point; imports there are always marked Skipped, which counts as success.
What would you do?
Luis finds a request in the CMC_PROD import queue that Priya's team never tested. The CMC_TEST node uses the default forward mode, and a colleague had set up a nightly scheduled import on CMC_PROD. What should Luis change?
- Transport nodes represent endpoints; transport routes connect them into a landscape.
- Allow Upload to Node is needed on the node that receives exports or uploads.
- Target nodes need a content type and a destination to the deployment endpoint.
- Forward modes: Pre-Import (default), Post-Import, On Success, Manual.
- Never combine Pre-Import forwarding with automatic imports into production.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What is the default forward mode for a transport node?
2. With Pre-Import, when are requests forwarded to the next node?
3. Which setting must be selected on a node so that external tools can upload files to it?
4. Which forward mode makes forwarding an explicit sign-off step?