Transporting PI objects with NWDS (using CTS+) for Beginners
For beginners in PI, it’s always been a challenge to get to know the PI objects transport mechanism. This drove me to write a simple blog for beginners to get to know how to attach PI developments to transports.
Note: PI version being used is 7.31 with IFLOWS and CTS+ as transport strategy
1. Open NWDS process integration perspective and open CTS Organizer as shown below
2. Provide the logon information
3. Let us start by creating a transport request
4. Give the description and check “Preselect Request”
5. First we will get the ESR developments assigned to this request. Open ESR, select the development namespace, right click and select Export
6. Make sure the mode is selected as “Transport Using CTS” and then click continue. If this option is not appearing report to BASIS
7. In this screen select the namespace (all objects under this namespace will be transported). Click continue
8. In this screen the request we created should automatically appear since we preselected this request. Click on continue
9. All objects transported will be shown in this screen and click on finish to complete the export of ESR objects. Please do remember to attach any dependent objects also to this request by following the same process as above
10. Next, let us attach the IFLOW to the request. Navigate to the Export PI objects screen as shown below
11. Select transport type as CTS+ and Object type as Integration Flows. Click on next
12. Select the integration flow that needs to be assigned to transport
13. In this screen, all objects of the integration flow are shown. If any of the common components used across integration flows are already transported as per-requisite transport, please unselect them now. Click on next
14. Give the Export Description and click on finish to complete the export
15. All exports will be shown under the Object List tab of the transport request
16. Once the above process is done, please release the transport from CTS Organizer and inform BASIS to import to the target system. (Before importing to target system make sure the PI administrator would have maintained the required transport system targets in SLD)
17. Once we log in to the target system we can see that ESR objects are automatically activated and integration flow will be in the change list. We need to update the channel properties and activate
Very informative blog. Really helpful. Thanks for the blog Sreedhar!
Thanks!
Hello Sreedhar,
great blog post, thanks! Do you have further information how to enable cts+ in NWDS? Basis configure CTS+ for PO but we do not see the option in NWDS.
Regards,
Markus
Markus,
As of now I see this option only for "Process Integration" perspectives. I doubt it is supported for all others.
Thanks,
Sreedhar
Sreedhar,
it's a very informative blog!
My transported iFlow uses an Integrated Configuration.
Let me ask if you have any idea, how to transport the linkage between ICO and iFlow?
If I transport the iFlow from NWDS, it "lost" its link to the ICO object in the Swing Tool.
Thanks in advance for any ideas!
Kind regards,
Andras
Andras,
If we transport IFLOW all objects assosiated with it (channels, ICOs) will be transferred and the link will be retained, Can you please cross check all your configurations?
Thanks,
Sreedhar
Sreedhar,
I see your point. Indeed, all the related objects are present (channels, ICO, etc.) after transporting, the only thing which I'm still missing is the linkage of iFlow object to the used ICO.
If you open the iFlow in the SWING tool, it remains empty not showing any used ICO (although it is there in the same integartion scenario).
Maybe you faced this issue already...
Thanks in advnace!
Andras
Andras,
We never faced this issue. My suggestion is to re-deploy the iflow in QA through NWDS and check once.
Thanks,
Sreedhar
Hi Sreedhar,
Good Evening!
Fantabulous blog! Keep up the good work!
Thank you for sharing! Keep sharing more PI Technical stuff!
All the best!
Regards,
Hari Suseelan
Nice one.
Divyesh
Hi Sreedhar
Can't we export the ESR obecjts from NWDS ?
I don't see any options in NWDS for exporting ESR objects
Hi Indrajit,
this is not possible so far. We are missing this feature as well.
Have a look at this for a high level overview:
Consolidated view on release notes for Process Integration and Orchestration
Hi all,
Sreedhar, thanks for the information. This really comes in handy.
@All:
1. What is the best practice to transport iFlows from NWDS?
I currently do this by going to Process Integration --> Transport --> Export PI Objects and then selecting CTS+ and iFlow. This works fine, however, I still have to switch to IB say in QAS system, to transfer change list after transport. After that I again need to switch tools back to NWDS in QAS to activate because when activating within IB the iFlow does not get deployed and hence no ICO will be associated (see Andras' post above).
Is this really the best way to cope with this? I would like to see all the transport stuff happen in NWDS and not switching tools for this.
2. How to best transport alert rules (AEX / Java-Only)
I know that alert rules are ID objects and may be transported. Again, I'd like to know if there's a way to transport via NWDS where I haven't found a way to do so until now.
Thanks and kind regards
Jens
Dear Jens,
I can help you out with point 1 ;-)...
This is known as hidden feature in NWDS:
Go to "My Changes" and look for the small triangle:
And go for Apply Changes.
That can make you happy.
Just to let you know, it is not possible to auto deploy objects by now. We miss this feature, and addressed it to SAP. Otherwise time triggered transports are useless using iFlows...
Regards,
Markus
Dear Markus,
this is great. Just tried it and worked like a charm 🙂 Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for sharing. Nice blog.