In SAP, what is CTS (Change and Transport System) and what is its primary purpose?

Introduction / Context:
The SAP Change and Transport System, commonly called CTS, is a central part of managing changes in an SAP landscape. Interviewers often ask about CTS to see whether you understand how development and configuration changes move from a development system to quality assurance and production systems in a controlled manner. Knowing what CTS does is essential for both ABAP developers and SAP basis consultants.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The environment is a typical SAP landscape with development, test, and production systems.

- Developers and customizing consultants create changes that must be transported safely between systems.

- CTS is a built in mechanism provided by SAP to manage these transports.

- The question focuses on the primary purpose of CTS rather than all its technical details.

Concept / Approach:
CTS records changes to ABAP programs, dictionary objects, and customizing settings into transport requests. These requests are then exported from the source system and imported into target systems in the correct sequence. This ensures that changes are moved in an auditable and controlled way, rather than by manual copying. CTS integrates with the workbench organizer and customizing tools so that changes are automatically tracked. It plays a crucial role in change management, version control, and system consistency across the SAP landscape.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that CTS stands for Change and Transport System in the SAP context. Step 2: Recall that it collects development and configuration changes into transport requests. Step 3: Remember that transports are then moved from development to quality and production systems. Step 4: Recognize that this process ensures consistent and controlled deployment of changes. Step 5: Select option A because it correctly describes CTS as a system that manages recording and moving changes between SAP systems.

Verification / Alternative check:
Think of a typical workflow: a developer changes an ABAP report in the development system. The system prompts for a transport request, which is recorded in CTS. Later, the basis team exports this transport and imports it into the quality system and then production. If CTS did not exist, changes would have to be manually replicated, increasing the risk of inconsistencies and errors. This scenario matches the description in option A and shows why CTS is central to SAP change management.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is incorrect because user ticketing systems are separate tools and not what CTS is designed for. Option C is wrong because ABAP development is done in the ABAP workbench and related tools, not in a special CTS editor. Option D is incorrect because SAP relies on underlying database systems provided by vendors; CTS is not a database engine, it is a transport mechanism.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to think of CTS as only a developer tool, when it is actually a shared responsibility between developers and basis teams. Another issue is neglecting proper transport management, which can result in missing objects or inconsistent configurations across systems. In interviews, emphasize that CTS provides structured recording and movement of changes via transport requests, supporting governance and traceability in SAP landscapes.

Final Answer:
CTS in SAP is the Change and Transport System, whose primary purpose is to record development and configuration changes into transport requests and move them in a controlled way between development, test, and production systems.