/sap-btp-developer-guide

Multitarget Applications (MTA) Reference

Overview

Multitarget Applications enable packaging multiple interconnected cloud components into a single deployable bundle, addressing the complexity of modern cloud applications.

Key Characteristics

• Single archive with all modules and dependencies
• Deployable across multiple SAP BTP subaccounts
• Automated deployment in proper dependency order
• Integrated deployment descriptor (mta.yaml)

When to Use MTAs

Creation Options

MTA Structure

my-app/
├── mta.yaml              # Deployment descriptor
├── package.json          # Node.js dependencies
├── xs-security.json      # Security configuration
├── app/                  # UI module
│   ├── webapp/
│   └── package.json
├── srv/                  # Service module
│   ├── src/
│   └── package.json
└── db/                   # Database module
    ├── src/
    └── package.json

mta.yaml Anatomy

Schema and Identification

_schema-version: "3.1"
ID: my-cap-app
version: 1.0.0
description: My CAP Application

Parameters

parameters:
  enable-parallel-deployments: true
  deploy_mode: html5-repo

Modules

modules:
  - name: my-srv
    type: nodejs
    path: gen/srv
    parameters:
      buildpack: nodejs_buildpack
      memory: 256M
      disk-quota: 512M
    build-parameters:
      builder: npm
    requires:
      - name: my-hana
      - name: my-xsuaa
    provides:
      - name: srv-api
        properties:
          srv-url: ${default-url}

Resources

resources:
  - name: my-hana
    type: com.sap.xs.hdi-container
    parameters:
      service: hana
      service-plan: hdi-shared

  - name: my-xsuaa
    type: org.cloudfoundry.managed-service
    parameters:
      service: xsuaa
      service-plan: application
      path: ./xs-security.json

Module Types

Resource Types

Complete Example

_schema-version: "3.1"
ID: incident-management
version: 1.0.0

parameters:
  enable-parallel-deployments: true

build-parameters:
  before-all:
    - builder: custom
      commands:
        - npm ci
        - npx cds build --production

modules:
  # Service module
  - name: incident-srv
    type: nodejs
    path: gen/srv
    parameters:
      buildpack: nodejs_buildpack
      memory: 256M
    requires:
      - name: incident-db
      - name: incident-auth
      - name: incident-destination
    provides:
      - name: srv-api
        properties:
          srv-url: ${default-url}

  # Database deployer
  - name: incident-db-deployer
    type: hdb
    path: gen/db
    parameters:
      buildpack: nodejs_buildpack
    requires:
      - name: incident-db

  # UI Application
  - name: incident-app
    type: approuter.nodejs
    path: app/
    parameters:
      memory: 256M
    requires:
      - name: srv-api
        group: destinations
        properties:
          name: srv-api
          url: ~{srv-url}
          forwardAuthToken: true
      - name: incident-auth
      - name: incident-html5-repo-runtime

  # UI content deployer
  - name: incident-ui-deployer
    type: com.sap.application.content
    path: .
    requires:
      - name: incident-html5-repo-host
        parameters:
          content-target: true
    build-parameters:
      build-result: resources
      requires:
        - artifacts:
            - nsincidents.zip
          name: nsincidents
          target-path: resources/

  - name: nsincidents
    type: html5
    path: app/incidents
    build-parameters:
      build-result: dist
      builder: custom
      commands:
        - npm ci
        - npm run build:cf

resources:
  - name: incident-db
    type: com.sap.xs.hdi-container
    parameters:
      service: hana
      service-plan: hdi-shared

  - name: incident-auth
    type: org.cloudfoundry.managed-service
    parameters:
      service: xsuaa
      service-plan: application
      path: ./xs-security.json
      config:
        xsappname: incident-${org}-${space}
        tenant-mode: dedicated

  - name: incident-destination
    type: org.cloudfoundry.managed-service
    parameters:
      service: destination
      service-plan: lite

  - name: incident-html5-repo-runtime
    type: org.cloudfoundry.managed-service
    parameters:
      service: html5-apps-repo
      service-plan: app-runtime

  - name: incident-html5-repo-host
    type: org.cloudfoundry.managed-service
    parameters:
      service: html5-apps-repo
      service-plan: app-host

Build Commands

# Install MTA Build Tool
npm install -g mbt

# Build MTA archive
mbt build

# Build with specific platform
mbt build -p cf

# Build to specific directory
mbt build -t ./dist

Deploy Commands

# Install MTA plugin
cf install-plugin multiapps

# Deploy
cf deploy mta_archives/my-app_1.0.0.mtar

# Deploy with options
cf deploy my-app.mtar --version-rule ALL

# Blue-green deployment
cf bg-deploy my-app.mtar

# List deployed MTAs
cf mtas

# Undeploy
cf undeploy my-app --delete-services

Common Issues

Best Practices

1. Use build-parameters for complex builds
2. Enable parallel deployments for faster deploys
3. Externalize configuration via variables
4. Version your MTAs semantically
5. Test locally before deploying

Source Documentation

• Using MTAs: https://github.com/SAP-docs/btp-developer-guide/blob/main/docs/using-multitarget-applications-to-manage-dependencies-41184aa.md
• MTA Documentation: https://help.sap.com/docs/btp/sap-business-technology-platform/multitarget-applications-in-cloud-foundry-environment