Splitter, gather and aggregator design
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Splitting one message and collecting independent correlated messages are different patterns. Decide whether downstream processing needs recombination, then measure memory and partial-failure behavior. Avoid adding a gather merely because a splitter exists.
Visual overview
Explanation
Tutorial outcome
Splitting one message and collecting independent correlated messages are different patterns. Decide whether downstream processing needs recombination, then measure memory and partial-failure behavior. Avoid adding a gather merely because a splitter exists.
Prerequisites
Complete chapters 1–11 in this module. Use synthetic fixtures or an authorized sandbox.
Worked case — fictional
A synthetic bulk order contains three items, one of which fails receiver validation.
Step-by-step investigation
1. Partition
Choose the split boundary and preserve the order/item business keys.
Expected evidence: Items 10,20,30 remain attributable to ORD801.
2. Process
Execute item-level work and define what happens when item 20 fails.
Expected evidence: Items 10 and 30 succeed; item 20 remains failed.
3. Complete
Choose a documented completion condition for aggregation or avoid recombination when the contract does not require it.
Expected evidence: A missing item is not presented as a complete result.
4. Measure
Use representative synthetic size and inspect memory plus recovery evidence.
Expected evidence: The design avoids unnecessary large result gathering.
Try it yourself
Reproduce the synthetic input from the example below in a local fixture or authorized sandbox. Follow each step, record the observed result, and explain any mismatch before continuing. Do not treat the expected evidence as a result observed in your SAP tenant.
Acceptance check
Partial processing is explicit and the chosen collect/recombine behavior fits the contract.
Common failure to avoid
A gather is not a cross-message aggregator, and parallel splitting does not guarantee receiver order.
Self-check
Must every splitter be followed by a gather?
Expected reasoning: No; recombination depends on the required processing result.
Edition and release scope
Check the linked SAP documentation for your product, runtime, region and enabled service plan. The worked case is a simulation; these steps were not executed in a customer SAP tenant.
SAP references
References checked 2026-10-30. SAP material supports the named concepts; the case, fixture and acceptance checks are original ERPClimb teaching material. No SAP tenant execution or certification is claimed.
[SAP Help — Reduce splitter memory consumption](https://help.sap.com/docs/integration-suite/sap-integration-suite/reduce-memory-consumption-for-splitter-scenarios?form=MG0AV3) — Splitter subprocess and avoidable gather memory overhead
[SAP Learning — Planning the PI/PO migration process](https://learning.sap.com/courses/sap-process-orchestration-to-sap-integration-suite-migration/planning-the-migration-process) — Integration patterns and migration design differences
Code example
{"order":"ORD801","items":[10,20,30],"failedItem":20,"result":"partial-not-complete"}Loading guided workshop…
Real project scenario
A synthetic bulk order contains three items, one of which fails receiver validation.
Common mistakes
A gather is not a cross-message aggregator, and parallel splitting does not guarantee receiver order.
Best practices
Partial processing is explicit and the chosen collect/recombine behavior fits the contract. Check the linked SAP documentation for your product, runtime, region and enabled service plan. The worked case is a simulation; these steps were not executed in a customer SAP tenant.
Interview angle
Must every splitter be followed by a gather? No; recombination depends on the required processing result.
Practice this lesson
Original educational case studies for SAP consultants, not official SAP certification exam questions. Verify product edition and implementation details against the current SAP documentation.
Quick check
0 of 3 questions attempted
1. What does a General or Iterating Splitter do?
2. What is required for an Aggregator to combine related messages?
3. After splitting and processing, how are results combined in the same iFlow execution?
Interview questions
1. When do you use splitter, gather and aggregator patterns?
Answer it in your own words first, then compare.
2. What problems can occur with parallel splitting and how do you handle them?
Answer it in your own words first, then compare.
Check before use: lesson examples are educational, not a guarantee of correctness for your SAP edition or release. Sample code has not been executed on your SAP system. Confirm API availability, syntax, authorizations and business impact in an approved development or test environment.