Introduction
SAP Process Integration (PI) and SAP Process Orchestration (PO) have been used for years to connect SAP and non-SAP applications, exchange business data, and support critical enterprise processes.
However, enterprises running SAP PI/PO 7.5 need to plan for the end of its mainstream maintenance period.
SAP states that SAP Process Integration and SAP Process Orchestration 7.5 follow the SAP NetWeaver 7.5 maintenance strategy, with mainstream maintenance through the end of **2027** and an option for extended maintenance through the end of **2030**. Older PI/PO releases such as 7.4 and earlier have already reached the end of their maintenance period.
This does not mean every enterprise must complete its entire migration immediately. It does mean that organizations should have a clear transition strategy rather than waiting until the end of the maintenance window.
For most enterprises, the challenge is not simply replacing PI/PO. It is understanding the existing integration landscape, deciding what should be migrated or redesigned, planning the target architecture, allocating budget and resources, and moving critical interfaces without disrupting business operations.
Quick Answer: What Is the SAP PI/PO End-of-Life Timeline?
For SAP Process Integration and SAP Process Orchestration 7.5:
| **Milestone** | **Timeline** |
| Mainstream maintenance | Until end of 2027 |
| Optional extended maintenance | Until end of 2030 |
| PI/PO 7.4 and older | Mainstream maintenance already ended |
| Strategic migration direction | SAP Integration Suite |
SAP’s maintenance strategy states that PI/PO 7.5 follows the NetWeaver 7.5 timeline, with mainstream maintenance until the end of 2027 and optional extended maintenance until the end of 2030.
The important point for IT leaders is that **2027 should be treated as a planning deadline, not as the date to begin planning**.
What Does SAP PI/PO End of Life Actually Mean?
The phrase “SAP PI/PO end of life” is commonly used to describe the end of SAP’s maintenance lifecycle for the platform.
However, enterprises should distinguish between:
- End of mainstream maintenance
- Extended maintenance
- End of support
- Internal migration deadlines
- Application or interface-specific dependencies
For PI/PO 7.5, mainstream maintenance is scheduled through the end of 2027, while extended maintenance is available through the end of 2030.
Therefore, an enterprise should not simply create a project called “PI/PO migration” and wait until 2027.
Instead, the organization should build a transition plan based on its business-critical integrations, technical dependencies, project capacity, budget, and target architecture.
Why Enterprises Should Start SAP PI/PO End-of-Life Planning Early
Large SAP environments rarely contain only a few simple interfaces.
An enterprise may have:
- SAP S/4HANA or SAP ERP integrations
- SuccessFactors integrations
- Third-party applications
- Banking interfaces
- Supplier and customer integrations
- EDI and B2B connections
- APIs
- File-based integrations
- Custom mappings
- Java mappings
- Proxy interfaces
- Multiple adapters
- Business-critical scheduled interfaces
Some interfaces may be straightforward to migrate. Others may require redesign or additional technical work.
SAP’s migration documentation specifically covers areas such as B2B interfaces, proxy interfaces, Java mappings, value mappings, interface design, testing, and modernization.
That is why an enterprise should not estimate the migration simply by counting the number of interfaces.
The real question is:
How many integrations need to be migrated, redesigned, tested, validated, and safely moved into production?
SAP PI/PO End-of-Life Planning: 10 Steps Enterprises Should Follow
1. Confirm Your Current PI/PO Version
The first step is to establish exactly what is running in the enterprise.
Document:
- SAP PI/PO version
- Support package level
- System architecture
- Integration components
- Connected SAP systems
- Connected non-SAP systems
- Custom developments
- Add-ons
- Current operational dependencies
This is particularly important for organizations that have older PI/PO installations.
SAP’s current Migration Assessment documentation supports specific PI/PO versions, including 7.31 SP28 and above, 7.40 SP23 and above, and 7.50 SP06 and above.
Your actual migration approach should therefore begin with a verified technical baseline.
2. Build a Complete Integration Inventory
Before deciding how to migrate, establish what actually exists.
Your inventory should include:
| **Area** | **Information to Capture** |
| Interface | Interface name and purpose |
| Source | Sending application |
| Target | Receiving application |
| Protocol | SOAP, REST, SFTP, IDoc, RFC, etc. |
| Mapping | Mapping type and complexity |
| Volume | Message volume and frequency |
| Business process | Process supported |
| Criticality | Business impact if unavailable |
| Dependencies | Related interfaces and systems |
| Owner | Business and technical owner |
| Status | Active, unused, or uncertain |
This inventory becomes the foundation for the migration roadmap.
It also helps identify integrations that should not be migrated at all.
3. Identify Interfaces That Can Be Retired
One of the biggest mistakes in an end-of-life migration is assuming every existing interface must be recreated.
Some interfaces may exist because:
- The connected application was replaced
- A business process was discontinued
- Another integration replaced it
- A project created a temporary interface
- The interface has not been used for years
Migrating unused integrations increases project scope without creating business value.
Therefore, each interface should have a clear status:
Migrate → Redesign → Replace → Retire → Investigate
This decision should be validated with both technical and business owners.
4. Perform a PI/PO Migration Assessment
Once the landscape is inventoried, perform a structured migration assessment.
SAP Integration Suite provides Migration Assessment capabilities to evaluate existing SAP Process Orchestration scenarios and estimate the technical effort involved in migration.
SAP’s assessment process can classify migration scenarios into categories such as:
- Ready to migrate
- Adjustment required
- Evaluation required
These categories help teams understand which scenarios can move relatively directly and which require additional analysis or technical changes.
However, automated assessment should not replace business analysis.
SAP documents limitations around areas such as interface dependencies and business-process analysis, meaning manual validation can still be required.
For a deeper breakdown of what should be evaluated, see the related article:
SAP PI/PO Migration Assessment: What IT Leaders Should Evaluate Before Starting the Project
5. Define the SAP Integration Suite Target Architecture
Migration should not simply recreate the existing PI/PO environment in a different platform.
The target architecture should answer questions such as:
- Which integration capabilities will be used?
- Which interfaces should become APIs?
- Where should event-driven integration be considered?
- How will external connectivity be handled?
- How will security and authentication work?
- How will monitoring be managed?
- Which integrations should be redesigned rather than copied?
- What role will SAP BTP play?
SAP’s migration guidance includes both migration and modernization activities, and its migration strategy recommends defining the target architecture as part of the discovery and preparation phases.
This makes architecture planning an important part of end-of-life preparation.
6. Create a Migration Roadmap Based on Business Criticality
Not every interface should be migrated at the same time.
A practical enterprise roadmap can divide integrations into waves.
Wave 1: Low-Risk Integrations
Start with integrations that have:
- Lower business criticality
- Lower technical complexity
- Fewer dependencies
- Easier testing requirements
These can help validate the migration approach.
Wave 2: Medium-Complexity Integrations
Next, migrate integrations that require:
- More complex mappings
- Multiple systems
- Higher message volumes
- Additional testing
- More involved security or connectivity configuration
Wave 3: Business-Critical Integrations
The final waves can focus on integrations supporting critical business processes.
These require:
- Detailed test plans
- Business-owner validation
- Production cutover planning
- Monitoring
- Rollback or contingency procedures
- Clear support ownership
The exact order should depend on the enterprise’s own landscape rather than a generic interface count.
7. Build the Business Case and Budget
SAP PI/PO end-of-life planning is also a financial planning exercise.
The budget should consider:
- SAP Integration Suite licensing
- SAP BTP costs
- Migration assessment
- Architecture
- Development
- Interface migration
- Interface redesign
- Testing
- Project management
- Security configuration
- Infrastructure and connectivity
- Partner or consulting services
- Training and knowledge transfer
- Production support
- PI/PO decommissioning
The migration project cost and the ongoing cost of the target integration platform should be treated as separate components.
For enterprises planning the financial side of the project, see:
SAP PI/PO Migration Cost: What Enterprises Should Budget for the Move to SAP Integration Suite
8. Decide Whether You Need an SAP Integration Partner
An enterprise may have an internal SAP team capable of managing part of the migration.
However, large or complex environments may require additional expertise in:
- SAP Integration Suite
- SAP Cloud Integration
- SAP BTP
- PI/PO migration
- API Management
- Integration architecture
- Complex mappings
- B2B integration
- Testing and cutover
SAP provides migration tooling and guidance, while SAP’s ecosystem also includes partners that can support migration projects.
If external support is required, the selection process should happen early enough to allow assessment, architecture, planning, and execution before the enterprise’s internal deadline.
See also:
How to Choose an SAP PI/PO Migration Partner: 10 Questions Enterprise IT Leaders Should Ask
9. Run a Controlled Pilot
A pilot can help validate the migration methodology before the enterprise moves its most critical interfaces.
Choose a representative integration that allows the team to test:
- Migration approach
- Mapping conversion
- Connectivity
- Security
- Error handling
- Monitoring
- Performance
- Testing
- Deployment
- Operational support
The goal is not simply to prove that an interface can be migrated.
The goal is to validate that the entire migration process works from development through production.
10. Plan Testing, Cutover, and Decommissioning
The migration is not complete when an integration flow is deployed in SAP Integration Suite.
The enterprise also needs to plan:
Technical testing
Validate:
- Message processing
- Mappings
- Adapters
- Connectivity
- Error handling
- Performance
- Security
Business testing
Business users should validate that the end-to-end business process works as expected.
Production cutover
Define:
- Cutover date
- Responsible teams
- Deployment sequence
- Data handling
- Monitoring
- Communication
- Support contacts
- Contingency procedures
PI/PO decommissioning
After successful migration and stabilization, determine when the old PI/PO environment can be retired.
Do not decommission the old environment immediately after deployment.
First confirm that:
- Interfaces are operating correctly
- Business owners have signed off
- Monitoring is stable
- No dependent processes remain
- Historical requirements have been addressed
- Support teams are prepared
A Practical SAP PI/PO End-of-Life Roadmap for Enterprises Starting in 2026
For an enterprise beginning planning in 2026, the following is an example planning sequence rather than an official SAP migration schedule.
| **Period** | **Example Focus** |
| Q4 2026 | Version review, inventory, assessment, architecture |
| Q1 2027 | Business case, partner selection, pilot preparation |
| Q2 2027 | Pilot migration and testing |
| Q2–Q3 2027 | Migration waves and business validation |
| Q3–Q4 2027 | Critical integrations, cutover, stabilization |
| After migration | PI/PO decommissioning and operational optimization |
Actual timing depends on interface count, complexity, business-critical processes, internal resources, testing requirements, and governance.
The important principle is to leave enough time between migration activities and the maintenance deadline to handle unexpected issues.
What Happens If an Enterprise Does Not Migrate by 2027?
For PI/PO 7.5, mainstream maintenance runs through the end of 2027, with an option for extended maintenance through the end of 2030.
Therefore, the situation is not simply:
2027 = system immediately stops working.
Instead, enterprises need to understand their applicable maintenance arrangement and make a deliberate transition decision.
An organization that relies on extended maintenance should still treat that period as additional transition time rather than as a reason to postpone planning indefinitely.
SAP itself describes the additional maintenance timeframe as an opportunity to develop a transition strategy and recommends planning the transition as soon as resources allow.
SAP PI/PO End of Life vs SAP Integration Suite Migration
These are related but different concepts.
| **SAP PI/PO End of Life** | **SAP Integration Suite Migration** |
| Concerns the maintenance lifecycle | Concerns the technical and business transition |
| Creates a strategic deadline | Defines the implementation path |
| Applies to the existing platform | Moves integrations to the target platform |
| Requires lifecycle planning | Requires architecture, development and testing |
| Drives modernization decisions | Executes those decisions |
End-of-life planning answers:
“When and why do we need to transition?”
Migration planning answers:
“How will we transition safely?”
Both need to be addressed.
Common SAP PI/PO End-of-Life Planning Mistakes
Waiting until the maintenance deadline
Large integration landscapes require discovery, approvals, testing, and business coordination.
Treating every interface the same
A simple interface and a business-critical B2B integration should not necessarily follow the same migration approach.
Migrating unused interfaces
Old interfaces should be reviewed before being included in the migration scope.
Ignoring dependencies
An interface may appear independent technically while supporting a larger business process.
Recreating the old architecture without modernization
Migration creates an opportunity to improve integration architecture instead of simply copying legacy patterns.
Underestimating testing
A technically successful migration can still create business problems if end-to-end processes are not validated.
Leaving partner selection too late
If specialist support is required, partner evaluation should happen during planning rather than immediately before implementation.
SAP PI/PO End-of-Life Checklist
Before starting the migration program, enterprise IT leaders should be able to answer:
- What PI/PO version are we running?
- What is our maintenance timeline?
- How many active interfaces exist?
- Which interfaces are business-critical?
- Which interfaces are unused?
- What are our major dependencies?
- Have we completed a migration assessment?
- Which interfaces are ready to migrate?
- Which require adjustment?
- Which require redesign?
- What is our SAP Integration Suite target architecture?
- What is the expected migration budget?
- Do we need an external migration partner?
- Which integration should be used as the pilot?
- What is the migration-wave sequence?
- How will business testing be handled?
- What is the production cutover strategy?
- What is the fallback or contingency plan?
- When can PI/PO be decommissioned?
Frequently Asked Questions
When is SAP PI/PO end of life?
For SAP Process Integration and SAP Process Orchestration 7.5, mainstream maintenance is scheduled through the end of 2027, with an option for extended maintenance through the end of 2030.
Is SAP PI/PO 7.5 still supported?
Yes. SAP PI/PO 7.5 is under the SAP NetWeaver 7.5 maintenance strategy, with mainstream maintenance through the end of 2027 and optional extended maintenance through the end of 2030.
What happens to older SAP PI/PO versions?
SAP states that the maintenance end dates for PI/PO 7.4 and older releases were not extended with the 7.5 maintenance strategy.
Is SAP Integration Suite the replacement for SAP PI/PO?
SAP positions SAP Integration Suite as the modern integration platform for migration from SAP Process Integration and SAP Process Orchestration. SAP provides migration assessment capabilities, migration tooling, and a dedicated migration guide for the transition.
Can SAP PI/PO interfaces be automatically migrated?
Some migration scenarios can be supported by SAP Integration Suite migration tooling. SAP currently documents support for migration of certain artifacts, including Integrated Configuration Objects and Receiver Determination objects, while other scenarios may require adjustments, evaluation, or redesign.
Should every PI/PO interface be migrated?
No. Enterprises should first determine whether each interface is still required. Some may need to be migrated, redesigned, replaced, or retired.
How long does SAP PI/PO migration take?
There is no universal migration timeline. Duration depends on the number and complexity of interfaces, dependencies, testing requirements, business criticality, internal resources, and the chosen migration approach.
Should enterprises wait until 2027?
The maintenance window does not make 2027 the ideal time to begin planning. SAP’s own maintenance strategy recommends developing a transition strategy and starting the transition as resources allow.
Final Thoughts
SAP PI/PO end-of-life planning should be treated as an enterprise integration transformation program rather than a simple technology replacement.
The most important steps are to understand the current landscape, remove unnecessary integrations from the scope, assess migration complexity, define the target SAP Integration Suite architecture, create a phased roadmap, secure the required budget and expertise, and allow enough time for testing and production stabilization.
For organizations still operating SAP PI/PO 7.5, the end of mainstream maintenance in 2027 provides a clear planning milestone, while the optional extended maintenance period through 2030 provides additional transition time.
The objective should be more than simply leaving PI/PO before its maintenance window changes.
The objective should be to move to a modern integration architecture with controlled risk, clear ownership, and minimal disruption to business operations.
Related SAP PI/PO Migration Resources
For a complete migration planning journey, continue with:
- **SAP PI/PO Migration Strategy:** How Enterprises Can Move to SAP Integration Suite Without Business Disruption
- **SAP PI/PO Migration Cost:** What Enterprises Should Budget for the Move to SAP Integration Suite
- **How to Choose an SAP PI/PO Migration Partner:** 10 Questions Enterprise IT Leaders Should Ask
- **SAP PI/PO Migration Assessment:** What IT Leaders Should Evaluate Before Starting the Project
- **How to Select the Right SAP Integration Partner for a Global Enterprise**
- **SAP Integration Consulting Services:** What Enterprises Should Expect From a Strategic Integration Partner
- **When Should Your Enterprise Outsource SAP Integration Services? A CIO’s Decision Guide**
- **How Much Do SAP Integration Services Cost? A Guide for Enterprise IT Leaders**
- **SAP Integration Project Planning:** How to Estimate Scope, Timeline, Risk, and Cost
