Administration & Troubleshooting

SICF Service Activation

SICF is the transaction for maintaining the Internet Communication Framework (ICF) service tree, which maps every HTTP path of an ABAP system to a handler. SICF service activation matters for SAP Fiori because all ICF nodes ship inactive, and the launchpad, each SAPUI5 app and each OData V2 service load only when their nodes are active.

Quick facts

Type: Basis transaction (ICF service maintenance)
Full name: Maintain Services
Layer: Services & APIs
Key SAP Fiori paths: /sap/bc/ui2/flp, /sap/bc/ui5_ui5, /sap/opu/odata, /sap/opu/odata4
Default state: All ICF services inactive after installation
Who uses it: Basis administrators, SAP Fiori implementation teams
Applies to: SAP S/4HANA on-premise and Private Edition, SAP ERP (ECC)

Layer: Services & APIsWhere it sits ▾

Layer: Services & APIs

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What does SICF do for SAP Fiori?

Every URL an SAP Fiori user loads ends in an ICF node. SICF shows these nodes as a tree under default_host and lets you activate, deactivate and configure them. Three groups matter:

Launchpad nodes: for example /sap/bc/ui2/flp, /sap/bc/ui2/start_up, /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/ui2/ushell, /sap/public/bc/ui2 and /sap/public/bc/ui5_ui5.
App nodes: one node per SAPUI5 app under /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/sap, named after the app's BSP application.
Service nodes: one node per OData V2 service under /sap/opu/odata, and one shared node /sap/opu/odata4 for all OData V4 services.

SAP delivers all ICF services inactive for security reasons. SICF is therefore the switch between an installed SAP Fiori app and a reachable one.

How do you activate an ICF node step by step?

Alder Manufacturing deploys a custom supplier app on its front-end server:

Start SICF and execute the selection (F8) to display the tree.
Navigate to default_host, then sap, bc, ui5_ui5, sap, and find the app's BSP name; the SAP Fiori Apps Reference Library lists it for SAP apps.
Choose Activate Service in the context menu.
Choose Yes to activate only this node, or Yes with the hierarchy icon to include all child nodes.
Check that every parent node on the path is active, because an inactive parent blocks the whole path.
Repeat for the app's OData V2 service node, or confirm /sap/opu/odata4 for a V4 service.

For many apps at once, task lists run in STC01 activate ICF and OData services together. Activating in SICF is a one-time step per node, but it has to be repeated in every system of the landscape.

What symptoms do inactive ICF nodes cause?

Symptom	Likely inactive node	Check
Launchpad URL returns an error page	Launchpad nodes such as `/sap/bc/ui2/flp`	SICF launchpad paths
"Could not open app" and "found in negative cache" in the browser console	One of the app's two ICF nodes	Search the BSP name in SICF; activate both entries
App opens, OData call returns an error page	The V2 service node, or `/sap/opu/odata4`	/IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE shows the ICF status
SAP GUI for HTML tile shows a blank page	webgui and `/sap/public/bc/its` nodes	SICF on the system that runs the transaction
Short dump HOST_INACTIVE	default_host itself	Activate default_host

After activating an app node, clear the launchpad caches with /UI2/INVALIDATE_GLOBAL_CACHES so the negative cache entry disappears. Most SICF symptoms are reachability errors before any business logic runs.

How do you find which ICF nodes an app needs?

App documentation: the implementation section of each SAP app lists its ICF service names; the SAP Fiori Apps Reference Library shows the BSP name.
/UI2/FLC: checks AP07 and AP08 report tiles whose ICF service is missing or inactive.
/UI2/FLPCA: the launchpad content aggregator can display ICF service status for all apps in a role.
/IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE and /IWFND/V4_ADMIN: show the service side.

SAP recommends activating only the services of the apps you use, since every active node is reachable over HTTP. Deriving the node list from roles keeps SICF activation both complete and minimal.

SICF vs. /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE: what is the difference?

	SICF	/IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE
Manages	HTTP paths for any ICF service	OData V2 service registration and system aliases
SAP Fiori use	Launchpad, SAPUI5 app and service nodes	Registering and routing the app's OData services
Creates nodes	No; activates and configures them	Yes; registering a V2 service creates its node
Typical failure fixed	Inactive path, error page before any logic runs	Service not found or no system alias

/IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE makes an OData service known; SICF makes its path reachable.

FAQ

Why are ICF services inactive after installation?

For security. Every active ICF node can be called over HTTP, so SAP ships all of them inactive and expects administrators to activate only the services their applications need, then restrict access through authorizations and logon settings.

Do OData V4 services need their own SICF node?

No. OData V2 services get one ICF node each under /sap/opu/odata. OData V4 services share the single node /sap/opu/odata4, which must be active once; individual V4 services are then published as service groups in /IWFND/V4_ADMIN.

Why does an SAP Fiori app need two ICF nodes?

SAP's troubleshooting guidance states that each app has two ICF nodes with the same BSP name, and both must be active for the app to start. SAP's activation examples show the pair under /sap/bc/ui5_ui5/sap and /sap/bc/bsp/sap. Search the BSP name in SICF and activate every match.

Can I use SICF in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition?

Not in the way this entry describes. SAP documents SICF activation and troubleshooting for SAP Fiori in SAP S/4HANA on-premise, Private Edition and SAP ERP systems. Public Edition is operated by SAP, so check its own documentation for what administrators can configure there.

Sources

Applies to: SAP S/4HANA on-premise · SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition · SAP ERP (ECC)
Last reviewed: 2026-11-08

/IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE SAP Gateway