Handling PGP Encryption Issues In SAP MBC: Lessons...

Common Issue: “There are no decrypted data”

One of the most common errors observed during inbound processing is:

"There are no decrypted data"

At first, this may look like a system issue, but it is usually related to PGP configuration mismatch.

Root Causes Identified

1. Encryption Type Mismatch

In some cases:

Bank applies Encrypt Only
MBC expects Sign + Encrypt

This mismatch causes decryption failure.

Fix:

Align with bank on encryption method
Configure MBC accordingly (e.g., disable signature verification if not used)

2. Incorrect or Missing PGP Key

If the wrong key is used:

MBC cannot decrypt the file
Processing fails

Fix:

Ensure the correct bank public key is uploaded
Avoid using outdated or incorrect keys

3. Mixing Encrypted and Non-Encrypted Files

In some scenarios, the same SFTP folder contains:

Encrypted files (.gpg)
Plain files (non-encrypted)

MBC attempts to decrypt all files, leading to failures.

Fix:

Use File Mask to filter encrypted files only:

.*\.gpg

Or request the bank to send consistent file formats

4. Generating PGP Keys Unnecessarily

A common confusion is whether to generate PGP keys from the MBC side.

Example scenario:

Bank uses Encrypt Only (Inbound)
No outbound encryption required

In such cases:

Bank shares its public key
MBC uses it for decryption

Key point:

If bank encrypts → use bank key  
If MBC encrypts → generate MBC key

Practical Troubleshooting Approach

A structured approach helped in identifying issues quickly:

Step 1 → Confirm encryption type (Encrypt Only / Sign + Encrypt)

Step 2 → Validate PGP keys (correct and latest)

Step 3 → Check file format (encrypted vs non-encrypted)

Step 4 → Verify MBC security settings

Step 5 → Test with a sample file from the bank

Key Takeaways

PGP issues are often due to misalignment between bank and MBC expectations
Errors like “no decrypted data” are usually configuration or key-related
Consistent file format is important for stable processing
Understanding “who encrypts” helps avoid unnecessary setup

Conclusion

PGP-related issues can be confusing initially, especially when error messages are not very detailed.

While working through these scenarios, I found that focusing on alignment with the bank and validating basic configurations made troubleshooting much easier.

I am still building my understanding in this area, but these learnings helped me approach similar issues with more clarity.

I hope this helps others facing challenges in SAP MBC SFTP integrations.

References

For more details, you may refer to SAP Help documentation:

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