There are the following types of customizing distribution:
Initial distribution
For the initial delivery of customizing data for selected customizing objects in an active customizing distribution, to a system. Transport recording in the source system is not necessary.
Automatic customizing distribution To distribute changed customizing objects. In contrast to initial distribution, only the changed (and in the transport request) entries of a customizing object are distributed, not all.
Manual distribution of a transport This is useful after a distribution error, if the customizing data of a particular transport request needs to be distributed again.