EDI Encoder Service

Note: If the input document character encoding is specified, it overrides the encoding specified in the map. The output document content type and character encoding are set based on the information contained in the map.

The following table provides an overview of the EDI Encoder service:

System name
EDIEncoderType
Graphical Process Modeler (GPM) categories
  • All Services
  • EDI > X12
  • EDI > EDIFACT
  • EDI > CII
  • EDI > SWIFT
Description
Determines which transaction-level envelope will be used on the document. If translations are specified in an envelope, the service determines which map to use. Additionally, for the CHIPS standard, allows you to specify the Sender ID and/or Application Sender ID along with the Accepter Lookup Alias, to allow for an envelope lookup for a document that is to be enveloped. For the Fedwire standard, allows you to specify the Sender ID and/or Application Sender ID, Receiver ID and/or Application Receiver ID, along with the Acceptor Lookup Alias, which allows for an envelope lookup for a document that is to be enveloped (outbound).
Note: In previous releases, the document lifespan default was zero so that when the workflow expired, all associated documents were purged/archived with the workflow. Now the lifespan is configurable for documents (the default is 30 days) and standards that use the EDI Encoder service.
Preconfigured?
A configuration of this service is installed with the product, but is not configured. The only configuration required for the service is to specify parameter values to be used within a business process, but you must also define the envelopes within the IBM® Sterling B2B Integrator.
Requires third party files?
No
Platform availability
All supported application platforms.
Related services
EDI Envelope Service
Application requirements
No
Initiates business processes?
None
Invocation
Runs by a predefined business process.
Returned status values
  • Success – The envelope for the document was found and if the envelope specified a map, this information is passed to the EDI Envelope service.
  • Error – The envelope for the document could not be located.
Restrictions
This service is used in outbound business processes only.

Implementing the EDI Encoder Service

To implement the EDI Encoder service, complete the following tasks:

  1. Create an EDI Encoder service configuration.
  2. Configure the EDI Encoder service. For information, see Configuring the EDI Encoder.
  3. Use the EDI Encoder service in a business process.

Configuring the EDI Encoder

To configure the EDI Encoder service, you must specify settings for the following fields in the GPM:

Field
Description
Config
Name of the service configuration.
AccepterLookupAlias
Identifying string used with the sender ID (and/or Application Sender ID for CHIPS) and receiver ID (and/or Application Receiver ID for CHIPS) to look up this envelope. This alias associates a document with the service it requires. This same field is specified in the transaction-level outbound envelope. Also, this identifying string is used with the Sender ID and Receiver ID to look up this envelope for the Fedwire Outbound Envelope. Required.
Note: To specify this parameter in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope Accepter Lookup Alias parameter.
EDI Standard
Enter the EDI standard to be used (including CHIPS or Fedwire).
Mode
Determines whether documents are enveloped immediately or deferred to be enveloped at a later time. Optional. The mode used here must correspond to the mode in which the EDI Envelope service will be called.

Valid values are:

  • Immediate – The envelopes are determined and associated with the document to be used during enveloping. Assumes the EDI Envelope service will be used to envelope the document later in the process.
  • Deferred – The service marks the document to be enveloped at a later time, usually according to a schedule. The document is stored in the database until enveloping takes place. (Default)
Note: If the mode is not specified, the default will write an entry to the CORRELATION_SET table that the document needs to be enveloped. This makes it eligible for deferred enveloping.
ReceiverID
Receiver identification, 2 characters minimum, 15 maximum. Required. Must match the receiver ID in the transaction-level document envelope.
Note: To specify this parameter in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope Receive Participant Number parameter. To specify this parameter in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope Receiver ID parameter.
SenderID
Sender identification, 2 characters minimum, 15 maximum. Required. Must match the sender ID in the transaction-level document envelope.
Note: To specify this parameter in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope Send Participant Number parameter. To specify this parameter in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope Sender ID parameter.
ReceiverIDQual
Receiver ID qualifier. Optional. Must match the receiver ID qualifier in the transaction-level document envelope.
SenderIDQual
Sender ID qualifier. Optional. Must match the sender ID qualifier in the transaction-level document envelope.
AppSenderID
Coded identifier of the application data sender. Optional.
Note: To specify this parameter in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope Application Sender ID parameter. To specify this parameter in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope Application Sender ID parameter.
AppReceiverID
Coded identifier of the customer number or data source number. Optional.
Note: To specify this parameter in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the CHIPS Outbound Envelope Application Receiver ID parameter. To specify this parameter in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope wizard to perform an envelope lookup for a document to be enveloped, type this value in the Fedwire Outbound Envelope Application Receiver ID parameter.

Using Wildcards in Enveloping and Deenveloping Services

As a way to help reduce the number of envelopes you need to create and use, the EDI Envelope and EDI Deenvelope services support use of an asterisk (*) as a wildcard character in mandatory envelope fields for X12, EDIFACT, CHIPS and Fedwire only. The exception to this rule is when the field is Sender ID, Receiver ID, or a qualifier for one of those fields. For example, in EDIFACT the following fields are conditional, but are considered to be part of the Sender / Receiver ID and therefore must have a “*” placed in the field if you want to override those values:

  • (0008) Interchange Sender Internal Identification
  • (0042) Interchange Sender Internal Sub-identification
  • (0014) Interchange Recipient Internal Identification
  • (0046) Interchange Recipient Internal Sub-identification

By using wildcards, you can set up one set of envelopes that can be used for multiple trading partners. If certain trading partners have specific requirements, you can still have envelopes that pertain just to them, and the EDI Envelope service chooses the envelope that is the best match. In other words, the envelope that has the most matches to specific fields in the data (for example, Receiver ID, Receiver ID Qualifier), is the one selected.

Document Tracking Levels and Performance

You can boost EDI performance in the IBM Sterling B2B Integrator by using the TRACKING_LEVEL parameter to adjust the tracking level for business processes.

You set the default global settings for the TRACKING_LEVEL parameter in the enveloping.properties file. However, these global settings can be overridden for certain EDI-related services by using the BPML-only TRACKING_LEVEL parameter. This enables you to obtain maximum EDI performance in some business processes and maximum search and tracking functionality in others. This parameter can be set for the following services:

Inbound Services

  • CII Deenvelope service
  • EDIFACT Deenvelope service
  • EDI Post Processor service
  • X12 Deenvelope service
  • Generic Deenvelope service

Outbound Services

  • EDI Encoder service
  • CII Envelope service
  • EDIFACT Envelope service
  • Envelope Generic service
  • X12 Envelope service

This performance boost is done at the expense of Tracking and Search functionality. The tracking level setting affects the following EDI functionality:

  • EDI Correlation Search
  • EDI Document Tracking
  • EDI Reporting

The TRACKING_LEVEL parameter is not available in the IBM Sterling B2B Integrator service configuration or in the GPM: it must be added manually to the BPML. Use the TRACKING_LEVEL parameter with one of the following settings:

Setting
Description
none
Provides the best EDI performance with the least tracking and search functionality. EDI Correlation Search, EDI Document Tracking and EDI Reporting are nonfunctional.
basic
Provides a good EDI performance while also providing search functionality. EDI Correlation Search is functional. EDI Document Tracking and EDI Reporting are nonfunctional.
full
Default setting. Provides the lowest EDI performance with the highest search and tracking functionality. EDI Correlation Search, EDI Document Tracking and EDI Reporting are fully functional.
Note: Document tracking is turned off by default in the system-defined EDI business processes. If you define an EDI business process and turn Document Tracking on, that will override the TRACKING_LEVEL settings in both the enveloping.properties file and the EDI service parameter.