EDIINT Pipeline Service

When to Use the EDIINT Pipeline Service

The EDIINT Pipeline service and EDIINT Message service perform similar functions, but there are some situations where one or the other should be used.

• Use the EDIINT Pipeline service if:
  • You need to build or parse large (greater than 2 GB) AS2 messages.
  • You need to build or parse messages with multiple AS2 attachments.
  • You need to build or parse many large messages concurrently.
• Use the EDIINT Message service if you are building or parsing AS1 messages. The EDIINT Pipeline service does not support AS1 messages.

How the EDIINT Pipeline Service Works

Use the EDIINT Pipeline service to build or parse an EDIINT message. The EDIINT Pipeline service constructs a “pipeline” that consists of a set of nested data transformers, one for each MIME entity in the stack of messages. To build AS2 messages with multiple attachments, the EDIINT Pipeline service accepts an XML structure that describes the set of attachment documents and document properties. The EDIINT Pipeline service then uses the XML structure to build a multipart related MIME entity that contains the attachment documents.

When parsing messages, the EDIINT Pipeline service handles the payload documents in two ways, depending on how it is configured: it can launch the business process specified in the contract used to parse the message with the payload document as the primary document or it can add the payload document to the current business process context. The default behavior is to launch the business process that is specified in the contract used to parse the message with the payload document as the primary document. When parsing a message with multiple attachments that conforms to the AS2 specification for multiple attachments, the EDIINT Pipeline service outputs enough information to ProcessData so the services or processes occurring after this service is run can determine whether the attachments are related and came from the same AS2 message.

Several predefined AS2 business processes use the EDIINT Pipeline service, as opposed to the older EDIINT Message service. The EDIINT Pipeline service has the same functional behavior as the older service, but it implements streaming to allow for the handling of larger documents. The following packaged business processes were updated:

• AS2SendASyncMDN
• AS2SendNoMDN
• AS2SendSyncMDN
• MailboxAS2SendAsyncMDN
• MailboxAS2SendNoMDN
• MailboxAS2SendSyncMDN
• EDIINTParse

How the EDIINT Pipeline Service Works In Parse Mode

The EDIINT Pipeline service parses an EDIINT message in the following sequence of events. The EDIINT Pipeline service:

1. Receives a message
2. Determines the origin of the message
3. Determines the intended receiver of the message
4. Extracts header information about the type of notification requested (if any)
5. Tries to look up a contract to get profile information and keys in the database so it can process the message
6. Evaluates the message components
7. Decrypts encrypted information
8. Verifies any signatures
9. Breaks the message down to the level of the data payload (business document)
10. Sends the data payload (business document) to the business process specified in the contract
11. Returns an MDN back to the sender of the EDIINT message, either synchronously or asynchronously as requested by the sender.

How the EDIINT Pipeline Service Works In Build Mode

The EDIINT Pipeline service builds an EDIINT message in the following sequence of events.

The EDIINT Pipeline service does the following:

1. Invoke the EDIINT Pipeline service with the EDI purchase order document.
2. EDIINT Pipeline service looks up the contract established with the trading partner to determine the security attributes to use when creating the EDIINT message.
3. EDIINT Pipeline service returns the newly created EDIINT message to the business process.
4. Business process invokes an HTTP client adapter to deliver the EDIINT message.
5. If a synchronous MDN is expected for this request, the HTTP response is parsed with the EDIINT Pipeline service.
6. Business process invokes the EDIINT Acknowledge Check service to confirm that the expected MDN has been received.

Implementing the EDIINT Pipeline Service

To implement the EDIINT Pipeline service for use in a business process, first determine whether you want to build or parse EDIINT AS2 messages (or both), and then complete the following processes, as appropriate.

Implementing the EDIINT Pipeline Service to Build Messages

To implement the EDIINT Pipeline service to build EDIINT messages, complete the following tasks:

1. Activate your license for the EDIINT Pipeline service. For information, see Obtaining a License File.
2. Create two trading profiles: one to represent a consumption profile and one to represent a production profile:
   • One trading profile should include your IDs and keys.
   • The second trading profile should include the ID for the trading partner and certificates.
3. Create a contract for sending EDIINT messages to a trading partner. Assign the information for trading partner to the consumption profile, and assign your information to the production profile.
4. Create an EDIINT Pipeline service configuration (selecting the Build action), and assign it the appropriate contract. You can also modify the EDIINTPipelineBuild predefined service instance.
   Note: For every contract you create for sending EDIINT messages, you can assign the contract in BPML. The Sterling B2B Integrator AS2 Edition reuses the same service instances for many contracts. However, you can assign the contract as a service instance parameter if you want to use a dedicated service instance for a specific contract.
5. Activate your license for the HTTP Client adapter.
6. Create a configuration of the HTTP Client adapter and assign it the appropriate contract name.
   Note: It is not necessary to configure the communications services for outbound transport. The EDIINT Pipeline service communicates the information about where to send the message to the appropriate communications service by providing the appropriate transport information from the trading profile.
7. Create a business process that:
   • Invokes the EDIINT Pipeline service configuration that you created to build EDIINT messages.
   • Invokes the communications service you configured to send the messages.
   • Uses the EDIINT Acknowledge Check service to wait for any acknowledgement.
8. To indicate whether an MDN acknowledgement has been received for an EDIINT message within a specified time period, include the EDIINT Acknowledge Check service in your business process.
   Note: If you are using AS2 with synchronous MDNs, this business process must also include a step that uses a configuration of the EDIINT Pipeline service for parsing after the send action.

Implementing the EDIINT Pipeline Service to Parse Messages

To implement the EDIINT Pipeline service to parse EDIINT messages, complete the following tasks:

1. Activate your license for the EDIINT Pipeline service. For information, see Obtaining a License File.
2. Create business processes for sending synchronous or asynchronous HTTP MDNs. These simple business processes invoke configurations of the HTTP Server adapter or HTTP Client adapter.
3. Create a contract for receiving and parsing messages.
   • The consumption profile represents your organization.
   • The production profile represents your trading partner.
4. Create a configuration of the EDIINT Pipeline service for parsing.
5. Configure the EDIINT Pipeline service. You can also modify the EDIINTPipelineParse predefined service instance.
6. Activate your license for the HTTP Server adapter.
7. Create a business process for parsing that invokes the EDIINT Pipeline service configuration that you created in step 4
8. Create a URL and set it up to retrieve raw messages.
9. Assign the business process you created in step 7 to the URL. The business process invokes the EDIINT Pipeline (Parsing) service configuration that you created in step 4
10. Create configurations for the HTTP Server adapter. Set them up to retrieve raw messages. Add them to the business process you created in step 7.
11. To determine whether an MDN acknowledgement has been received for an EDIINT Pipeline within a specified time period, include the EDIINT Acknowledge Check service in your business process.

Configuring the EDIINT Pipeline Service

To configure the EDIINT Pipeline service, you must complete the following steps:

1. Select Deployment > Services > Configuration.
2. Search for the EDIINT Pipeline service or select it from the list and click Go!
3. Click Edit.
4. Specify field settings in the Admin Console (Creating or Setting up a Service Configuration in the Admin Console).
5. On the Confirm page, verify that the Enable Service for Business Processes check box is selected and click Finish.

Creating or Setting Up a Service Configuration in the Admin Console

To configure the EDIINT Pipeline service, you must specify settings for the following fields in the IBM Sterling B2B Integrator user interface one time only.

Field

Description

Name

Unique and meaningful name for the service configuration. Required.

Description

Meaningful description for the service configuration, for reference purposes. Required.

Select a Group

Select one of the options:

• None – You do not want to include this configuration in a group at this time.
• Create New Group – You can enter a name for a new group in this field, which will then be created along with this configuration.
• Select Group – If you have already created one or more groups for this service type, they are displayed in the list. Select a group from the list.

Optional.

Action

Valid values are Parse or Build. Required.

Parameters for Parse action:

Require Addresses

Required. Valid values are:

• Yes – Service fails if a contract for an inbound message cannot be looked up (default)
• No – Service attempts to parse a message, and if successful, tries to run the default business process.

Default Data Business Process (If not requiring addresses)

Name of a business process to run if No is selected for Require Addresses and no contract has been found for an inbound message. Must be the name of a business process. Required if Require Addresses is set to No.

SMTP MDN Business Process

The name of the business process for sending SMTP MDNs. If you are using AS1, you must select a business process from the list. Required.

HTTP Synchronous MDN Business Process

Name of the business process for sending synchronous HTTP MDNs. If you are using AS2 with synchronous MDNs, you must select a business process from the list. Required.

HTTP Asynchronous MDN Business Process

Name of a business process for sending asynchronous HTTP MDNs. If you are using AS2 with asynchronous MDNs, you must select a business process from the list. Required.

Build MDNs

Whether to build an MDN. If you set this value to Yes, the service outputs information that is needed by the EDIINT MDN Building service to process data, but does not actually build the MDN. This gives you the opportunity to change the information, if necessary, before actually calling the EDIINT MDN Building service. Valid values are Yes and No (default). Required.

Note: If you set Build MDNs to No, it will take precedence over Put MDNs in business process context. Do not set both Build MDNs and Put MDNs In business process context to No.

Put documents in business process context

Put business documents extracted from messages after parsing into the current business process context. Valid values are Yes and No. Default is No. Required.

Put MDNs in business process context

Put MDNs created after parsing messages into the current business process context. Valid values are Yes and No. Default is No. Required.

Note: If you set Build MDNs to No, it will take precedence over Put MDNs in business process context. Do not set both Build MDNs and Put MDNs In business process context to No.

Use supplied contract

Use if you do not want the service to look up a contract for parsing, but to expect one to be supplied in process data when the service is invoked. Valid values are Yes and No. Default is No. Required.

Process duplicate messages

Send business data from messages with duplicate message IDs into the IBM Sterling B2B Integrator. Valid values are Yes and No. Default is No. Required.

Note: If you select Yes, you may receive duplicate data.

Note: Deferred extraction must not be enabled if duplicate suppression (Process Duplicate Messages) is enabled. Conversely, if deferred extraction is enabled, duplicate suppression (Process Duplicate Messages) must not be enabled. These two features are mutually exclusive.

If you want to enable duplication suppression, locate the appropriate entry in the ediint.properties file. Copy the entry and paste it into the customer_overrides.properties file, and set the property to YES. After you change the rule and save the customer_overrides.properties file, you must restart the IBM Sterling B2B Integrator for the changes to take effect.

Update expired messages

Whether to update the status of EDIINT transactions that currently have a status of Expired when an acknowledgement is received. Valid values are Yes and No. Default is No. Required.

Note: If you select No, and an MDN arrives for an expired transaction, status information is placed in the additional data field of the transaction record.

Pipeline timeout (Seconds)

Maximum processing time for a request before it is timed out. Default is 1800 (seconds). Required.

Parameter for Build action:

Contract ID

The ID of a contract containing information for building messages. Must be the ID of an existing contract. Optional.

Output Messages

The parameters that can be assigned by the service in the business process context (when building messages or MDNs) are listed below:

• B2B-message-mode: (always send for now)
• B2B-raw-message: (always to true)
• B2B-contract-id: (ID of the contract used to build the message)
• B2B-want-response: (always true)
• B2B-raw-response: (true for HTTP synchronous MDNs only)
• xport-B2B-mode: on

Additional configuration in Business Process

ShowTranscripts

Tells the service whether to put log information into the WFC advanced status. For debug information, debug logging must be enabled in the EDIINT log. Optional. Valid values are true and false (default is false).

Note: You must use the Advanced button in the GPM Service Editor to set the values for the fields listed in the following table. These fields do not automatically appear in the Service Editor. The default values are used if these fields are not defined in the GPM.

Business Process Examples

The following example business processes illustrate using the EDIINT Pipeline service:

Example 1: Using the EDIINT Pipeline service to build messages:

<operation>
      <participant name="EDIINTBuild"/>
      <output message="noopout">
        <assign to="." from="*"/>
        <assign to="Action">build</assign>
      </output>
      <input message="noopin">
        <assign to="." from="*"/>
      </input>
</operation>

Example 2: Using the EDIINT Pipeline service to parse messages. This example enables the processing of duplicate messages and assumes that the service instance has been configured for parsing when created:

<process name="EDIINTParsePipelineAS2">
  <sequence>
    <operation name="Parse">
      <participant name="EDIINTPipelineService"/>
      <output message="noopout">
        <assign to="." from="*"></assign>
        <assign to="ProcessDuplicateMessages">true</assign>
      </output>
      <input message="noopin">
        <assign to="." from="*"></assign>
      </input>
    </operation>
  </sequence>
</process>