Basic Configuration - Exchanging passthrough EDI documents

In this example, the hub configuration is quite simple--two targets are defined (one for documents coming into the hub from a participant and one for documents coming into the hub from the Community Manager back-end system). The exchanges that are set up in this example use the document flow definitions provided by WebSphere Partner Gateway; therefore, you only have to create interactions based on those flows. No custom XML is used in this example.

This example shows an exchange between a back-end-application of the Community Manager and a community participant (Partner Two).

Configuring the hub

The first step in setting up the hub is creating the two targets.

Defining the targets

To create a target for the receipt of documents over HTTP:

  1. Click Hub Admin > Hub Configuration > Targets.
  2. Click Create Target.
  3. For Target Name, type: HttpTarget.
  4. From the Transport list, select HTTP/S.
  5. For the Gateway type, use the default of Production.
  6. For the URI, type: /bcgreceiver/submit
  7. Click Save.

Next, you create a target to poll a directory on the file system. Creating the target automatically creates a new directory on the file system.

To create the file-system target:

  1. Click Hub Admin > Hub Configuration > Targets.
  2. Click Create Target.
  3. For Target Name, type: FileSystemTarget.
  4. From the Transport list, select File Directory.
  5. For Default Gateway Type, use the default of Production.
  6. For the Document Root Path, type: \temp\FileSystemTarget
    Note: This will create a FileSystemTarget directory within the temp directory. Be sure a temp directory exists on the file system.
  7. Click Save.

Defining document flows and interactions

In this example, you are setting up the exchange of documents that conform to the EDI-X12 standard. In this example, the documents are simply being passed through the hub. The EDI interchange is not being de-enveloped and no transformation occurs. See Appendix B. EDI examples for examples of de-enveloping an interchange, transforming the transactions, and sending acknowledgments.

In this section, the following exchanges are described:

Because of the packaging and protocols involved, there is no need to create a new document flow definition. The packages, protocols, and document flows are ones that are predefined in the system.

However, you do need to define interactions based on these predefined document flows.

Create the first interaction, in which the source is an ISA-formatted document that conforms to the EDI-X12 standard and contains no packaging and the target is an ISA-formatted document that conforms to the EDI-X12 standard with AS packaging.

  1. Click Hub Admin > Hub Configuration > Document Flow Definition.
  2. Click Manage Interactions and then Create Interaction.
  3. From the Source column, expand:
    1. Package: None
    2. Protocol: EDI-X12
  4. Click Document Flow: ISA
  5. From the Target column, expand:
    1. Package: AS
    2. Protocol: EDI-X12
  6. Click Document Flow: ISA
  7. From the Action list, select Pass Through.
  8. Click Save.

Create a second interaction, in which the source format is an ISA-formatted document that conforms to the EDI-X12 standard with AS packaging, and the target format is an ISA-formatted document that conforms to the EDI-X12 standard and contains no packaging:

  1. Click Create Interaction.
  2. From the Source column, expand:
    1. Package: AS
    2. Protocol: EDI-X12
  3. Click Document Flow: ISA
  4. From the Target column, expand:
    1. Package: None
    2. Protocol: EDI-X12
  5. Click Document Flow: ISA
  6. From the Action list, select Pass Through.
  7. Click Save.

Creating participants and participant connections

In this example, one external participant is created, in addition to the Community Manager. The gateways for the participants include standard transports, and no configuration points are defined for the gateways.

Creating the participants

Create two new participants. To define the Community Manager:

  1. Click Account Admin from the main menu. The Participant Search page is the default view.
  2. Click Create.
  3. For Company Login Name, type: CommMan.
  4. For Participant Display Name, type: Comm Man.
  5. For Participant Type, select Community Manager.
  6. Click New under Business ID.
  7. Leave Type as DUNS and enter an Identifier value of 123456789.
    Note: Here and throughout this book, all DUNS numbers are meant to be examples only.
  8. Click New under Business ID.
  9. Select Freeform and enter an Identifier value of 12-3456789
  10. Click Save.

To define Partner Two:

  1. Click Account Admin > Profiles > Community Participant.
  2. Click Create.
  3. For Company Login Name, type: partnerTwo
  4. For Participant Display Name, type: Partner Two
  5. For Participant Type, select Community Participant.
  6. Click New under Business ID.
  7. Leave Type as DUNS and enter 987654321 as the Identifier.
  8. Click New under Business ID.
  9. Select Freeform and enter an Identifier value of 98-7654321
  10. Click Save.

You have now defined both the Community Manager and Partner Two to the hub.

The next steps are to configure gateways for both the Community Manager and Partner Two.

Creating the gateways

Before creating a file-directory gateway for the Community Manager, you must create the directory structure used by this gateway. Create a new FileSystemGateway directory on the root drive. This directory will be used by the Community Manager to store files received from participants.

In the case of the Community Manager, the gateway represents the entrance point into the back-end system.

To create a gateway for the Community Manager:

  1. Click Account Admin > Profiles > Community Participant.
  2. Click Search.
  3. Select Comm Man by clicking the View details icon.
  4. Click Gateways from the horizontal navigation bar.
  5. Click Create.
  6. For Gateway Name, type: FileSystemGateway
  7. For Transport, select File Directory.
  8. For Address, type: file://C:\FileSystemGateway
  9. Click Save.

Next, set this newly created gateway as the default gateway for the Community Manager.

  1. Click List to view all gateways configured for the Community Manager.
  2. Click View Default Gateways.
  3. From the Production list, select FileSystemGateway.
  4. Click Save.

Create a gateway for Partner Two

  1. Click Account Admin > Profiles > Community Participant.
  2. Click Search, and then select Partner Two by clicking the View details icon.
  3. Click Gateways from the horizontal navigation bar.
  4. Click Create.
  5. For Gateway Name, type: HttpGateway
  6. For Transport, select HTTP/1.1.
  7. For Address, type: http://<IP_address>:80/input/AS2, where <IP_address> represents Partner Two's computer.
  8. For User Name, type: Comm Man.
  9. For Password, type: commMan.
  10. Click Save.

Note that this example assumes that Partner Two requires a user name and password for any participant logging in to its system.

Again, you need to define a default gateway for this participant.

  1. Click List followed by View Default Gateways.
  2. From the Production list, select HttpGateway.
  3. Click Save.

Setting up B2B Capabilities

Next, define the B2B Capabilities for the Community Manager.

  1. From the main menu, click Account Admin > Profiles > Community Participant.
  2. Click Search.
  3. Select Comm Man by clicking the View details icon.
  4. Click B2B Capabilities from the horizontal navigation bar.
  5. Set the Source and Target for Package: None, Protocol: EDI-X12, and Document Flow: ISA by performing the following steps:
    1. Click the Role is not active icon under Set Source for Package: None
    2. Click the Role is not active icon under Set Target for Package: None
    3. Click the Expand icon next to Package: None.
    4. Click the Role is not active icon for Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL) for both source and target.
    5. Click the Expand icon next to Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL).
    6. Click the Role is not active icon for Document Flow: ISA for both source and target.

Then, set the B2B Capabilities for Partner Two.

  1. From the main menu, click Account Admin > Profiles > Community Participant.
  2. Click Search.
  3. Select Partner Two by clicking the View details icon.
  4. Click B2B Capabilities from the horizontal navigation bar.
  5. Select Set Source and Set Target for Package: AS, Protocol: EDI-X12, and Document Flow: ISA by performing the following steps:
    1. Click the Role is not active icon under Set Source for Package: AS
    2. Click the Role is not active icon under Set Target for Package: AS
    3. Click the Expand icon next to Package: AS.
    4. Click the Role is not active icon for Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL) for both source and target.
    5. Click the Expand icon next to Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL).
    6. Click the Role is not active icon for Document Flow: ISA for both source and target.

Defining participant connections

Define the participant connection for EDI documents with no packaging that come from the Community Manager to be delivered to Partner Two.

  1. Click Account Admin > Participant Connections.
  2. From the Source list, select Comm Man.
  3. From the Target list, select Partner Two.
  4. Click Search.
  5. Click Activate for the connection with the following detail:
    1. Source
      1. Package: None (N/A)
      2. Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL)
      3. Document Flow: ISA(ALL)
    2. Target
      1. Package: AS (N/A)
      2. Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL)
      3. Document Flow: ISA (ALL)

Next, define the connection for EDI documents wrapped in AS2 packaging that come from Partner Two to be delivered to the Community Manager with no packaging. This is very similar to the connection you defined in the previous section, except that you will also configure AS2 attributes.

  1. Click Account Admin > Participant Connections.
  2. From the Source list, select Partner Two
  3. From the Target list, select Comm Man.
  4. Click Search.
  5. Click Activate for the connection with the following detail:
    1. Source
      1. Package: AS (N/A)
      2. Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL)
      3. Document Flow: ISA (ALL)
    2. Target
      1. Package: None (N/A)
      2. Protocol: EDI-X12 (ALL)
      3. Document Flow: ISA (ALL)

Next, select Attributes next to the Package: AS (N/A) box for Partner Two.

  1. Edit the Package: AS (N\A) attributes by scrolling down the page and clicking the Expand icon next to Package: AS (N/A).
  2. Enter an AS MDN E-Mail Address (AS1) value. This can be any valid e-mail address.
  3. Enter an AS MDN HTTP URL (AS2) value. This should be entered as follows: http://<IP_address>:57080/bcgreceiver/submit, where <IP_Address> represents the hub.
  4. Click Save.

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