Overview of possible flows

This section gives you a brief overview of the types of transformations WebSphere Partner Gateway can perform. Details of these transformations and what you need to do to set them up are described in General steps for defining document exchanges.

EDI to EDI flow

WebSphere Partner Gateway can accept an EDI interchange from a participant or the Community Manager, transform it into a different type of EDI interchange (for example, EDI-X12 to EDIFACT), and send the document to the Community Manager or participant. The following steps occur when an EDI interchange is transformed into another EDI interchange:

  1. The EDI interchange received at the hub is de-enveloped.
  2. The individual transactions within the EDI interchange are transformed to the recipient's EDI format.
  3. The transformed EDI transactions are enveloped and sent to the recipient.

Figure 23 shows an X12 interchange consisting of three transactions being de-enveloped. The transactions are transformed into EDIFACT format and are then enveloped and sent to the participant.

Figure 23. EDI interchange to EDI interchange flow
This figure shows how an X12 interchange is de-enveloped, how the X12 transactions are transformed into EDIFACT transactions, and how the EDIFACT transactions are enveloped before being delivered

Each of the transactions has a transformation map associated with it, which specifies how the transaction is transformed. The transaction can be transformed into a single transaction or, if map chaining was used to create the map, multiple transactions. If Enveloper batching is turned on, transactions that enter the hub in one envelope will leave the hub in one envelope. However, if there are envelope breakpoints (for example, different values for EDI attributes or a different envelope profile) or if batching is turned off, the transactions will leave in different envelopes. See Enveloper for a general description of the Enveloper (which is the component that gathers a set of transactions to be sent to a participant, wraps them in an envelope, and sends them). See Batch mode for more information about batching.

The transaction might also have a validation map associated with it.

EDI to XML or ROD flow

WebSphere Partner Gateway can accept an EDI interchange from a participant or the Community Manager, de-envelope the interchange, and transform the resulting EDI transactions into XML or ROD documents.

Figure 24. EDI interchange to XML documents flow
This figure shows how an X12 interchange is de-enveloped and how the X12 transactions are transformed into XML documents

The transaction can be transformed into a single document or, if map chaining was used to create the map, multiple documents.

XML or ROD to EDI flow

WebSphere Partner Gateway can receive XML or ROD documents from a participant or the Community Manager, transform the documents into EDI transactions, envelope the transactions, and send them to the Community Manager or a participant.

Figure 25 shows XML documents that are transformed into X12 transactions and then enveloped.

Figure 25. XML document to EDI interchange flow
This figure shows how XML documents are transformed into X12 transactions and how the X12 transactions are enveloped before being delivered

One document can be transformed into multiple transactions (if map chaining was used to create the map), and the transactions can be enveloped into different interchanges. Figure 26 shows an XML document that is transformed into three X12 transactions. Two of the transactions are enveloped together. One is put in a separate envelope.

Figure 26. XML document to multiple EDI transactions flow
This figure shows how an XML document is transformed into three X12   transactions and how two of the transactions are enveloped together and one is enveloped separately before being delivered

Multiple XML or ROD documents to EDI interchange flow

WebSphere Partner Gateway can receive a file consisting of one or more XML or ROD documents from a participant or the Community Manager, transform the document or documents into EDI transactions, envelope the EDI transactions into multiple envelopes, and send them to the Community Manager or participant.

Each document can be transformed into a single transaction or, if map chaining was used to create the map, multiple transactions.

Notes:
  1. Documents sent in a file must be of the same type--either XML documents or ROD documents, but not both.
  2. ROD documents must be of the same type.

Figure 27 shows a set of XML documents being split, resulting in individual XML documents. The XML documents are transformed into X12 transactions, and the transactions are enveloped.

Figure 27. Multiple XML documents to EDI interchange flow
This figure shows how an XML file containing multiple XML documents is split, how the XML documents are transformed into X12 transactions, and how the X12 transactions are enveloped before being delivered

In Figure 27, the documents are split (by the XML Splitter Handler), and the transformed transactions are enveloped together. The XML Splitter Handler must have the BCG_BATCHDOCS option set to on (the default value) for this scenario to occur. If BCG_BATCHDOCS is set to on and the Enveloper batch mode is on, these transactions can be enveloped in the same EDI envelope. The Enveloper batch mode attribute is described in Batch mode.

XML to ROD or ROD to XML flow

WebSphere Partner Gateway can receive an XML or ROD document from a participant or the Community Manager, transform the document into the other type (XML to ROD or ROD to XML), and then send the document to the participant or Community Manager.

Figure 28 shows a series of XML documents being transformed into ROD documents.

Figure 28. XML document to ROD document flow
This figure shows how XML documents are transformed into ROD documents

The document can be transformed into a single document or, if map chaining was used to create the map, multiple documents.

XML to XML or ROD to ROD flow

WebSphere Partner Gateway can receive an XML or ROD document from a participant or Community Manager, transform it into a document of the same type (XML to XML or ROD to ROD), and then send the document to the participant or Community Manager.

Figure 29 shows XML documents that are transformed into XML documents of a different format.

Figure 29. XML document to XML document flow
This figure shows the transformation of three XML documents and how the first is transformed into two XML documents, the second is transformed into a single XML document, and the third is transformed into two XML documents

The document can be transformed into a single document or, if map chaining was used to create the map, multiple documents.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2003, 2005