Overview of configuring the hub

After you have analyzed your business needs, as described in Information needed to set up the hub, you set up the hub and create your participant profiles. This section provides a high-level overview of the tasks involved.

Note: As you are configuring the hub, refer to the Administrator Guide for information on event codes and for troubleshooting tips.

Setting up the hub

As the Hub Administrator, you perform the following tasks to set up the hub:

  1. Perform any preliminary setup (if required) for the transports you are using. The preliminary setup is described in Preparing to configure the hub.
  2. Optionally, customize the console and change the default password and permissions policy. These tasks are described in Configuring the Community Console.
  3. Create targets for the types of transports that will be used to receive documents at the hub (from the Community Manager and from participants). Creating targets is described in Defining targets.
    Note: If you will be configuring the target with user-defined handlers, you must upload the handlers before creating the target. Uploading handlers is described in Uploading user-defined handlers.
  4. Configure any inbound workflow steps or actions. This is an optional step and is needed only by those who have specific requirements for document processing not provided by WebSphere Partner Gateway. If you do not need to change the system-supplied behavior of workflows or actions, skip this step. Configuring workflow steps and actions is described in Configuring fixed workflow steps and actions.
    Note: You must upload the user-defined handlers before configuring workflows or actions. Uploading user-defined handlers is described in Uploading handlers.
  5. Create document flow definitions (or verify that the ones you need are already available) to define the types of documents you can send or receive at the hub.
  6. Create interactions to indicate the valid combination of two document flow definitions.

    Creating document flow definitions and creating interactions are described in Configuring document flows and Configuring EDI document flows.

  7. Create a profile for the Community Manager, providing information about the Community Manager and establishing the types of documents that the Community Manager can send and receive (the B2B capabilities of the Community Manager). Creating the profile is described in Creating the Community Manager profile and B2B capabilities.

Creating participants

After you set up the hub, you create a profile for each participant that will be exchanging documents with the Community Manager. Only the Hub Admin can create participants.

As the Hub Admin, you can also set up the B2B capabilities of participants, establish the gateways for participants, and set up security profiles for participants. These steps can alternatively be performed by the participants themselves.

Creating participants is described in Creating participants and their B2B capabilities. Creating gateways is described in Creating gateways. Setting up security profiles is described in Setting up security for inbound and outbound exchanges.

Establishing document connections

After you configure the hub and create participant profiles, you are ready to set up connections. Connections indicate the valid combinations of senders and receivers and the documents they can exchange. Managing connections is described in Managing connections.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2003, 2005