Subject: Need help on AS2

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2001 11:57:30 -0600

My company is planning to integrate with partner companies using AS2.   I
have read all related documents that I down loaded from  the web site
http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/ediint-charter.html but I still don't have
a clear picture for how to implement the AS2.   If you can give me some
sample code or case study information,  I will appreciate it.

Thank you.

Liping Zou
--------------------------
email: [email-masked]
phone: 630-799-6972

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From: "Santanu De" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 10:40:00 +0530

Hi all,

We are planning to make our B2B product AS2 compliant- and moving in this
direction,
we have decided to introduce an AS2 client and a AS2 compliant HTTP server
in our product.
However design issues still remain bleak.

On the same lines as Liping, I'd request you to help me in this direction -
i.e to implement AS2.
Sample codes or guidelines will be just great.

We have figured out that in order to implement the AS2 client, we need to do
three things-
1) Package the data using standard MIME packaging.
2) Encrypt using S/MIME.
3) Delegate the HTTP client to send the data across to the trading partner.

However, a few things are still in dark. Like, where do the specific AS2
headers like AS2-from and AS2-to
come from? Are they a part of the MIME packaging in 1), or a part of the
HTTP headers attached in 3)? Does
it mean that the HTTP client needs to be changed accordingly?

We are still to figure out the server implementation. We need a few
information in this regard as well. Like,
who sends the receipt, and who sends the reply? In case of synchronized
reply, do we still send the receipt?
Or the reply implicitly guarantees a receipt?

When we are sending XML as a payload, how does the server delegate the
responsibility to the XML parser?

And several other issues- which are not discussed in detail. Actually, any
input for AS2 implementaion will be highly
appreciated.

Thanks,
Santanu.

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From: "Dick Brooks" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 07:14:56 -0600

Santanu,

>3) Delegate the HTTP client to send the data across to the trading partner.

The profile you identified above does not meet the Energy industry
requirements for AS2.

>it mean that the HTTP client needs to be changed accordingly?

The AS2-To and AS2-From headers are not part of the AS2 spec, yet. These
were added by some vendors during an interoperability test when they
discovered that certain HTTP headers "collide" with e-mail headers (e.g.
From). There is also a risk that other e-mail headers used by AS2 could
collide with future versions of HTTP. For example if a future version of
HTTP includes a Subject or Message-ID header, the AS2 spec may have to
prefix the e-mail versions of these headers with "AS2-" in order to avoid a
collision with Web Servers. This is due to the fact that AS2, e-mail
profile, doesn't follow proper MIME conventions for header extensions (X-).
I've already addressed this with other AS2 folks and hopefully we'll have it
resolved before the next AS2 spec is released.

>input for AS2 implementation will be highly
>appreciated.

Group 8760 has implemented EDIINT AS2 within the Energy industry. A typical
implementation of AS2 following the Energy industry profile, with no
customizations, takes on average, 3 days and is "significantly" lower cost
than other, similar approaches, like RosettaNet.

Dick Brooks (EDIINT AS2 co-author)
http://www.8760.com/

---

From: "Santanu De" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 19:03:45 +0530

Hi Dick,

Thanks a lot for your prompt and valuable input.

However regarding the industry profiles, if you'd elaborate a little more,
it will be still more useful to us.

Initially, we thought to stick to the Energy Industry profile (GISB)- but
later advised by our product marketing team,
we are planning to implement AS2 in our product in such a manner that it
"CAN CATER TO THE NEEDS OF ANY
INDUSTRY", the reason given by the marketing team was that several of our
customers want an AS2 compliant product- and not all of them (in fact, most
of them don't) belong to the energy industry.

I understand that there are distinct profiles adopted by different
industries like the Energy Industry and the Healthcare Industry(correct me
if I am wrong). But will it be possible if we want to implement a far more
generalized AS2 in our
product which can take care of all these profiles- and even any future
profiles arising out of the AS2 specs?
Thats excatly what the marketing team wants us to do- and thats what I am
breaking my head at.

A couple of other clarifications:
1- AS2-from/ AS2-to are part of the (modified/extended) MIME headers- and
the HTTP headers remain the same. So we need not change our HTTP client.
Tell me if my understanding is wrong.

2- The profile I identified earlier doesn't suit the requirements of the
Energy Industry- does it mean that the Energy Industry will require a few
more things, or that their requirements are "disjoint " from the profile
identified?
Will it be possible to identify a SUPERSET of all possible requirements of
all possible industries- and yet implement it (the SUPERSET)?

If its possible- then it'll address the demands of our marketing team- or
else we'll have to take an alternative route/plan.

In case the above works out (or its possible to work out)- what do you think
will be the cost involved in the exercise in terms of effort required-
provided we have a working SMTP client, a non-AS2 compliant HTTP client- and
on the server side, a
non-AS2 compliant HTTP web server?

We shall highly appreciate your help in this matter.

Thanks and Regards,

Santanu De
Lead Development Engineer- ECXpert
iPlanet India Development Center
Sun Microsystems (I) Private Limited
Voice: +91-80-229 8989 (x27641)
Email: [email-masked]

iPlanet- A SUN|Netscape Alliance- visit http://www.iplanet.com

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From: "Dick Brooks" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 08:35:59 -0600

>of them don't) belong to the energy industry.

The "Generalized Receipts" profile of AS2 IS INDUSTRY NEUTRAL. The Energy
industry is following the "Generalized Receipts profile" within AS2 (we've
been calling this the GISB profile). The Generalized Receipt profile is also
being used in Healthcare and the Automotive industry.

The Generalized Receipt mechanism defines metadata (headers) that are common
to all industries, for example, here are some commonly used headers from the
Generalized Receipt profile of AS2:

AS2 Header Element Name         Description
-----------------------	    ------------------------------------------------
--------------
To                          identifies the intended recipient
From                        identifies the sender
Version                     version of the specification being followed
input-format                identifies the type of data being sent (X12,
XML, jpeg, etc.)
input-data                  this element contains the payload
Receipt-Disposition-to      indicates that a receipt is requested
Receipt-Report-Type         indicates the type of receipt to return
                            (each industry defines their own receipt types)
Transaction-set             a unique identifier providing further
description of the data
                            (e.g. PURCHASEORDER, HEALTHCLAIM, INVOICE)
Receipt-Security-Selection  Used by the sender to request a signed receipt

There are more headers than this in the AS2 spec, but I won't list them
here.

Please identify which of the above headers from AS2 your marketing group is
calling  INDUSTRY SPECIFIC, or have them contact me and I'll be happy to
discuss this with them.

Another significant consideration about the Generalized receipts approach in
AS2; it uses "Multipart/form-data" packaging, which IS an industry standard,
ref: RFC 2388. In fact, multipart/form-data is the most popular/widely used
standard on the Web for exchanging data over HTTP. It is implemented in all
commercial web browsers, that I'm aware of (e.g. IE5, Netscape) and  there
are about 30 vendors who provide solutions B2B solutions using
multipart/form-data packaging (Group 8760 is one of them).

On the other hand, the e-mail packaging defined in AS2 is non-standard and
unique to AS2; it is only implemented by a few vendors, that I'm aware of.

Thanks,

Dick Brooks (AS2 co-author)
http://www.8760.com/

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From: "Patrick Condon" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 10:13:04 -0500

Seven companies have AS2-compliant solutions.  If you need an existing
solution, I am sure any one of us is happy to help.  Of course, I am partial
to webMethods, but all seven of us have completed and passed
interoperability testing with each other, and should meet your needs.
pat
---------------------------
Seven Vendors complete First Secure EDI over the Internet (based on HTTP)
Conformance Validation Test under UCC sponsorship
“Important Step in Enabling eBusiness,” says co-author of the AS2 spec,
Rik Drummond of Drummond Group, Inc.

Austin, TX; December 20, 2000.  The Uniform Code Council (UCC), a leading
global standards organization, and Drummond Group today announced that
bTrade.com, Compaq Computer Corporation, Cyclone Commerce, IPNet Solutions,
Netfish Technologies, Sterling Commerce and webMethods, Inc. have achieved
mutual interoperability by passing the first B2B AS2 Conformance Validation
Test.  This draft standard allows vendor applications to communicate EDI
data over the Internet (via HTTP) in a secure manner.

COMPANIES			PRODUCTS
bTrade.com			SecureAccess2000, EDIINT engine vs. 1.38
Compaq			Compaq ASx Transport Service (CATS), vs 2.0
Cyclone Commerce		Cyclone Interchange, vs 3.1
IPNet Solutions		eBizness™ Transact 3.3
Netfish Technologies	XDI Product Suite, vs 4.2
Sterling Commerce		E-Marketplace Enabling Services, vs 3.3
webMethods, Inc.		webMethods B2B™, vs 3.6

“AS2 gives a company the ability to exchange data in real time in a secure
manner over the Internet to other AS2 interoperable companies.  Using this
technology, gives a high return on investment to a company,” says Rik
Drummond, CEO of the Drummond Group who managed the testing process.  “It
will greatly decrease the cost of doing business in EDI and one can expect
savings of 60% or more over traditional VAN costs.”

Drummond Group, who also facilitated the testing process for three years of
AS1 testing, has been instrumental in bringing a new level of
interoperability to EDI over the Internet products.  Their test process
provides a venue for vendors to test and correct their software systems in a
non-competitive environment.  “In our experience, we found that testing
against a single implementation is not as effective as testing among the
participating vendors,” says Beth Morrow, Vice President Drummond Group.
“The vendors are able to gain much more insight on their product’s
functionality in the marketplace and in this way ensure interoperability.”
Another round of testing is planned for the year 2001.

Drummond Group, Inc. (www.drummondgroup.com) provides B2B strategy, research
analysis, and industry pilot facilitation. Founded by Rik Drummond, a
recognized leader in eBusiness and international standards organizations,
the group represents best-of-breed in the industry on horizontal
infrastructure technologies and standards which support B2B commerce.  Key
areas include XML, Internet EDI, PKI, EAI, architecture, integration,
interoperability and B2B business models. Drummond Group offers an
integrated vendor neutral approach that concentrates on the intersection of
technology, business processes, and culture of an organization to build
strategy that reduces risk, lowers cost, and fosters e-Business.  Contact:
[email-masked], 512-335-5606.

Uniform Code Council  (www.uc-council.org) The Uniform Code Council, Inc.
(UCC) is a not-for-profit standards development organization originally
founded in 1972. The UCC, along with its global partner EAN International,
administers the EANUCC System, which includes Universal Product Code
(U.P.C.) and other tools to facilitate efficient global trade.  The EANUCC
System is used by over 850,000 member companies worldwide. The UCC functions
as a primary resource for business and industry, developing worldwide
identification codes, data carriers, and electronic commerce.

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From: "Dick Brooks" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 10:27:40 -0600

Patrick,

When you say Webmethods has an AS2 compliant solution, which version of AS2
are you referring to, the current
draft version at:
http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-ediint-as2-07.txt

Dick Brooks
Group 8760
110 12th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203
[email-masked]
205-250-8053
Fax: 205-250-8057
http://www.8760.com/

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