Features Profile in AS2

[email protected] Mon, 5 Dec 2005 18:05:43 -0500
Newsgroups gmane.ietf.ediint
Message-ID <OF37C323C1.0A4475FB-ON852570CE.0070FC3B-852570CE.007EDF62@na.pg.com>
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As Kyle mentioned in his previous message, many end users as well as the=20
GS1 technology group (ecGIF) want additional features in AS2 software=20
systems to help manage operational complexity. In order to handle new AS2=20
Features such as the Certificate Exchange Message, AS2 Reliability, and=20
Multiple Attachments; we first need to ensure that AS2 software systems=20
using new Features will not cause problems for existing AS2 systems.=20

I believe that new AS2 systems need:

a) a header telling other AS2 systems with which they correspond that they =

support new Feature(s), and if the other AS2 systems also support new=20
Features,
b) a header (e.g. EDIINT?Features) advising which Feature(s) the new AS2 so=
ftware system supports, and
c) an expanded "profile" capability to keep track of the status of items=20
(a) & (b) for each AS2 system with which it communicates.

I'm proposing a variation of Kyle's option #2  (using a new header, e.g. ED=
IINT?Features):

1. AS2 systems supporting any new Feature would use AS2?Version 1.2. This=20
will tell other AS2 version 1.2 systems that they can send the=20
EDIINT?Features header to a system also using AS2?Version 1.2.  Version 1.0=
 and 1.1 systems could successfully receive=20
an AS2?Version 1.2 header, but version 1.2 systems would not send them the =

EDIINT?Features header.

2. The EDIINT?Features header would indicate which Feature(s) a sending sys=
tem supports.=20

3. An AS2?Version 1.2 system would keep track in a "profile" for every othe=
r AS2 system with=20
which it communicates:
-  the AS2?Version number of that system, and if applicable,
- the EDIINT?Feature(s) that the system supports

Please let me know your thoughts about this proposal, and any issues that=20
you may see with it.
=20
John Duker
e-Commerce Specialist
Procter & Gamble
and
Chair GS1 ecGIF

----- Forwarded by John Duker-JP/PGI on 12/05/2005 05:19 PM -----


"Kyle Meadors" <[email protected]>
Sent by: [email protected]
12/01/2005 12:04 PM

=20
        To:     <[email protected]>
        cc:=20
        Subject:        profiles in AS2
I am needing the opinion of the AS2 community on the use of a feature=20
profiles within AS2. Back in 2002, compression was added as an extra=20
feature. Using "AS2?Version: 1.1" in a message indicated the UA could=20
support compression even if the actual message did not contain the=20
compressed envelope. This assisted implementers in knowing if their=20
trading partners could support compression.=20
 =20
Moving to the present, users are requesting new features. These include=20
I?Ds for Reliability (from GS1), Multiple?Attachments (oil & gas users)=20
and Certificate Exchange Messaging (Wal?mart, P&G and others GS1=20
companies). Given AS2's adoption, I am sure there will be others in the=20
future.=20
 =20
My question to those on this elist is how to do move forward with new=20
features. What do we do to insure only those who support a feature receive =

it (e.g., only sending CEM message to trading partners who support that=20
profile)? Also, can anything be done to insure backward compatibility to=20
keep new Feature Header messages from being sent to & breaking older,=20
existing implementations (e.g. older implementation errors gracefully when =

getting an unrecognized MA message).=20
 =20
Here are some options. I would like to hear your thoughts on what is best=20
or other ideas.=20
=20
1. Use AS2?Version header to indicate UA support of profiles (e.g. 1.2=20
indicates CEM, 1.3 indicates CEM, Reliability). Works like compression=20
(e.g. "1.2" indicates capability of CEM but not an actual CEM message).
=20
2. Use a new header, e.g. EDIINT?Features. The features header shows all=20
features supported by UA (e.g. EDIINT?Features: CEM, multiple?attachment)=20
but like AS2?Version does not indicate every message contains profile.
=20
3. Use a new header for each feature which is present ONLY in the message=20
using that feature. For example, "CEM?Profile" for CEM messages. This=20
could allow receiving UA to filter in only profiles it recognizes.
=20
4. Create a "Capability Query" AS2 Message which returns a Capability MDN. =
MDN indicates what features receiving UA can support.
=20
=20
Kyle Meadors
Principal, Test Process
Drummond Group Inc.
615.212.0826
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<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">As Kyle mentioned in his previous me=
ssage, many end users as well as the GS1 technology group (ecGIF) want addi=
tional features in AS2 software systems to help manage operational complexi=
ty. In order to handle new AS2 Features such as the Certificate Exchange Me=
ssage, AS2 Reliability, and Multiple Attachments; we first need to ensure t=
hat AS2 software systems using new Features will not cause problems for exi=
sting AS2 systems. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">I believe that new AS2 systems need:=
</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">a) a header telling other AS2 system=
s with which they correspond that they support new Feature(s), and if the o=
ther AS2 systems also support new Features,</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">b) a header (</font><font size=3D2 f=
ace=3D"Arial">e.g. EDIINT&#8211;Features</font><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-=
serif">) advising which Feature(s) the new AS2 software system supports, an=
d</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">c) an expanded &quot;profile&quot; c=
apability to keep track of the status of items (a) &amp; (b) for each AS2 s=
ystem with which it communicates.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">I'm proposing a variation of Kyle's =
option #2 &nbsp;(</font><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">using a new header, e=
.g. EDIINT&#8211;Features):</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">1. AS2 systems supporting any new Feature=
 would use AS2&#8211;Version 1.2. This will tell other AS2 version 1.2 syst=
ems that they can send the EDIINT&#8211;Features header to a system also us=
ing AS2&#8211;Version 1.2. &nbsp;Version 1.0 and 1.1 systems could successf=
ully receive an AS2&#8211;Version 1.2 header, but version 1.2 systems would=
 not send them the EDIINT&#8211;Features header.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">2. The </font><font size=3D2 face=3D=
"Arial">EDIINT&#8211;Features</font><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif"> hea=
der would indicate which Feature(s) a sending system supports. </font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">3. An </font><font size=3D2 face=3D"=
Arial">AS2&#8211;Version 1.2</font><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif"> syst=
em would keep track in a &quot;profile&quot; for every other AS2 system wit=
h which it communicates:</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">- &nbsp;the </font><font size=3D2 fa=
ce=3D"Arial">AS2&#8211;Version</font><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif"> nu=
mber </font><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">of that system, and if applicable=
,</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">- the EDIINT&#8211;Feature(s) that the sy=
stem supports</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">Please let me know your thoughts about th=
is proposal, and any issues that you may see with it.</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">&nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">John Duker</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">e-Commerce Specialist</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">Procter &amp; Gamble</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">and</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"sans-serif">Chair GS1 ecGIF</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D1 color=3D#800080 face=3D"sans-serif">----- Forwarded by J=
ohn Duker-JP/PGI on 12/05/2005 05:19 PM -----</font>
<br>
<table width=3D100%>
<tr valign=3Dtop>
<td>
<td><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif"><b>&quot;Kyle Meadors&quot; &lt;kyle=
@drummondgroup.com&gt;</b></font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif">Sent by: [email protected].=
org</font>
<p><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif">12/01/2005 12:04 PM</font>
<br>
<td><font size=3D1 face=3D"Arial">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; To: &nbs=
p; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&lt;[email protected]&gt;</font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; cc: &nbs=
p; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Subject:=
 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;profiles in AS2</font></table>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">I am needing the opinion of the AS2 commu=
nity on the use of a feature profiles within AS2. Back in 2002, compression=
 was added as an extra feature. Using &quot;AS2&#8211;Version: 1.1&quot; in=
 a message indicated the UA could support compression even if the actual me=
ssage did not contain the compressed envelope. This assisted implementers i=
n knowing if their trading partners could support compression.</font><font =
size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial"><br>
 </font><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font><font size=3D2=
 face=3D"Arial"><br>
Moving to the present, users are requesting new features. These include I&#=
8211;Ds for Reliability (from GS1), Multiple&#8211;Attachments (oil &amp; g=
as users) and Certificate Exchange Messaging (Wal&#8211;mart, P&amp;G and o=
thers GS1 companies). Given AS2's adoption, I am sure there will be others =
in the future.</font><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font><font =
size=3D2 face=3D"Arial"><br>
 </font><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font><font size=3D2=
 face=3D"Arial"><br>
My question to those on this elist is how to do move forward with new featu=
res. What do we do to insure only those who support a feature receive it (e=
.g., only sending CEM message to trading partners who support that profile)=
? Also, can anything be done to insure backward compatibility to keep new F=
eature Header messages from being sent to &amp; breaking older, existing im=
plementations (e.g. older implementation errors gracefully when getting an =
unrecognized MA message).</font><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </=
font><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial"><br>
 </font><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font><font size=3D2=
 face=3D"Arial"><br>
Here are some options. I would like to hear your thoughts on what is best o=
r other ideas.</font><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font><font =
size=3D2 face=3D"Arial"><br>
 &nbsp; &nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">1. Use AS2&#8211;Version header to indica=
te UA support of profiles (e.g. 1.2 indicates CEM, 1.3 indicates CEM, Relia=
bility). Works like compression (e.g. "1.2" indicates capability of CEM but=
 not an actual CEM message).</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">&nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">2. Use a new header, e.g. EDIINT&#8211;Fe=
atures. The features header shows all features supported by UA (e.g. EDIINT=
&#8211;Features: CEM, multiple&#8211;attachment) but like AS2&#8211;Version=
 does not indicate every message contains profile.</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">&nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">3. Use a new header for each feature whic=
h is present ONLY in the message using that feature. For example, "CEM&#821=
1;Profile" for CEM messages. This could allow receiving UA to filter in onl=
y profiles it recognizes.</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">&nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">4. Create a "Capability Query" AS2</font>=
<font size=3D2 color=3D#000080 face=3D"Arial"> </font><font size=3D2 face=
=3D"Arial">Message which returns a Capability MDN. MDN indicates what featu=
res</font><font size=3D2 color=3D#000080 face=3D"Arial"> </font><font size=
=3D2 face=3D"Arial">receiving UA can support.</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">&nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">&nbsp;</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">Kyle Meadors</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">Principal, Test Process</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">Drummond Group Inc.</font>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">615.212.0826</font>
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