Configuring Business Protocols

 

This section includes the following topics:

• Introduction to Configuration of Business Protocols

• Displaying Business Protocol Definitions

• Modifying User-defined Filter and Router Chains

• Modifying XOCP Filter and Router Expressions

• Displaying the Details of Business Protocol Definitions

For more information, see Advanced Configuration Tasks in Administering B2B Integration.

 

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Introduction to Configuration of Business Protocols

In the context of e-commerce, a business protocol is a set of rules that governs the electronic exchange of business information between enterprises across a network. A business protocol specifies a structure for messages, a method for processing them, and a method of routing them to the appropriate recipients. B2B integration trading partners can use the XOCP, RosettaNet, and cXML business protocols to send and receive business messages.

A business protocol is defined by the logic plug-ins that implement it. You cannot create a new business protocol definition. These are available in the B2B integration repository. You can view available business protocols and map these business protocol definitions to user-created logic plug-ins.

The Business Protocols Details tab displays a read-only list of available user-defined filters, routers, and system encoders and decoders. The order of items in the lists reflects the sequence chain or order in which they are activated.

 

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Displaying Business Protocol Definitions

To modify a business protocol definition:

1. Select a business protocol by performing one of the following steps:

   • In the navigation tree, click the Business Protocols node. A list of business protocols is displayed in the right pane. On that page, select the appropriate business protocol.

   • In the navigation tree, select a business protocol .

   Note: The second method is available only if the Display entities on the navigation tree option is checked on the Preferences tab in the B2B Console, as described in Displaying Entities in the Navigation Tree.)

   The configuration tabs for business protocols are displayed.

2. Select the General tab if it is not active. It displays read-only information about the business protocol, as described in the following table.

   Table 7-1 General Tab for Business Protocol Definition Fields

   Field	Description
   Name	Name of the business protocol definition.
   Description	Description of the business protocol definition. (Read-only)
   Business Protocol	Name and version of the protocol used in this business protocol definition. (Read-only) Supported protocols for this release are: XOCP 1.1 RosettaNet 1.1 RosettaNet 2.0 cXML 1.1
   Java Class Name	Java class that implements the selected business protocol definition. (Read-only)

   
    

You can now modify any custom plug-ins. Such plug-ins may include both Java classes and XPath statements, defined and used, respectively, as filters and routers.

 

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Modifying User-defined Filter and Router Chains

By default a chain of built-in, business-protocol specific logic plug-ins is associated with each routing and filtering function included in a business protocol. Custom logic plug-ins can be defined and inserted, where required, in either the routing or filtering chain. These custom plug-ins can perform a wide range of services in addition to routing and filtering. For more information, see Creating a Logic Plug-In. For a detailed description of logic-plug-ins, see Advanced Configuration Tasks in Administering B2B Integration.

To modify filter and router chains with custom logic plug-ins:

1. Select a business protocol by performing one of the following steps:

   • In the navigation tree, click the Business Protocols node. A list of business protocols is displayed in the right pane. On that page, select the appropriate business protocol.

   • In the navigation tree, select a business protocol .

   Note: The second method is available only if the Display entities on the navigation tree option is checked on the Preferences tab in the B2B Console, as described in Displaying Entities in the Navigation Tree.)

   The configuration tabs for business protocols are displayed.

2. Select the Filters & Routers tab if it is not active. A list of available filters and routers is displayed.

3. Rearrange the list of filters and routers as necessary to achieve the desired configuration. To move the names of filters and routers on the tab, use the arrow buttons. Valid values are described in the following table.

   Table 7-2 Business Protocol Definition Plug-Ins

   Field		Description
   Filter Chain		You can create new filter logic plug-ins. For more information, see Creating a Logic Plug-In.
   	Available Filter Logic Plug-Ins	Drop-down list of all available filter-type logic plug-ins.
   	Chosen Filters	Drop-down list of active logic plug-ins for the specified business protocol definition.
   Router Chain		You can create new router logic plug-ins. For more information, see Creating a Logic Plug-In.
   	Available Router Logic Plug-ins	List of all available router type logic plug-ins.
   	Chosen Routers	List of active logic plug-ins for the specified business protocol definition.

   
    

4. When you finish configuring your filters and routers, click Apply.

 

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Modifying XOCP Filter and Router Expressions

XPath is the XML pattern matching language used to address parts of an XML document. An XPath expression is a string that specifies the intended recipients of a business message using XPath syntax. You must define XPath expressions and associate them with filtering and routing chains.

The filter expression can examine different parts of the message-context document to determine whether or not to forward the message to the recipient trading partner. Each XPath filter expression can return true or false using different selection criteria. After an XPath filter expression returns false, the message is blocked from further evaluation and is not sent to the intended recipient.

In the XOCP router logic plug-in, each XPath router expression can examine different parts of the message-context document and select a different set of recipient trading partners. The filters and routers can either replace the previously generated set of recipient trading partners filters and routers or add to the current set.

You can only modify user-defined logic plug-ins. For more information, see Creating a Logic Plug-In. For a detailed description of logic-plug-ins, see Advanced Configuration Tasks in Administering B2B Integration.

Create an XPath Expression

To create an XPath expression:

1. Select a business protocol by performing one of the following steps:

   • In the navigation tree, click the Business Protocols node. A list of business protocols is displayed in the right pane. On that page, select the appropriate business protocol.

   • In the navigation tree, select a business protocol .

   Note: The second method is available only if the Display entities on the navigation tree option is checked on the Preferences tab in the B2B Console, as described in Displaying Entities in the Navigation Tree.)

   The configuration tabs for business protocols are displayed.

2. Select the XOCP Filters & Routers tab if it is not active.

3. Enter values in the XPath Expression and Type fields, as described in the following table.

   Table 7-3 XOCP Filters and Routers for Business Protocol Definitions

   Field		Description
   XPath Expression		XPath expressions are evaluated in sequence at run time against the message-context XML document. The document contains the message content along with meta information about the message, such as the sending and receiving trading partners, conversation information, and versioning.
   Type	Append	Select Append to add the evaluation results of the new XPath expression to the results of any previous evaluation of an XPath expression.
   	Replace	Select Replace to overwrite the results of any previous evaluation of an XPath expression.
   XOCP Filter Chain		This list box displays the entire XOCP expression currently active for the XOCP filter chain. A filter chain is simply a series of XPath filter statements connected in a specific sequence.
   XOCP Router Chain		This list box displays the entire XOCP expression currently active for the XOCP router chain. A router chain is simply a series of XPath router statements connected in a specific sequence.

   
    

4. Click Set to create a new XPath filter chain. Use the up and down arrow keys to arrange the statements within a chain in the necessary order.

5. Click Apply.

For a detailed description of logic-plug-ins, see Advanced Configuration Tasks in Administering B2B Integration.

Removing an XPath Expression from a Business Protocol Definition

To remove an XPath filter chain or XPath router chain from a business protocol definition:

1. Click the Business Protocols node in the navigation tree. The Business Protocols Definitions page is displayed in the right pane.

2. On the Business Protocols Definitions page, select the business protocol definition containing the XOCP filter or router you want to remove. The business protocol tabs are displayed.

3. Select the XOCP Filters & Routers tab if it is not active.

4. Select the XOCP filter chain or XOCP router chain(s) you want to delete. Click Remove.

For a detailed description of logic-plug-ins, see Advanced Configuration Tasks in Administering B2B Integration.

 

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Displaying the Details of Business Protocol Definitions

Lists of filters and routers include both system-level entities and user-created plug-ins. All encoders and decoders are system-level entities. Only user-defined logic plug-ins can be modified. For more information, see Creating a Logic Plug-In.

To view detailed information about a business protocol definition:

1. Select a business protocol by performing one of the following steps:

   • In the navigation tree, click the Business Protocols node. A list of business protocols is displayed in the right pane. On that page, select the appropriate business protocol.

   • In the navigation tree, select a business protocol .

   Note: The second method is available only if the Display entities on the navigation tree option is checked on the Preferences tab in the B2B Console, as described in Displaying Entities in the Navigation Tree.)

   The configuration tabs for business protocols are displayed.

2. Select the Details tab if it is not active. A list of all available user-defined filters and routers, as well as system encoders and decoders, is displayed.