Chapter 1   Introduction

This chapter provides an overall introduction to installing the ECXpert product. It covers the following topics:

• "ECXpert Software Dependencies"
• "About the ECXpert Installer"
• "Installed ECXpert Software"
• "User Accounts"
• "Upgrading to Version 3.6.2"
• "Where To Go Next"

ECXpert Software Dependencies

---

To manage document exchange between trading partners, ECXpert depends on a number of external software systems. Figure 1-1 illustrates the relationship between ECXpert and the following systems:

Communications agent support    Some ECXpert communications agents depend on additional software support that you must install. For example, if you're using JMS, you need to install the Sun™ ONE Message Queue product; if you are using e-mail (SMTP) communications, then an external mail server is necessary; or, if you are using ebXML communications, you must install Sun ONE Secure Trading Agent (STA) software. For additional information, see Table 1-2.

Figure 1-1    ECXpert Software Dependencies

Oracle DBMS    An Oracle® database system is required to store data about members (users), trading partnerships, and the processing of document exchanges by ECXpert.

LDAP server (optional)    You can also store member (user) information in an LDAP server instead of in the Oracle database.

Web server    ECXpert uses a browser-based administration console that requires Web server support. A web server is also required for other HTTP-based ECXpert communication agents.

Data transformation software    ECXpert uses two engines for transforming data exchanged by trading partners: a built-in XML Style Sheet Translator (XSLT) for transforming XML documents, and Mercator software, which is automatically installed, for transforming incoming Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or XML formatted documents.

Table 1-1 shows the supported versions for ECXpert software dependencies, including those illustrated in Figure 1-1.

Table 1-1    ECXpert 3.6.2 Product Support Matrix 

Platform/Product	Used For	Supported Platform/Product Version1
Java™ Runtime Environment (JRE) (Sun Microsystems production versions only)	ECXpert internal programs and ECXpert administration tools	JDK/JRE 1.4.0_022: Solaris™ 2.6, 7, and 8 Windows NT 4.0 SP 6a and Windows 2000 Professional and Server SP 3
Java Software Development Kit (JDK), Standard Edition (Sun Microsystems production versions only)	ECXpert API	JDK/JRE 1.4.0_02: Solaris 2.6, 7, and 8 Windows NT 4.0 SP 6a and Windows 2000 Professional and Server SP 3
JNDI	JMS administered object support	JNDI version 1.2.1
Web server	Browser-based administration	Sun ONE Web Server, Enterprise Edition 6.0 SP5
Oracle database	Meta-data storage	Oracle 8i, version 8.1.7
Mercator	Data transformation	Mercator Authoring System, version 6.5.2
LDAP directory server	User repository (optional)	Sun ONE Directory Server version 5.1
Mail server	SMTP support	Sun ONE Messaging Server 5.2 SP1
Sun ONE Secure Trading Agent	ebXML communications agent support	Sun ONE Secure Trading Agent, version 1.0 (Supported only on Solaris 8 and Windows 2000)
Sun ONE Message Queue	JMS communications agents support	Sun ONE Message Queue 3.0.1, Platform Edition (PE)

1 Check the ECXpert Release Notes for any updates to supported versions 2 Download this JDK/JRE from: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/index.html

---

Note	All third party software (Sun ONE Web Server, Sun ONE Directory Server, Sun ONE Messaging Server, Oracle Server, Sun ONE Secure Trading Agent, and Mercator Authoring System) are licensed for use only in conjunction with ECXpert. Any use separate from ECXpert is not permitted.

---

ECXpert 3.6.2 is supported on Solaris and Windows operating systems and platforms. The hardware and software requirements for these platfoms are specified in the platform-specific installation chapters of this book.

About the ECXpert Installer

---

You can install the ECXpert 3.6.2 product from the Sun ONE Integration Server, B2BEdition CD-ROM set. For detailed instructions, see the platform-specific procedures in subsequent chapters.

Installer Dependencies

While a number of external software systems are needed to run ECXpert (see "ECXpert Software Dependencies"), the ECXpert installer requires only the Oracle database and a web server in order to complete successfully. On the Solaris platform, you also need to install a web browser.

Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended that other software systems on which ECXpert depends be installed prior to running the ECXpert installer. This allows the installer to configure ECXpert to run with these systems. It is recommended, for example, that the following software be installed before installing ECXpert:

• Web server (used for ECXpert's browser-based administration tools)
• Independently installed communications agent support (optional):

• Mail server (used for SMTP communications)
• Sun ONE Secure Trading Agent (used for ebXML communications)
• Sun ONE Message Queue (used for JMS communications)

See Chapter 2 "Preinstallation Tasks" for more information about ECXpert installer dependencies.

What the ECXpert Installer Does

The ECXpert installer performs the following tasks:

• sets up a directory structure and copies ECXpert files into the appropriate directories (see "Installed Directory Structure")
• modifies the ECXpert configuration file (ecx.ini)
• creates a schema in the Oracles DBMS and populates the tables with default information
• imports digital certificates used for authentication and encryption
• installs the Mercator SDK (on Solaris only).
• on Windows only:

• updates the Windows registry
• places ECXpert components in an ECXpert program group
• configures the Web server to support ECXpert's browser-based administration tools (modifies the magnus.conf and object.conf files to point to ECXpert's .cgi and HTML files).

• On Solaris, the installer prompts the user to make changes to the magnus.conf and object.conf, and jvm12.conf files.

Installed ECXpert Software

---

The software installed by the ECXpert installer consists of a number of different modules, as described in "ECXpert Software Modules," below. These modules are placed in a directory structure outlined in "Installed Directory Structure".

ECXpert Software Modules

Table 1-2 describes the software modules included with the ECXpert product.

Table 1-2    ECXpert Software Modules 

Module	Contents
Communications agents	Processes that enable document delivery between business partners over various communication protocols: FTP, SMTP, HTTP, JMS, ebXML and so forth.
Dispatcher	The central software engine that manages document translation and exchange between business partners.
Translator	Software used to translate documents being exchanged between business partners: Mercator is used to transform Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) documents, and an XSLT translator is used to transform XML documents.
Scheduler	Software used to schedule the receipt of input documents and the sending of output documents.
Database access software	Software that provides access to an Oracle database.
Administration	An administration server and cgi scripts used to support browser-based administration of ECXpert.
ECXpert SDK	A software development kit used by programmers to access ECXpert functions directly.

Installed Directory Structure

Table 1-3 shows the installed directory stucture for an ECXpert installation. All subdirectories are under the directory referenced by the BDGHOME environment variable (See Table 3), namely:

Root_ECX_install/NS-apps/ECXpert

where Root_ECX_install corresponds to the directory in which ECXpert was installed.

Table 1-3    Installed Directory Structure 

Subdirectory	Contents
./UI	HTML files used principally for ECXpert's browser-based administration
./bin	ECXpert binaries
./bin/jms	Sun ONE MQ implementation libraries for use by jms client that's built in to ECXpert.
./bin/ebxml/	Files used by ebXML Agent demonstration program.
./bin/ebxml/test	ebXML Agent demonstration program.
./certificates	Location used for exported and imported certificate files
./cgi-bin	ECXpert cgi binaries used for ECXpert's browser-based administration
./config	ECXpert configuration files, such as ecx.ini
./data	Contains subdirectories used to store temporary files. The most important subdirectories are: /log location for log files written by the administration server /work locations where work files are created and then deleted /input location of received files waiting to be translated /output location of translated files and other output files waiting to be sent
./dbadmin	Oracle SQL scripts
./ecxsdk	API library files, sdk binaries, documentation, and other files that comprise the ECXpert SDK
./legacy	Map files used for exchanges with legacy applications, such as SAP
./lib	ECXpert libraries
./maps	Mercator mapping files
./mercsdk	Mercator software program files (Solaris only)
./smtp	Files used by the SMTP communications agent
./snmp	Files used by an external management application for monitoring ECXpert resources
./servlet	Solaris only: servlets and other information required for exchanges using Automotive Industry Accreditation Group (AIAG) formats
./dtd	Solaris only: contains dtd's required for exchanges using Automotive Industry Accreditation Group (AIAG) formats

User Accounts

---

You must make sure that software is installed under user accounts that allow ECXpert to function properly with its dependent software. Default values for these accounts depend on the installation platform.

The following user accounts are needed:

ECXpert admin user    This is the account under which ECXpert is installed and administered. By default, the account name is ecxadmin.

Oracle administrator    This is the account under which the Oracle database is installed and administered.

ECXpert Oracle user    This is the account under which ECXpert accesses the Oracle database. By default, the account name is ECX362.

Web server administrator    This is the account under which the Web server is installed and administered. It should be the same as the ECXpert administrator account.

SMTP mail user    This is the account under which ECXpert accesses the SMTP (Pop3) mail server. On Solaris, if you use SendMail, you don't need to set up this account.

Upgrading to Version 3.6.2

---

3.6.2 is fully compatible with ECXpert 3.6.1 (except for Mercator data transformation issues). However, ECXpert 3.6.2 is generally not compatible with ECXpert 3.5 or earlier versions, largely because of changes in internal and external data formats and because of the version of Oracle database supported by ECXpert 3.6.2.

Appendix A, "Upgrading to ECXpert 3.6.2." describes the upgrade process from ECXpert 3.6.1 to ECXpert 3.6.2. Please consult the ECXpert 3.6.2 Release Notes for additional information about upgrading from earlier versions.

When upgrading an earlier version of ECXpert to Version 3.6.2, you must be careful not to over-write important configuration and data files. ECXpert maintains configuration, membership, and partnership data, as well as information stored in the Oracle database tables, that will be lost if you are not careful about how you perform an upgrade. For this reason it is recommended that you not try to install ECXpert 3.6.2 over earlier versions, without first reading the detailed steps for performing an upgrade, as provided in Appendix A, "Upgrading to ECXpert 3.6.2."

Where To Go Next

---

Before attempting to install ECXpert, be sure to read the information contained in Chapter 2, "Preinstallation Tasks."