Re: EDI , AS400 and Java

[Tamas Perlaky <tamas@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ashish,

Typically if someone says they want to "do EDI" then it's very likely  
they mean that they want to exchange documents with you that are  
formatted using one of the major EDI standards (either ANSI X.12 in  
North America or EDIFACT in most of the rest of the world; there are  
others too, but they are far less common).  The methodology for doing  
this is very well understood, and generally includes the following  
components:

1./  An EDI translator.  On the i5 this would be something like  
TrustedLink or Gentran.  The role of the translator is to manage your  
database of EDI documents, to validate that their structure is  
correct according to the standards, and to coordinate the other  
functions described below.

2./  An EDI mapper.  Typically this is actually part of the  
translator, but I view it as a distinct function.  The mapper's job  
is to convert from the EDI standards format to your own formats,  
whether that's data files on your i5, flat files, CSV, XML, report  
output, whatever.  Each translator/mapper will have its own range of  
capabilities.

3./  Communications.  In the olden days (like 10 years ago) most EDI  
documents were sent/received using modems to value added networks  
(VANs) operated by companies like GXS, Sterling, or Inovis.   
Sometimes this was done using capabilities built into the translator  
or using software provided by the VAN.  Increasingly today EDI  
document exchange is done over the Internet using FTP(S), sometimes  
HTTP(S) or SMTP, and increasingly often using a protocol called EDI- 
INT AS2, which is a combination of SMIME and HTTP with some other  
rules to create a reliable, secure data exchange method.  FTP and  
similar protocols are usually built into the translator, but AS2  
piece is often an add-on.

For all of these bits you can buy commercial software packages, which  
either run on the i5 or you can run them on a separate server and  
just map the data into your i5 databases via flat files or SQL.  The  
EDI standards themselves are only moderately complicated, so you  
could theoretically just code everything up yourself (except the AS2  
piece), but from a operations point of view it's much (much) better  
to have the control and audit capabilities of proper software  
infrastructure.  If you want to go it yourself, you'll need to get  
the implementation guidelines from your trading partners, understand  
their requirements in terms of the standards, get some test data from  
them, and then the programming tasks should be pretty apparent.

Of course you could just outsource your EDI requirements to one of  
many companies which provide that specific service.  I think that's a  
great approach for many firms, but then again that's the business I'm  
in so I'm pretty strongly biased!  And it isn't the right approach in  
all cases, especially if you have a sizable IT staff.

t.

On 4-Dec-06, at 3:44 PM, Ashish Kulkarni wrote:

> Hi
> I got that part cleared, i will talk with the vendor
> to get that information.
> So but if EDI is a concept there must be some software
> required to do EDI,
> what is the software i will need, or is there any open
> source solution for implmenting EDI
>
> Ashish
> --- Michael Ryan <michaelrtr@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > EDI is just a concept. There is no EDI format per
> > se. Ask your vendor what
> > format they want. That's the place to start.
> >
> > On 12/4/06, Ashish Kulkarni
> > <kulkarni_ash1312@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > Hi
> > > We dont have any existing EDI files, i think we
> > will
> > > get them from the vendor
> > > or if there are any standard files defined my
> > > business.
> > >
> > > IS there a sample java program which does EDI to
> > send
> > > data?
> > >
> > > Ashish
> > > --- Michael_Schutte@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > >
> > > > Ashish, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe
> > all
> > > > you are looking for is a
> > > > way to map your XML files to your existing EDI
> > > > files?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Ciao!
> > > > Michael Schutte
> > > >
> > > > Classic Italian dishes with a Bob Evans Twist -
> > > > Enjoy our new Homestyle
> > > > Pastas!
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > java400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote on
> > 12/04/2006
> > > > 03:06:56 PM:
> > > >
> > > > > Saying "in EDI format" is about as precise as
> > > > saying "in ASCII". You
> > > > > need to ask them what format they want.
> > > > >
> > > > > "EDI" means "Electronic Data Integration" (or
> > > > something like that).
> > > > > All it means is sending business data from one
> > > > computer system to
> > > > > another computer system. It doesn't
> > necessarily
> > > > involve XML (our
> > > > > company has hundreds of business partners and
> > none
> > > > of them send or
> > > > > receive data in XML).
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: java400-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > [mailto:java400-l-
> > > > > bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ashish
> > Kulkarni
> > > > > Sent: December 4, 2006 12:02
> > > > > To: Java Programming on and around the iSeries
> > /
> > > > AS400
> > > > > Subject: ***SPAM*** Re: EDI , AS400 and Java
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi
> > > > > They require the file in EDI format, this is
> > all
> > > > they have said but
> > > > > my team wants to know if it is possible to do
> > > > through java, are
> > > > > there any API which allow us to do it?
> > > > > where can i find information about EDI in
> > general
> > > > > ashish
> > > > >
> > > > > --- Michael Ryan <michaelrtr@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Pretty big topic. How do you want to send
> > the
> > > > file?
> > > > > > What does your trading
> > > > > > partner require?
> > > > >
> > > > > --
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