http Post with Large Files

[Diane Biegel <dbiegel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Group-

One of the main reasons http was selected by the gas industry is that
smtp cannot handle large files well, while http post sends large files
effectively.  We pilotted last summer, and sent files in the 40k range
with no problem.  We also transmitted 3 meg files routinely with no
issues.  We sent 30 meg successfully, although some sites experienced
problems with their cgi's or their low-speed connections; not a problem
with the protocol.

We are in production with EDI via http post, and it works quite well. 
Most EDI files are < 40k.  The industry group felt it could not afford
smtp for EDI due to the lack of instant notification of receipt, the
inability to handle large files and the possibility of "last-out, first
in"(i.e., receiving files out of order).  Our business demands immediate
response to large $, time sensitive transactions -- ftp or http were the
only choices to support this.

Regards,
Diane Biegel