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profiles in AS2



I am needing the opinion of the AS2 community on the use of a feature profiles within AS2. Back in 2002, compression was added as an extra feature. Using "AS2–Version: 1.1" in a message indicated the UA could support compression even if the actual message did not contain the compressed envelope. This assisted implementers in knowing if their trading partners could support compression.
 
Moving to the present, users are requesting new features. These include I–Ds for Reliability (from GS1), Multiple–Attachments (oil & gas users) and Certificate Exchange Messaging (Wal–mart, P&G and others GS1 companies). Given AS2's adoption, I am sure there will be others in the future.
 
My question to those on this elist is how to do move forward with new 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 profile)? Also, can anything be done to insure backward compatibility to keep new Feature Header messages from being sent to & breaking older, existing implementations (e.g. older implementation errors gracefully when getting an unrecognized MA message).
 
Here are some options. I would like to hear your thoughts on what is best or other ideas.
    

1. Use AS2–Version header to indicate UA support of profiles (e.g. 1.2 indicates CEM, 1.3 indicates CEM, Reliability). Works like compression (e.g. “1.2” indicates capability of CEM but not an actual CEM message).

 

2. Use a new header, e.g. EDIINT–Features. The features header shows all features supported by UA (e.g. EDIINT–Features: CEM, multiple–attachment) but like AS2–Version does not indicate every message contains profile.

 

3. Use a new header for each feature which is present ONLY in the message using that feature. For example, “CEM–Profile” for CEM messages. This could allow receiving UA to filter in only profiles it recognizes.

 

4. Create a “Capability Query” AS2 Message which returns a Capability MDN. MDN indicates what features receiving UA can support.

 

 

Kyle Meadors

Principal, Test Process

Drummond Group Inc.

615.212.0826

 


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