Dynamic Configuration Support for AS2 Sender Adapter

[har_sur]

Problem statement & Current Situation: A customer has multiple trading partners, which are using the proxy system (ex APIM) and communicating with Cloud Integration capability of Integration Suite through a common Authorized User, unable to utilize dynamic support of AS2 sender adapter.

Example, We have a receiver system and two partners Partner 1 and Partner 2, which are communicating with the receiver system. Client sends the Purchase Order request to both partners.

Partner 1 is directly communicating (via CIoud system) with receiver system whereas is using a proxy system, say APIM.



Issue: It is difficult to identify the sending partner behind the proxy system, which is a prerequisite for evaluating dynamic properties.

Need: To enable the customers with a mechanism to identify the actual sending partners behind the proxy.
In this scenario, we need to resolve the identity of both the partners when they send responses.

Solution: AS2 Sender adapter (version 1.13 onwards) is enhanced to resolve incoming Partner ID based on Partner ID Resolution Source.

AS2 Adapter configuration settings

You may select among the following values to determine the source of Partner ID:

• AS2 Partner ID Header: to use the AS2 Partner ID header as partner ID


• Authorized User: to fetch the partner ID from values specified in partner directory against authorized user


• Dynamic: if you select dynamic, you must specify authorizedUser or as2PartnerID value in SAP_AS2_Pid_Resolution_Mode parameter of partner directory, with pid of authorized user
  To learn more, refer Parameterizing Integration Flows Using the Partner Directory | SAP Help Portal

Here, in this scenario, Choose Partner ID Resolution Source as Dynamic while defining the integration flow properties.

Result:

Partner 1 is directly communicating (via CPI system) with receiver system. So, this partner will be identified against Authorized User value.

Latter is using a proxy system, APIM. So, the partner identity is resolved via AS2 Partner ID Header.



Another Issue:

Both partners send their respective details and invoices (in the payload).

Each have different set of configurations, let’s say latter sends encrypted messages and former does not.

Need: To resolve the unique and dynamic configurations of each partner

Solution: All the partner specific configurations will be mapped with respect to Partner ID Resolution Source.

Since for the latter one (using APIM), the Source is AS2 Partner ID Header. System will resolve the values of other fields like Decryption Configuration Type, Decrypt Message etc after verifying and mapping against the AS2 Partner ID Header value of Partner ID Resolution Source field.

Result:

The dynamic and unique configurations of different partners are maintained seamlessly against the Partner ID Resolution Source.

Note: AS2 MDN sender adapter version 1.10 onwards supports similar functionality. See, Configure the AS2 MDN Sender Adapter | SAP Help Portal

To know more about the dynamically configurable fields, refer Configure the AS2 Sender Adapter | SAP Help Portal.

Summary & Benefits:

Through this enhancement, you would be able to derive following benefits:

• Identify partners behind proxy system


• Resolve dynamically configurable properties corresponding to Partner ID


• Share the same client credentials (ID and Secret Key), to all the partners


• Use single integration flow too for multiple trading partners (with partner specific configurations)

More Information:

• Parameterizing Integration Flows Using the Partner Directory | SAP Help Portal to learn more about Partner Directory and its concepts


• Cloud Integration – Partner Directory – Step-by-Step Example | SAP Blogs, a step-by-step example which you can configure in your SAP Cloud Integration tenant


• AS2 Adapter | SAP Help Portal to learn more about AS2 adapter and its features

[alexanderaigner]

Hello,

this is definately a great improvement and relevant for each company with many trading partners. I have some additional questions thou:

• I assume this will also be integrated with Trading Partner Management? Or is this already the case? If not, when is this available?


• Today, most of the AS2 integrations we do do not rely on authorization but use encryption and signatures. In PO, it was also possible to disable the Authorization required for the AS2 Adpater. Are there plans to enable AS2 Communication without authorization directly with CI?

Thanks for the update and your inputs.

Best regards,
Alex

[RobertQ]

Hello Harshita,

thanks for the blog.

I have a question regarding the new partner ID resolution using the "AS2 Partner ID Header" value.

If we use the "Authorized User" value, the AS2 adapter uses the value to look up a partner (PID) in the "Authorized Users" table.

I did not find any documentation of how the AS2 adapter is using the "AS2-From/ AS2 Partner ID Header" if we select "AS2 Partner ID Header" to look up the partner(PID).

My first idea was, that we have to create a partner(PID) with the "AS2-From" value as the documentation for the AS2 sender adapter states that

"AS2 Partner ID Header: to use the AS2 Partner ID header as partner ID."

But after creating a partner with the PID "CompanyA" and add certificates and String parameters to it, I get an error "com.sap.it.rt.adapter.as2.api.exception.InboundProcessingException: com.sap.it.api.pd.exception.PartnerDirectoryException: No partner registered for the incoming request." when sending an AS2 message with header AS2-From vith value "CompanyA".

Then I created a user "CompanyA" in "AuthorizedUsers" for the pid "CompanyA". But still, the AS2 adapter does not recognise the send "AS2-From/Partner AS2 ID" that I send.

Is there any documentation /Note or example from SAP that describse how this functionality works? The existing documentation in the SAP Help is sadly not specific enough on this topic and does not deliver any examples of how to use it.

 

Maybe you can extend your blog post with an example usage of this functionality.

 

Best regards

Robert