Technical Blog Post
Abstract
FAQ : Odette FTP within Sterling B2B Integrator
Body
Often times SB2Bi (Sterling B2B Integrator) users/administrators seek help from IBM SB2Bi product support teams on OFTP (Odette FTP). Very often, they are configuration based questions. I gathered some of the most Frequently Asked Questions in this article.
Following are links to blogs and webinar where I talked about Odette FTP features and configurations.
Web Cast Replay : OdetteFTP in SSL mode
Blog: Configure certificates in Odette FTP for SSL
Blog: Configure Secure Authentication in OdetteFTP profile
Tool to validate "Virtual Name Pattern" for OdetteFTP
1) How do I associate SSL certificates with Odette FTP Profile?
Answer: Like many security features, SSL support in OFTP was also added in Odette 2.0 version.
- Firstly "Odette FTP API Level" must be set to 2.0 in Odette FTP Physical Partner Contract (PPC).
- SSL Certificates must be configured in *local* Physical Partner (local PP) profile.
- Check "SSL Enabled" checkbox.
- Your SSL certificate must be setup in "SSL Private Key" dropdown
- Partner's public certificate must go into "SSL Certificates" screen
- Leave SSL section blank in remote PP (I know it doesn't sound obvious)
- Choose "Secure IP" radio button in OdetteFTP Adapter and configure System Certificate and CA certificate that were configured in local PP
Note: If you have multiple partners communicating over OFTP+SSL, you must configure all those partner certificates (i.e., public certificates) in your local PP and OdetteFTP Adapter.
2) Where do I enable Secure Authentication in Odette Profile? How do I associate secure keys for Secure Authentication?
Answer:
- Enable "Secure Authentication" checkbox in PPC
- "Private Authorization Key" in local PP (your private certificate)
- "Authentication Certificate" in remote PP (partner's public CA certificate)
3) How do I enable File Compression?
Answer: It must be enabled through respective (Inbound or Outbound) Odette FTP Logical Partner Contract (LPC) through "File Compression" checkbox.
4) How do I decompress Inbound file that was compressed by partner?
Answer: Odette FTP Queue Handler Service should be used in DECIPHER mode in order to decompress incoming file.
If you are using Inline (not Offline) file processing mode, you would usually configure "Inbound Business Process" in Inbound LPC. Make sure this BP does include Odette FTP Queue Handler Service with DECIPER mode. sample service below.
<operation name="DecompressFile">
<participant name="OFTPQueueHandler" />
<output message="OFTPOut">
<assign to="." from="*"/>
<assign to="mode">DECIPHER</assign>
</output>
<input message="OFTPIn">
<assign to="." from="*"/>
</input>
</operation>
5) How do I configure Encryption and Signing? And How to enable each of these?
Answer: Through "Odette FTP Logical Partner" (LP) & "Odette FTP Logical Partner Contract" (LPC)
- These are enabled through "File Encryption" and "File Signing" checkboxes in respective LPC
- "File Decryption Key Certificate" & "File Signing Key Certificate" must be configured in local LP with your private keys.
- "File Encryption User Certificate" & "File Signing User Certificate" must be configured in remote LP with partner's Trusted certificates
6) How do I decrypt inbound message from remote partner?
Answer: Odette FTP Queue Handler Service should be used in DECIPHER mode along with FileProcessing and Response_DOC_ID parameters.
Make sure Inbound payload processing BP does include Odette FTP Queue Handler Service something like below.
<assign to="FileProcessing">true</assign>
<assign to="Response_DOC_ID">docid_from_oftp_object</assign>
<operation name="DecryptFile">
<participant name="OFTPQueueHandler" />
<output message="OFTPOut">
<assign to="." from="*"/>
<assign to="mode">DECIPHER</assign>
</output>
<input message="OFTPIn">
<assign to="." from="*"/>
</input>
</operation>
7) What is Session Retry Intervals for?
Answer: Refer to this Developer works article. Click Here
8) What is File Retransmission Intervals for? Where do I configure it?
Answer: Refer to this Developer works article. Click Here
9) Please provide template for BP to queue messages in auto mode (i.e., Queue message and use scheduler to send)?
Answer: Configure FILE DataItem with necessary attributes and pass it to Odette FTP Queue Handler Service. sample below.
<process name = "KK.OFTP.QueueMsgs">
<sequence name="Sequence_Start">
<operation name="CreateFILEStructure">
<participant name="AssignService"/>
<output message="DataItemOut">
<assign to="OFTPDataItem/FILE/document" from="PrimaryDocument"/>
<assign to="OFTPDataItem/FILE/properties/LogicalPartnerContract">MY_OUTBOUND_LPC</assign>
<assign to="OFTPDataItem/FILE/properties/OFTPVirtualFilename">KK.VirtualFile.txt</assign>
<assign to="." from="*"></assign>
</output>
<input message="toProcessData">
<assign to="." from="*"></assign>
</input>
</operation>
<operation name="OdetteFTP Queue Handler">
<participant name="OFTPQueueHandler"/>
<output message="OdetteFTPQueueHandlerInputMessage">
<assign to="." from="*"></assign>
</output>
<input message="inmsg">
<assign to="." from="*"></assign>
</input>
</operation>
</sequence>
</process>
It would make SCHEDULED entries in OFTP_OBJECT table and they will be picked up by Scheduler as configured.
10) How does BP look like that send message in manual mode (i.e., without scheduler)?
Answer: Refer to oftpout sample system BP. It is shipped with product installation.
11) What must be Odette FTP Record Delimiter, while transferring files from Unix to Windows?
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21997099
Note: These FAQ and Information presented here is applicable through SB2Bi 5.2.6.2 FixPack (latest fixpack as of date). Any of it might change in future with upcoming fixpacks and/or releases.
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ibm11121265