Tracking Outbound Information
The system writes a Document Tracking record for every significant event that occurs for a document. For example, a Document Tracking record is written when the document is created, when it is modified, and when it is exported.
For outbound processing, the system can import external data through the Import command within Sterling Gentran:Server® or through a mailbox message (when the content type is configured to Application/Import). After the file is imported into the system, you can send the file or configure process control to send the file automatically. After a send command, a new mailbox message is created and any subsequent send transmissions create a new mailbox message that is related to the same external data file that was initially imported.
Import Process
Data is imported using the following process:
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | The external data is imported directly into Sterling Gentran:Server. This data is either coming from an unattended process control (GDW_Import) or a manual import. |
| 2 | Depending on how the data is imported, either UNATTEND or EDIMGR copies the external data file to the external data folder in the system data store. |
| 3 | UNATTEND or EDIMGR updates the ExtData_tb with an entry that indicates the filename, the date and time from the timestamp on the file, the date and time of the action, and the ExtDataKEY |
| 4 | UNATTEND or EDIMGR writes the ExtDataType and ExtDataKEY parameters to the IPC file (they are called "Type" and "Key," respectively, in this file). |
| 5 | The Translator executes the import translation object. It obtains the ExtDataType and ExtDataKEY from the IPC file and writes the ExtDataXref_tb entries that link the documents to the external data reference created by EDIMGR or UNATTEND. |
Mailbox import process
When an external data file is imported using a Collection Mailbox, all the associated message identifiers are tracked by the system according to the following process:
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | When outbound data flows through the system, the Collection Mailbox creates a data file and an associated message ID in its Outbox (with ContentType set to Application/Import). |
| 2 | The Collection Mailbox sends it to your Application
Inbox, creating a new target message ID. Note: For a Mailbox Import,
you must specify the UNC path and file name on the System Configuration
Imports tab. This specification must exactly match the path you set
for the TRANSIN directory on the System Configuration Directories
tab.
|
| 3 | The CommMgr recognizes the content type as Application/Import and initiates the import of this file. |
| 4 | The CommMgr stores the external data reference in the ExtData_tb and then builds the unattended processing session file (with the new GDW_MBImport command) to import the data into Sterling Gentran:Server. |
| 5 | After the session file is created, unattended processing creates the IPC file and writes the external data information that the Translator needs to perform an import. |
| 7 | The Translator runs the import map stores tracking information in the ExtDataXref_tb. |
Send Process
After a file has been imported, the Sterling Gentran:Server documents that are created can be sent to a Mailbox according to the following process:
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | The system creates an associated mailbox message in the Sterling Gentran:Server Application mailbox. |
| 2 | It sends the message to the partner’s mailbox. Like the process file and import actions, the send action has a source and target message ID associated with the external data. However, unlike the other actions, the external data is a message and it is related to an interchange. |
| 3 | The links between the interchange that is sent and the mailbox message to which it is sent are preserved in the ExtDataXref_tb. When you want to view this information, it is available in the External Data Summary Viewer. |
In this scenario, the user has selected to send multiple documents in one interchange. After the Translator builds the interchange, the CommMgr sends the interchange to the mailbox. While the CommMgr is sending the interchange, it receives a message ID for the mailbox to create a message in the Sterling Gentran:Server Application mailbox. Then, it creates an external data reference in the ExtData_tb where the type is Message. Finally, CommMgr has enough information to create a record in the ExtDataXref_tb linking the interchange to the message.