Overview of IBM webMethods Module for EDI

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Overview

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IBM webMethods Module for EDI ( webMethods Module for EDI) enables business partners to exchange EDI documents within and across the extended enterprise, providing comprehensive EDI support as a key part of the webMethods total business process automation solution.

webMethods Module for EDI provides services and transformation management tools that enable you to recognize, transform, convert, validate, and map multi-transactional EDI documents in real time or in batch.

When you use webMethods Module for EDI with IBM webMethods B2B Trading Networks (Trading Networks), you use the features of Trading Networks to exchange EDI documents with your trading partners.

Important: Module 9.12 for EDI requires Trading Networks to be installed. For complete instructions on installing, configuring, and completing the installation of Trading Networks, see the Installing IBM webMethods Products On Premises for your release. For more information on installing webMethods Module for EDI, see IBM webMethods Module for EDI Installation and User’s Guide .

When you use webMethods Module for EDI along with other webMethods components, you can extend its capabilities. The following table shows the capabilities of the module based on the components you use:

Using webMethods Module for EDI with: Provides the functionality to...
IBM webMethods B2B Trading Networks (Required component)
  • Maintain information about your trading partners that exchange EDI documents.
  • Send EDI documents to and retrieve EDI documents from trading partners.
  • Connect to Value Added Networks (VANs) to pick up and deliver EDI documents.
  • Process EDI documents using the features of Trading Networks (for example, using processing rules).
  • Batch the sending of EDI documents rather than sending them to their destinations in real time, as each is received.
  • Automatically generate functional acknowledgments (FA) for inbound documents.
  • View EDI documents that have passed through your system.
IBM My webMethods Server and its user interface, My webMethods
  • Configure IBM webMethods Module for EDI.
  • Submit documents to Trading Networks.
  • Manage control numbers.
  • Manage Trading Networks profiles.
  • View the Executive Dashboard.
  • View transaction summary reports.
IBM webMethods Designer
  • Model and manage business processes.
IBM webMethods Monitor
  • Monitor the progress of business processes.

Architecture

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When you install webMethods Module for EDI; the core packages, WmEDI and WmEDIforTN, and the selected schema packages are installed in IBM webMethods Integration Server.

Note: The WmEDIsamples package contains sample EDI flow services, mappings, and IS document types that demonstrate how to use webMethods Module for EDI and IBM webMethods Designer to execute typical EDI processing scenarios. This package is located in the IBM TechXchange Community. EDI developers can use the WmEDIsamples as a reference. Before going into production, you should delete the WmEDIsamples package.

The following diagram illustrates how webMethods Module for EDI fits into the webMethods architecture. For more information, see the text after the diagram.

Component Description
IBM webMethods Integration Server The underlying foundation of webMethods components.
Trading Networks A webMethods component that enables your enterprise to link with other companies (buyers, suppliers, strategic partners) and marketplaces to form a business-to-business trading network.

You must install Trading Networks before installing webMethods Module for EDI. For more information, see the Trading Networks Concepts Guide , IBM webMethods Trading Networks User’s Guide , and IBM webMethods Trading Networks Administrator’s Guide for your release.

webMethods Module for EDI A production environment is comprised of the following two core packages:
  • The WmEDI package is the basic functionality that provides support for the EDI standard to the webMethods components.
  • The WmEDIforTN package allows for the interaction between the WmEDI package and Trading Networks. This interaction allows you to use Trading Networks as a gateway for EDI document exchange. webMethods Module for EDI uses the functionality of Trading Networks to provide additional features, such as support for VANs, reconciling FAs, and batching the sending of EDI documents.
For more information about the schema packages, see IBM webMethods Module for EDI Installation and User’s Guide .
IBM webMethods Designer A design-time tool that you can use to create process models that define how to include EDI documents in business processes (also called conversations). After you design the process models, you build and upload them to create the run-time elements (for example, flow services and triggers) that reside in IBM webMethods Integration Server. Process Engine of IBM webMethods Integration Server executes the business processes (conversations) at run time.

To include EDI documents in business processes, you must use Trading Networks. At run time, after Trading Networks performs its processing, it can pass documents to Process Engine to perform the logic that you designed in a process model. For more information about designing process models, see IBM webMethods Designer Online Help .

IBM webMethods Monitor Allows you to monitor the progress and status of the business processes (conversations) involving EDI documents. IBM webMethods Monitor interacts with Process Engine to obtain the status information.
IBM My webMethods Server A web-based, monitoring and administration user interface for managing your webMethods components.

You use IBM My webMethods Server (and its user interface, My webMethods) with webMethods Module for EDI to:

  • View and edit the configuration settings for the WmEDI, WmTN, and WmEDIINT packages
  • View and edit the EDI format.xml file
  • Submit EDI and XML docs to Trading Networks
  • Update document type attributes
  • Manage control numbers

For more information about managing webMethods Module for EDI using My webMethods, see IBM webMethods Module for EDI Installation and User’s Guide .

Supported EDI Standards

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The table lists the EDI standards supported by webMethods Module for EDI.

EDI Standard Version
ANSI 8040 and 8050
EANCOM 01B, 1, 2, 3, 93A, 96A
ODETTE 1,3, 94
TRADACOMS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
UCS 4010, 4020, 4030, 5010
UNEDIFACT
  • 901, 902
  • 911, 912
  • 921
  • 93A, 2932, S93A
  • 94A, 94B
  • 95A, 95B
  • 96A, 96B
  • 97A, 97B
  • 98A, 98B
  • 99A, 99B
  • 00A, 00B
  • 01A, 01B, 01C
  • 02A, 02B
  • 03A, 03B
  • 04A, 04B
  • 05A, 05B
  • 06A, 06B
  • 07A, 07B
  • 08A, 08B
  • 09A, 09B
  • 10A, 10B
  • 11A, 11B
  • 13A, 13B
  • 14A, 14B
  • 16A, 16B
  • 2, 3, 40, 41
VDA 4905_4, 4906_2, 4907_2, 4908_3, 4911_1, 4913_4, 4913_5, 4915_2, 4916_1, 4918_1, 4919_1, 4920_1, 4921_1, 4927_3
VICS 3010, 4010, 4020, 4030, 4050, 5010
X12
  • 2000, 2001, 2001FORD, 2002, 2002FORD, 2003, 2003GM, 2040, 2040CHRY
  • 3010, 3020, 3030, 3040, 3041, 3050, 3051, 3060, 3070
  • 4010, 4010RIFMAT, 4020, 4030, 4040, 4050, 4060
  • 5010, 5020, 5030, 5040, 5050
  • 6010, 6020, 6030, 6040, 6050
  • 7010, 7020, 7030, 7050, 7060
  • 8010