Working with Trading Partners
A trading partner is an organization that conducts e-business with other organizations. Sterling B2B Integrator must have certain information about trading partners to automate the secure exchange of business documents with them. Sterling B2B Integrator stores this information in a trading partner profile, which is known as a trading profile.
- Links a trading partner with the business processes created to exchange business documents and transactions.
- Describes the role of a trading partner in those business processes as a producer of messages, consumer of messages, or both.
- Determines which documents are allowed into and out of Sterling B2B Integrator.
- Basic – Provides shorter input method that requires less information to get started
- Advanced – Provides separate records for profile, identity, document exchange, transport method, delivery method, and packaging
- AS2 – Provides records specific to AS2 trading partners
- AS3 – Provides records specific to AS3 trading partners
Configuration of trading partners for e-business
- Enter your organizations trading partner information.
- Set up or import trading partner profiles.
- Decide what security methods (for example, digital certificates) you and your trading partners employ.
- Define contracts for your trading partners.
Setting up trading partners with B2B Advanced Communications
You can set up your trading partners in Sterling B2B Integrator 5.2.4.2 and higher with the B2B Advanced Communications application. You can use B2B Advanced Communications to both onboard trading partners and run all of the necessary AS2 and AS4 protocol processing that can be used by the trading partners.
B2B Advanced Communications includes the following features:
- Configuration tools for owner and trading partner organizations.
- Configuration and tracking tools for AS2 and AS4 message exchanges.
For more information, see the following B2B Advanced Communications topics: