Network Report Reconciliation Service

The Network Report Reconciliation service adds status correlation database records for EDI interchanges sent to the network and updates the status correlations reconciled from the network reports.

The following table provides an overview of the Network Report Reconciliation service:

Category Description
System name NetworkReportReconciliation
Graphical Process Modeler (GPM) categories All Services, EDI X12
Description Adds status correlation database records for EDI interchanges sent to the network and updates the status correlations reconciled from the network reports. Because this is a separate service, it can be used independently of the transport that is used to communicate with the network.
Note: Currently only the IBM® Network is supported.
Business usage Enables a user to track EDI interchanges and their network status.
Usage example You must use this service in a business process after EDI data is sent to the network for the initial status (Sent to network) correlation records to be added to Sterling B2B Integrator. You must also use this service after the step that receives the network reports so that the service can reconcile them against the correlation records. You can use the Sterling B2B Integrator Correlation Search function to view the network reconciliation status for EDI interchanges.
Preconfigured? No
Requires third-party files? No
Platform availability All supported Sterling B2B Integrator platforms
Related services None
Application requirements No
Initiates business processes? No
Invocation Runs after sending EDI data to the network and after receiving reports from the network.
Business process context considerations None
Returned status values
Returned status values:
  • Success –The service completed successfully
  • Error –The service experienced a fatal error while processing
Restrictions When this service runs after sending data to the network, the primary document identifier should not have changed since being enveloped because the correlation records are based on the same identifier created by the enveloping service. Network reports must be in data format, not human-readable format. They can either be in original or extended format but each record must be delimited by a carriage return, a linefeed, or a carriage return followed immediately by a linefeed.
Persistence level System default
Testing considerations 1) A business process that generates EDI data, sends it to the network, and calls this service to create the initial correlation records.

2) A business process that receives network reports and calls this service to process the reports and update the correlation records to reflect the network status.

How the Network Report Reconciliation Service Works

As part of the EDI enveloping process in Sterling B2B Integrator, correlation records are automatically created and added to the correlation table, including InterchangeSenderID, InterchangeReceiverID, and InterchangeControlNumber.

When used in a business process that sends EDI interchanges to a network, the Network Report Reconciliation service collects additional correlation records to show that the data was sent to the network.

These records are:
  • NetworkReconciliationStatus – values are Sent to Network, Network Received Successfully, Network Received with Errors, or Picked Up by Trading Partner.
  • NetworkReconciliationDateTime – Date and time when the status was set either manually or from the network report.
  • NetworkErrorMessage – This record is only written if there is an error record in the network report. One record is written for each MS type record in the network report. The value of each reflects the error from the report.

You then use the service in a business process that receives status reports back from the network, so that the additional correlation records are updated with the new network status for each EDI interchange based on Sender and Receiver IDs.

Implementing the Network Report Reconciliation Service

To implement the Network Report Reconciliation Service for use in a business process:
  1. Create a Network Report Reconciliation Service Configuration.
  2. Configure the Network Report Reconciliation service.
  3. Use the Network Report Reconciliation service in a business process.

Configuring the Network Report Reconciliation Service

To configure the Network Report Reconciliation service, you must specify field settings in the GPM:

Field Description
Config Name of the service configuration.
action Action the service should perform. Required. Valid values are:
  • Process data sent
  • Process network reports
reportType Type of network report to process. Currently, only one report type is supported: CommerceNetwork. Required if ProcessReports was selected for action field.

Business Process Examples

Example 1: Sending EDI Data

The following example illustrates how the Network Report Reconciliation service might be used in a business process that sends EDI data:

<process name="ExampleSendingEDI"> 
 <sequence name="seq1"> 
    <!-EDI enveloping would occur before sending so that the proper  
      correlation records are written to the database, including  
      InterchangeSenderID, InterchangeReceiverID, and 
      InterchangeControlNumber. > 
<!-send the EDI data to the network using FTP > 
<operation name="FTP"> 
      <participant name="FtpAdapter"/> 
      <output message="Xout"> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
       <assign to="xport-ftp-host">sciftp.commerce.stercomm.com</assign> 
       <assign to="xport-ftp-port">21</assign> 
       <assign to="xport-ftp-mode">PUT</assign> 
     </output> 
      <input message="Xin"> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
     </input> 
    </operation> 
<!-This service adds additional correlation records to indicate the data 
       was sent to the network.   Once the reports are received, these  
       additional records will be updated to reflect the network status.> 
   <operation name="Network Report Reconciliation"> 
     <participant name="NetworkReconciliationService"/> 
     <output message="ReconcileNetworkReportsInputMessage"> 
       <assign to="action">ProcessDataSent</assign> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
     </output> 
      <input message="inmsg"> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
     </input> 
    </operation> 
 </sequence> 
</process>

Example 2: Receiving Network Reports

The following example illustrates how the Network Report Reconciliation service might be used in a business process that receives reports from a network:

<process name="ExampleReceivingReports"> 
  <sequence name="seq1"> 
   <!Receive data format network reports>
   <operation name="FTP"> 
      <participant name="FtpAdapter"/> 
      <output message="Xout"> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
       <assign to="xport-ftp-host">sciftp.commerce.stercomm.com</assign> 
       <assign to="xport-ftp-port">21</assign> 
       <assign to="xport-ftp-mode">GET</assign> 
     </output> 
      <input message="Xin"> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
     </input> 
    </operation> 
   <!Process the reports received and update the correlation records to reflect
     the network status.>
    <operation name="Network Report Reconciliation"> 
     <participant name="NetworkReconciliationService"/> 
     <output message="ReconcileNetworkReportsInputMessage"> 
       <assign to="action">ProcessReports</assign> 
       <assign to="reportType">CommerceNetwork</assign> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
     </output> 
      <input message="inmsg"> 
       <assign to="." from="*"></assign> 
     </input> 
    </operation> 
 </sequence> 
</process>