Configure B2B connections
System Administrators can now configure various settings in the Opus Web that enable network Owners and their Partners to exchange B2B messages using the Administration solution. After creating a B2B connection, IT system administrators must create a B2B connection using AS2, SFTP, or SMTP protocols in the Extensible TraceLink Transfer Help Center app. Owners can also update, search and view the details of an exchanged B2B message in the Extensible TraceLink Transfer (XTT). For more information about creating B2B connections, see the Extensible TraceLink Transfer Help Center.
A B2B connection is a configured B2B gateway account associated with a company or location on the TraceLink network to enable file exchange with an external system (e.g. an ERP system owned by a company on the TraceLink network) using the protocol associated with the B2B connection. B2B connections are uniquely identified by a username, and also include the security information (e.g. certificates, public keys) required to establish a connection.
System Administrators can configure B2B settings if they are assigned the role rights to the applications they are configuring.
Create integration principals
System Administrators can create or edit an integration principal to enable communication between TraceLink’s apps. The integration principal enables multiple users to send and receive B2B messages from one app to another without needing each individual user to be a member of both sending and receiving apps.
Prior to enabling companies and Partners to exchange B2B messages, System Administrators must create or edit an integration principal to enable communication between TraceLink’s apps. The integration principal enables multiple users to send and receive B2B messages from one app to another without needing each individual user to be a member of both the sending and receiving apps.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Fill in the following field in the General section:
- field – Required. The unique user name for the Integration Principal user. If the name already exists for the company, an error will display while adding the user.
- Select the Add icon.
- Fill in the following fields in the Add Integration Access section:
- field – Required. The applications licensed to the company and the apps for which users company has been added as a Partner.
- field – Required. The networks that are created for the selected multienterprise app. If the selected app does not support network creation, this field will be empty. For single network apps, only the networks available for that app are visible.
- field – The Link to assign the integration principal to.
- field – Required. The roles that are available based on the selected app and network.
Select the Add icon to add another
field, field, and field. - Select
The integration principal is created.
System Administrators can activate an integration principal to enable secure system-to-system communication with integration specific access to an app or network they are assigned.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the Activate icon in the row for the integration principal.
- Select
The integration principal is activated.
to activate an integration principal.
Select the Deactivate icon in the integration principal row and select Deactivate to deactivate an integration principal.
Create and enable transform sets
System Administrators can create a transform set which is a collection of transforms that can be used to send or receive different B2B messages. A transform is a map used to convert data from one format to another (e.g. CSV file to JSON file). A company can have one or multiple transform sets and each set can have many B2B message type collections such as purchase orders, invoices, etc.
Once a transform set is created, it can be associated with a B2B connection, a company, or an internal location of the company. After a System Administrator associates a transform set to a B2B connection, all the messages flowing from the specific B2B connection use this transform set. A company can have multiple B2B connections and use different transform sets for those connections.
- If a transform set is associated at the company level, all the messages being exchanged use the same transform set regardless of the location.
- If a transform set is associated at the location level, all the messages being exchanged from that internal location use the same transform set.
System Administrators can create a transform set, which is a collection of maps used to convert data from one format to another (e.g. CSV file to JSON file).
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the Add icon.
- Fill in the following fields in the Add Transform Set section:
- field – Required. The unique name for the new transform set.
- Application – The app that is licensed to the company.
- Message Type – The type of B2B message defined in the app.
Direction – The direction of the message.
- Inbound – A B2B message that TraceLink receives from outside of the organization.
- Outbound – A B2B message that TraceLink sends outside of the organization.
Catalog – The type of transform that has been associated to this transform set.
- Private – The private transform catalog for a specific company.
- Public – The transform catalog is available to all companies and Partners.
- Transform Name – The name of the transform that is being mapped to the new transform set.
- Transform Version – The version of the transform that is associated to the B2B message. By default, the transform version is 1.
field – Drag and drop a file to import a CSV file containing transforms to add to the set. The element headers below are all required in the CSV file, in order, and separated by commas. The data in the individual cells can be empty if a value is not required:
- Select
The transform set is added.
Tips
- Select the Action icon in the row for the transform set. Select to remove the transform set association
- Select the Add icon to add another Transform Set.
- Updating a transform set has no impact on the transform set association.
Once a transform set is added, a System Administrator can associate it with a B2B connection, a company, or an internal location of the company. Then, all the messages flowing from the specific B2B connection use this transform set. A company can have multiple B2B connections and use different transform sets for those connections. If a transform set is associated at the company level, all the messages being exchanged use the same transform set regardless of the location. If a transform set is associated at the location level, all the messages being exchanged from that internal location use the same transform set.
A transform set must be created prior to associating the transform set with a B2B connection, a company, or a company location.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the Action icon in the row for the transform set.
- Select to associate the transform set with your company, specific internal location, or B2B connection that uses these transforms for processing B2B messages.
- Select the appropriate radio button in the Configure Associations section:
- Locations – Associate the transform set with a specific location.
- B2B Connections – Associate the transform set with specific B2B connections.
- If you selected the Locations radio button, fill in the following fields in the Locations section:
- Set the Yes to associate a specific location with your company.
- Yes – The specific location is associated with your company.
- No – The specific location is not associated with your company.
switch to - drop-down – Associate the transform set with a specific location. Select the Add icon to add another drop-down.
- Set the Yes to associate a specific location with your company.
- If you selected the B2B Connections radio button, fill in the following fields in the B2B Connections section:
- drop-down – Associate the transform set with a specific B2B connection. Select the Add icon to add another drop-down.
- Select
The transform set is associated with your company, specific internal location, or B2B connection.
.
Tips
- Select the Remove Association icon to remove the location or B2B connection association with a transform set. You must remove each association individually.
- Updating the transform set association has no impact on the transform set.
Associate B2B connections
A B2B connection must be associated with a company for inbound or outbound messages. A B2B connection for outbound messages can be associated with a company which includes a company, an internal location, an app, or a B2B message to enable two parties to send messages for an existing B2B connection.
A B2B connection must be created before it can be associated with a company, internal location, app or B2B message.
System Administrators can associate a B2B connection to a company, a specific internal location, a specific app, or a B2B message for inbound messages.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the Add Inbound Association icon.
-
Fill in the following fields in the B2B Connection section:
- field – The B2B connection created in the XTT app.
-
Fill in the following fields in the Location section:
- Yes – (default) The B2B connection is associated with a company.
- No – The B2B connection is not associated with a company.
radio button – The B2B connection is associated with a company.
- Select
The inbound B2B association is added.
System Administrators can associate a B2B connection to a company, a specific internal location, a specific app, or a B2B message for outbound messages.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the Add Outbound Association icon.
-
Fill in the following fields in the B2B Connection section:
- field – The B2B connection created in the XTT app.
-
Fill in the following fields in the Location section:
- Yes – (default) The B2B connection is associated with an internal location.
- No – The B2B connection is not associated with an internal location.
radio button – The B2B connection is associated with an internal location.
- In the Message Types section, select the Add icon.
-
Fill in the following fields in the Associate Message section:
- field – Required. The app for which this association has been established between the B2B connection and the entity.
- field – The message type for the associated app.
- Select .
- Select
The outbound B2B association is added.
.
Configure B2B connections
System administrators can create and view B2B connections, which is a configured B2B gateway account that is uniquely identified by a B2B connection name using Applicability Statement 2 (AS2) protocols , Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) in the XTT app. After creating a B2B connection, System Administrators can configure a B2B connection in the Administration app so the appropriate Link Identifier, SAP Configuration, and EDI Configuration settings can be used for the app or network. System Administrators can add X12, EDIFACT, or IDoc location settings information to complete adding a B2B connection. System Administrators must configure an inbound or outbound message prior to adding the connection type information.
System Administrators can set up inbound B2B connections so that inbound messages can be sent to the correct company or location.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the Configure Inbound B2B Messages icon.
-
Fill in the following fields in the Link section:
- drop-down – Required. The applications licensed to the company and the apps for which users company has been added as a Partner.
- field – Required. The specific company or location for which the configuration has been added (e.g. owner company, company location, Partner company, or Partner location).
- field – The transform sets that are linked to the inbound configuration.
- field – The identifier for the company or location, in the format [App Abbreviation].[My Company ID Value], (e.g. MPC.GLN.111111111111.GLN.222222222222). Select the Add icon to add another field.
- Select
The B2B connection is set so inbound messages can be routed to the correct company or location.
.
Tips
- Select the Action icon in the B2B connection row and select the Edit icon to edit an inbound B2B connection.
System Administrators can set up outbound B2B connections so that outbound messages can be delivered to the receiver.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the Configure Outbound Connection icon.
-
Fill in the following fields in the Link section:
- drop-down – Required. The applications licensed to the company and the apps for which users company has been added as a Partner.
- field – Required. The specific company or location for which the configuration has been added (e.g. owner company, company location, Partner company, or Partner location).
-
Fill in the following fields in the Message Delivery Rules section:
- Yes – (default) The sender and receiver both own the same app.
- No – The sender and receiver do not own the same app.
switch – Indicates whether the sender and the receiver both own the same app (e.g. both Kendall Phara and Watson Distributors own Multienterprise Process Connect and are linked to each others' networks):- Transform – The B2B message transforms the outbound file and the requester responds back without any errors.
- Transform and Deliver – The B2B message is delivered to the to XTT app for outbound delivery.
- No Processing – A response is sent back to the requesting app without transforming the file or attempting to deliver the file.
drop-down – Required. The method of delivery for the message from the sender to the receiver:- drop-down – Required. The message type for the selected app.
- Select the Add icon to add another drop-down and drop-down.
- Select
The B2B connection is set so outbound messages can be delivered to the receiver.
.
Tips
- Select the Action icon in the B2B connection row and select the Edit icon to edit an outbound B2B connection.
System Administrators can add X12, EDIFACT, or IDoc location settings information to complete adding a B2B connection. System Administrators must configure an inbound or outbound message prior to adding the connection type information. For more information on the message connection types, see the Tips section.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Select the icon.
-
Fill in the following fields in the Company or Location section:
- XTT app. drop-down – Required. The list of B2B connections created for the company in the
- field – Required. The specific company or location for which the configuration has been added (e.g. owner company, company location, Partner company, or Partner location).
- field – Required. The identifier type and values for the specific company or location for which the configuration has been added.
-
Fill in the following fields in one of the Connection Type Information sections:
For an X12 connectionValid Values
- 001000
- 002000
- 002001
- 002002
- 002003
- 002031
- 002040
- 002041
- 002042
- 003000
- 003010
- 003011
- 003012
- 003020
- 003021
- 003022
- 003030
- 003031
- 003032
- 003040
- 003041
- 003042
- 003050
- 003051
- 003052
- 003060
- 003061
- 003062
- 003070
- 003071
- 003072
- 004000
- 004010
- 004011
- 004012
- 004020
- 004021
- 004022
- 004030
- 004031
- 004032
- 004040
- 004041
- 004042
- 004050
- 004051
- 004052
- 004060
- 004061
- 004062
- 005000
- 005010
- 005011
- 005012
- 005020
- 005021
- 005022
- 005030
- 005031
- 005032
- 005040
- 005041
- 005042
- 005050
- 005051
- 005052
- 006000
- 006010
- 006011
- 006012
- 006020
- 006021
- 006022
- 006030
- 006031
- 006032
- 006040
- 006041
- 006042
- 006050
- 006051
- 006052
- 007000
- 007010
- 007011
- 007012
- 007020
- 007021
- 007022
- 007030
- 007031
- 007032
- 007040
- 007041
- 007042
- 007050
- 007051
- 007052
- 007060
- 007061
- 007062
- 008000
- 008010
- 008020
- 008030
- 008040
- 008050
drop-down – The EDI version indicates the standards version you are using for your EDI messages. Different versions might have slight variations in how data is structured. Determine and specify the version of the X12 standard that you will be using and ensure that both trading Partners agree on the same version (e.g. common versions include 4010 and 5010).- field – The sender code and receiver code are unique identifiers for the entities involved in the EDI message. The sender code identifies the entity sending the EDI document, while the receiver code identifies the entity receiving it. These codes are typically assigned by the organization and may be DUNS numbers, Global Location Numbers (GLNs), or custom codes agreed upon by the trading partners.
Valid Values
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- AM
- NR
- SA
- SN
- ZZ
drop-down – Indicates the role of the party in the EDI envelope. Specify if you what are providing is for the sender or the receiver of the EDI.- field – These values, for both the sender and receiver, are used within the interchange envelope (ISA segment in X12) to identify the sender and receiver. They are often the same as the sender or receiver code but can also include additional qualifiers. These values ensure that the EDI interchange is correctly routed between the parties.
For an EDIFACT connection-
drop-down – Indicates the standards version that you are using for your EDIFACT messages. Each version corresponds to a specific set of rules and message definitions. EDIFACT versions are released periodically and include updates and enhancements.
- D96A
- D96B
- D97A
- D97B
- D98A
- D98B
- D99A
- D99B
- D00A
- D00B
- D01A
- D01B
- D01C
- D02A
- D02B
- D03A
- D03B
- D04A
- D04B
- D05A
- D05B
- D06A
- D06B
- D07A
- D07B
- D08A
- D08B
- D09A
- D09B
- D10A
- D10B
- D11A
- D11B
- D12A
- D12B
- D13A
- D13B
- D14A
- D14B
- D15A
- D15B
- D16A
- D16B
- D17A
- D17B
- D18A
- D18B
- D19A
- D19B
- D20A
- D20B
- D21A
-
field – The EDI envelop party type indicates the role of the party involved in the EDI communication (e.g UNB.2.1: Interchange sender, UNB.3.1: Interchange recipient).
- 1
- 4
- 5
- 8
- 9
- 12
- 14
- 18
- 22
- 18
- 30
- 31
- 33
- 34
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 61
- 63
- 65
- 80
- 82
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 89
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 103
- 128
- 129
- 144
- 145
- 146
- 147
- 148
- 500
- 501
- 502
- Z01
- ZZZ
- field – The EDI Envelope Party Value is the identifier of the party involved in the EDI interchange. This value uniquely identifies the sender or recipient of the message and is used for routing and processing purposes.
- UNOA
- UNOB
- UNOC
- UNOD
- UNOE
- UNOF
drop-down – Required. Identifies the syntax and version of the EDIFACT syntax rules being used. It ensures that the receiving system understands the syntax format of the message. For EDIFACT, the syntax identifier usually appears in the UNB segment:- 1
- 2
- 3
drop-down – Required. Indicates the version of the syntax rules that the message adheres to. This helps the receiving system to parse the message correctly according to the specific version of the syntax being used:- Yes – The specific EDIFACT fields are filled with the required data.
- No – The specific EDIFACT fields are not filled with the required data.
switch – Populated in the context of EDIFACT typically means that the specific field has been filled with the required data. If a field is not populated, it has been left empty. The values are: - Yes – The UNA segment is included in the message to define the delimiters used in the interchange.
- No – The UNA segment is not included in the message to define the delimiters used in the interchange.
switch – Indicates whether the UNA segment is included in the message to define the delimiters used in the interchange.
- field – A unique identifier that defines the source of the IDoc. It indicates if the system or app from which the IDoc is being sent. The sender port is specified in the Partner profiles in SAP and helps in identifying and routing the IDoc correctly.
- field – Identifies the business Partner involved in the IDoc exchange. It can represent a customer, vendor, or any other entity that is part of the business process. The partner number is used to distinguish different Partners and is necessary to ensure that the IDoc reaches the correct recipient.
-
field – Indicates the role of the Partner in the IDoc message. Each Partner function defines the specific role and responsibilities of the Partner within the context of the business transaction:
- LI – Vendor
- AG – Ordering party
-
RE – Payee
- WE – Goods recipient
-
field – Indicates the type of business Partner involved in the IDoc exchange. The partner type helps in determining the nature of the Partner and the type of data exchange:
- KU – Customer
- LI – Vendor
- LS – Logical system is used for internal SAP system communications.
-
AG – Agent
- LF – Delivery
- field – A unique identifier for the client within the SAP system. In SAP, a client is an independent business unit with its own data and configuration. The client number helps in ensuring that the IDoc is processed within the correct client environment.
- field – A unique identifier that defines the destination of the IDoc. It identifies the system or app to which the IDoc is being sent. The receiver port is specified in the Partner profiles and is crucial for routing the IDoc to the correct destination.
- Select
The connection type is added.
.
-
X12 is a standard developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for electronic data interchange (EDI). It is primarily used in North America to facilitate the automated exchange of business documents between different computer systems, particularly in industries such as healthcare, supply chain management, finance, and government.
-
EDIFACT is an international standard developed by the United Nations for the electronic exchange of business documents between different systems and organizations. It is widely used in global trade to facilitate the seamless exchange of structured data, reducing the need for manual intervention and improving the efficiency of business transactions.
-
IDoc is a standard data structure used in SAP applications for exchanging information between systems. It is primarily used in SAP's EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) processes and ALE (Application Link Enabling) scenarios.
Tips
Filter and view B2B connections
If you add a transform set with no associations, then it will not appear on this Filter and View screen.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
- Fill in the required field, which is the unique name for the new transform set, to filter the results.
- Select .
The results display in the table.
- Name field – The unique name for the new transform set.
- Application – The app that is licensed to the company.
- Message Type – The B2B message type that the application has registered with.
- Direction – The direction of the message.
- Catalog – The type of transform that has been associated to this transform set.
- Transform Name – The name of the transform that is being mapped to the new transform set.
- Transform Version – The version of the transform that is associated to the B2B message. By default, the transform version is 1.
- Select in the side menu.
- Select .
- Select the tab.
-
Fill in one or more of the following fields to filter the results:
- – The B2B connection created in the XTT app.
- – The B2B connection is associated with an internal location.
- – The message type for the associated app.
- – Required. The app for which this association has been established between the B2B connection and the entity.
- Select .
- B2B Connection – The B2B connection created in the XTT app.
- Associated Entity – The B2B connection is associated with an internal location.
- Application – The B2B connection is associated with an internal location.
The results display in the table.