Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Actra ECXpert FAQ

Actra ECXpert™

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. What is ECXpert?

ECXpert is the foundation of Actra CrossCommerce. It enables companies to build and deploy an internet-centric electronic commerce program. Advantages include: secure communications; standards-based, interoperable technology; wide accessibility; reduced implementation and operational costs; and protection of legacy system investments.

Features include:

  • Extranet and EDIINT standards-compliant
  • Completed industry interoperability tests
  • S/MIME and SSL for security
  • SMTP, FTP, HTTP data communications
  • Legacy EDI Value Added Network (VAN) connections
  • Java user interface
  • Self-issue or 3rd-party certificates
  • Graphical, windows-based mapping tool
  • Both non-EDI data objects and public EDI standards support
  • Multi-threaded, scalable architecture

2. What EDI data standards does ECXpert support?

ECXpert's architecture is completely object-oriented, including its data mapping and translation modules. ECXpert can handle simple and complex transaction requirements. ECXpert supports published national and international EDI formats including EDIFACT, ANSI ASC X12, and UCS. However, with the use of the Internet, Actra expects many companies to exchange a broad range of data types, not just traditional EDI formats.

3. What is a business document gateway, and why do I need one?

A business document gateway is a software service that can reliably push, pull, process and transform critical business information between applications and trading partners. As such, it must be:

  • multi-threaded for processing multiple documents simultaneously,
  • scalable for today's computing environment involving multiple processors on multiple machines, while maintaining control from a local system,
  • able to support interoperable Internet standards for connectivity along with connections to legacy EDI networks,
  • accessible to anyone that has a browser, and
  • capable of scheduled and immediate processing

 

4. What do my partners need to purchase or support in order to be compatible with a company's ECXpert system?

If you want to communicate with partners over the Internet, today they will need to support either FTP or SMTP (email) for data transfer. For security, your partners will need to support S/MIME for SMTP. Actra expects that soon your partner can purchase one of several interoperable, new S/MIME-compliant email products, including Netscape's Communicator. For integrated EDI, your trading partners need to use a software product compliant with the EDIINT standards. It is important that a product be selected that has passed CommerceNet-sponsored interoperability testing.

 

5. What if my partners do not use the Internet?

ECXpert can still reach non-Internet trading partners because it can connect directly to traditional VANs. In Release 1.0, connections to GEIS and IBM Advantis are planned. ECXpert is not an Internet-only product.

 

6. Do I need to replace my existing EDI/EC solution when I implement ECXpert?

Not at all. ECXpert was designed especially so that companies that want to protect their existing investment in EDI software can do so.

ECXpert has special features that enable companies to pass data from an older EDI system directly into ECXpert for transmission to the trading partner. Or, companies can increase the integration between ECXpert and legacy EDI systems by actually configuring ECXpert through its Java user interface to control the execution of the legacy translator so that there will be a single point of control over all EDI processing.

Inbound or outbound data presented to ECXpert is processed through a number of 'services' selected by the user through the Java user interface. No programming is required. You can easily create a custom service that will execute your existing translation system in combination with any other service available. The Services Manager will execute the process and wait for completion and then process the next service in sequence.

 

7. What kind of human resources do I need to run this software?

Mapping and translation setup can be performed by information systems or business personnel that have a working knowledge of corporate data formats and EDI standards. No programming work is involved. Instead you simply point and click on the relationship between an external format and an internal application format. The day-to-day operation of ECXpert can be managed by the information systems organization responsible for monitoring applications production. Installation requires assistance from a database administrator familiar with Oracle7 Workgroup Server or Oracle7 Enterprise Sever. (It is usual to install Oracle7 Workgroup Server plus ECXpert in about two hours or less.)

 

8. Do I have to be running a corporate Intranet already?

No. ECXpert includes all of the Netscape software required to operate ECXpert, including an HTTP server, SMTP mail server, and a browser.

You just need to have an Internet service account or have access to the Internet through your corporate Intranet..

 

9. Does ECXpert supply an audit trail regardless if the document is an EDI document or a spreadsheet file?

Yes. The ECXpert system stores detailed information about each object processed and provides easy access to this information through the Java user interface's Activity Tracking function. You can determine the current status of particular objects and their processing histories. Activity Tracking allows you to view the processing history on individual EDI documents or individual files (any data object) that you specify. You can locate documents associated with a particular file or trading partner, processed within a particular date range, or currently in a particular stage of processing. You can search for errors or for all entries. If file level information is selected, you can drill down to the document level. For EDI data, you can track overdue acknowledgment conditions or cases where a rejection was received.

 

Revised: May 2, 1997

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