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The Secure, Reliable ebXML FAX Machine

Abstract

Small enterprises need an affordable way of exchanging documents,

but cannot afford the costs of traditional electronic data interchange.

Dropping an order in a FAX machine (with speed dial buttons and automatic

busy-redial) is a low cost alternative, but lacks an audit trail, is not

confidential, and can be easily spoofed (or abused with spam FAXes).

Attaching a business document to an e-mail is another low cost alternative,

but not entirely reliable (sometimes requiring follow-up phone calls), not

easily made confidential, and also subject to spoofing and spam.

The ebXML CPP/A and Messaging specifications enable the development of

software which simulates a paperless FAX machine with these attributes:

- speed dial (CPA Service/Action/Role)

- reliable delivery (CPA channel attributes, e.g. acknowledgment, retry)

- secure delivery (CPA channel attributes, e.g. confidential, tamper-proof)

- arbitrary payloads (multiple attachments, binary, text, EDI, XML, etc.)

- spam filter (unsolicited or invalid messages are rejected automatically)

- automation (integration with legacy software)

This talk will discuss which features of the ebXML specifications were

considered important during the development of the Sun(tm) ONE

Integration Server Secure Trading Agent. Topics covered will include

design and implementation decisions, product architecture,

interoperability with other ebXML vendor products, and integration

with legacy software.

Also mentioned, how the product fits in to the remainder of the ebXML

stack and some issues not addressed by the ebXML stack.

Keywords