X.400 SE Connector

Usage

An X.400 SE Connector receives and sends messages based on the international standard X.400.

Via X.400 messages are exchanged in a closed computer network. Sender as well as receiver each own an X.400 mailbox within this network. All messages are forwarded via these X.400 mail boxes, which means that a message is send first to the X.400 mailbox of the sender, then transferred to the X.400 mailbox of the receiver and finally fetched from there by the receiver. In the INUBIT software messages are transmitted to the X.400 mailbox by an Isode client which must be installed additionally.

Reducing connection costs

If your provider charges the connections to your X.400 mailbox per inchoate minute or per login, you should consider the following provisions in order to reduce connection costs:

  • Fetching messages:

  • Sending messages:

    Bundle the messages before sending.

    To do so, convert the messages into the IBIS-X400 format and merge them using an XSLT Converter before sending.

    You find the XML Schema and a sample message in the INUBIT Repository at Global/System/Mapping Templates/X.400 SE Connector.

Connector types

The function of an X.400 SE Connector depends on its configuration:

  • Input Connector

    Connects to an X.400 mailbox, fetches messages from the mailbox and hands them over to the Technical Workflow. The data format in which the messages are forwarded to the workflow depends on the configuration of the Input Connector.

  • Output Connector

    Connects to an X.400 mailbox and sends out one or more X.400 messages to the X.400 box of a business partner. The structure of the X.400 message depends on the configuration of the Output Connector.

Requirements

Prerequisites

  • You have installed one of the supported Java Development Kits.

  • In addition to the Isode client, the stunnel proxy is also needed to use the X.400 Connector.

    If the stunnel client is missing on your device, then download and install this required application.

  • In order to use the Telekom certificate, the business mail certificate must be referenced in the CAfile field of the stunnel.conf file (relative or absolute) and the check must be active, for example:

    verify = 2
CAfile = certs.pem

  • You have configured your X.400 Connector correctly, refer to Dialog X.400 Access Data.

Additional software

You need to install the following software:

Isode client

You can obtain the Isode client from Virtimo AG. It is available for different platforms.

Note that the service installation of the Isode client is not necessary. Only the API of the client is addressed.

stunnel client

You can obtain the stunnel client from the official stunnel website.

Installing Isode for Windows

Proceed as follows

  1. Install the Isode client and select the setup Typical.

  2. To add the path of the Isode clients’ bin directory to the global Path variable, select Start > Settings > Control panel. The window Control panel is displayed.

  3. Double-click the entry System. The dialog System properties opens up.

  4. Display the Advanced tab.

  5. Click the Environment variables button. A dialog with the same name opens up.

  6. In the System variable area select the Path variable.

  7. Click the Edit button.

  8. At the end of the existing entries, add a semicolon sand the path to the bin directory of the Isode client.

Installing Isode for Linux

Proceed as follows

  1. Download the operating system specific Isode libraries.

  2. Create pp user under the bin user group if the user does not exist.

  3. Install the Isode RPM files.

  4. Make sure that the pp user has read and write access to both directories /etc/isode and /var/isode.

Sending and Fetching Read Notifications/RN Using an X.400 SE Connector

Sending read notifications

If read notifications are requested, an X.400 SE Input Connector automatically generates and sends them.

  • Messages, for which read notifications are requested, contain an isIPN element with the value false.

  • Read notifications contain an isIPN element with the value true.

Fetching read notifications

Read notifications for messages, which were sent with an X.400 SE Output Connector, are only fetched from the X.400- Mailbox, when you fetch XML messages.

Dialog Descriptions

Dialog X.400 Access Data

You use the dialog to enter access data for your X.400 box and to specify your sender address:

Basic configuration

  • PA address

    Describes the connection to your X.400 box. Replace the hostname and port number by the values from your X.400 provider. You find hostname and port number at the end of the default address:

    "OMSPSAP"/"SOMS_OSI_SERVER"/"TOMS_OSI_SERVER"/URI+0000+URL+itot://localhost:5432

    • localhost: hostname

    • 5432: port number.

      The Default button restores the original settings.

      To encrypt the connection to the Telekom’s X.400 box, stunnel with 128 bit must be used.

      If you change the hostname or port number in the address line, you have to make the same changes in the stunnel configuration.

      Connections to X.400 mailboxes of other providers that need an SSL encryption up to 56 bit you can still encrypt using the itots protocol without stunnel.

  • DN bind

    Domain specification. The default value is C=de, for Germany.

    If you are using the X.400 SE connector in a different country, you have to change the country code accordingly.

    The Default button restores the original settings.

Authentication

  • OR address

    (Originator/recipient address)

    If you have configured multiple X.400 SE Connectors with the same OR address, then all connectors must have identical settings. Otherwise, the connectors will mutually overwrite their connection settings.

    Example: /S=INUBIT/O=INUBIT-IS/A=viaT/C=de

    The following table explains the single parts of the address. The described format is supported by the Deutsche Telekom. If you have leased your X.400 box from another provider, contact them for information about the supported address format:

    Abbreviation Stands for Explanation Remarks

    S

    Surname

    Name of the company or last name of the sender.

    Instead of S and O you can also use the UA- ID, e.g. /UA-ID=2048188/A=viaT/C=de

    O

    Organization

    Name Any name. Example: O=tu-berlin if the Internet address is cs.tu-berlin.telekom.de.

    A

    Administration Domain

    Example: A=INUBIT if the Internet address is www.INUBIT.com. In this case, viaT means that the address is registered with Deutsche Telekom.

    Ask your recipient whether the information for A and C are required.

    C

    Country Name

    Example: C=de, for Germany.

    The specifications in the address line are not case-sensitive.

  • Password

    You receive the password from your X.400 service provider.

Connection keep alive configuration

  • Enable keep alive

    When activated, the connection between the X.400 box and the X.400 SE Connector is kept open until the timeout has expired.

    Activate this Option if your provider charges the connection costs per login.

  • Timeout (seconds)

    The timeout defines how many seconds after the last execution of the connector the connection will be closed. By defining a timeout you prevent open connections event though no workflows are executed, as this may be the case, for example, by night.

Connection test

  • Test connection

    For testing whether the connection can be successfully established using your configuration.

Dialog Data Transfer Configuration

(Input Connector)

In this dialog you configure filter options, the reading order for input files and the data output format which is passed on to the subsequent module.

Message filter

  • Add filter

    The button adds a filtering function for input messages.

    You can filter the sender field or subject field using the conditions contains or does not contain.

  • Delete messages after reading

    If selected, received messages are deleted after they have been read.

  • Get only new messages

    If selected, only new messages will be fetched.

Reading order

If more than one file is transmitted, you can define if files are to be transmitted in a sorted way and if yes, in which order.

The option Alphabetically sorts by the subject line, the option Chronologically sorts by date.

Module output configuration

  • Output format

    • DATA

      The fetched message is output in unchanged form.

    • XML

      The output message is converted into the IBIS-X400 XML format. You find the schema for this format and a sample message in the Repository at Global/System/Mapping Templates/X.400 SE Connector.

  • Number of the attachment

    (Only if DATA is selected as output format)

    If there are several attachments, use the Number of the attachment field to select the attachment to be transmitted.

    Note that X.400 only works with attachments and that the text of a X.400 message is equivalent to an attachment.

  • Max. number messages

    (Only if XML is selected as output format)

    Maximum number of messages that are read. Default value is 1. If less-than-or-equal-0 is selected, there is no restriction at all.

  • With attachments

    (Only if XML is selected as output format)

    If selected, the attachments are also transmitted. Otherwise, only the header information is contained in the XML file.

    Note that X.400 only works with attachments and that the text of an X.400 message is equivalent to an attachment.

  • Always encode contents Base64

    (Only if XML is selected as output format) Select this option to transfer binary data correctly, as for example Zip or PDF files.

  • Fetch 8-bit text attachments as raw bytes

    Select this option, if you want to import attachments without a specific character encoding as raw data. Thus, the data are fetched from the text attachment without converting them.

  • Skip messages at errors during fetch

    When activated and an error occurs when being fetched, XML messages are ignored and retained on the server.

    When deactivated, fetching of messages is aborted with an error message.

Dialog Message Transmission Options

(Output Connector)

In this dialog you define the receiver, the subject and the format of the messages to be sent and configure the attachments.

In order to reduce connection costs consider sending multiple messages during one execution of the connector.

Refer Reducing connection costs

Input format configuration

  • Format

    • TXT

      The message contains text with the format that is defined at the option Encoding.

    • DATA

      The input message contains data that are forwarded in unchanged form.

    • XML

      The input message is in IBIS-X400 XML format.

      You find the corresponding XML Schema and a sample message in the Repository at Global/System/Mapping Templates/X.400 SE Connector.

  • Encoding

    (Only for TXT as format)

    Encoding of the input message.

    The encoding is required for converting the input message into the character set defined with the option Attachment type.

Message properties

  • Subject

    Meaningful description of the subject of the message.

  • Recipient

    For information on the recipient address format, refer to Dialog X.400 Access Data.

    When using XML as input format, the Subject and Recipient fields are optional. If they are filled in, the recipient defined here is included in the XML file, additionally to the recipients already contained in the XML structure, and the specified subject is attached to all included messages.

  • Transmission receipt

    As evidence that a message has been sent. The receipt is sent automatically by the X.400 Gateway to the originator of the message and contains the ID of the send message.

  • Read receipt

    The read notification is automatically sent when your business partner fetches your message from his or her X.400 box.

Attachment configuration

  • Attachment type

    (Only for formats DATA and TXT)

    Select one of the following types in order to define the character set with which the input messages of the Output Connector are to be encoded and send:

    • ISO8859_1

      8-bit character set containing many special characters of the West European languages. Refer to https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8859-1.

    • ISO8859_2

      8-bit character set containing many special characters of the Middle and South-East European languages.

      Refer to https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8859-2.

    • IA5

      7-bit character set according to ISO 646 with different local versions. The INUBIT software supports the IA5-US version.

      Refer to https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_646.

    • Binary

      Suitable for binary input messages.

    • FILE

      For binary input messages with FTBP (File Transfer Body parts) attachment. With this attachment type it is possible to send additional file information like e.g. file name.

      Note that this attachment type is not generally supported by all X.400 boxes.

    • ISO8859_1_RAW

      Select ISO8859_1_RAW, if you want to transmit attachments without a specific character encoding as raw data.

  • File name

    (Only for attachment type FILE)

    For additionally including the file name of the output message in the attachment.

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